Advocacy centre in Lethbridge offering hope to young victims of abuse

“We work with a multidisciplinary team that includes law enforcement, mental health and children’s services, and we are able to offer wrap-around supports for children and families who have experienced abuse, so whether that be sexual abuse or extreme physical abuse or neglect for children.”

Patterson continued, “We work as a team to create a unified response through the investigative, judicial and therapeutic process.”

Looking into the temporary operating space for the Chinook Child and Youth Advocacy Centre in Lethbridge. (Photo supplied by Cheryl Patterson)

The facility in Lethbridge is one of eight advocacy centres for children and youth in the province, and one of only 30 across Canada. Patterson said they cover the entire Southwestern Alberta region, while a facility based in Medicine Hat covers the Southeastern portion of the province.

She told LNN that the Lethbridge site provides support for children and youth 17 years of age and under.

To some, the terms ‘child’ and ‘youth’ may seem like the same thing, but Patterson explained why both are used in the facility’s title, noting that child advocacy centres across the country have made the shift to include ‘youth’ in their name.

She said, “Part of that was really about being inclusive to our teens and young adults that are accessing services so that they can come to the centre and not feel as though they’re coming to a daycare or child-specific environment.”

TEMPORARY SPACE

Currently, staff at the Chinook Child and Youth Advocacy Centre operate out of a temporary space in the Lethbridge Professional Building at 740 4 Avenue South, down the hall from the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre on the fifth floor. However, work is underway to complete renovations on a new, permanent site that will be located on the ground level at 712 4 Avenue South.

The play area in the temporary site of the Chinook Child and Youth Advocacy Centre in Lethbridge. (Photo supplied by Cheryl Patterson)

Patterson said the primary needs for the renovation process “are specific to forensic interview rooms and therapy rooms for the kiddos.”

She told LNN, “As far as the renovation goes, that’s where the majority of budget is required because it requires specific sound proofing and specific technical equipment in order to get quality child forensic interviews that can then be used in court as testimony, which will help reduce the amount of times that children have to share their story.”

File photo taken outside of the soon-to-be permanent home of the Chinook Child and Youth Advocacy Centre in Lethbridge on Thursday, August 25, 2022. The site is located at 712 4 Avenue South. (Photo: J. Goulet-LNN)

Patterson said the total cost of the renovation work will be close to $645,000, with about 50% of that money raised so far.

One of the upcoming fundraisers for the renovation project is a bowling event at Galaxy Bowling in North Lethbridge on Saturday, September 10.

Poster advertising the September 10, 2022 bowling fundraiser. (Photo supplied by Cheryl Patterson)

Additionally, Patterson said they will be partnering with the restaurant chain IHOP in October, which is Child Abuse Prevention Month.

She said, “We are working with them at multiple locations throughout Alberta, where they’re going to be raising funds for child advocacy centres across Alberta and we will be sharing within the donations that come in.”

TEAMWORK IS KEY

Patterson said the Chinook Child and Youth Advocacy Centre works alongside other centres across the province and country to share resources, techniques and educational tools.

“It’s all about building capacity within our communities,” she told LNN.

The Lethbridge program is governed by the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre but works in tandem with other local organizations as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Its partners include the Lethbridge Police Service, Taber Police Service, the RCMP, the Blood Tribe Police Service, Blood Tribe Child Protective Services Corporation, Alberta Health Services, Alberta Crown Prosecution Services, Piikani Child and Family Services, and South Region Children’s Services.

Patterson said being able to share ideas with other agencies helps to ensure the best services possible are offered to children, youth and families that walk through their doors and helps staff members “prevent any child from falling through the cracks.”

She remarked that, “One of the primary benefits of having a child advocacy centre in Lethbridge is we are creating a neutral child-friendly environment for children and families to come through for the disclosure, investigation and judicial process.”

“We know that for a lot of families and children, having to access supports through a police station or through children’s services can be extremely intimidating, so as that neutral centre, we provide that safe environment for them to share their stories.”

More on the work of the Chinook Child and Youth Advocacy Centre is available at the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre website.

Read more Lethbridge News Now.

by Justin Goulet

Advocacy centre in Lethbridge offering hope to young victims of abuse

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