Hays Post
The Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center has added a new medical mobile unit to its fleet.
The WKCAC serves 33 counties in western Kansas, including Ellis County. Although the WKAC has brick-and-mortar offices in Hays and five other Kansas cities, it does not have offices in many of the communities that it serves.
WKAC provides forensic interviews for children who authorities believe have been abused. The center can refer child survivors and their families for follow-up services. Some children return to the WKCAC for therapy services when needed.
The WKCAC already has a fleet of RVs that have been equipped to serve children and their families in the rural areas of its coverage area. The WKCAC Mobile Child Advocacy Center is the first mobile unit accredited in the nation.
The new medical unit includes a family area, where children can meet center workers. These “family rooms” are decorated in bright colors with kid-friendly decor and equipped with toys to help children feel at ease, said Victoria Brady, forensic interview and child and family advocate.
In the rear of the RV where sleeping quarters would be, the RV has been outfitted with an exam room. Nurses affiliated with the WKCAC perform head-to-toe wellness exams for children in the unit.
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“A lot of times that is healing for a kid to hear that their body is OK,” Brady said. “We find that is beneficial.”
The Department of Justice provided a Violence Against Women grant to support both the purchase of the mobile medical unit and the ongoing wellness exams.
The medical unit can also be used for sexual assault exams. In some cases, the exams are used to collect evidence.
In some cases no injury is found, but Brady said that does not mean sexual abuse did not happen.
In addition to the new medical mobile unit, which went into service in April, the WKCAC also has mobile interview units and mobile therapy units.
The mobile interview units are outfitted similarly to the medical unit, however, instead of an exam room in the rear of the RV, there is an interview room. The interview room is equipped with cameras, so law enforcement officials, officials from the Department for Children and Families and the county attorney can listen and watch the interview from behind a curtain at the front of the RV.
“There is a TV screen, so they can monitor the child’s body language,” Brady said. … “when they are answering my questions, if they are hesitant.”
The therapy mobile units allow therapist to travel to the children in need of services. They can park at a school or other location, so the child has minimal disruption in his or her routine.
None of the mobile units are marked to give families more anonymity.
Throughout its coverage area, the WKCAC served more than 500 children last year. Brady estimated the majority of the children were served through mobile units.
“I think it is important because we live in such a rural area,” Brady said of the mobile unit fleet, “and not all the families that we see have the means to come to us physically, so we are able to come to them. Parents are more likely to participate in services when you actually come to them.”
Brady said using mobile units or one of the CAC brick-and-mortar centers, is much less traumatic than having to go to a police station for children to be interviewed about their abuse.
“All of our CACs are very bright and colorful, and even the mobile units are just a very kid friendly environment,” Brady said. “They are greeted by myself and an advocate and when the mobile medical unit goes out there is an advocate with the nurse.”
The WKCAC accepts specific donations for bags of gift items the children can take home with them. It also accepts donations of office supplies and has tasks that require volunteers.
See the WKCAK wish list and volunteer needs by clicking here.
You can also find child safety resources on the WKCAC website. If you believe a child has been abused, contact local law enforcement.