Join us on Thursday, June 6 from 5 - 8pm in the North Barracks Road Shopping Center for the third annual "Sip & Shop" event to benefit Foothills. Wine and cheese will be served at Scarpa, The Pink Palm, J.McLaughlin, Creme de la Creme, and Irresistibles, with 15% of all proceeds from each store going directly to Foothills Child Advocacy Center. This is great opportunity to have some fun while supporting an important local organization. There will be a raffle with a prize from each store - prizes to be announced shortly. Wine and guilt-free shopping... is there anything better than that!?
Spread the word to friends and we hope to see you there!
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to recognize that we each can play a part in promoting the social and emotional well-being of children and families in our community. The Child Abuse Prevention Initiative continues to be an opportunity to create strong communities to support families and keep children safe. To learn more about how you can get involved and strengthen your own community, visit the Child Welfare site. The Charlottesville/Albemarle Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Team is well aware that our community is not immune from the problem of child abuse because we see its effects every day. During Child Abuse Prevention Month we hope to get the word out to the greater community about the problem of abuse and neglect. The Pinwheel Collaborative is comprised of several community organizations whose mission is to educate the public about the problem of child abuse. They have organized several events during April to bring awareness to the community about the problem of child abuse. Please check out the Pinwheel Collaborative’s Facebook page to see all the events happening throughout April. Together, we can make a difference!To read the newest issue of the Footprints Newsletter, click here.
Foothills Child Advocacy Center is currently accepting resumes and cover letters for an Executive Director position. Executive Director/Fundraiser. The candidate chosen will be responsible for the overall direction of the agency with a strong emphasis on fundraising, marketing, and community outreach. 4 year degree required. Master’s preferred. Part-time position, with flexible hours. If you are interested in applying to the Executive Director position, please send a resume and cover letter to excomfoothills@gmail.com by January 17, 2013. You may also send these items via regular mail to: Bettie Kienast c/o Foothills Child Advocacy Center 1106 E. High Street, Suite 100 Charlottesville, VA 22902 No phone calls, please.
Foothills Child Advocacy Center was featured twice in the Fall 2012 (Volume 95) Virginia Child Protection Newsletter, which is published by James Madison University through a contract with the Virginia Department of Social Services. According to the VCPN website, "each newsletter is focused on one or more topics in child welfare. The articles provide a survey of literature and also address current practice issues." The newsletter is circulated to approximately 13,000 individuals and agencies across the United States so this is great exposure for our child advocacy center!
The main article focuses on Foothills' participation in Virginia's first Learning Collaborative on evidence-based treatments for trauma. The second article, available only online, gives an overview on Foothills and two other child advocacy centers in Virginia. Below is the excerpt from the article that highlights Foothills. Please scroll to the bottom of this post for the link to the full issue of the Virginia Child Protection Newsletter. Thank you for your continued support!
The Foothills Child Advocacy Center in Charlottesville is a fully accredited member of the National Children’s Alliance. In 2002 The Charlottesville/Albemarle Commission on Children and Families created a workgroup that was charged with identifying ways to reduce the impact of abuse and neglect on children. From the workgroup came a recommendation to pilot a child advocacy center. With a business plan developed by the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, the project began in February, 2006. Later in 2006, a Board of Directors was formed and Foothills was incorporated. In April, the Foothills CAC conducted their first forensic interview of a child using the multidisciplinary team approach.
“We are a bit different than the CACs in Richmond and Norfolk,” comments Jennifer Kline, Program Coordinator. “Until recently, we were a very small- a one and a half-person operation. Therefore, we worked very closely with our MDT partners. We are working towards the ‘one stop shopping’ concept and I’m happy to share that we recently hired a case manager.” Kline explained that until recently, children had to have the medical examination at the local Emergency Department. At the first of the year, Foothills will be hiring a medical evaluator so the medical examination can be performed on site.
For three years, Foothills CAC shared a building with Children Youth and Family Services, a private non-profit and one of their MDT members. SARA (Sexual Assault Resource Agency) had a victim advocate that would come to the child interviews and talks with the parent while the child was being interviewed. Now, the new Foothills Case Manager supports and educates the parents and conducts assessments and trauma screenings while the child is being interviewed. Because of the expansion of services, Foothills CAC has recently moved to larger quarters that will accommodate increased staff. Kline explains that the new case manager was part of the Learning Collaborative. “She is now knowledgeable about evidence-based treatment,” remarks Kline, “and since we have worked together before, she should fit in well with the staff.”
