National Crime Victims Center > Grants & Publications > current_grant_abstracts > Coordinating Services for Child Sexual Assault Victims					Print This Page

Coordinating Services for Child Sexual Assault Victims

Principal Investigator:  Michael de Arellano, Ph.D.  <bio sketch>  < e-mail>
Funding Source:  South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SC DPS)
Dates of Project:  4/05 - 3/06

This service program aims to address the complicated needs of child victims appropriately accessing trauma-related resources in the Charleston community. 

The present program has two major goals:

1. to provide crisis intervention and psychoeducation to child sexual assault victims and their families during the forensic medical examination and/or interview
2. to increase access and use of youth serving victims services, such as community mental health programs, medical settings, child welfare, the judicial system, and child protective services.

To achieve the first goal, the NCVC offers specialized crisis intervention services for child victims and their families in the Tri-County area (Charleston, Berkley, Dorchester) who are experiencing extreme emotional reactions due to their victimization at the time of the forensic medical examination or forensic interview. A Licensed Clinical Psychologist or Masters-level therapist is on-call for crisis intervention. 

In addition, those who attend either a forensic medical examination at MUSC's V.I.P. clinic or forensic interview at the Low Country Children's Center (LCC) are offered a psychoeducation packet about common reactions to sexual assault and what to expect in the coming months related to the investigation and aftercare.

The second goal is achieved through intensive case management and scheduling regular community staffings with other agencies to coordinate care for child victims. 

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