February News: CAC Teamwork Empowers Clients 🙌

By: Cara Liace, Trauma Therapist

Ever heard the adage: Teamwork makes the dream work? Cliche as it may be, it holds true at CAC. CAC's service model is both comprehensive and collaborative. Not only do staff work with our community-based Multidisciplinary Team members in the investigative stage, but our own staff work collaboratively across internal teams. CAC's Advocates and Trauma Therapists often support our clients for months at a time throughout the duration of a legal case or their ongoing counseling sessions, working together to bring hope and healing.

Recently, one of CAC's Advocates played a key role in helping Sonya, a teenage client, begin to process her trauma and make progress on her healing journey. Sonya had disclosed to a friend that she was sexually assaulted while working at a restaurant. Her friend helped her report the assault to her supervisor, and her supervisor told her that because she was under 18, they had to report her assault to the police. Sonya didn’t want to report the assault, but her supervisor called the police anyway. Sonya felt terrified to get the police involved. She didn’t want to upset her family or create more stress for anyone.

Despite being very nervous and uncomfortable telling her story, Sonya felt pressure to go along with the report. At her family’s urging, she decided to come to the CAC for a forensic interview. While at CAC, Sonya became even more unsure about going through with the interview; however, her CAC Advocate helped her understand her rights and encouraged her to engage in the process as much or as little as she wanted. Sonya’s Advocate helped her understand that it was her choice to report as much as she was comfortable with and provided education on how to pursue charges in the future should she choose to do that.

Sonya’s Advocate also helped connect her with therapy services at CAC. Since her Advocate helped her feel so understood and heard during the investigative process, Sonya was able to feel safe enough at CAC to tell her story during therapy. Sonya completed a trauma narrative with her therapist and was able to understand that what happened to her was not her fault and that she did everything she could have to keep herself as safe as she could. Sonya finished therapy and was able to move forward from her experience, confident that she had made the right choices for herself.

By: Valerie Katz, Trauma Therapist

One of CAC’s valuable community partners in our service area is the More@4 program in Elgin School District U-46. This program is grant-funded and free for in-district residents. More@4 offers full-day preschool with round-trip transportation for children and families that meet the criteria to receive services. Families in this program are experiencing homelessness trauma, DCFS involvement or have little to no income. This program is unique as it focuses on wellness for the child and the family. Staff are there to support and educate parents, connect families to resources in the community, offer free breakfast, lunch and snacks and do home visits.

More@4 makes a referral to the CAC if staff discover there has been a traumatic event for the student. CAC has worked collaboratively with multiple families referred by U-46. CAC staff have also provided parenting education presentations, in addition to staff trainings. For more information about More@4 program, you may contact Lynn Reuter, Early Learners First Steps Supervisor, at 847-888-5000, x6376, or lynnreuter@u-46.org.

By: Paula Amat, Bilingual Family Advocate

February is Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month!

To join the cause, our Forensic and Advocacy Team is sharing the Relationship Spectrum, an introductory scale to help identify concerning relationship patterns.

We invite you to visit these sites for additional information and support:

https://www.loveisrespect.org/everyone-deserves-a-healthy-relationship/relationship-spectrum/

https://www.thehotline.org/resources/healthy-relationships/

STAFF TRAINING

In January, all of CAC's Trauma Therapists attended a four-day Theraplay® training in Chicago.

"I liked that Theraplay focuses on healing through play, connection and healthy attachment between child and caregiver and empowers the caregiver to continue the healing in bits and pieces in their everyday life," explained Bilingual Trauma Therapist Yesenia Hernandez.

"This week I used a nurturing activity (based on Theraplay principles) with a family and discussed how it could be used for connection and as a calming activity at night when some meltdowns tend to happen for them," Hernandez added.

Similarly, Bilingual Trauma Therapist Valerie Cifuentes liked the child-focused approach.

"This week I used activities (based on Theraplay principles) with children and their families to help connect and engage, regulate and modulate interactions in a healthy, positive and fun way for kids," Cifuentes shared. "They absolutely loved it, and I could definitely start to see areas of need being filled with positive connections and interactions this week."

(Pictured below are CAC Mental Health Services team members: L to R BACK ROW Cara Liace, Yesenia Hernandez, Romelia Rodriguez, Kate Schultz, Valerie Katz; FRONT ROW Valerie Cifuentes, Cristina Fausto, Bianca Gonzalez)

From now through March 31, CAC is participating in the Target Circle program! You can vote for us and help direct Target’s corporate giving to benefit CAC. Visit

target.com/circle or watch the video on Facebook for how to vote in the Target app. It's quick and easy, and the more votes CAC receives, the bigger our grant award will be. We appreciate each and every vote you send our way!

Support CAC

CAC is sending out a little love to the generous foundations and community organizations who have awarded us grants so far this year. Thank you for partnering with us and helping bring healing and hope to our young clients and their families.

In February, Heather Henkel, owner of Kilwins Arlington Heights (above left), presented CAC's Development Director Taylor Kanara (above right) with a check for $520 from her store's Month of Giving campaign in December 2023. CAC is so thankful for the support of community partners like Kilwins Arlington Heights and their customers, who gave their votes to CAC. No one's sweeter than you!

www.cachelps.org | info@c achelps.org | 847-885-0100

Support CAC

Volume 44 | February 2024