Welcome to Your 1st Visit at Hope House
You and your child have been asked to come to Children’s Advocacy Center – Hope House because child abuse has been suspected and reported, and is now being investigated. The CAC houses the professionals who will help you and your child with the investigation, advocacy, and the healing process.
What to Expect During Your First Visit
At Hope House, we want to ensure that your first visit is as comfortable and informative as possible. Our dedicated staff will guide you through each step of the process, answering any questions you may have along the way.
Forensic Interview
The first step in the investigation is usually a forensic interview. CAC interviewers are compassionate and highly trained in professional forensic interviewing protocols. They talk to children and teens at their developmental level. Interviews are neutral and child-friendly.
Meeting with a Investigator
You will also meet with an investigator. We work closely with local law enforcement agencies and the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services to ensure the investigative needs are met for your family.
Therapy, Advocacy, & More
When you come to the CAC Hope House, you’ll learn about other services, like therapy and advocacy, which may help you and your child during this time. Our clinicians are highly trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, an evidence-based treatment designed to significantly reduce the impact of childhood trauma.
Forensic Medical Exam
In some cases, a forensic medical exam will be needed. Forensic medical exams are conducted at the Audrey Hepburn CARE Center in New Orleans. If you are told that your child needs a forensic medical exam, your investigator or advocate will help you schedule an appointment and guide you the process of the forensic medical exam.
Testimonials
CAC Hope House is based on a nationally recognized model of care. The child advocacy center model has been shown to be a more child-friendly, effective community response to reported child abuse. We ask parents and caregivers about their experience at the center on a regular basis.
Jane Smith
Marketing Manager, XYZ Company
Mark Johnson
Founder, ABC Corporation
Emily Brown
HR Director, XYZ Inc.
Michael Johnson
COO, ABC Company
Sarah Thompson
Marketing Director, XYZ Corporation
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about your first visit to Hope House.
Throughout the therapy process, the therapist may need to speak with the parent. And, our therapists work closely with parents, who we view as the “expert” into their children. Therapy work includes working with parents and family members.
Only the child and the interviewer are allowed in the interview room. This ensures the interview will be objective and non-threatening. Only members of the multidisciplinary team are allowed in the observation room.
Be honest with your child; let them know that they will be in the room alone with the interviewer. You can let your child know that while they are talking, you are going to be having your own meeting with someone who works at Baton Rouge Children’s Advocacy to get information on helping to keep them safe.
Tell your child that they will be meeting with someone who talks to children about very difficult things. Sometimes parents will identify this person as a friend, a counselor, a specialist, an interviewer etc. Tell your child that even though they’ve told things to you (or to someone else), it’s important that they speak to the interviewer as well.
Tell your child that you might not know what questions to ask and how to ask them. And also tell them that because you love them so much, sometimes parents ask the kinds of questions that are about feelings instead of about the facts, which is why this special interviewer needs to do the asking. Assure them that they are not in any trouble and remind them how brave they are for letting someone know that someone else has done something wrong.
Join the Fight Against Child Abuse
Make a difference in the lives of abused children by donating or volunteering.
