Whether you were a precocious preschooler or a sassy senior ready to take on the world, we want to celebrate the journey that brought us to where we are today, making a difference in the lives of kids across Illinois! | |
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3rd Annual CACI Virtual Yearbook - Once again in September, we will be sharing supportive resources and tools as everyone eases back into the school year. Moreover, we are bringing back the Virtual Yearbook, and this is where you come in!
Pass along the link to your team! We are hoping to shine the light on team members from ALL 41 Illinois CACs!
Help create a social media mosaic of our marvelous past selves, reminding our youngest Illinois residents that we were once adorable, fearless learners, too! 🚀💫
Don't be shy! Flood the CACI social media pages with your teams best throwback pic!
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Here we grow again!!
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Shannon Brandon, who has taken on the role of Administrative Specialist.
"Shannon has been able to combine her love of organizing … well, anything and everything! And supporting others into a 25+ year career in the office support world. In fact, when asked, she will tell you “I wear the title of “office nerd” proudly”. She is excited to now bring her unique blend of dedication, hard work, and fun to the CACI, where she looks forward to many years of supporting and growing the team and organization. Shannon has two children, an adult son and a fifteen-year-old volleyball-addicted daughter, and a cat with an attitude issue. Addicted to coffee and pretty much any baked good starring cinnamon and sugar, she loves a good game or trivia night with friends, and fluently speaks “meme."
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WHAT IS FAITH'S LAW?
Named after survivor Faith Colson, this law championed change and accountability! Faith's journey sparked a movement for accountability and safety in schools. Despite facing a traumatic past, she stood strong and advocated for change.
Faith's Law highlights the importance of preventing educator sexual misconduct in K-12 schools. Faith's courage pushed the 102nd General Assembly to pass this legislation, marking a significant step towards safeguarding students. Let's honor Faith's resilience by ensuring every child's education is a sanctuary for growth and protection.
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A few of our team members had the incredible opportunity to visit the Sangamon County Children's Advocacy Center!
Here's a snapshot from our visit, where CACI staff, Michelle, Shannon and Louis, had the chance to connect with the amazing team of Sangamon County CAC and CASA staff, and take a tour of their facility.
A big thank you to the Sangamon County Children's Advocacy Center for hosting us and for the incredible work you do every day.
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Navigating Challenges and Ethical Dilemmas in Forensic Interviewing | Explore the intricate world of forensic interviewing, delving into the challenges and ethical dilemmas faced by interviewers. Discover strategies to tackle false memories, leading questions, legal vs. well-being concerns, and more while upholding the integrity of the process. | | | |
Social Media and Teen Mental Health | The U.S. Surgeon General's Social Media and Youth Mental Health advisory outlines the effects of social media on teens' well-being. Read the findings. | | | |
Humanistic Leadership with Ashoka E2 Member Bob Chapman | |
Caring leaders empower those around them to be changemakers.
So how do we teach people to be caring leaders? This was the question Ashoka’s E2 Member, Bob Chapman, asked his team at Barry-Wehmiller 20 years ago.
The answers they came up with?
➡️Empathetic listening
➡️Recognition and celebration
➡️Building a culture of service
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The SRCAC Exchange Podcast - Southern Regional Children's Advocacy Center | Want to check it out? Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Libsyn. Listen Want to hear more? Subscribe to The SRCAC Exchange to be sure you don't miss an episode! Subscribe Like what you hear? Show your support by leaving a rating and review for The SRCAC Exchange podcast. | | | |
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As we round the corner on another crazy summer, I have some great reading recommendations! I am currently reading (or devouring?) "Outlive" by Peter Attia, MD. There is so much great information in there about longevity and living a good, full life. Reader beware - only open if you are willing to get real honest with yourself. My fiction recommendation is "Billy Summers" by Stephen King. Yes, I know, I know - his stuff can be scary, but this one is not at all! This makes for a beach read! If you are like me and totally obsessed with the movie "Oppenheimer," you have to check out Sean Caroll's "Mindscape," a podcast about all things science.
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VOCA Fiscal News
Upcoming Due Dates: VOCA August Fiscal Expense PFR due Monday, September 11, 2023 (10th falls on week-end)
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Thank you everyone for your patience as we are still working through reporting for your DCFS Grant. We hope to have all the information needed and policies set for August's Reports. As always, if you have any questions please let me know.
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We are excited to announce that we will be conducting site visits to the Children's Advocacy Centers in the coming months. Keep a close eye on your inbox for upcoming emails related to the scheduling of these site visits. We look forward to meeting with each of you!
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I have been working on preparing for our Director's Conference on October 24-26th in beautiful Champaign, IL. We are excited for this annual event for CAC directors and leaders from across the state to network and continue to grow our important skills in relation to the organization, management, growth, and vision of Children's Advocacy Centers in Illinois. Please register by September 15th through Coalition Manager. Hope to see you there!
