Advocacy Center Approach
The Advocacy Center at the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provides a child-friendly setting that is warm and inviting. The 7,200-sq-ft facility includes a large playroom, as well as rooms for individual and group therapy, medical exams, and forensic interviews and observations.
Children evaluated in the Advocacy Center need to tell their history only once to a trained specialist. Police, social workers and doctors do not need to separately interview the child; instead they observe the interview from another room. The interview can also be recorded for specialists to review at a later time. This approach is less stressful for children. Additionally, because the multi-disciplinary staff work together, the center is able to make decisions effectively and efficiently resulting in better help and protection for the child.
The center is open to all children in the multi-county area surrounding Cincinnati who are suspected or alleged victims of child abuse. Its mission is to be the national leader and resource in the development and validation of best practices for the evaluation, treatment and prevention of child maltreatment. Programs developed by the center will span the scale from individual therapy for abused children to community public health interventions for the promotion of healthy parenting and prevention of child abuse.
What Happens at the Advocacy Center?
- Children are interviewed by one of our trained specialists
- Team members may observe the interview from another room and can suggest additional questions for the interviewer to ask
- Investigators from mandated agencies can observe the interviews of their clients and can participate in the evaluation
- The interview can be recorded on digital media
- A medical examination of the child is performed and documented by pediatric specialists
- The team collaborates to determine next steps
- If prosecution occurs, Mayerson Center representatives orient and accompany the child and family to the court and assist the child and family
For more information about the Mayerson Center for Safe & Healthy Children, call 513-636-SAFE. If you suspect a child within the Greater Cincinnati area is being abused, please contact the child's physician or call 513-241-KIDS. Physicians are required by state laws to report suspected physical abuse or neglect to the legally mandated agency in their community.
