Creating a Vibrant Future: Phase II
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The permanent Kids-TALK CAC home was achieved in Phase I; now we work on program expansion and building upgrades/renovations.
The Kids-TALK Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) provides children and their families dealing with unimaginable pain protection from being further traumatized, and the opportunity to begin healing. Since 2001, our program at The Guidance Center (TGC) has worked as part of a dynamic team of specialized professionals to meet the needs of the maltreated and traumatized children of Wayne County. We are proud of what we have accomplished to date, and our goal is to ensure that every child can reclaim their lost childhood and every family thrives. |
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In 2014, TGC successfully raised more than $1 million in Phase I of a campaign to ensure a permanent home for our Kids-TALK CAC in Midtown Detroit. The generous support of more than 30 individual donors and foundations purchased the two historic buildings - a main house built in 1905 and a carriage house built in 1900 - previously leased to house the Detroit Kids-TALK CAC. TGS's second fully accredited CAC location is in Southgate, Michigan. Serving all of Wayne County, Kids-TALK CAC is the only program in the County that saves children from the horrific experience of having to explain their trauma to multiple people through our specialized service delivery model.
Today, we are focused on Phase II of the Kids-TALK CAC campaign. Our goal is to raise another $1 million for program expansion and building renovations to increase our capacity and our ability to effectively reach and serve the children and families of our community. |
Our Plan
The two locations of Kids-TALK CAC are strategically located in Midtown Detroit and Southgate, and both are fully equipped to address the critical need for services in Wayne County. Today, we are focused on expanding our program operations at both sites, and to fund needed renovations so that our structures are accessible for all in our newly purchased historic Midtown Detroit building.
Program Expansion
In our 14 years serving Wayne County, the Kids-TALK CAC has regularly expanded services to children in need of protection and healing. With the addition of forensic interviews in 2004, the number of children served has grown more than 213%. However, today in Wayne County there are still under-served areas where maltreated children do not benefit from the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team and over-represented areas that would benefit from targeted outreach and prevention activities to make them safer for children.
We have two primary goals:
1. Expansion of the Kids-TALK CAC program capacity to provide enhanced-based, trauma-focused mental health services to all children and families seeking help in Wayne County. In 2014-15, more than 85% of children ages birth-18 served by this program have experienced multiple traumas. Additionally, there are thousands of children whom Kids-TALK CAC has not been able to serve. Children who have been maltreated require and deserve immediate support and treatment from professionally trained and experienced clinicians. Expanded programming will ensure that all children have access to trauma-focused mental health services, regardless of their ability to pay, without delay.
2. Delivery of outreach, education, and prevention activities throughout Wayne County to build county-wide trauma-informed advocates for children and their families. This expanded community work will ensure that:
- Children and youth in all zip codes in Wayne County will have the same opportunity to receive comprehensive services.
- Children and youth in Wayne County, especially those in services areas that are over- or -under-represented, receive outreach and prevention services.
- Children will learn basic safety issues, how to establish safety boundaries, know the difference between a safe and unsafe situation, and what to do in the event of an unsafe situation utilizing the body safety training/Speak Up Be Safe program.
- Communities are educated to recognize child sexual abuse, how to respond, and how to prevent victimization of our children.
- Professionals and citizens learn when and how to report suspected child maltreatment and why reports of suspected child maltreatment are a lifeline to our children.
1. Expansion of the Kids-TALK CAC program capacity to provide enhanced-based, trauma-focused mental health services to all children and families seeking help in Wayne County. In 2014-15, more than 85% of children ages birth-18 served by this program have experienced multiple traumas. Additionally, there are thousands of children whom Kids-TALK CAC has not been able to serve. Children who have been maltreated require and deserve immediate support and treatment from professionally trained and experienced clinicians. Expanded programming will ensure that all children have access to trauma-focused mental health services, regardless of their ability to pay, without delay.
2. Delivery of outreach, education, and prevention activities throughout Wayne County to build county-wide trauma-informed advocates for children and their families. This expanded community work will ensure that:
- Children and youth in all zip codes in Wayne County will have the same opportunity to receive comprehensive services.
- Children and youth in Wayne County, especially those in services areas that are over- or -under-represented, receive outreach and prevention services.
- Children will learn basic safety issues, how to establish safety boundaries, know the difference between a safe and unsafe situation, and what to do in the event of an unsafe situation utilizing the body safety training/Speak Up Be Safe program.
- Communities are educated to recognize child sexual abuse, how to respond, and how to prevent victimization of our children.
- Professionals and citizens learn when and how to report suspected child maltreatment and why reports of suspected child maltreatment are a lifeline to our children.