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The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) of Catawba County has a full-time Victim Advocate on staff who works directly with the families who come to the CAC for services. The Victim Advocate works to reduce trauma and stress to families throughout the CAC process. When the interview with the child victim is taking place, our Victim Advocate uses this time to get to know the parent/guardian to assess the overall needs of the family. The Victim Advocate assists the child and family through the investigation process as well as the court process, providing emotional support and assisting with counseling referrals. Encouraging and referring child victims and non-offending family members to follow through with appropriate counseling services is an integral part of our Victim Advocate’s job. Throughout the duration of each case, our Victim Advocate stays in touch with the child and non-offending family members, assessing each family’s needs, and keeping them informed of all aspects of their case, including perpetrator status, court dates, etc. Some families need support beyond the court process; in these situations, our Victim Advocate offers referrals for long-term services that are needed.
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