|
The Safe Child Center
Safe Child Center, a child advocacy
center, is located within Children's Health Center.
SCC is dedicated to reducing the stress that children experience as
victims of crime; and to supporting the efforts of law enforcement and
child protection to ensure that child victims are treated with respect
and dignity throughout the investigation process.
It is our hope that these efforts will
result in justice for children and for the community.
Our mission…
• To assist child victims of abuse or neglect through intervention in a
child-sensitive environment which facilitates comfort and communication
• To significantly reduce the secondary victimization experienced by
many children
and their families after a suspected crime has occurred
• To ensure thorough investigation of suspected crimes against children
through a multidisciplinary team process
SCC was founded at Flagstaff Medical Center in
1994.
The
Safe Child Center will…
-
Serve traumatized and abused children’s
medical and behavioral health needs
-
Work in partnership with other
investigative agencies to achieve a coordinated, comprehensive
evaluation
-
Avoid multiple interviews to reduce the
child’s stress and improve the quality and admissibility of evidence
-
Respond with developmentally appropriate
and culturally sensitive approaches
-
Help to ensure that the process of
investigation, prosecution and
treatment will be a time of healing for the child
-
Reassure children about their health and
acknowledge their hard work and bravery
-
Encourage family members to share
concerns and ask questions about their situation and their child’s
well-being
-
Support the family through the
investigative process
-
Be a safe, caring, friendly place
for children and families when they are hurt
Children seen at SCC may participate in an interview with a
specially-trained forensic interviewer to gather information about their
experiences. The interview is
non-leading and carefully done with respect to the individual child’s
developmental abilities and needs and is conducted in a child-friendly
environment. Interviews are videotaped and investigators are usually
present to observe and collaborate with SCC staff.
Children also may receive medical evaluations by experienced, specially-trained pediatric practitioners who are child-focused, gentle and
sensitive. Medical evaluations are conducted to assess the overall
well-being of the child with an emphasis on signs and symptoms of abuse,
including injury, infection and recoverable evidence. Colposcopy is
utilized for examination and documentation.
SCC serves children from birth through 18 years old and extends some
services to adults with developmental disabilities.
Children from throughout Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties,
including the American Indian Nations, are seen at the Safe Child
Center.
Safe Child accepts referrals for suspected child abuse and for child
witnesses to crime or violence from regional law enforcement, child
protection, area prosecutors and the judicial system.
Safe Child Center, as the child advocacy
center in Coconino County, is a part of the Coconino County InterAgency
Council on Child Abuse and collaborates with law enforcement, the
County Attorney’s office, Child Protective Services, the US Attorney and
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the County Health Department,
various education, health and social service providers, and the Arizona
Governor’s Children’s Justice Task Force.
SCC is an accredited member of the National Children’s Alliance, a nationwide
network of child advocacy centers, and a member of the Arizona Child and
Family Advocacy Network.
In a partnership with ChildHelpUSA, SCC provides services to children in
rural Arizona with a Mobile Children’s Advocacy Center.
If you suspect child abuse, or a child discloses abuse, ask only
these questions:
What happened? Who did it? When did it happen? Where did it happen?
Ask no further questions, offer support
and safety, and REPORT!
Call either local law enforcement or the
Child Abuse Hotline
1-888-SOS-CHILD...(1 888 767-2445) |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CONTACT INFORMATION1200 N.
Beaver Street
Flagstaff, Arizona 86001
928 773-2053
Fax 928 773-2286
 |
|
Northern Arizona Healthcare - 1200 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff, Ariz.
86001 - 928 779-3366
Flagstaff Medical Center - 1200 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff, Ariz.
86001 - 928 779-3366
Verde Valley Medical Center - 269 S. Candy Lane, Cottonwood, Ariz. 86326 - 928
639-6000
VVMC - Sedona Campus - 3700 W. Highway 89A, Sedona, Ariz., 86336 - 928 204-3000
|
