Services
The Bridge Advocacy Center is a comprehensive, child-focused program that offers a highly effective, one-stop approach to child abuse investigation. The facility allows law enforcement, child protection professionals, prosecutors and the mental health and medical communities to work together to victims of child abuse and sexual assault in a comprehensive and cohesive manner. The center offers a comfortable, private, child-friendly setting where forensic interviews and sexual exams can be conducted. The center also focuses on the health and future of child victims.
The Bridge strives to improve investigations while reducing harmful effects on children and families. With early intervention, the caring team of professionals at The Bridge help break the cycle of abuse and cultivate a child’s chance of becoming a healthy adult.
The following is a “menu” of the services offered by The Bridge:
Forensic Interviews:
To put children and their families at ease, The Bridge has established a neutral, home-like facility where interviews of and services for children can be provided. The Bridge provides trained professional interviewers who specialize in taking testimony of children using non-leading techniques. Having knowledgeable, neutral interviewers helps to provide a more accurate and consistent account of the abuse from the child victim.
Multidisciplinary Case Review:
Case review teams consisting of representatives from law enforcement, medical and mental health professionals, child protective services and prosecution meet weekly to discuss current child abuse cases. During the investigative process, while maintaining their own roles and responsibilities, team members are able to receive input from other professionals before making decisions regarding a case. This case information is utilized in conjunction with a tracking system to stay informed of the case through closure to ensure needs of the victim are met and cases are not lost or forgotten.
On-Site Sexual Assault Exams:
The Bridge is able to coordinate the sexual assault exam process by contacting the professionals involved and providing exam rooms and equipment for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Team of Northwest Texas Healthcare System to conduct non-acute exams for child victims. This lessens the trauma for the child and family by eliminating a visit to the emergency room and providing a child friendly atmosphere.
Community Education:
The Bridge provides seminars to the
public, free of charge. For adults we offer “Child Abuse, What Is It and What Can I Do About It?” ; “Truth, Lies and Sex Offenders”; “It’s Not Just Jenna”; and “Internet Safety: The 411 for Parents”. For children, the center offers “P.S. It’s My Body”, which is a personal safety program for elementary school aged children. Click here for information.
Victim Assistance
The Victim Services Specialist provides crisis intervention support to child victims and their non-offending family members by providing assistance in completing the Crime Victims' Compensation paperwork, community services referrals and general information about victims' rights provided throughout the investigative process.
During the initial assessment, The Victim Services Specialist will provide counseling options for the child and family. The center contacts the family following the initial services to verify that counseling services have been accessed; complete a survey of services; and to determine whether the family has further need for referral.
Throughout the investigative process, the Victim Services Specialist tracks open cases through to final disposition and remains available to families to answer any questions they may have regarding the judicial process.
Counseling
The overall goal of The Bridge is to help children and their families heal from the trauma of abuse so that the crime does not define their lives. The path to recovery starts with a step into therapy.
Through a grant from VOCA (Victims of Crimes Act), The Bridge proviedes funding for couseling to uninsured children and their families to begin therapy soon after the initial interview is conducted. This immediate access to counseling is crucial to assist the healing process.
Without treatment, child victims of sexual assault are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem, exhibit poor school performance, become sexually promiscuous, abuse drugs and alcohol, attempt suicide and in some instances act out their abuse on other children.
