Orientation for New CAC Directors

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Orientation for New CAC Directors
National Childrens Alliance

• Nancy Chandler, Executive Director
• National Childrens Alliance
• Julie Pape, Director of Programs
• National Childrens Alliance
• Betsy Goulet, Consultant
• National Childrens Alliance

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National Childrens Alliance

• National Childrens Alliance is a nationwide
  not-for-profit accrediting organization for
  Childrens Advocacy Centers.
• Our mission is to promote and support communities
  in providing a coordinated investigation and
  comprehensive response to child victims of abuse.
  

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Childrens Advocacy Centers are

• facility based programs which provide
• comprehensive, multidisciplinary services to
  children suspected of having been
• abused, particularly sexually abused

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Growth of CACs in the United States
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Organizational Structure

• CACs are primarily Independent not-for-profit
  organizations (71)
• Government based (18)
• Of the umbrella organizations hospital based is
  most common (10 overall)

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Children Served in 2005

• In 2005 39 of children served were under age 6,
  36 were between the ages of 7 12.
• The majority of the cases seen are for child
  sexual abuse.
• Girls make up 68 of those children seen.
• In 2005, the ethnic breakdown was as follows
• 53 white
• 19 African American
• 12 Hispanic or Latino
• The remaining 16 are American Indian, Asian,
  Alaska Native or Hawaiian

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Standards for Accredited Members

• Child Appropriate/Child Friendly Facility
• Multidisciplinary Team
• Organizational Capacity
• Cultural Competency and Diversity
• Forensic Interviews
• Medical Evaluation
• Therapeutic Intervention
• Victim Support and Advocacy
• Case Review
• Case Tracking

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Regional Childrens Advocacy Centers
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RCACs

• Northeast CT,ME, MA, NH, NJ, PA, RI, VT
• Anne Lynn Director
• 800-662-4124
• Southern AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD,
  MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
• Cym Doggett Director
• 800-747-8122
• Western AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR,
  UT, WA, WY
• Maureen Fitzgerald Director
• 866-592-4272
• Midwest IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH,
  SD, WI
• Jane Braun Director
• 888-422-2955

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Training and Technical Assistance
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Opportunities for Training/TA

• Leadership and Management
• Basic CAC Management
• Advanced Management Seminar
• Advanced Leadership
• Leadership Exchange and Coaching
• Leadership Conference
• New Director Orientation
• Accreditation Boot Camp
• MDT Professionals
• Basic and Advanced Medical Training
• NCA net
• Team Facilitator Training
• MDT Week
• Urban Team Week

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More opportunities

• Other trainings
• NCAtrak
• Pre-conference sessions
• Think Tanks
• Technical Assistance targeted to the needs of the
  community
• Board development
• Strategic Planning
• Getting your team on board
• Etc.

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Organizational Capacity

• A designated legal entity responsible for program
  and fiscal operations with sound administrative
  practices.
• free standing not for profit
• under the umbrella of another private not for
  profit
• government based
• hospital based

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Models of Childrens Advocacy Center Programs

• In attempting to start a CAC, communities look to
  those institutions best suited to host the
  program.
• Childrens Hospitals
• Prosecutor/DHS
• Create new private not for profit agency
• Create under an existing umbrella agency.

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What is my role? Just how many hats must I really
wear?
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What do I need to do my job well?
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Ideas about Boards of Directors
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The Four Rs for Board Members

• Rights
• Roles
• Responsibilities
• Reassurances

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Rights

• To be fully informed
• To receive orientation and training
• To be assigned jobs that are engaging
• To be trusted with information
• To be recognized as appropriate for ones work
  and involvement as a volunteer

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Roles

• To contribute to defining the mission of the
  organization and governing the fulfillment of
  that mission.
• To focus on policy
• Distinct and separate from implementation which
  is the role of the director and staff.

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Responsibilities

• To ensure mission is carried out.
• To fulfill fiduciary responsibilities
• Both being good overseers of funds, but also
• To contribute to the bottom line.
• To respect other board members.
• To enhance public image of the agency.
• Maintain professional and ethical standards
  around confidentiality and conflict of interest.
• To respect and support staff.

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Reassurances

• Protect board members from liability.
• Reasonable governance policies.
• State volunteer-protection laws.
• Indemnification.
• General and other liability insurance.
• Directors and officers liability insurance.

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Board meetings that work!

• Planning Preparation
• Prepare and distribute agenda early to all board
  members
• Annual and monthly board books
• Knowledge of Bylaws and Mission Statement
• Make sure these help prioritize agenda
• Committees
• Dont redo a committees work
• Committee should brief the board and ask for
  board to accept their report
• Work plan/Task-time chart
• Calendar for year with major objectives/tasks/lead
  ers

• Good meeting structure/ and agenda
• Reward the punctual
• Finish on time
• Keep to time frames
• Appropriate roles meeting facilitation
• Chair must control meeting
• Good Tools
• Tape recorder
• Flip chart
• Follow-Up

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National Childrens Alliance

• Our vision is that we will have met success when
  every child has access to the services of an
  accredited Childrens Advocacy Center.