CornerHouse Guiding Principles: How the Lobby Orients Children to the Children's Advocacy Center
CornerHouse Guiding Principles: How the Lobby Orients Children to the Children's Advocacy Center
Written By: CornerHouse Forensic Specialists Team
Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) are an essential component of the response to child sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. At CornerHouse, advocacy services, forensic interviewing, and therapy each use a trauma-informed protocol in efforts to prevent and respond to instances of maltreatment of children. Such efforts extend to every interaction with the children and caregivers at a CAC, including those at the front door and in our lobby.
Because a lobby represents the first impression a child has of the CAC, it is especially important that interactions that occur in this space are carefully curated in a person-centered, semi-structured and forensically sound manner. At CornerHouse, staff are trained to utilize trauma-informed care to build trust and rapport with the clients and their families. Cultural sensitivity, comfort, and safety are paramount. To ensure best practice, staff, volunteers, and interpreters are trained in purposeful, trauma-informed communication.
The person-centered approach to this work is highlighted from the moment a child arrives at CornerHouse. We strive to adapt to each individual that comes through our doors by inviting them to teach us how to create the best environment to meet their specific needs. We make every attempt to let the child lead the interaction they have with staff, from what they want to talk about to where they want to sit and what they want to do. Every decision is theirs in the hopes that this makes them feel secure. When they arrive, children are addressed first, before their caregivers. We ask who they brought with them rather than who brought them here, so that we can assert that their presence is the most important presence in the room and assure them that they are guiding the day’s progression. It’s also an effective way to find out their names for their caregivers, and staff will continue to use the individual’s words throughout the visit.
After the family has settled in, a forensic specialist joins them to briefly explain what to expect. This includes letting them know the name of their interviewer and the name of the advocate their caregiver will meet with. The specialist also explains that the interviewer’s job is simply to listen to whatever the child has to say. Finally, the specialist introduces themselves and assures that they are here for whatever the child may need, which often includes someone to play or color with. It’s also important to notes that we prioritize introducing only the people who will interact with the child or their caregivers. By limiting who comes in and out of the space to only those necessary, we can minimize the stress and overwhelm on the child. The result is a sense of safety, control, and consistency.
We provide services to individuals of all ages and are sensitive to how the environment may feel to different developmental age groups. We allow the guiding principles of a person-centered and a semi-structured approach to inform our decisions by considering an individual’s needs from their unique lens. The lobby at CornerHouse utilizes two separate sitting areas, one geared towards the comfort of adolescents and one towards the comfort of younger children. We strive to preserve the forensically sound process by ensuring that caregivers are grounded in activities that are based in reality. The toys and games available are based on real things rather than make believe play. For example, Legos, animal figures, trains, and board games have been selected over non-reality toys. A foosball table is a popular choice, particularly among preteens and siblings. The separation of these areas also serves to allow different families privacy from each other, if they choose.
The lobby and the first impressions are essential in establishing the safety and comfort that we strive to maintain throughout a child’s time at CornerHouse. The goal of every interaction is to create a welcoming, secure environment that minimizes further trauma for the child and their family.
Resources:
Homepage - National Children's Alliance (nationalchildrensalliance.org)