Bartlett Regional | House Calls | Spring 2021

Working together to keep kids safe Copingwith the stress froma traumatic event The road to recovery It can take time to heal from traumatic stress. Meanwhile, here are some things that mental health experts say you can do to help feel better. Make time for yourself. Carve out at least a few minutes each day for activities you enjoy, whether that’s working on a hobby or reading a book. Everyone experiences stress in their life, like the stress from a bad day at work or an upsetting argument with a partner. But the shock of dealing with a traumatic event—such as a violent crime, the COVID-19 pandemic, or a hurricane or other disaster—can bring about a cascade of difficult emotions. No matter what causes it, traumatic stress can affect your well-being. You may feel sad, anxious and worried about the future. You may be angry and on edge and have unexplained pains or trouble sleeping. T he Southeast Alaska Family Evaluation (S.A.F.E.) Child Advocacy Center provides a safe space for children to receive a comprehensive response to alleged maltreatment. The S.A.F.E. Child Advocacy Center comprises child forensic interviewers, family advocates and nurses who maintain thorough and ongoing training. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team made up of various community professionals, the S.A.F.E. Child Advocacy Center supports abuse prevention and the safety, well-being and healing of abused and neglected children and families of Southeast Alaska. The S.A.F.E. Child Advocacy Center has been in Juneau since 2001 and MENTAL HEALTH has been accredited by the National Children’s Alliance since 2007. It is a proud program of Catholic Community Service, providing videotaped forensic interviews, forensic medical examinations, case management services, mental health counseling referrals, crisis intervention, family advocacy, courtroom preparation, community education and domestic violence intervention. The S.A.F.E. Child Advocacy Center’s ultimate goal is to foster a comfortable, child- friendly environment where children can tell their stories of abuse through a process designed to minimize trauma and support a healthy navigation in the aftermath of maltreatment. While there has been an ongoing rise in the number of child maltreatment cases during the pandemic, the number of actual reports is decreasing. With children having less access to school employees, coaches, after-school programs, etc., to whom they might report abuse, they are spending more time in harm’s way. With the help of a generous donation from the Juneau Glacier Rotary, the S.A.F.E. Child Advocacy Center is reaching out to Southeast Alaska’s communities for support of our new campaign: Southeast for Safe Kids! We need you to do your part and make a difference in a child’s life. 12 House Calls Spring 2021