Organization Details:

The GreenHouse Advocacy Center For Children

The mission of the Organization is provide financial, educational, judicial, and clinical support to child victims of sexual, severe physical, and domestic abuse and to seek ways to prevent an abused child from becoming an adult offender. The mission of the Board of Directors is to assist the center by providing funding for victim services such as therapy, emergency needs, and special needs for victims and their families as recommended and/or requested by the center therapist, schools,DFACS, law enforcement, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Victim Assistance Advocate.

Description:
The GreenHouse provides a safe, non-threatening and child-friendly atmosphere for the forensic videotaped interviewing of children who have been sexually or physically abused. Therapy is provided on-site to help the child victims begin the healing process. The GreenHouse in a non-profit organization that is funded through a state grant, local funds and the generosity of groups and individuals in our community. The GreenHouse facilitates monthly multidisciplinary "Team Review" meetings, bringing together the different agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. The Children's Advocacy Centers maintain the focus on the child victim. CACs work to promote collaboration among the agencies involved in child abuse cases to ensure that the systems designed to protect children are able to do so more effectively.

History:
The need for an advocacy center for children had been identified within the Whitfield/Murray Communities during the 1980's. During the late 80's and early 90's, a board of professionals within the community began discussing the practicality of establishing such a center for our area. Spearheaded by Judge Jack Partain (who was District Attorney at the time), as well as other professional and community members, the GreenHouse was created as a joint governmental and 501 © 3 nonprofit organization with the purpose of serving child victims of sexual abuse. The GreenHouse was the first advocacy center established in the State of Georgia with this unique partnership, and since the time of its inception, other centers have developed using this model. The GreenHouse has been in operation for 15 years; it began providing services in 1994, and held a Grand Opening in 1995.

Contact people:

Dana Keith, Program Director, (email) Suzi Thorne, (email) Heather Payne, Volunteer Coordinator, (email)

Office fax number: (706) 279-3141

Address:

P.O.Box 983 Dalton, GA 30722

Web Site: None specified

Last updated on November 5, 2009