What is your role within the agency, and what does an average day look like for you?
I am a Bilingual Training and Community Outreach Specialist and every day is different in my role! I am often representing DCAC out of the office doing presentations in the community or running exhibition booths. These presentations can be given to many different groups, such as childcare professionals, parents, children, and other community members. There are other days that I am at the Center providing training to groups onsite. Additionally, I may be assisting with DCAC’s Lecture Series for professionals and providing tours of the Center to training attendees. Each day looks different and that is what is great about my position!
What is your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part of my job is doing presentations in the community. I love educating others about recognizing and reporting abuse and neglect and teaching them about what we do at Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. Many people do not know about the work we do, and it is always great to provide them with information and resources. Our team believes that education is the key to prevention, and we want to do our best to educate others on how to keep children safe.
How does the work you do play into the Multidisciplinary Team at DCAC?
The work that the Training and Community Outreach Team does plays a big role in the MDT. When we are doing community trainings, we are providing community members insight into the work done by each team at the Center. We also often connect with CPS and law enforcement to learn what they are seeing in their cases, and incorporate this information into the trainings we provide. This helps us educate ourselves and be able to provide this information to the community at-large.
Why is Child Abuse Prevention Month important?
Child Abuse Prevention Month is important because it allows us to shine a light on the fact that child abuse occurs in our community. Abuse is a hard topic to talk about, but it is important that we educate ourselves and our communities about it. Many people in the community don’t know the different types of abuse that can happen and don’t know how to report it. They typically do not know the statistics behind the abuse that is happening in our communities every day. This is why it is important that we bring awareness to the realities of child abuse. Every child deserves to be safe in their home and community, and as adults, it is our responsibility to ensure that children’s voices are being heard.
To learn more about DCAC’s Training and Community Outreach Team and the services they provide, visit https://dcac.org/training/.
