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Western Regional Children's Advocacy Center (WRCAC)

Award Information

Award #
2019-CI-FX-K002
Funding Category
Competitive Discretionary
Location
Congressional District
Status
Past Project Period End Date
Funding First Awarded
2019
Total funding (to date)
$8,750,000

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2019, $1,250,000)

The OJJDP FY 2019 Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCA) Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers (RCAC) program provides funding to support four regional centers – one situated within each of the four U.S. Census regions – that (1) help to build and establish multidisciplinary teams, local programs, and state chapter organizations that respond to child abuse and neglect and (2) deliver training and technical assistance that strengthen existing multidisciplinary teams, programs, and state chapter organizations. This program is authorized pursuant to the Victims of Child Abuse Act, 34 U.S.C. §20303.

The Chadwick Center for Children and Families at Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego (Chadwick Center) proposes to continue managing the efforts of the Western Regional Children’s Advocacy Center (WRCAC) to help communities better respond to child abuse and neglect. Collaborating with national and regional partners funded through VOCA, as well as state chapters of the National Children's Alliance, Chadwick Center will deliver training and technical assistance throughout the 13 western states. Training and technical assistance will be aimed at reducing the prevalence and adverse impact of child maltreatment by ensuring all children have access to a high-quality, multidisciplinary response to abuse that is coordinated, evidence-based, and trauma-informed.

The following strategies are proposed for the WRCAC project: 1) work collaboratively with each state chapter to develop and implement a customized training and technical assistance plan to access underserved areas, meet the needs of its members and emerging CACs, and strengthen its leadership in the state; 2) sponsor three regional multi-day trainings for multidisciplinary team professionals on team facilitation, court preparation for medical and legal professionals, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy; 3) provide onsite customized trainings and web-based peer learning collaboratives on core topics such as building strong multidisciplinary teams, effective case review meetings, and resiliency among multidisciplinary team members; 4) disseminate lessons from Chadwick's state and national projects on trauma-informed care through trainings, web-based resources, and print publications; 5) increase access to and quality of evidence-based mental health services for traumatized children in rural communities through the development of a web-based, tele-mental health resource center for CACs and training on evidence-based assessments and treatments; and 6) support the culturally sensitive growth and development of tribally based multidisciplinary teams and CACs and increase the capacity of state and local CACs to engage, support, and partner effectively with tribes and tribal populations. The Chadwick Center will also collaborate with VOCA partners to develop new models for multidisciplinary team leadership and pathways for professional growth, improve medical care and leadership development, support the strategic growth and development of state chapters, and strengthen multidisciplinary teams.

CA/NCF

Date Created: September 16, 2019