Julie Valentine Center becomes the first child advocacy center in the US to add chaplain to its staff
January 17, 2017
The Julie Valentine Center, a nonprofit organization that provides free, confidential services to sexual assault and child abuse survivors and their families, has become the first child advocacy center in the United States to add a chaplain to their team.
Carrie Nettles, an ordained minister with a master of divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, began her role as a victim services specialist at the Julie Valentine Center in January 2017.
In her role as a victim assistance specialist, Nettles will help adults, children and families process spiritual questions pertaining to abuse and will coordinate this work with the medical and mental health professionals assisting the child. Nettles will also oversee training of clergy throughout the state to assist them in better addressing the spiritual impact of child abuse and sexual assault.
According to Shauna Galloway-Williams, executive director of the Julie Valentine Center, the decision to hire a chaplain is in response to a large body of research documenting that many abuse victims are spiritually impacted by abuse or neglect. The American Psychological Association has published two texts encouraging mental health providers to explore these issues in treatment. Many mental health providers are not trained to address the spiritual impact of abuse and many clergy are not trained to address the impact of abuse on an individual’s mental health.
Victor Vieth, the senior director and founder of the Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center, called the hiring of Nettles historic. “Although hospitals, military branches, and law enforcement agencies have long benefitted from incorporating chaplains into their response to trauma, the child protection field has been slow to embrace a reform that is solidly supported by research. I’m hopeful the decision of the Julie Valentine Center to add a chaplain to their team will become a model for CACs across the county,” Vieth said.
About the Julie Valentine Center
The Julie Valentine Center (JVC) is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides free, confidential services to victims of sexual assault and child abuse. We are one of 14 rape crisis centers in South Carolina. We also educate the community on how to identify, respond to, and prevent sexual violence and child abuse. Our mission statement and philosophy provide the framework for all of our services. We at JVC advocate for and support survivors of sexual assault and child abuse. We ensure that survivors are respected, valued and their voices are heard. For more information, visit www.julievalentinecenter.org.
