Important work goes on at Strength And Mending Child Advocacy Center on South Garnett Street, and not all of it falls within business hours, according to founder Cara Boyd Gill.
Gill founded SaM in 2016 to be a resource for young people who have experienced or witnessed sexual or physical abuse or have been victims of other violent crimes.
The nonprofit works closely with local law enforcement, Department of Social Services, the district attorney’s office, as well as mental health and medical personnel, Gill told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. (Click to hear the full audio story · TownTalk: SaM Child Advocacy)
And although the majority of the referrals are from the four-county area, they have helped children and families from all over North Carolina. Recently, detectives from New York were in town because a case that occurred in their jurisdiction involved a young person who now resides in a county close to Vance County, she said.
“The children are located in our surrounding counties,” she said, “but the crimes may have happened somewhere else.”
“We have never turned down a family due to their location,” she said. Neither does SaM charge for their services. They rely 100 percent on grants and donations.
“Every service is offered at no cost to clients – they have already been through enough trauma or hardship.”
Networking within the community is another way to share resources with other groups that work with children. Gill said there’s an upcoming meeting with Vance County Schools’ nurses as they prepare to begin another school year.
Teachers, nurses, therapists and daycare providers are just some of the workers who can provide a listening ear and a safety net for children who have witnessed or been victim to violent crime or abuse.
So far, SaM has seen 93 children and their families in 2022 – with one quarter of the year to go.
However the referral is made – through law enforcement, DSS or someone who calls in asking for help – the children are brought to the center for what Gill called a child forensic interview.
They come to the child-friendly environment, she said, to reduce the child feeling further intimidated or traumatized. The interviews are recorded, which “reduces duplication of these kids having to be interviewed over and over again,” perpetuating the trauma.
A medical evaluation is completed if necessary, and SaM provides advocacy services to accompany families through the court system if they need it.
“Usually, when they come to us, a report has been made to police or to DSS,” Gill said, or from a therapist who is bound by law to report certain types of information.
Sometimes, the abuse has just happened and sometimes the abuse has happened in the past, she said. One thing is certain, Gill said: Abuse does not discriminate. “Honestly, they come from all different backgrounds,” she said, of the children and families that are referred to S.A.M.
The treatment they receive is vital to restoring their mental health and to help them tap in to their resilience – it’s important that the children get their narratives heard and get them on the path to healing.
“We have definitely seen an uptick since COVID,” Gill noted, adding that S.A.M. also has received more requests for help from other counties since the beginning of the pandemic.
She said proudly that, throughout the pandemic, SaM remained a 24-hour service for children and families.
People often need help outside the general 9-5 timeframe, and Gill said her phone is by her side all the time – sometimes to the chagrin of her family. “My phone stays on 24/7 and it’s wherever I am,” she said.
Self-care is an important component for people in Gill’s line of work. She enjoys working on one of the family’s farms and being with animals – especially horses.
A new website is under construction at this time, but there are several ways to contact Gill to learn more about SaM.
Find them on Facebook at SaM Child Advocacy Center, stop by the 704 S. Garnett St. office, email Gill at cara@samcac.com or phone 252.572.4112.
Reach out to learn how to get resources for your organization or to find out how to have conversations with children about uncomfortable topics like sexual abuse.
“We grow each year,” Gill said. “It’s unfortunate, but we’re seeing more and more kids each year.” And about those conversations that you don’t want to have with your children?
“Have them with your kids.”
Having an open, honest conversation with your children about abuse could be the thing that prevents them from becoming a victim.
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