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Sheldon Kennedy Helps Launch Southern Alberta Children Advocacy Center

Sep 13, 2016 | 3:32 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Turning trauma into triumph was the goal in mind as Sheldon Kennedy spoke to a full house at the Yates Memorial Theatre Tuesday (Sept. 13) for the launch of a new Southern Alberta Children Advocacy Center (SACAC).

Sheldon Kennedy, a well-known spokesperson for child victims of physical and sexual abuse, presented the powerful documentary “Swift Current,” in its premiere showing in Lethbridge followed by a Q&A to promote the creation of the SACAC.

Kennedy, who was a victim of abuse as a young hockey player, connected with Lethbridge and Medicine Hat agencies, including family services, health, education, law enforcement and justice who make up the planning committee for the SACAC to discuss improving services to children and youth who have suffered abuse.

The new Southern Alberta Children Advocacy Center will be based on the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Center (SKCAC) model in Calgary, where victims have access to legal and social services in the same location.

Kennedy stressed the importance of integrated agencies throughout his presentation.

“Before, a child would have to tell their story at the police station and at child and family services, then they would go to the doctor and get their examination and then they might talk to the crown. This process could take up to a year. We (SKCAC) do that in a day and the child and their family is immediately able to start healing.”

The SACAC will oversee two locations, one in Lethbridge and one in Medicine Hat, to provide access across the region.

Kennedy said that Lethbridge and communities within Treaty 7 have shown enthusiasm in taking on this approach and working towards understanding trauma through a more intersectional and holistic lens.

“What we know today is that the connection to crises in many cases, whether it is fentanyl, addiction, mental health and more stem from adverse childhood experiences. I think we need to understand that and work towards doing a better job early on.”

He also stressed how integrated treatment is more economically efficient.

“Not only are we reaching kids early and it’s hard to measure that cost, we are using money that is already there. This is not new money, these systems already exist. In Calgary, every case that comes in gets triaged with the other services and we decide which cases we will deal with at the center and which ones can be dealt with at the existing infrastructure. When we can take the severe cases and heavy load off of the community it offers more room to deal with all of the other important issues that sometimes get neglected.”

In June, the provincial government announced $1.7 million in funding to support three existing child advocacy centers and four centers in Lethbridge/Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray, Lloydminster and Red Deer.