Tag Archive for: #samchildadvocacy

TownTalk: Child Abuse Prevention Month with S.A.M. Child Advocacy

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If you’ve driven down Garnett Street lately, you may have noticed a tree in the yard of 704 S. Garnett St. decorated with blue ribbons.

Those ribbons, tied to branches and limbs of that tree, have created a ‘Tree of Hope’ this year to observe National Child Abuse Prevention Month, said Cara Gill, executive director of Strength and Mending Child Advocacy Center.

There also are pinwheels planted in the ground and a big inflatable blue ribbon adorning the S.a.M Child Advocacy Center, along with the ‘Tree of Hope,’ a new addition this year, Gill said.

It’s a small way to show support for and honor families and children who have been victims of child abuse.

For Gill and her team at the nonprofit, this is a year-round effort – not just one month out of the year. “We try to go above and beyond any way we can this month,” she said.

Overall statistics surrounding child abuse and neglect are grim, Gill noted. For every report of child abuse, she said, there are two that are unreported.

Vance County is not immune, and, in fact, as a Tier 1 county, there simply aren’t many resources for families and children.

Abuse is a multi-faceted issue that doesn’t always look the same or follow a familiar pattern. From family dynamics to generational abuse or neglect, Gill said part of S.a.M.’s approach is to provide wraparound services to support individuals and families in crisis.

Part of S.a.M.’s role is to connect families with resources to get the help they need.

Another part is the monthly meeting of a multi-disciplinary team that gathers and discusses each family that is seeking help to make sure the particular needs are being met.

“We can’t be a stand-alone center,” Gill said. “The whole point is that every family is getting exactly what they need…for the best outcome.”

One question on the S.a.M. intake form asks whether anyone else in the family has been a victim of abuse or neglect. Seventy-five percent of the time, the answer is yes. Generational abuse or neglect adds another layer to the degree of trauma felt by families.

Since it started in 2016, Gill said S.a.M. has played a role in helping families and individuals get the healing they need and that they deserve.

“We have had kids that are now in college,” she said. “They are doing wonderful things.”

Ninety percent of the victims of abuse or neglect know the alleged abuser, Gill said. It’s so important for parents or guardians to have conversations with their children to help them understand what appropriate contact is and what is inappropriate.

“Have these conversations with your kids,” Gill said, even if it feels awkward.

“You are your child’s first line of defense,” she said. “We’re always here to help out in any way.”

Parents may get an eye roll from their children, but it’s important to know who their child’s friends are. Getting involved in their lives, showing interest in their activities opens up doors to more important conversations in the future, she added.

Visit https://www.samchildadvocacycenter.com/ to find resources. Call 252.572.4112 to learn more or email Gill at cara@samcac.com.

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TownTalk: SaM Child Advocacy

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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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