File photoThe Wesley House East Mississippi Child Advocacy Center has been awarded accreditation by the National Children’s Alliance for its delivery of services to child abuse victims.

The Wesley House East Mississippi Child Advocacy Center has been awarded accreditation by the National Children’s Alliance for its delivery of services to child abuse victims.

“We have worked on achieving this goal for several years and we are so excited to make this announcement,” said Brandy Rea, LPC-S Assistant Executive Director/Clinical Director at the center.

“We are honored to serve the children and families of our community alongside our community partners. We are committed to continuing to put the needs of children first as we continue to serve our community.”

The center serves children and families in Lauderdale, Newton, and Neshoba Counties.

As an accredited member of the National Children’s Alliance, the center is dedicated to providing comprehensive, coordinated, and compassionate services to victims of child abuse.

As the accrediting agency for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) across the country, the National Children’s Alliance awards various levels of accreditation and membership to centers responding to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of children victims of abuse first.

Accreditation is the highest level of membership with the National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision.

National Children’s Alliance awards Accredited Membership based on a CAC’s compliance with 10 national standards of accreditation to ensure effective, efficient, and consistent delivery of services to child abuse victims.

National Children’s Alliance updated these standards in 2017 to reflect the most recent evidence-based practices in the field of child abuse intervention and prevention.

According to these standards, accredited members must utilize a functioning and effective multidisciplinary team approach to work collaboratively in child abuse investigation, prosecution, and treatment.

National Children’s Alliance also considers standards regarding a center’s cultural competency and diversity, forensic interviews, victim support and advocacy, medical evaluation, therapeutic intervention, and a child-focused setting.

“Wesley House East Mississippi Child Advocacy Center is to be commended for its excellent work serving victims of child abuse,” said Teresa Huizar, executive director of National Children’s Alliance.

“As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country, our goal is to ensure that every victim of child abuse has access to high-quality services that result from the professional collaboration.”