ChicagoCAC is the city’s only nonprofit organization that coordinates the efforts of child protection staff, law enforcement professionals, family advocates, medical experts, and mental health clinicians under one roof.
Our collaborative treatment model helps children and families heal from abuse in a comprehensive, seamless way. Since opening our doors in 2001, we have served more than 45,000 children.
Our agency has three distinct service lines, and you can learn more about each one below.
Advocacy & Investigative Services
Much of the work CACs are best known for takes place within the realm of Advocacy and Investigative services. This service area establishes the information families need prior to visiting ChicagoCAC, obtains important investigative details in a child-friendly, trauma-informed way during the forensic interview, and helps keep children and families comfortable while they’re here.
Mental Health (Clinical) Services
ChicagoCAC’s mental health team helps children heal from the trauma of abuse. In our Family Hope Center, therapists create a comfortable, safe space for children to tell their stories, identify and overcome challenges, develop positive coping skills and build healthy relationships. Our PATHH Collaboration addresses the wide-spread need for localized, community mental health service and helps provide children and families with greater access to treatment. And, our Family Support Services team provides families with ways to address the barriers that keep them from participating in treatment and finding healing long-term.
Education, Outreach & Prevention
ChicagoCAC’s Education, Outreach and Prevention team facilitates trainings for professionals and community members on preventing, recognizing, responding to, and reporting abuse. In addition, the team conducts trainings on trauma-informed environments, protecting children with disabilities and more.
In accordance with Federal law, ChicagoCAC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status, sexual orientation, or unfavorable discharge from military service when it comes to providing services to our clients.