The Cottage is an accredited member of the National Children’s Alliance and Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia. The Cottage provides services to all victims of child abuse including physical abuse, sexual abuse, witness to domestic violence and witness to a homicide. All of the services provided by The Cottage are free of charge to the child victim and their caregivers.
Services provided for children:
Forensic Interview
Medical Accompaniment
Advocacy
Referrals
Counseling
Victim’s Assistance Program (VAP)
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Children’s Support Group
Non-Offending Caregiver (NOC) Support Group
What is this service?
Forensic Interview
Forensic Interviews are only conducted at the request of Law Enforcement or The Department of Family and Children Services in the response to child abuse allegations. Forensic Interviews are only conducted by professionals trained to interview children regarding abusive situations.
Medical Accompaniment
Forensic Medical Exams may be requested when a child discloses sexual abuse. The Forensic Medical Exams are conducted by trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners through Athens-Clarke County Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (ACC-SANE). A member of The Cottage staff provides assistance and support to the child and caregiver during the exam.
Advocacy
Staff members of The Cottage provide crisis counseling during the intervention of child abuse which may include an investigation. Support and resources are provided to the child and non-offending caregiver to ensure all the child and family needs are met. Continued contact may be made to ensure stability and safety of the child. Staff members may also offer support and accompaniment to the child and caregivers throughout the judicial process.
Referrals
Referrals to community agencies to assist clients and their families with counseling, food, housing, and other needs.
Counseling
The Cottage provides counseling referrals to all victims of child abuse. The Cottage strives to provide therapeutic treatment free of charge to all child clients.
Victim’s Assistance Program
The Victim’s Assistance Program (VAP) is available to child victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse or witnesses to domestic violence and/or a violent crime. Currently, VAP referrals are accepted from law enforcement, DFCS, The Cottage, and other relevant agencies. VAP services are available for both the child victim and other family members, and may include an assessment, crisis intervention, psychoeducation, processing of trauma, and referral information. The Victim’s Assistance Program is available due to collaboration with Family Counseling Services of Athens, Inc. http://www.fcsathens.com/
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment to help children and adolescents recover from trauma. It is a structured model that effectively improves a range of trauma related outcomes in 8-25 sessions with the child and caregiver. TF-CBT primarily reduces symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). TF-CBT is available to child victim’s ages 3 to 17 years of age who have experienced a single event trauma or complex trauma. This may include child victims of sexual assault, physical abuse, and/or witness to domestic violence or a violent crime.
Children’s Support Group
Heroes-- A support group for victims of child sexual abuse, ages 5-11. Heroes focuses on self-esteem and creating appropriate boundaries during interventions in child abuse.
Caregiver Support Group
A support group offered to all parents and caregivers of children and teens who have experienced sexual abuse. This group educates, supports, and empowers the non-offending caregiver in order for them to have the skills and knowledge to help their children heal from their abusive experiences.
