Family Advocate

Shortly after you and your child arrive at PCA one of PCA’s family advocates will meet with you, answer any questions you have and introduce you to a forensic interviewer.

Your family advocate will provide supportive counseling and a non-judgmental space to talk honestly about what has happened. They will be with you as long as you are with PCA.

Forensic Interviewers

The goal of our interviews is always the same — to create a safe, comfortable space for children to be able to share about their experiences in a way that is respectful, hopeful, and most importantly, kind.

Healing is our main mission at PCA. We are here to nurture, protect and do all we can so that children can tell their story one time, focus on their healing, and get back to the childhood they deserve.

Medical Clinicians

PCA operates an on-site medical clinic in partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. Medical exams onsite are key to collecting evidence, documenting injuries, and assessing for and treating sexually transmitted infections.

The clinic’s doctors and nurses not only provide medical evaluations of children when there has been an allegation of sexual abuse, but also reassure the children that their bodies are “OK.” 

Mental Health Therapists

PCA’s on-site mental health therapy team offers screening to all children who present at PCA with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and, if called for, provides the child with one or more trauma-focused therapies. The team also offers group counseling to teenagers and serves trafficked youth and children with problematic sexual behaviors.

In addition to the on-site team’s extensive counseling, PCA has linkage agreements with therapy providers throughout Philadelphia and refers more than 600 children each year to these providers.

Caregiver Support Groups

Because caregivers experience trauma and knowing that their well-being and education is crucial to their child’s recovery, PCA offers Caregiver Support Group and Workshop sessions throughout the year.

The program is designed to increase caregiver knowledge about child sexual abuse, to improve the caregiver’s ability to support and protect their child(ren), to decrease the stress level and increase coping capacity of all caregivers, and to provide caregivers with a support system to enhance their overall wellness. 

Court Support Advocates

Often the victim child must confront the offender through a criminal proceeding which includes testifying in court. PCA’s Court Support Program ensures that children and their caregivers are well prepared for court.

The Program reduces the uneasiness for the child of being a witness in court; instills confidence in the caregiver in their ability to support their child; instills confidence in the witness and their ability to confront their offender; and normalizes and processes with the child and caregiver the many emotions that they will experience throughout the process. needed.