By Hutchinson Tribune Staff
HUTCHINSON—Horizons Mental Health Center’s Child Advocacy Center (CAC) has been re-accredited by the National Children’s Alliance Board of Directors, Horizons announced Wednesday.
The CAC was established in 2005 and has grown since then, CAC Director Jane Holzrichter said in a news release.
“Evidence shows that the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) model greatly improves outcomes for children and families that have experienced child abuse,” Holzrichter said. “The partner agencies can attest to the long year of preparing for the five-year accreditation.”
To qualify for the accreditation, a CAC must include a multidisciplinary team with members representing advocacy, child protective services, law enforcement, criminal prosecution, and the medical and mental health fields, the release said.
The CAC gets the majority of its funding through government and state grants, with the remainder coming from local foundations and donations, Holzrichter said in the release. Services are free to victims and their families.