Focus on healing abused kids

Published 10:49 pm Friday, June 22, 2007

EVERETT – The Marysville mom didn’t know what to do when her then-8-year-old son handed her a note saying that a teenager in the neighborhood had molested him.

She tried to keep an even keel. It was hard.

“I didn’t want to overreact. I wanted to stay calm about the whole thing,” she said. “I told him he did the right thing in telling me.”

She took the boy to a therapist, who was required to inform authorities. The report was the start of a 12-month process that was made a little easier for the woman and her son because of Dawson Place – a year-old child advocacy center that focuses on reported child abuse and healing the victim.

The mother, who is not being identified to protect the identity of her son, was probably the first one through the door at the brand new Dawson Place, which celebrated its first year in operation this month.

The process worked just like it was planned to in this case. Making it come out right took a lot of organization.

Dawson Place brings together people from a variety of disciplines, each with its own way of pursuing its work, acting coordinator Bill France said. Sometimes melding the talents and getting people to see things from another perspective is not easy, he said.

The idea is to provide children who may have been abused with quick service at a single, safe location.

The facility helps police and prosecutors decide whether charges should be filed and how strong a criminal case they have. Child interview specialists, state Child Protective Services workers and experts on children’s physical and mental health are located in one office in downtown Everett.

Dawson Place really has two missions, France said.

“One is to obtain justice and one is to restore health,” France said. “We have to learn to work together to accomplish those.”

The idea is to make victims and their families as comfortable as possible – given the obvious emotional trauma of sexual or physical abuse.

Another goal is to let victims tell their stories just once, if possible.

Families also don’t have to run all over the city meeting medical personnel, then detectives and prosecutors or state child welfare workers.

“The issue is hospitality at a time of emotional crisis,” France said.

Dawson Place opened in June 2006 with the various participating agencies paying the salaries of the personnel who work there. It costs an additional $200,000 a year for the coordinator, receptionist and office expenses.

Dawson Place also will be launching a campaign to buy or build a permanent home. The lease on the current location expires at the end of 2009, France said.

At the moment, the financial situation is looking up, Snohomish County Prosecutor Janice Ellis said. Ellis is the head of the steering committee governing Dawson Place as a nonprofit organization under the authority of the YWCA.

The agency recently learned it would get grants from the United Way and an association of child-advocacy centers to help maintain operation. Ellis continuously is seeking grants.

In addition, the Legislature last session approved $650,000, a start toward buying a new location for Dawson Place.

“We’re definitely in better financial shape than we were at the first of the year,” Ellis said.

To the prosecutor, the center has been a success, enabling her deputies “to address difficult and unusual cases quickly so time is not lost and critical information is not overlooked.”

The Marysville mother was impressed with the care provided her family.

“I think it’s great,” she said. “I’m very pleased with the way everything has worked.”

After a physical exam, a child-interview specialist talked at length to her son. The interview was recorded. Detectives, prosecutors and defense lawyers later viewed the video recording.

Recently, the molester pleaded guilty in Snohomish County Juvenile Court.

“They were able to get what they needed and they let us do what we needed to move on,” the Marysville woman said. “My son is just thrilled with the conviction.”

Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.