We Care About Kids
As a Child Advocacy Center we are chartered with caring for children and young adults that are the victims of abuse in our region of KY.
A non-profit 501c3 agency since 1998, the BRACAC is an Accredited Member of the National Children’s Alliance and a Full Member of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky.
Our mission is possible only through the collaboration of the various professionals that must intervene when sexual abuse and/or exploitation of a child is disclosed or suspected. The Barren River Area Child Advocacy Center or “BRACAC” starts with the idea that no one agency or professional can adequately respond and meet the needs of a child victim. Rather, it takes the expertise of a core multidisciplinary team of professionals – law enforcement, child protection services, prosecutors, physicians, therapists and professional advocates – all working together to provide children and their non-offending family members or caregivers with quality services and support they need.
Located in Bowling Green/Warren County, the BRACAC is a regional Children’s Advocacy Center that serves Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson and Warren Counties. The Center works closely with other professionals through protocols of the region’s ten Multidisciplinary Teams (MDTs) to coordinate and provide best practices services for victims of child sexual abuse and their non-offending members in one neutral, safe and child friendly location. Offenders – alleged or otherwise, are not permitted at the Center. The Center provides consultation to its MDTs and hospitals and services to children as determined necessary and as staffing and resources allow, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All services are provided on a first-come basis and at no expense to a child’s family.
The trauma and impact of sexual abuse can be devastating to a child. But by working together at the BRACAC, children and families receive quality services in a trauma-informed environment to stop abuse, begin the healing process and enhance the prosecution of offenders of this horrific crime against children.
"Serving Children & Families in Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson & Warren Counties."
Directions To Our Center
How to get to BRACAC from anywhere in the Barren River Area
BRACAC is centrally located at 103 E. 12th Street, Bowling Green, KY 42101 to minimize travel time to and from services for children and families living in Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, and Warren Counties.
It sits on the corner of 12th and Adams Street across from the convenience store. 12th Street and Adams Street are both one-way streets but travel in opposite directions.
The Center is conveniently located three blocks from the Bowling Green Police Department, two blocks from the Warren County Justice Center, and less than a mile from the Warren County Department For Community Based Services (DCBS) Office.
The Center’s main entrance faces the large private parking lot on the south side of the building. There is a ramp for those with special needs and a large free private parking lot for the use of BRACAC visitors only.
Organization History
Looking back on our journey and forward to our commitment
In the spring of 1998, child advocates and professionals in the Barren River Area met to discuss the lack of critical services for victims of child sexual abuse and their non-offending family members. They determined the region desperately needed one, very special and child friendly place that would provide on-site crisis intervention, case investigations and coordination of team members, and most importantly, services to child victims. The group formed a Board of Directors and applied for a small VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) grant later that summer, determined to develop a Child Advocacy Center to serve the region. BRACAC hired an Executive Director in December 1998 and immediately began the ambitious goal to develop a Center that would support a ten county region. With the support of city and county leaders, regional legislators and then Governor and Mrs. Paul E. Patton, BRACAC purchased a large, historical church located just blocks from the Bowling Green Police Department in the summer of 1999. BRACAC then partnered with the Warren County Fiscal Court and the Barren River Area Development District office to apply for a Community Block Development Grant (CDBG) in August 1999, receiving approval in November 1999. With access to the funds made possible in May 2000, BRACAC continued to work diligently to renovate, prepare and occupy the Center’s new home.
Meanwhile, the creation of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky, the passing of critical legislation establishing Child Advocacy Centers or “CACs,” and the development of additional funding made the addition of a full time Child Advocate possible in April 2000. A full time therapist was added to the staff in the final stages of renovation of the Center’s facility in the winter 2000. Following a long-term recruitment effort, BRACAC teamed up with four dedicated physicians and a volunteer medical assistant in the summer of 2000 to complete specialized training in preparation for the provision of on-site specialized medical examinations for victims of child sexual abuse. Proudly, the Center celebrated its grand opening on January 12, 2001 and immediately went to work providing all core services to the children and families of the ten county region.
The Center now maintains a full time staff of one Executive Director, a Coordinator of Operations & Finance, three Child Advocates, two Therapists, an Intake Coordinator, and an MDT Coordinator. Its extended staff consists of a Community Outreach Coordinator, two part-time Forensic Interviewers, a part-time therapist, three volunteer physicians, an RN and a host of enthusiastic volunteers to support its mission and services to the community.
Our history is strong, but our vision and commitment to positive change for the future of children in our regional community is even stronger…
Accreditation
BRACAC is our community's accredited child advocacy center
To ensure that all children across the United States served by Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) receive consistent, evidence-based interventions that help them heal from abuse, hundreds of CACs have become Accredited Members of the National Children’s Alliance by meeting ten standards and verifying their adherence to the highest standards of practice by submitting to NCA site review. The Barren River Area Child Advocacy Center is an Accredited Member of the National Children’s Alliance and a Full Member of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky.
For Reaccreditation, CACs must show complete competency in the following standards:
Standard 1: Multidisciplinary Team
A multidisciplinary team for response to child abuse allegations includes representation from the following: law enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, mental health, medical provider, victim advocacy, and a Children’s Advocacy Center.
Standard 2: Cultural Competency and Diversity
Culturally competent services are routinely made available to all CAC clients and coordinated with the Multi-disciplinary Team Response.
Standard 3: Forensic Interviews
Forensic Interviews are conducted in a manner that is legally sound, of a neutral, fact finding nature, and are coordinated to avoid duplicative interviewing.
Standard 4: Victim Support and Advocacy
Victim support and advocacy services are routinely made available to all CAC clients and their non-offending family members as part of the multidisciplinary team response.
Standard 5: Medical Evaluation
Specialized medical evaluation and treatment services are routinely made available to all CAC clients and coordinated with the Multidisciplinary Team response.
Standard 6: Mental Health
Specialized trauma-focused mental health services, designed to meet the unique needs of the children and non-offending family members, are routinely made available as part of the multi-disciplinary team response.
Standard 7: Case Review
A formal process in which multidisciplinary discussion and information sharing regarding the investigation, case status, and services needed by the child and family is to occur on a routine basis.
Standard 8: Case Tracking
Children’s Advocacy Centers must develop and implement a system for monitoring case progress and tracking case outcomes for all MDT components.
Standard 9: Organizational Capacity
A designated legal entity responsible for program and fiscal operations has been established and implements basic sound administrative policies and procedures.
Standard 10: Child-Focused Setting
The child-focused setting is comfortable, private, and both physically and psychologically safe for diverse populations of children and their non-offending family members.Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) provide children and families with healing and justice in a setting they can trust. We know they do because of survey responses that are collected each year from our caregivers and partners called the NCA’s Outcome Measurement System (OMS). This survey helps CACs define their successes in serving children and families while helping them benchmark their progress against the work of a nationwide movement. Here are a few comments from OMS surveys conducted to caregivers and MDT partners regarding their experience at the Barren River Area Child Advocacy Center:
“The way my daughter felt comfortable from the start, everyone was kind and open to her. I also received a lot of information on resources and help with keeping my child safe. I cannot think of anything that would have made this process any better. Thank you.” “
Environment was perfect and my son felt very comfortable. After the interview, my son expressed he enjoyed talking with the interviewer. He was never afraid or scared and that is real blessing.”
“The CAC does wonderful work and provides an amazing service. I enjoy working with all members of the MDT. It is a vital benefit to all involved.”
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