Raleigh, NC: Triangle Family Services has received a $270,000 3-year grant from The Duke Endowment to fund expanded mental health services for local families.
The Endowment grant will be used to address the immediate pipeline of referred clients and their direct family members through the addition of two trained licensed clinical therapists serving TFS and the SAFEchild Advocacy Center which both maintain Council on Accreditation credentialing. Triangle Family Services, SAFEchild, and the Wake County Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) offers family crisis support through an integrated response providing assessment, medical evaluations, and treatment preventing re-traumatization.
When a child is sexually abused it is critical that they receive services in an integrated and comprehensive manner that does not risk re-traumatizing the child. SAFEchild’s advocacy center is about teamwork – bringing the agency professionals involved in a child abuse evaluation together on the front end – and about putting the needs of the child victim first. Rather than having a child taken from agency to agency throughout the law enforcement and child protection systems, and having to endure multiple, sequential interviews, the child advocacy center model brings the system to the child, and brings the agency professionals together to work in a collaborative approach that results in effective, efficient and child-centered casework.
The strength of serving both children and non-offending caregivers (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) is creating positive, life changing impact with multiple generations. This increases the likelihood of facilitating an entire family system shift towards a healthier and more nurturing home environment.
Research by the National Children’s Advocacy Center found that on average, there was a $1,318 savings in the prosecution of cases investigated by a MDT as compared with those of a community without a MDT. A cost benefit analysis done by the National Children’s Advocacy Center suggests that for every dollar spent on a MDT, there is a corresponding benefit or savings of $3.33.
“Dear anyone starting therapy, One of my first words to say is its okay to be scared. I was scared at first too. No matter what is going on you will get through it. It’s ok to cry, to be angry, or just really sad. Feelings can be a lot of work, but just look at the future together. So close your eyes. Do you see yourself? That smiling, happy person. That’s who you’ll be at the end. I know YOU CAN do it because I did it. Now all my friends describe me as HAPPY. Sincerely, Anonymous” – 10 year old TFS Individual and Family Counseling client receiving childhood trauma services.
“Through this effort, more families will have access to high quality, evidence-based mental health treatment at a critical time in their lives,” said Phil Redmond Jr., director of The Duke Endowment’s Child Care program area. “Coordinated, effective services can make all the difference in helping children manage the trauma of abuse and truly begin to heal.”
Based in Charlotte and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has distributed more than $3.4 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.
For more information on the services TFS’ provides in Individual and Family Services please visit our program site here. For more information on Triangle Family Services or how you can support this community effort, please contact MacKenzie Buice at 919.821.0790 x335 or mbuice@tfsnc.org.