Another part-time staff person is Shannon Noe, LPC. Noe handles the outreach program, training community members through the Stewards of Children program. Noe says that she offers 2 to 4 trainings a month of Stewards of Children, a training program created by Darkness to Light. Noe says the program is a 3-hour training that helps responsible adults prevent child sexual abuse by being able to recognize signs of abuse and act responsibly by reporting their suspicions. The program teaches participants how to talk to a struggling child and helps empower people to report. Noe was trained in March, 2010. Since that time, she has trained over a thousand people. “We target churches, organizations that work with children, guidance counselors and the general public,” says Noe. “Due to a grant from the Wardle Family Foundation, we have been able to offer the trainings for free.”
Noe is pleased with the positive results in the satisfaction surveys gathered at the end of the trainings. At the start of the program, 74% of participants indicate that they know what to do if a child reports sexual abuse to them. At the end of the program, that number has changed to 99%. There are similar gains on other, more specific aspects of the training.
Noe also participates in the Foothills MD teams. The team for Charlottesville and the one for Albemarle County each meet monthly, plus there is a quarterly team meeting of both teams together. “Our teams work well because of strong leadership and because people have made a commitment to attend,” relates Noe. Noe attended the Learning Collaborative since she is a counselor at Children, Youth and Family Services and she works with child trauma victims. She has found the Learning Collaborative valuable and she is excited about offering evidence-based treatments. Kline is very enthusiastic as well. “I’ve shaped the case manager position due to what I learned as part of the Collaborative,” she notes. “I have used the information to create her job descriptions and for protocols.” Kline notes hat treatment providers, victim advocates, child protective services, and other MDT members from the Foothills team participated in the Learning Collaborative. “It is nice to have support from people who have expertise and have been working in the field for many years,” she added.
First Article & Full Newsletter (Volume 95): http://psychweb.cisat.jmu.edu/graysojh/backissues.htmlVirginia CACs Article (Online Only): http://psychweb.cisat.jmu.edu/graysojh/pdfs/Volume95-CACarticle.pdf
 Great news! Foothills Child Advocacy Center has moved out of the small space in the Children Youth and Family Services (CYFS) building and into our own larger space right down the road on E. High Street. This is a great step forward for our organization as we move to start an in-house medical program. As Jennifer Kline, the program coordinator at Foothills, explains in the below interview with NBC29, "A lot of child advocacy centers have all their services under one roof, which is really convenient for the families that come in, because they can come in and have the medical exam, forensic interview, case management all done." We're now one step closer in this process.
Check out the below video and article from NBC29 to learn more.
Thanks again for all of your support!
It’s been a busy year for Foothills Child Advocacy Center! Since April of this year, Foothills has received seven grants for FY2013. A list of these grants can be found below along with a little information about their purpose.
- Child Victim’s Health Access Program from United Way (Thomas Jefferson Area): Foothills has been granted the funding to hire a part-time medical practitioner to provide non-emergency and emergency medical examinations during operating hours and coordinate physical and mental health services for child victims of abuse.
- Case Manager Program from Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Social Services, Division of Family Services (VDSS) under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA): Foothills has been granted funding to create a Case Manager/Volunteer Coordinator position to provide services to child maltreatment victims who are seen at Foothills for a forensic interview and to supervise volunteer student interns who would also provide direct services to victims.
- General Funds for Calendar Year 2012 from Children’s Advocacy Centers of Virginia – awarded through the National Children’s Alliance (NCA) under a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Justice: Foothills received a grant to ensure we have the funds necessary to support the National Children's Alliance standards for forensic interviews, organizational capacity, and child-focused setting.
- Child Advocacy Center Program from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Social Services Division of Family Services (VDSS) Child Advocacy Centers: The VDSS grant will support Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) response activities, treatment services, training, maintenance and operation of the advocacy center, and salaries of CAC staff.
- General Funds from the County of Albemarle
- General Funds from the City of Charlottesville: The grants from both Albemarle County and Charlottesville city ensures that community residents are safe and have basic needs met with regards to child abuse/neglect and family violence.
- Community Awareness Grant from the Charlottesville Radio Group: The community awareness grant will provide awareness and public service announcements from the Charlottesville Radio Group and will ensure a yearlong series of sixty-second radio announcements on air and an additional series of commercials on online streams.
Thank you for all of your support in 2012. These grants and your donations are what keep the Foothills Child Advocacy Center up and running!
We just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Whole Foods in July and donated their wooden nickel to Foothills Child Advocacy Center. We were able to raise over $1,000 for Foothills through the Nickels for Non-Profits initiative and could not have done that without your support.
