The mission of the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) is to be the Mobile community response to the problem of child abuse. Abused children are interviewed here by a specialized, trained team of professionals. Children and their non-offending family members are referred for counseling and prepared for the criminal justice process. Also provided are educational and training programs in child abuse awarene
ss and prevention. Our goal is to provide a wide range of services in one central location to sexually abused and/or severely physically abused children and their non-offending family members so that they may begin their healing process, and to provide education and training in order to increase the public awareness of child abuse which will aid in the prevention of child abuse. In the friendly, comfortable environment of the Child Advocacy Center, there are 28 professionals from 7 different agencies working together as a team so that these young victims of crime can come to one central location and receive all of the help and services they might need. Law enforcement officers from the Mobile Police Department, Prichard Police Department, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office work together with child abuse investigators from the Department of Human Resources to investigate reports of child abuse. They conduct joint interviews with victims, family members, and witnesses in the field as well as in specially designed rooms for different aged children here at the CAC. A Forensic Medical Doctor conducts examinations at the University of South Alabama’s Children’s Medical Center Outpatient Clinic to secure evidence. The Assistant District Attorney, Trial Coordinator, and Victim Witness Advocates provide the victim and families with court preparation and prosecution services. Therapists and a Family Advocate work at the CAC to provide extended assessments, individual, group and family counseling as well as a mothers’ support group and a wide range of services for families.
