Many people are hurting because of an act of violence committed against them. Anyone – men, women, and children may be affected by violence. Our children are subjected to neglect, physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Research shows as many as 1 in 4 girls will be victims of sexual abuse by the time they are 18-years-old. For boys, the number is 1 in 6. Often the abuse is a “family secret” passed from one generation to another.
There is hope and restoration at the Advocacy Center.The Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children began in 1976 as the Waco Rape Crisis Center. It has grown into an umbrella agency with three programs, the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC),
The Victims Center, and Prevention and Education – offering many services to the hurting in our community.\
Over the past year the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children has:
Conducted 569 developmentally sensitive and legally sound forensic interviews for children ages 2-17
Responded to 386 crisis hotline calls
Performed 190 sexual assault medical exams of children and adults in the Central Texas region
Provided direct counseling and advocacy services to 490 primary and secondary victims of crime
Presented 630 prevention related programs to more than 14,410 community members
2015-2016 Advocacy Center Board of Directors
| Taina Maya – President | Jamie Goble – Vice President | Beth Badeaux- Secretary | David Dumas – Treasurer |
| Danika Morefield | Angelia Orr | Bricker Bruner | John Kolinek |
| Natalie Morphew | Robert Lanning | Abel Reyna | Kathy Weishuhn |
| Joseph Scaramucci | Richard Wallace | Morgan Wiatrek | William Roy DeFriend |
Our Staff
| Staff Member | Title | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Wright | Executive Director | bwright@advocacycntr.org | x110 |
| Della Hodge | Administrative Assistant | adminsupport@advocacycntr.org | x111 |
| Dr. Kerry Burkley | CAC Program Director | kburkley@advocacycntr.org | x101 |
| Melissa Yeilding | Forensic Interviewer | myeilding@advocacycntr.org | x105 |
| Kristi Skains | Forensic Interviewer | kskains@advocacycntr.org | |
| Judy Chambers | CAC Victim Services Specialist | jchambers@advocacycntr.org | |
| Heydi Vasquez | Forensic Interviewer | hvasquez@advocacycntr.org | x100 |
| Dr. Soo Battle | Child Sexual Abuse Examiner | sbattle@advocacycntr.org | |
| Dr. Ann Sims | Medical Advisor | asims@advocacycntr.org | x123 |
| Michelle Davis | Victims Center Clinical Director | mdavis@advocacycntr.org | x115 |
| Patsy Buckner | Case Manager Coordinator | pbuckner@advocacycntr.org | x114 |
| Shanta Williams | Family/Sexual Advocate | swilliams@advocacycntr.org | x121 |
| Brandi Castillo | Sexual Assault Advocate | bcastillo@advocacycntr.org | x103 |
| Sam Stanley | Sexual Assault Advocate | sstanley@advocacycntr.org | |
| Samantha Simpson | Sexual Assault Advocate | ssimpson@advocacycntr.org | |
| Chad Harrod | Intake Specialist | charrod@advocacycntr.org | |
| Laura Downing | Client Service Specialist/Case Manager | ldowning@advocacycntr.org | |
| Doug Cummins | Therapist | dcummins@advocacycntr.org | x116 |
| Colby Walters | Therapist | cwalters@advocacycntr.org | x120 |
| Kasey Shaw | Counselor | kshaw@advocacycntr.org | x141 |
| Aliegh Ascherl | Primary Prevention Coordinator | aascherl@advocacycntr.org | x118 |
| Michele Davis | SANE Coordinator | sane@advocacycntr.org | |
| Nikki Rhea | Marketing and Development | nrhea@advocacycntr.org | |
| Sarah Hopping | Prevention and Education | shopping@advocacycntr.org | |
| Lucila Limones | Prevention and Education | llimones@advocacycntr.org | |
| Carolyn Pierce | Grants Manager | cpierce@advocacycntr.org |