In 2003, a group of concerned citizens spear-headed a task force made up of representatives from local child-serving agencies in order to address the lack of a coordinated response to investigations into child abuse in Aiken County. All too often, children with the courage to talk about the abuse they had experienced were expected to undergo repeated questioning about the most traumatic event in their lives. Many times they had to tell their story in places that were not child-friendly and were interviewed by persons who were not trained to talk with children. The CAC of Aiken was established to ensure that all the services a child and family needs (medical examinations, forensic interviewing, advocacy support) could occur in one location – a safe, nurturing, child-friendly environment, at no cost to a child’s family.
Since opening with one staff member in 2003, The CAC of Aiken has experienced significant program growth and now employs 7 professionals with wide ranging expertise. The incredible support and generosity of community stakeholders have helped the center achieve great things during its brief history:
- 2003 – 11 agency task force signed its first Multidisciplinary Agreement. The staff of one began conducting forensic interviews with children.
- 2004 – Obtained its 501-c-3 and began a capital campaign to build a permanent building
- 2006 – Expanded its reach to include surrounding counties and established a Multidisciplinary Team in Barnwell County
- 2008 – Ribbon cutting for its new building (and current location) on Trolley Line Rd. in Aiken
- 2008 – Obtained National Accreditation through the National Children’s Alliance
- 2010 – began prevention education and began conducting Stewards of Children Trainings, educating over 200 adults every year.
- 2015 – Added a Child Advocate to staff in order to provide non-offending caregivers emotional support and information about community resources.
- 2019 – Increased capacity to conduct Forensic Interviews by adding an additional Forensic Interviewer/Therapist to its staff. Conducted a record number of forensic interviews (509).
- 2020 – Increased its capacity to keep up with the demand for Medicals by adding an additional medical provider.
Without a CAC
To understand what a Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) is, you must understand what children face without one. Without a CAC, the child may end up having to tell about the worst thing that has happened in his or her life over and over again, to doctors, police officers, lawyers, therapists, investigators, judges, and others. They may have to talk about that traumatic experience in a police station where they think they might be in trouble or may be asked the wrong questions by a well-meaning teacher or other adult that could hurt the case against the abuser.
With a CAC
When police or child protective services (SC Dept. of Social Services) believe a child is being abused, the child is brought to the CAC—a safe, child-focused environment—by a caregiver or other “safe” adult. At the CAC, the child tells their story one time to a trained interviewer who knows the right questions to ask in a way that does not retraumatize the child. Then, a team that includes medical professionals, law enforcement, mental health, solicitor’s office, child protective services, victim advocacy, and other professionals make decisions together about how to best help the child and their family. CAC’s offer trauma-focused therapy and medical exams, victim advocacy, case management, and other services. This is called the multidisciplinary team (MDT) response and is a core part of the work of CAC’s do in South Carolina.
Child Advocacy Center Advantages
- Reduces the number of interviews a child victim must endure, which reduces the trauma to the child.
- Creates a comfortable, child-friendly environment for the investigation as opposed to the environment typically experienced in a hospital emergency room or police station.
- Reduces law enforcements and social services investigative time.
- Enables quicker prosecutions through more efficient case processing.
- Increases communication between agencies for an improved understanding of their roles and case need.
How Does the CAC Model Work?
The Executive Director
Maryann Burgess
Executive Director
Mrs. Maryann Burgess is the Executive Director of the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County. In this role, Director Burgess leads the Center in the coordination of investigations, treatment, and prosecution of the most serious cases of child abuse in Aiken and its surrounding counties.
Before her time at the CAC of Aiken County, Burgess led a successful career as a thirty-year law enforcement officer and firefighter, most of that time serving as the managing Captain of Aiken Department of Public Safety’s Youth Services Division.
In addition to her role as executive director, Director Burgess serves as the chair of the Second Judicial Curcuit Human Trafficking Task Force in South Carolina. In this position, Burgess plays a vital role in addressing the crime of human trafficking in South Carolina in collaboration with federal, state, and local agencies.
Burgess holds a Basic Law Enforcement Certification focused in Criminal Justice and Police Science from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology from the University of South Carolina Aiken.
The Staff
Bridget Cho, Ph.D.
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR
Dr. Bridget Cho serves as a contract clinical supervisor to graduate interns at the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County.
