It's Safe To Say

This short video was produced by teens and young adults with the support of the Joyful Heart Foundation and is targeted at young victims of trauma, including sexual abuse.  You can find "It's Safe To Say" on Youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybIRdIXWO00

Using Pinterest? Check this out.

Has your CAC or Chapter started using Pinterest?  If so, or if you are considering starting, check out this short article on five best Pinterest practices for nonprofits.

http://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/five-pinterest-best-practices-for-nonprofits/

Grants from Build-A-Bear

Build-A-Bear is offering grants of up to $5000 to support projects that benefit kids including health and safety. Therapeutic animals are included in the domestic pet section of the RFP. You can view it at http://www.buildabear.com/shopping/contents/content.jsp?catId=400002&id=700010

Walmart Grants for Statewide Projects

Walmart is seeking statewide projects to apply for up to $25,000.  One of the categories includes increased access to health care.  Research indicates that children who are seen at a CAC are more likely to have medical evaluations.  Do your doctors and nurses find other health issues and make referrals?  How many of the kids you see don't have a regular doctor?  This might be a good project for a Chapter, or CAC that serves a large region, to consider.  It's a fairly quick turn around (August 10), but still worth a look.  You can find out more at http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=385000029

Finding Free Images, Video, and Music

People don't always realize that clip art, including drawings and pictures, is not always free to use in some settings.  You have to check on the copyright restrictions.  For example, Microsoft clip art photograhs cannot necessarily be used for anything associated with controversial subjects, and child abuse is one of those subjects.  Buying the license to high quality images can be very expensive, but there are alternatives. This YouTube video provides information on how to use Creative Commons to find royalty free photos, clip art, videos, and music.  You can view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvsbJaJeFGY.

Funding for Recording Equipment Available

Closed Circuit Television & Recording Technology

For Use in Child Abuse Cases

The National Children’s Advocacy Center has announced the availability of grant funding for the purchase and/or upgrade of closed-circuit television and/or recording equipment for use in criminal child abuse cases. The primary goal of this program is to reduce the trauma to children who testify at hearings or trials, or whose disclosures are recorded during investigation, by increasing the number of locations where CCTV/Recording Technology is available. Interested parties are encouraged to view an on-line informational tutorial prior to submitting an application:

http://www.nationalcac.org/images/pdfs/SRCAC/CCTV%20%20Recording%20Equipment%20Grant%20-%20Tutorial.pdf

Video on Human Trafficking

WARN, a coalition of organizations in Washington State, has posted a video on YouTube highlighting information about human trafficking in the US, including trafficking of children.  You can access it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsjRQtrG0Ro&feature=youtu.be

Trauma-informed Care

Trauma impacts not only the children and families we see in our centers, but also the people who work with them, the team, and the organization as a whole.  Studies are being done that point to the need to develop trauma-informed organizational systems.  The article linked below looks at this process.  The target audience for the document is individuals working with homeless families, but the information on organizational assessment and implementation is applicable to any organization. 

http://www.familyhomelessness.org/media/90.pdf

Dealing with Secondary Trauma

The Spring 2012 issue of CW360, a publication of the University of Minnesota's Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, is dedicated to the impact of secondary trauma on child welfare workers.  These short articles address various aspects of the issue including strategies to minimize the impact of secondary trauma.  You can find it at http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ssw/cascw/attributes/PDF/publications/CW360_2012.pdf