10th Anniversary Bi-Annual Report Fiscal Years 2010 – 2011 At the the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, we are proud of our accomplishments. Our success is due entirely to our dedicated staff, partners and generous supporters. Dear Friends, As our 10th Anniversary draws to a close, we reflect with great pride on the impact the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center has had on the lives of over 22,000 children who were victims of sexual or life-threatening physical abuse. These past two years are representative of our resolute determination to make Chicago a safer community tomorrow than it is today for its children. Our many accomplishments over the past two years are attributed to our focus on quality and our ability to identify problems, seek strong financial and programmatic partners, and implement solutions together with our partners. We are forever thankful to you and to all of our generous stakeholders, who have given us the resources necessary to remain focused on our mission. Now, more than ever, the CCAC remains focused on giving the children who come through our doors a voice, and on being the voice for the children in Chicago who continue to suffer in silence. Even though we have helped a staggering number of children, there are thousands more who are victims whose voices we have not heard. Research estimates that 60% of incidents of sexual abuse alone go unreported, and, for children with disabilities, this number is even higher. This terrible reality drives us every day to respond in innovative ways. You will see highlights in this report of the various initiatives in which we have engaged during the past two years to increase public awareness of the prevalence of child abuse and the need to report it; to educate the professional community in effective responses to abuse; to decrease mental health waiting lists and increase access to services for children; and to expand the impact of our services to physically injured children and to children with disabilities. We are proud to be the first responder and a lifeline for thousands of abused children each year, and remain focused on improving our community’s safety net for our most vulnerable citizens. Like our children, the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center has remained resilient, celebrating strong fiscal health in the last two years amid economic turmoil. We have effectively utilized our resources to improve and expand our reach. As we look ahead, our mission and plans for the future require additional resources. I ask you – our partners and friends – to join us in pledging to make therapy accessible to every child, to ensuring children with disabilities are safe, to saving infants from death at the hands of caregivers, and to reaching the children who suffer in silence. Sincerely, Char Rivette William R. Dodds Executive Director President, Board of Directors CCAC • 10th Anniversary Bi-Annual Report • Fiscal Years 2010 – 2011 In FY 2011, 37% of the CCAC’s services were funded by private sources. Programs and direct services accounted for 84% of expenses. Administration and Fundraising accounted for 16%. Case Coordination Program Mental Health Program Multidisciplinary Pediatric • Coordinated 2,011 multidisciplinary investigations • Provided 6,180 hours of therapy to children Education and Evaluation of reports of child sexual abuse and assault and parents Consortium (MPEEC) • Coordinated 592 multidisciplinary investigations • The Mental Health Program was chosen to • During FY 2010, MPEEC was responsible for the into reports of severe child physical abuse participate in a learning collaborative for Child- investigations of 28% of the reports of severe • Conducted 2,011 interviews of children Parent Psychotherapy at the Erikson Institute. harm against children under the age of three in The team has implemented this new treatment Illinois. This includes 33% of head injuries and • Average time from abuse report received to model for children, age 0-5. 41% of bone fractures. child interviewed was 8 days • Clients discharged during the fiscal year • In FY 2011, MPEEC was responsible for the • The Cook County Child Advocacy Center’s achieved 90% of their treatment goals. investigations of 25% of the reports of severe Advisory Board approved the digital visual Our clinicians provide therapy, including art therapy, harm against children under the age of three recording of forensic interviews. The Cook in individual and group settings for children and in Illinois. This includes 35% of head injuries County State’s Attorney’s Office provided and 29% of bone fractures. funding for the equipment. families. We specifically target children and families experiencing immediate and severe mental health • Seven of the pediatricians who work within Investigations often require children to be inter- problems who have difficulty accessing mental MPEEC became Board certified in the fall of viewed about the incident of abuse and sometimes health services in their community. 