Sacramento: SAFE Center Recognizes 30 Years Of Service

Sacramento CA

30 April, 2021

2:03 PM

Description

Press release from the Sacramento County Government: April 29, 2021 The Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services; local law enforcement agencies; and the District Attorney's Office have been working collaboratively together at the Sacramento County Special Assault Forensic Evaluation (SAFE) Center. The goal is to reduce the stress and trauma experienced by children who are victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse or witnesses to violent crimes, by reducing the number of times they have to tell their stories to different agencies. The SAFE Center is an accredited member of the National Children's Alliance and provides a safe, welcoming and child-friendly place for children to be interviewed by a specially trained social worker, called a Forensic Interview Specialist. The social workers conduct interviews with roughly 400 children who have experienced trauma or child abuse each year. The SAFE Center is co-located with the Family Justice Center, which can provide invaluable services and supports to our community.This year, the SAFE Center is excited to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Since the SAFE Center opened the doors, the team has interviewed and supported more than 12,000 children. "The multi-disciplinary team approach to child abuse investigations requires excellent communication and ongoing collaboration among all disciplines," said SAFE Center Director, Darby Geller. "The SAFE Center is considered the 'hub' of the multi-disciplinary team and is proud to have continuous support and partnership from our collaborative agencies throughout Sacramento County. Our team of forensic interviewers are experts in gaining trust from children very quickly and listening to them to disclose some of the most horrific details of their trauma. This work is difficult for all involved, yet it is rewarding to be a part of such a superior team of professionals with a shared goal of child safety, advocacy, healing, and justice in our community." The collaborative work at the SAFE Center has led to many successful prosecutions of offenders. To learn more about the SAFE Center, please visit the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services Resource Family web page. If you are interested in donating new toys/comfort items for youth visiting the SAFE Center, contact Darby Geller. This press release was produced by the Sacramento County Government. The views expressed here are the author's own.