|
"To provide a coordinated community response to child abuse victims and their families" Kids' Space Receives National Accreditation: Site reviewers from the National Children's Alliance (NCA) conducted Kids Space's five year site review in August and awarded the Center with accreditation. Nancy Chandler, Excutive Director of NCA, remarked, " As a member of this growing movement of Children's Advocacy Centers, this evaluation is a celebration of the hard work accomplished by our community. National recognition shows that you are leaders in this movement." The reviewer went on to recommend Executive Director Betty Martin as a mentor for new directors of other Child Advocacy Centers. A special thanks to all who prepared and participated in the accreditation process. Born to be Wild: Local motorcycle club, Muskogee Edge Riders, sponsors a Poker Run in conjunction with the Exchange Club's Oktoberfest. Bikes rolled out from Creek Nation Casino making five additional stops befor ending at the Oktoberfest Pavillion. Creek Nation donated $1,500 in prize money. Dillard's, Love Bottling, Jasper's Restaurant, The Castle and Misty Thompson provided door prizes. Proceeds from the Poker Run will help fund the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners Program. Multidisciplinary Team members receive training: With the help of scholarships, the CATC Council, a Drug Endangered Children's Grant, and a National Children's Alliance Training Grant, the MCCAC multidisciplinary team had the opportunity to attend several informative trainings this year. 1. National Drug Endangered Children Conference: The focus was the contamination and effects of methamphetamine (meth) on children that are exposed to or raised around meth labs in their home. 2. North American Conference on Shaken Baby Syndrome: Top experts across the country came together in Montreal, Quebec to present current issues involving shaken baby syndrome. Team members from Muskogee Police, Sheriff and Children Clinic got to attend this informative training. 3. 12th Oklahoma Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect and Healthy Families: The U.S. Attorney's Office and The CATC Council awarded scholarships to law enforcement, child welfare, and KIDS' SPACE employees to attend this training. One law enforcement officer said that the workshop on Effective Child Abuse Investigation Techniques for Multidisciplinary teams" was more valuable than other classes he attended. He would like to get the trainer to do the workshop in Muskogee, as all the multidisciplinary team would benefit from his training. 4. Crimes Against Children Conference: Team members from the Police and Sheriff Department and our Executive Director attended the conference in Dallas. The conference was presented bay the Dallas Police and Dallas Child Advocacy Center. Topics included evereything from developing a child advocacy center to internet crime. The Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Boys and Girls Clubs of America developed a workshop called "NetSmartz". The goal of NetSmartz is to extend the safety awareness of children to prevent victimization and increase self-confidence whenever they go online. For more information go to NetSmartz.org. Forensic Interview Training Critical: Forensic interviewing is first step in most child protective services investigations, one in which a professional interviews a child to find out if he or she has been maltreated. In addition to yielding the information needed to make a determination about whether abuse or neglect has occurred. The approach produces evidence that will stand up in court if the investigation leads to criminal prosecution. Properly conducted forensic interviews are legally sound in part because they secure the interviewer's objectivity, employ non-leading techniques, and emphasize careful documentation of the interview. Thanks to the Unzer Center in Shawnee who sponsored Forensic Interview Training in August for several of our multidisciplinary team members. Cannarsa Investments, Shelly Chitwood, Tom Flemons-Dillard's, Don McDaniel-Dolly Madison, Dr. Jim Risch-Eastside Animal Hospital, Alicia Gunn, Ellen Kargl-Humphrey, Jackie Mabe, V. David & Billie Miller, Carol Parker, Reaching Out, Mike Ebert-Wal Mart, and Melissa White. Muskogee Police Department, Muskogee County Sheriff's Office, The Children's Clinic, County Mental Health, Muskogee County District Attorney and Victim Advocate Office, and Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division |
| Copyright © 2005-2007 Kids' Space - Muskogee County Child Advocacy Center, Inc. All Rights Reserved |