2009 as Child Abuse Pediatricians, a new receive a forensic medical exam. Case Coordinators 94% sub-specialty of Pediatrics. Chicago has the contact parents to schedule appointments for the 100 88% highest concentration of Child Abuse interview and medical exam, and coordinate the Pediatricians in the nation. work of the many professionals who work at the 80 CCAC. They also speak with each family about MPEEC is a collaboration between the CCAC and 60 histories of domestic violence, medical and mental three Chicago hospitals – Children’s Memorial Hospital, University of Chicago Comer Children’s health problems, and needs related to language 40 and disabilities. Hospital, and John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of 20 Cook County. MPEEC coordinates a medically- 1500 focused multidisciplinary response to reports of 0 1200 child physical abuse in Chicago involving children, Client Client age 0-3, with burns, bone fractures, head trauma Satisfaction Felt Helped 900 and internal injuries. Outreach Program 600 Support Services • Presented to over 2,000 people about child • Provided child life services to 3,709 children 300 abuse, its signs and symptoms, and the CCAC • Provided 7,155 rides to families 0 • Hosted visitors from Australia, Brazil, Canada, FY10 FY11 FY10 FY11 FY10 FY11 England, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Child Life Specialists provide child care services Advocacy Forensic Mental Health Clients Interviews Clients Serbia, the Ukraine, Detroit, Philadelphia, while families are at the CCAC, which allows and San Francisco who are interested in parents and caretakers to meet with Advocates Advocacy Program learning from and applying the CCAC’s and Therapists while knowing that their children multidisciplinary model. are being well cared for. They also observe • Provided advocacy and case management children for signs of stress, anxiety or depression services to 3,197 children and their parents/ Child abuse remains a taboo and stigmatized possibly related to the abuse. caregivers. subject, but is a harsh reality for many children and families. The Outreach Program works in Families from every neighborhood in Chicago come • Provided 5,414 service referrals to families. the community as well as with other non-profit to the CCAC. Over 80% require transportation. • The Advocacy team began use of a new and government agencies to promote awareness Our Drivers and small fleet of vans perpetually psycho-social assessment process in identifying of sexual abuse. Every April – Child Abuse carry families to and from the CCAC for interview, family needs in order to make more accurate Prevention Month – the CCAC also executes therapy and medical exam appointments. They service referrals and better measure impact a city-wide public awareness campaign provide safe, comfortable rides and are trained of their work. in conjunction with several media and to respond to crisis situations. Advocates work on behalf of the children and families corporate partners. who come to the Center. They explain and guide parents through the investigation and legal process, assess each family’s needs, provide emotional support and crisis counseling, and refer children and caretakers to other needed services in the Data provided on this page represents cumulative totals family’s community or at the Center. from FY10 and FY11, unless otherwise indicated. CCAC • 10th Anniversary Bi-Annual Report • Fiscal Years 2010 – 2011 Advancing Collaborations Largest Healthcare Foundation The PATHH Collaboration is an unprecedented part- in U.S. Joins Local Funders in nership between mental health service providers and funders. In 2011, the Local Funding Partnerships Support of CCAC Initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, During Fiscal Year 2010, the CCAC started a dynamic the nation’s largest healthcare foundation, awarded new project that aims to improve access for children the CCAC and the Network of Treatment Providers and families to mental health services throughout a four year, $500,000 grant supporting the PATHH Chicago. Despite the best efforts of the CCAC and its Collaboration. This grant – the single largest grant Network of Treatment Providers (NTP), many children in the CCAC’s history – joins grants from ten of still wait up to six months before receiving critical Chicago leading foundations: mental health services due to limited resources and • Lloyd A. Fry Foundation budget cuts. In partnership with the 13 members of • Chicago Community Trust the NTP and several local foundations, the CCAC Services and Awareness of • Chicago Tribune Charities, a fund of the initiated the PATHH Collaboration (Providing Access McCormick Foundation Abuse to Children with Toward Hope and Healing) to address this problem. Disabilities The five-year project began on July 1, 2010 and has • Crown Family Philanthropies the following components: • The Field Foundation of Illinois In January 2011, the CCAC formed the new • Michael Reese Health Trust Coalition Against Sexual Abuse of Children Triage: Children with the highest level of need are with Disabilities (CASACD). This coalition was • Polk Bros. Foundation identified and referred for treatment based on the reconstituted from the former Metro Coalition priority for services.