What We Do

The Mt. Olive Children’s Advocacy is a provisional CAC with the Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Carolina and one of more than 50 CACs in North Carolina and 900 children’s advocacy centers throughout the United States. Children’s advocacy centers not only provide medical evaluation and care for children, but help to facilitate cooperation between the other healthcare, legal, social service, law enforcement, and mental health services that children need when they have been abused or neglected.

Opening in November of 2022, Mt. Olive CAC is a subspecialty clinic within the Department of Pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. The Brody School of Medicine, together with ECU Health Medical Center, supports both Mt. Olive CAC and TEDI BEAR CAC, with assistance from major grant funding by the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, the ECU Health Foundation, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Children’s Alliance. Also, donations from civic organizations and individual benefactors provide critical support for Mt. Olive CAC.

Mt. Olive provides comprehensive, coordinated child-centered services, education and outreach in order to ensure child safety. The center provides a safe and friendly environment to help children, up to 18 years old, begin to heal from the trauma that typically accompanies abuse or neglect. CAC staff also provides assistance to the parents or other caregivers of abused children, if the caregivers have not committed or contributed to the child’s abuse. Alleged offenders are not permitted on premises. Mt. Olive CAC provides direct services to approximately 150 children in addition to their caregivers annually.

Services for Children and Families at Our Center

When children and caregivers are referred to Mt. Olive CAC following alleged abuse, the child typically receives child advocacy services, a forensic interview, and a medical examination. Caregivers also receive family advocacy services and referrals for therapy for children when indicated. These services are described below with links for a more in-depth description.

Child Advocacy

The child and his or her caregiver first meet with a trained advocate who will describe the assessment process, answer any questions, and help to ensure that the child’s needs are met. At first, many children and caregivers are nervous about going through the assessment process. The Child Advocate helps them to feel more relaxed, confident, and supported.

Family Advocacy

Family Advocacy is provided to caregivers after the completion of evaluation. The Family Advocate provides support and information to caregivers onsite or by phone. Family Advocacy ensures the family members are able to access recommended and available interventions and links to concrete services. Visit the Family Advocacy page for more information.

Forensic Interviewing

In most cases, the child is interviewed to learn more about the alleged abuse. This interview is conducted by a Mt. Olive CAC Social Worker with special training in how children of different ages think, feel, and communicate. It is recorded so that the child will not have to repeat information more than necessary during the investigation process. The interview may also be observed over closed-circuit television by law enforcement and other investigative professionals. The child’s caregiver is provided an opportunity to provide information and ask questions to the team. The interview is also used to help with the child’s medical evaluation. Visit the Forensic Interviewing page for more information.

Medical Examination

A medical examination identifies any signs of physical trauma, ensures that any lab work or other tests are performed, and evaluates the child’s overall health. This exam is conducted by a pediatrician or a nurse practitioner with special training in child abuse evaluation. The medical examination is non-invasive, and is provided to assess the child’s health. The exam may also require the completion of laboratory work. Exams are external and there are no painful procedures conducted onsite.

A Mt. Olive CAC child advocate helps children to understand the examination process, and accompanies the child during the exam to help reduce their anxiety. Since Mt. Olive CAC is a child-centered facility, older children may be permitted to decide whether to have a parent or other adult accompany them during the examination.

Individual and Family Therapy Referrals

Many children and their non-offending caregivers benefit from therapy to heal from childhood trauma. Referrals to therapy for children who need treatment are provided to help victims and family members resolve the trauma and move forward in their recovery. Mt. Olive CAC offers therapy services via a linkage agreement.

Services for Professionals and Communities

Community Outreach & Multidisciplinary Teams

Community-based multidisciplinary teams serve children who are alleged victims of child sexual abuse throughout eastern North Carolina. This team approach facilitates collaboration among professionals from various disciplines within each community. The goal is to enhance the system’s response to child abuse, and to facilitate recovery for child abuse victims.

Community Education

Community Educators provide training in child sexual abuse recognition, response, and prevention for professionals and non-professionals at schools, churches, day care centers, mental health agencies, and many other organizations. This training uses the Stewards of Children curriculum, and is provided at no charge. Nurses, educators, therapists, social workers, law enforcement professionals and others can use the training to help meet their continuing education requirements.

Mt. Olive CAC also encourages community members to take advantage of other educational opportunities, including free online training in child abuse and child trafficking.