Crystal Jones, AWAKE Executive Director
Standing on its mission to help children who have experienced abuse, AWAKE Children’s Advocacy Center has expanded its reach in the area.
“Our mission is to coordinate and advocate services for abused children,” Executive Director Crystal Jones said. AWAKE is located in Jackson County and recently opened a center in Swain County.
Jones said AWAKE, an acronym for Adults Working and Advocating for Kids’ Empowerment, serves child abuse victims, primarily those who experience physical and sexual abuse, while also helping neglected children.
“We bring the services to the child instead of the child going to each service. We’re nationally accredited. So, we face pretty rigorous standards to have the accreditation,” Jones said.
Partnering with law enforcement, the Department of Social Services, the district attorney’s office and other agencies throughout the county, sets AWAKE apart in its unique approach to delivering services directly to the children rather than requiring them to navigate multiple agencies, Jones said.
“We also can provide resources as far as helping them find different methods to cope with abuse, helping them understand that this is not their fault, that they do have different options for seeking treatment and seeking help,” she said.
Jones said there are several ways to support AWAKE and its mission. The most important action to take, she said, is reporting abuse.
Molly Boughman, AWAKE’s mental health therapist, said people can participate in community events that the organization holds to spread awareness. Additionally, AWAKE also hosts training in schools, for civic organizations and church groups. The organization teaches about what to look for in child abuse and how to report it.
“We have a silent auction if they want to be sponsors for that, as well as just educating themselves, informing them on what’s happening in legislation and how things that are currently happening in the state and in the country impact our funding and what services we would be able to provide to children,” Boughman said.
Boughman noted another recent milestone she is proud of, which is the development of an in-house therapy program.
“We have seen a lot of success in kids that do in-house therapy because I’m able to spend more time with them than they were to receive if they go somewhere else and really build a connection with them,” she said.
Boughman said she wishes people would know just how vastly widespread abuse can be, and that victims can come from anywhere. She said different types of abuse affect each child differently, and it is important to be aware of the signs.
“Us as caregivers or community members that even work with kids in any kind of capacity just need to be aware when we see things for kids. Just because we don’t see the typical abuse signs in a kid doesn’t mean that it’s not happening,” she said.
Boughman wants to expand AWAKE’s therapy services to have clinicians specific for each county it serves.
She also wants to provide different group settings, such as a parenting education class as well as a summer program for kids who have gone through the organization’s therapy services.
In addition to AWAKE’s expansion into Swain County, Jones said she is proud of how advocates have reached out to Latinx families.
“They do such an incredible job,” she said. “Specifically, we have one advocate who has really spearheaded our human trafficking efforts. And then I am just so thankful for our community, especially in Cashiers, because they truly have a heart to help.”