Article by Floyd Knight
Photos by Ashley Stipe
The Ouachita Children’s Coalition, which is over CASA and the Ouachita Children’s Safety Center, recently relocated to 1308 Hwy. 71 North. They held a ribbon cutting and a grand opening to show the community its new facility and the various resources they will provide.
The facility is set for a tentative opening date of June 2024. The center will be serving Polk, Scott, Montgomery, and parts of Sevier County. Anyone will be able to reach out to them 24 hours a day.
Overseeing the center is executive director Cynthia Martin. Also on staff is Tandi Brumley, who after many hours of training, will be serving as the facility’s forensic interviewer. They are expecting to conduct approximately 120 interviews throughout the various centers in Arkansas.
The new facility has dedicated spaces to make abuse victims feel safe and comfortable to speak out. The design focuses on setting a home-like atmosphere, including: The Observation Room, Interview Room, Therapy Room, Family Room and a Medical Room, along with a large kitchen. The authorities have their own room where they can observe the livestream as the interview is conducted.
Referrals are needed from medical professionals, DHS, or law enforcement officials, and you must call the hotline at 1-800-482-5964 with a referral number, available 24/7.
They would like to inform the public that citizens cannot walk in on their own to schedule an interview. They must have a reference number to be seen.
The in-house medical suite has the necessary equipment in order to conduct exams and provide the police and/or FBI with the physical evidence to support their investigation.
They then turn over all evidence to the prosecutor and that office decides on how to proceed.
The center serves as part of the Ouachita Children’s Coalition which is over two nonprofits: CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) and CSC (Child Safety Centers).
CASA staff include Amanda Baker, advocate supervisor for Polk County and Espe Frachiseur, Sevier County supervisor for CASA.
Arkansas MDT
In collaboration to provide support is the Arkansas MDT (Multidisciplinary Team). MDT is the child abuse response team which is “comprised of a multidisciplinary group of professionals from diverse organizations who are trained and equipped together as part of a coordinated response to child abuse.” MDTs are located in 64 counties in Arkansas.
The Arkansas MDT Project underwent a recent change through legislation in 2021. Operational responsibility of the Arkansas MDT Project is now run by CACar (Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas). This was done to “align and bolster community-level resources between the MDTs and the local CSCs (Child Safety Centers).” In total, there are 38 dedicated MDT Facilitators.
Upon identifying a child victim, “The MDT team in the child’s county will collaborate its efforts to meet the child’s needs for safety, healing and justice… All reports of severe child maltreatment are directed to an MDT to activate the collaborative efforts on behalf of the child.” MDTs hold a meeting with their various team members once a month.
Child Safety Centers
A CSC is “a community-based facility which uses a multidisciplinary approach to reduce trauma to child victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect… Collaboration exists between medical, mental health, prosecutorial, child protective service, and law enforcement in an effort to best serve the interests of young victims.” They also provide family advocacy with:
- Introduction to the process
- Family Support
- Guide through investigation
- Extensive follow up
- Court preparation
- Connection to services (mental health, food, shelter, clothing, legal and immigration.)
Along with the family advocacy, a CSC also provides Community Awareness & Education, Mental Health Programs, and Medical Exams. CSC in Arkansas serves over 10,000 children each year. Funding sources for a CSC include:
• Individual Donations
• Organized Fundraisers
• Community Support
• And Grant Funding when available
A CSC is joined in their efforts with:
• Local Law Enforcement
• Local Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
• DHS- Department of Children and Family Services
• Arkansas State Police
• Mental Health Professionals
• Juvenile Court Systems
• Community Partners
• FBI
Martin would like to express that “She is overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from the community.”
*All citations are courtesy of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Arkansas
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