Cho received her doctorate in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas and completed an APA accredited internship specializing in child maltreatment at the University of California Davis Children’s Hospital. Dr. Cho is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of South Carolina Aiken where she supervises graduate students in the masters-level Applied Clinical Psychology Program and teaches about developmental and abnormal psychology, multicultural and diversity issues,and cognitive assessment. Her research and clinical interests include child psychopathology, parenting,and adversity, as well as development of culturally responsive parenting interventions.
Charlotte Collis, MSW, LMSW, VSP
Forensic Interviewer | Therapist | Darkness to Light® Facilitator
Ms. Charlotte Collis, an experienced mental health counselor and trauma clinician, is a forensic interviewer and therapist with the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County. Charlotte is also an Authorized Facilitator for Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® training.
Collis holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with a concentration in trauma from Simmons University and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Sociology with a specialization in immigration and assimilation from Villanova University. Collis is trained and nationally certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) from the Medical University of South Carolina, has completed training and is pursing certification in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), is trained in the ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Protocol, and is also a certified Victim Service Provider (VSP) through the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office.
Logan C. Ford, PACE, VSP
Darkness to Light® Facilitator
Rev. Logan C. Ford is an authorized Darkness to Light® instructor for the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County and is Co-Chair of the 2nd Judicial Circuit Human Trafficking Task Force Interfaith Subcommittee.
Samantha Gray, MA, VSP
Forensic Interviewer | THERAPIST
Mrs. Samantha English Gray, an experienced human services professional, serves as a therapist and forensic interviewer with the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County.
Gray holds a Master of Arts (MA) degree in clinical counseling from the Citadel, a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in psychology from Charleston Southern University, and is trained in the ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Protocol. Gray is also a certified Victim Service Provider (VSP) through the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office.
Valeria M. Hernandez Navarro, VSP
Family Advocacy Coordinator
Ms. Valeria Hernandez, an experienced victim advocate, serves as the Family Advocacy Coordinator with the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County.
Hernandez holds an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Criminal Justice from Aiken Technical College and is a certified Victim Service Provider (VSP) through the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office.
Tina F. Ferg, MS, LPC, NBCC, CPCS, CFRC
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR
Ms. Ferg serves as a contract clinical supervisor to staff and graduate interns at the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County.
Keli Parrish, MBA, VSP
Office Manager
Ms. Keli Parrish, an experienced administrator and law enforcement professional, serves as the Office Manager with the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County.
Parrish holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Columbia International University, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Social/Criminal Justice specializing in Forensics from Ashford University, an Associate of Basic Law Enforcement degree in Criminal Justice from Augusta Technical College, and an Associate of Science (ASc) degree in Business Administration and Management from Palm Beach State College. In addition, Parrish is also a certified Victim Service Provider (VSP) through the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office.
Kacey Wheeler, MSW, LISW-CP
Therapist
Mrs. Kacey Wheeler, an experienced clinician, serves as a part-time therapist with the Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County.
Wheeler holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with an Evidence Based Trauma Certificate from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree with a Human Behavior Cluster Minor from Northern Michigan University. Wheeler is a Licensed Independent Social Worker – Clinical Practice (LISW-CP) and is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and Phase-Based Treatment (PBT) for Pre-teen Problematic Sexualized Behaviors (PSB).
Parent Project Instructor
Jason Payne, MPA, MS, PMP®
Certified Parent Project® Facilitator
Medical Care Partners
Kathryn (Katie) Stephenson, MD
Interim Director, Child Abuse Pediatrics
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in the Midlands
LaDonna (ALEX) Young, MD
Child Abuse Pediatrician
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in the Midlands
Jennifer L. Sabo, MD
Child Abuse Pediatrician
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in the Midlands
Stephanie L. Schaller, DNP, PPCNP
NURSE PRACTITIONER
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in the Midlands
Sarah E. Wilson, MSN, APRN, PPCNP, CPNP-PC
NURSE PRACTITIONER
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in the Midlands
Employment
Thank you for your interest in becoming a part of the team at The Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County.
The CAC of Aiken is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in its work and staff. Employment decisions at our agency are made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, disability status, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law.
Current Openings:
APPLY - OFFICE MANAGER
APPLY - THERAPIST/FORENSIC INTERVIEWER
Internships
Applications are always open for submission!
Thank you for your interest in becoming an intern with our organization. If you are interested in becoming one of our interns, please complete the attached application and email it along with your resume to mburgess@cacofaiken.org.
Intern Application + Description
