National Children's Alliance

Clinicians, light up your tool belt by taking part in our Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) virtual training later this month led by NCA Institute for Better Mental Health Outcomes National Trainer for Mental Health Programs Ashley Fiore, MSW, LCSW! This 4-day training includes 12 consultation calls, and great, useful resources at your fingertips. It also has been approved for 14 continuing education credits through NASW and NBCC. There are just a few spots left, so register now!   AF-CBT is a trauma-informed evidence-based intervention to improve family relationships for those experiencing high conflict/coercion, harsh/punitive discipline, child physical abuse, and/or child behavior problems.   Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/gsTpBZP3

🚨Hey Children's Advocacy Centers, BREAKING NEWS! We have just released our annual requests for proposals (RFPs) for competitive grant funding for the 2025 grant year! We'll be administering more than $22 million in federal funds for the establishment, improvement and expansion of CACs! Applications are due no later than August 2, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. We recommend you start your applications now and get ahead! Learn more, get the full list of RFPs to confirm which grant types your agency is eligible for, and apply now: https://lnkd.in/gcNc9ftb

When it comes to child sexual abuse and exploitation, a new look at the U.S. shows we’re not doing very well. The Economist Impact's groundbreaking Out of the Shadows Index shines a light on the prevention and response to child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) in the U.S. If this were a report card, the best performing state would only have a D. What this means for kids is that, as a nation, our safeguarding is wholly inadequate and our response system woefully underfunded. On the latest episode of One in Ten podcast, we invited Laura Avery and Katherine Stewart, the authors of the report, to talk to us about the report and how by being able to pinpoint weaknesses and challenges, we can develop state-specific roadmaps for improvement in child protection. If you haven’t already read the report, please make sure you do. Listen to the episode now: https://lnkd.in/gwrYFfAs Download the in-depth report: https://loom.ly/EQ8A944

This week, representatives from 16 State Chapters and a Regional Children's Advocacy Center came together with NCA in Alexandria, VA for our CAC Sustainability Convening. We discussed how to sustain and enhance CACs and chapters through local, state, and federal funding. Participants are also going to Capitol Hill to meet with their Members of Congress today!

Our 3rd annual Seamless conference—the only national mental health conference specifically for clinicians working with Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) families—isn't until September, but locking in your decision to learn has never been more affordable. The NCA Institute for Better Mental Health Outcomes is offering our final early bird discount to Seamless registrants. The discount is available through this weekend only—it ends on Sunday, June 30. After that, the price goes up to $249 for clinicians who serve children through NCA member CACs. (Don't practice with clients through a CAC? Don't worry, any clinician can join us for just $249, or $299 after the June 30 deadline.)   Learn more and get the Early Bird Rate now, then share to let your network know: https://lnkd.in/gAUvQXNF

H.R. 8061, the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) Stabilization Act in the U.S. House of Representatives has more than 70 cosponsors, and it’s time to take the next step in support of funding for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) and other victims services agencies. If you haven’t already called your representative in the House to ask them to support the bill, please do so. And if you have—thank you!—please take a minute now to call your two senators and ask them to cosponsor the Senate version of the bill, S.4514, introduced by Sen. Richard Durbin from Illinois and Sen. Lisa Murkowski from Alaska. The CAC movement has a lot of champions in the Senate and it’s never too early to remind them that there’s something they can do to help victims in the community heal. Check out our Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Advocacy Resources page on NCA Engage: https://lnkd.in/gAGkEFuR

NCA Program Associate, Grants Management James Magoon was recently at Children's Advocacy Center of Brevard in Florida to show his appreciation for all the wonderful work they're doing in serving kids and families since 1996! Learn more: https://cacbrevard.org/

Last week, The NCA team was at the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) 31st Colloquium in New Orleans, Louisiana. Director of Accreditation Alyson MacKenzie, MSW (right) and Accreditation Coordinator Alyssa Todd, MSW (left) presented "The Child Advocacy Center Model to Address Child Sexual Abuse: Updates to Standards For Accredited CACs" where Director of the NCA Institute For Better Mental Health Outcomes Michelle Miller, Ph.D., LCSW (center) also discussed the Institute. 🔵Learn more about our National Standards of Accreditation: https://lnkd.in/ghaputHB 🔵Learn more about the NCA Institute For Better Mental Health Outcomes: https://lnkd.in/gwcWFMNq

On the latest episode of One in Ten podcast, Dr. Arline Geronimus joined us at the 2024 NCA Leadership Conference to talk about weathering, how health and aging have more to do with systemic oppression—how society treats us—than how well we take care of ourselves. It's a fascinating conversation you need to check out. Listen to the full episode and subscribe to One in Ten: https://lnkd.in/gsrBGCNJ You can also watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gucdT2v4 Buy Dr. Geronimus' book, Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society: https://lnkd.in/gkNGyRgs

NCA Grants season will soon be upon us! We expect to launch Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) and State Chapter grants in the next few weeks. We don't have an exact date yet, but we're working hard to assure the earliest release possible! Members, check your email for a message from us that was sent out earlier today with the subject line, "Now's the Time to Prep for 2025 Grant Funds," for resources you can use to get the process started now and identify eligible needs and prepare a strong application.