 July is here! Throughout the entire month of July, Foothills Child Advocacy Center will be one of the non-profit organizations supported by the "Nickels for Non-Profits" initiative at Whole Foods in Charlottesville.
If you shop at Whole Foods in July, bring your own grocery bags. At checkout, you'll receive (if you don't, please ask!) a wooden nickel for each of your reusable bags. Place the nickel(s) in the donation box marked Foothills located near the front of the store. Each wooden nickel represents 5 cents for Foothills.
THANK YOU in advance for your contributions!
Foothills Child Advocacy Center is currently seeking to hire a Case Manager to work in the Charlottesville office. The job description, including requirements and qualifications, is posted below. If you are interested in applying to this position, please send a resume and cover letter by July 6, 2012 to foothillsjk@gmail.com. You may also send the resume & cover letter to the following address:
Foothills Child Advocacy Center
1000 E. High St., Suite A
Charlottesville, VA 22902 POSITION: Case ManagerREPORTS TO: Program Coordinator
CLASSIFICATION: Full-time (40 hours per week)SALARY RANGE: $42,000 - 45,000
SUMMARY OF POSITION:
The Case Manager is responsible for assessment, crisis intervention, treatment planning and coordination of services including, but not limited to medical and mental health, providing following up with victims of criminal child maltreatment and their non-offending caretakers.
REQUIREMENTS:
Masters degree in social work or counseling from an accredited college or university and three years experience, or state licensure in social work or counseling. Experience working with children and families who have experienced trauma. Excellent organization and communication skills. Ability to work collaboratively with other professionals. The ideal candidate must be highly sensitive to the needs and welfare of children and caretakers who have experienced physical and/or sexual maltreatment, be highly self-motivated, and able to work independently when required. Must be available to work flexible hours to meet needs of clients. Ability to speak fluent Spanish preferred.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Academic training or practical experience in and knowledge of developmental stages of children and the dynamics and effects of child sexual and physical maltreatment.
- Disposition toward multi-disciplinary team approach to helping victims of crime.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Understanding of non-profit organization dynamics.
- Knowledge and use of appropriate professional ethics and standards in a social work discipline.
- Strong leadership skills and desire to take initiative.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Gather information from non-offending caretakers, MDT agencies and other community professionals to assess children and families for risk and treatment needs.
- Develop safety and treatment plans with families in coordination with MDT agencies and other community professionals.
- Intervention and education for children and their families in crisis.
- Referrals to community resources including but not limited to: food, clothing, medical, parenting, mental health evaluation and counseling, substance abuse programs, domestic violence programs, financial assistance.
- Coordination of services from intake of case throughout prosecution and treatment as needed by the victim and family.
- Data entry and tracking in NCAtrak on child maltreatment cases and follow-up on services referred and any additional needs.
- Supervise student interns and evaluation according to College or University requirements.
- Prepare for and participate in Multidisciplinary Team Case Review and facilitate treatment team meetings.
- Actively participate in on-going program development and improvement of student intern program.
- Attend specialized training on best-practices in the field of child maltreatment, case management services, cultural diversity, crisis intervention and trauma.
- Attend in-service training held by member agencies to be familiar with their role and procedures.
- Gather and tabulate statistics on victims of crime and services provided.
- Develop materials and maintain a resource directory that will assist child victims and their families.
- Provide outreach to local agencies and community groups about Foothills’ services.
- Other duties, as necessary
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
While performing the duties of the job, the employee is required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close and distance vision.
OTHER:
Employee must have access to a vehicle, possess a valid driver’s license, and proof of insurance. Must submit to a thorough criminal and child abuse background check at least every three years. Must demonstrate proof of legal ability to work in the United States and, if applicable, demonstrate registration with the Selective Service. Occasional in-state and out-of-state travel is required.
Teresa Huizar, the Executive Director of the National Children's Alliance, wrote a great article for the Huffington Post about the One with Courage initiative and a call to action not just to take a stand against child abuse during National Child Abuse Protection Month, but to do so year-round. 
"Why One With Courage? Because it takes tremendous courage for young victims to come forward and talk about the abuse they've experienced. It takes courage for adults to recognize the signs of abuse and report suspected abuse. And it will take courage for all of us to engage in an open dialogue about child abuse."
"As a leader in the child advocacy field, National Children's Alliance believes in the courage it takes to stand up for our children and protect them from abuse. While this issue is brought to the forefront during the month of April, we hope local communities will continue to be One With Courage year-round, and help us win the fight against child abuse and neglect that plagues every community across the country. It is only after we establish informed, empowered communities that we can eradicate child abuse."
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