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Registration for the 2023 MDT Coordinator Training is now open. The training is for anyone that has a leadership role in the CAC. The training will be held on November 15th and 16th at the DoubleTree in Bloomington. To register, please follow this link.
The first quarterly virtual MDT Coordinator Roundtable with be September 14, 2023, from 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM. Feel free to email me with any topics that you would like discussed at the Roundtable. To register, follow this link.
Just a reminder, CACI is looking for an MDT Case Study for the Champions of Children Conference 2024. If you had a case that really highlighted the work of the MDT from beginning to end, we would love for you to share it. To submit an application to speak at the Conference, follow this link.
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Congratulations are in order!!!!!! Tanya Brown Cook County Peer Review Facilitator and FI'er at LaRabida Children’s Advocacy Center. Congratulations on your well-deserved promotion! We are absolutely thrilled to extend our warmest congratulations to you on your recent promotion to Training and Outreach Specialist. Your dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment has led you to this remarkable achievement, and we couldn't be more proud of your accomplishments. As you step into this new role, embrace the challenges and opportunities that come your way. Your innovative thinking, passion, and strong work ethic will undoubtedly continue to shine, making a significant difference in the projects you undertake. Wishing you all the best and looking forward to witnessing your continued success!
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Over the past few weeks, I've identified several individuals whose information may need to be updated in Coalition Manager. Your correct information is extremely important to ensure proper credit, and/or issuance of Certificates for trainings, conferences, and other events that you may attend or have attended. You or your CAC Administrator/Executive Director have the ability to update your information in Coalition Manager, with the exception of if you happen to switch agencies. In that case, you will need to reach out to Michelle Hammitt, Member and Communications Manager/NCA Grant Manager.
This month was the first time I have ever stepped foot into a CAC. I had the privilege of touring the Sangamon County CAC. Denise Johnson, and her staff were very welcoming. Special thanks to Nate Colwell! I was able to tour the CAC, see the different interview rooms, tailored to kids and teens of all age groups. I also had the opportunity to learn some challenges that CAC's across the State face from being County operated versus Not-for-Profit (Independent) operated.
I had an opportunity to join a State Chapter Networking Call. I got to learn about some of the other Training events and different Training methods that other CAC's are utilizing across other States (Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, Utah). I will be working on trying to implement some of those Trainings for us here in Illinois that will be beneficial to our CAC's. Stay Tuned!
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OUTCOME MEASUREMENT SYSTEM: How do we know that the work we do makes a difference? We encourage you to take 46 minutes and 19 seconds to listen to the National Children's Alliance podcast, One in Ten: Practical Magic: Understanding Lived Experience Through Data
CACI WEBSITE: The CACI website is still being updated - please note that we have been unable to add updates for 2 months (CACI staff changes, CAC director and map changes, updates to the Director's Corner, etc). We expect this to be corrected by the end of next week.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE: Nothing is too small to celebrate, so please don't hesitate in sharing here for next months newsletter.
We have over 2200 subscribers to the CACInsider. Let the CACs, MDTs around thee state, national/regional and other state chapter team members, board members, and grantors know what is going on in your part of Illinois!
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I joined the CACI team on August 1st, and I’ve had the BEST welcome! Over the last three weeks I have had the warmest welcome by the CACI staff, as well as the Sangamon Co. CAC when I toured their center, and would consider the on-boarding process here to have been, by far, the best I have experienced in my 25+ year in administrative support. I have learned so much about the CAC world, and know there is much more to discover, so my current most-used phrase is “Can you explain more about that?”
During a get-to-know you question activity for the staff, I learned that much of the staff didn’t know about the library app, Libby, and I wanted to share this amazing app in case you haven’t heard of it, either. Libby is an app that you can plug your local library card info into, and then have access to digital and audio books. I use it to listen to audio books in the car and while doing housework and recently on the beach. If you love reading, or listening to audio books, I encourage you to check it out!
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At CACI, we believe children begin to heal the moment they are heard.
In Illinois, when there is an allegation of child sexual abuse or severe physical abuse, children are referred to a local CAC. There, an interview is conducted in a child-friendly environment by a trained professional who knows the right questions to ask in a way that does not re-traumatize the child. Members of the multidisciplinary team (medical and mental professionals, law enforcement, prosecution, child protective services and more) observe. Following the interview, the child, as well as family members, receive advocacy, medical and mental health referrals to help with the healing process.
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Call the 24-hour Child Abuse Hotline at 800-25-ABUSE
(800-252-2873) if you suspect that a child has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed by abuse or neglect. If you believe a child is in immediate danger of harm, call 911 first.
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CACI Organizational Chart | | | | |
