Brooks’ Place Executive Director Gail Swafford (Cullman Tribune file photo)
CULLMAN – As 2018 draws to a close, Brooks’ Place Child Advocacy Center Executive Director Gail Swafford paused to reflect on the agency’s 21st year of service to the kids and families of the Cullman area.
Brooks’ Place helps children who are victims of physical or sexual abuse. Kids receive a forensic interview in a comfortable setting (no white walls and big tables; it’s kid-friendly, with furniture and accessories to accommodate young children to teens), observed via video cameras by law enforcement and Cullman County Department of Human Resources (DHR) representatives who form part of the center’s Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT).
In one of the agency’s most recent offerings, children can now receive free non-invasive medical examinations including testing for HIV and sexually-transmitted diseases at an on-site medical clinic staffed by a nurse with degrees in forensic science and criminal justice. The in-house service marks a great improvement over the days when victims would have to travel as far as Huntsville or Birmingham for exams. Kids can also receive free counseling from certified center staff. Brooks’ Place has also assisted victims and non-offending caregivers in getting protective orders against offenders and has provided other services for victims and families headed to court.
Brooks’ Place also conducts outreach, going to local schools to teach sex abuse recognition and prevention under legislation known as “Erin’s Law.”
Earlier this year, Swafford told The Tribune, “Erin’s Law allows us to go into the schools and do sexual abuse prevention education for the kiddos. We do kindergarten, third grade, seventh grade in all of the Cullman County and Cullman City schools. It allows us to teach them body safety, internet safety skills, not just ‘stranger danger,’ and fire safety. It’s so many more important things we need to teach them about ways to keep themselves safe.”
Brooks’ Place also hosts the annual Safe Kids Expo at Sportsman Lake Park, a family recreation event that introduces kids and parents to community resources that can help protect children.
Over 20 years, additions of service and community partners have helped Brooks’ Place become something approaching a one-stop center for child victims and their caregivers.
In 2018
In the last year, Brooks’ Place served more than 355 child victims, performing 1,049 therapy sessions, 290 forensic interviews and 110 medical exams. The agency also made 85 Erin's Law presentations.
In a newsletter just started this month, Swafford wrote to Brooks’ Place supporters and community partners:
“As I reflect on all of the accomplishments of Brooks’ Place in 2018, I am filled with excitement about what the future holds as we endeavor to serve abused children throughout Cullman county. I am also filled with gratitude for all of the support from our neighbors.
“With your help, in May 2018, we opened Brooks’ Place medical clinic. Liana Hill, Forensic Nurse Examiner, now provides forensic medical exams to physical/sexually abused children on site. In addition, all children who come to Brooks’ Place – regardless of whether abuse was disclosed – are offered a well-check medical exam. In 2018 110 medical examinations were provided.
“We welcomed Kate Hall as our new child therapist in August 2018. Kate has a wealth of experience in working with abused children and is trained to provide trauma-focused counseling to kids of all ages. Overall, our therapists were able to provide over a thousand much-needed therapy sessions to kids in Cullman county this year.
“In 2018, Kaylee Proctor, our Outreach Coordinator, assisted by Brooks’ Place staff, Ashley Lee, Haley Gaines, and Kate Hall, presented sexual abuse awareness curriculum as mandated by Erin’s Law, to over 3,500 elementary and middle school students in Cullman City and County schools. Judges Nicholas, Williams, Turner, and Chaney, Assistant DA Jeff Roberts, and Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Kay Bell presented to high school students.
“We also worked with our MDT to conduct over 290 forensic interviews this year and worked with agencies as they investigated and prosecuted child abuse cases.
“We are thankful for our community partners who support us in upholding our mission at Brooks’ Place. We are looking forward to 2019 as we continue to provide hope, help, and healing to the children and families we serve. We would like to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to all of our partnering agencies, to our current Board of Directors, and to all of you, who continue to support our work and make our services possible.”
Swafford took time to recognize Brooks’ Place’s community partners and major contributors, including Lake Catoma Baptist Church, Cullman Women’s League, Royal Technologies, Second Century League, Milo’s, Shane Quick/Rock the South and the Cullman Association of Realtors.
Safe Kids Expo sponsors included Pepsi, Sportsman Lake Park, the Cullman County District Attorney's Office, Wal-Mart Distribution, Desperation Church, Cullman Lions Club, Cullman County Partnership for Children, Inc., and Cullman County Home Builders Association.
Annual fundraising golf tournament sponsors included AGCOR Steel, Cullman Savings Bank, Frogg Toggs, Johnny's Bar-B-Q, Pepsi, Tri-County Mobile X-Ray, Inc., and Wal-Mart Distribution.
Swafford cited the addition of the on-site medical clinic as one of Brooks’ Place’s biggest accomplishments in 2018.
In a note to The Tribune, she wrote:
“In reflecting on the past year, one of the most exciting accomplishments we’ve had is the opening our medical clinic. We are one of the few CACs (child advocacy centers) in the state that can offer this service on-site. Having a medical clinic on-site means that families do not have to travel to Huntsville or Birmingham to receive a forensic medical exam for a child who has been abused. Our clinic is a warm, inviting, home-like setting so that children feel more comfortable and less fearful of having the exam. All services to child victims are provided at no cost to the family.
“Brooks’ Place is a part of a team of professionals (Cullman City Police Dept. investigators, Cullman Sheriff’s Office investigators, Cullman DHR workers, mental health professionals, Cullman County Juvenile Probation officers, Cullman County District Attorney and assistant DAs) who strive to make Cullman a safer place for our children while seeking justice by holding offenders accountable.
“I am thankful for our partners in the community who have supported Brooks’ Place and our mission of offering help, hope and healing to children and families impacted by physical and sexual abuse.”
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