Utah County Children's Justice Center (CJC)

Serve children and families who are experiencing the crisis and chaos that comes with the disclosure of significant physical or sexual abuse of a child in a home-like facility designed to help children feel safe and comfortable, so they may begin to deal with the difficult and often frightening issues that surround abuse.

Description:
Traditionally, investigation of child sexual abuse required multiple interviews of the child victim by police, social services, medical personnel, psychologists and attorneys. Each interview occurred at a different place and rarely in a setting that was familiar or comfortable for the child. The Children's Justice Center is a place for the child with a home-like environment, where the necessary interviews can occur in an atmosphere that is non-threatening to the child.

A comprehensive interview that addresses the concerns of all agencies investigating the case will be conducted by one team member. This team member, the CJC Clinical Coordinator, and the CJC Victim/Witness Assistant are the consistent contacts between the child and the Center. The focus and function of the Children's Justice Center is to reduce the trauma of the child abuse investigation and to help the child feel safe to reveal the truth and begin to heal. The Children's Justice Center provides or coordinates:
-Investigation of child abuse by trained professionals
-Comprehensive child interview process
-Mental health treatment
-Medical services
-Victim/Witness support services
-Emotional support for child and family
-Monitoring of case progress
-Community education

History:
The Utah County Children's Justice Center was created by the Utah State Legislature and Utah County Government in 1991 as a public-private partnership to serve child abuse victims. A home was purchased and remodeled to create a homelike atmosphere. Government agencies provide the necessary investigation services, but the citizens of Utah County make the critical difference that enables children and families to heal through the private, non-profit organization (501-c-3) that provides the home-like facility and supports the healing programs of the Children's Justice Center.

Contact people:

Laura Blanchard, Director, (phone) Pattie Huestis, Victim Witness Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (801) 851-8554
Office fax number: (801) 851-8518

Languages Spoken: English

Address:

315 South 100 East Provo, UT 84606 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.co.utah.ut.us/Dept/CJC

Directions:

We are located at the corner of 300 South and 100 East in Provo. From University Ave., go East on 300 South. Make a right on 100 East. From 900 East in Provo, go West on 300 South. Make a. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: UTA bus stop on corner

Miscellaneous Information

Services
	Assessment of child abuse cases Children's treatment program Child advocate program
Funding
	State of Utah and private donations
Affliations
	Friends of Children's Justice Center, Child Abuse Prevention Council, Domestic Violence Coalition, 4th Judicial District Victims' Rights Committee, Utah Council on Victims of Crime, State Advisory Board on Child Justice
Other common names for this agency:
	Children's Justice Center (CJC)

Last updated on May 4, 2010