Supes, DA commend Mikailia center
Supervisor David Teeter wanted to give recognition where it was due regarding the District Attorney’s Mikailia Child Advocacy Center.
During the Feb. 19 Lassen County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board was presented with a resolution approving the continuation of the Child Advocacy Center Program to be funded by money available through the state and administered by the California Office of Emergency Services, which the board unanimously approved; however, Teeter also wanted to show appreciation for the program.
Teeter pulled the item from the information and consent calendar to share the Lassen County District Attorney, Susan Rios, had been very complimentary of the program and how it was running earlier that day.
The Mikailia Child Advocacy Center functions as a collaborative multidisciplinary team.
It works in partnership with various community agencies to support and assist children and developmentally disabled adults by reducing the amount of trauma to victims and families, while supporting effective investigations and prosecutions throughout the criminal justice system, according to the county website.
“We are a community-based Multidisciplinary Interview Team that responds to child abuse through a trauma-informed, research-based approach. At the Mikailia Child Advocacy Center, we strive to reduce the number of interviews a child has to endure. At the (center), the child tells a trained forensic interviewer what happened to them in a child-friendly environment. Then, the (team) makes a decision together regarding how to best help the child based on the interview and the trauma that child has suffered,” the website continued.
The team partners consist of the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office, Lassen County Victim Witness, Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, behavioral health, Lassen County Child and Family Services, Lassen Family Services, Susanville Police Department and Banner Lassen Hospital.
The supervisors unanimously approved the aurorization of obtaining grant funding for the Child Advocacy Center and the team for 2019/2020.