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  About NACA

The Native American Children's Alliance (NACA) is an intertribal, cross-mentoring organization whose mission is to inspire and support the development, growth, and maintenance of multi-disciplinary teams and Children's Advocacy Centers in Native American and Alaska Native communities in their efforts to address child sexual abuse. NACA was formed in April of 1999 and held it's first formal meeting on September 26, 1999 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Native American Children’s Alliance was formed in response to the need for tribal Child Advocacy Center development. Many professionals did not believe it was possible to develop CAC’s in Indian Country given the challenges involved in multi-jurisdictional coordination, lack of sustainability of current child abuse program initiatives, facility –based programming, and lack of community resources to sponsor the “mainstream” funding model for CAC’s. NACA was formed to support existing tribal CAC programs and to promote the development of CAC’s and MDT’s in tribal communities.

OUR MISSION

The mission of NACA is to “Serve as a cross-mentoring organization to inspire and support the development, growth and maintenance of Multi-disciplinary Teams and Child Advocacy Centers for Native American and Alaska Native Communities.” This mission means that we must listen to the voices of our children, their families, and their communities in order to create programs and services which will serve the needs of child abuse victims.

The Child Advocacy Center model promotes a focus on the child and family. Multiple agencies come together to provide a coordinated response to child maltreatment, most often child physical and sexual abuse. While each agency involved in investigating these cases has their own legislative mandate to investigate various aspects; the CAC is viewed as a neutral facility which provides a warm, child centered, non-threatening environment. Children who, in the past had to be interviewed often up to 10 or more times; now can be interviewed far fewer times using this coordinated approach.

The CAC is uniquely situated to provide services and coordinate efforts that no single agency can provide alone. The CAC can also be the focal point for all services in addition to the interview e.g., medical exams, treatment, therapy for both child and non-offending parents and other family members and follow-up support. Child Advocacy Centers in tribal communities emphasize a holistic approach to child abuse and domestic violence. Many tribes promote the traditional value that all things are connected within the natural world and that child abuse in interconnected with other challenges that tribal people have experienced. Tribal CAC’s and MDT’s often view health and healing as important as prosecution in child maltreatment cases. In providing healing tribal communities often use both traditional and western modalities.


Contact Information:
Native American Children’s Alliance
Linda Logan, MSW
Executive Director
216-373-6862
[email protected]

 
   
 

NACA's Goals

  • To improve communication and networking
  • To provide support and information specific to the dual legal systems and other problems found specifically within the boundaries of Indian reservations and Alaskan communities.
  • To provide support to developing Child Advocacy Centers and Multi-Disciplinary Teams for tribal communities
  • To create sustainability for child abuse initiatives in Indian Country.
 
 
NACA provides training and technical assistance in tribal communities on the following:
  • Strengthening multi-discplinary teams and team development
  • Building Child Advocacy Centers in tribal communties
  • Exploring the legal aspects of child protection and the unique challenges working in tribal communities
  • Forensic Interviewing
  • Effects of Domestic Violence on Children
  • Cultural Diversity: Beyond Sensitivity
 
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