182 - Blast off to planet Canopy: A community-engaged approach to facilitate the healing journey after childhood sexual abuse

Poster Number: 182
Publication Number: 182.1099

Background: Children who experience childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and their family members are frequently referred to Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) for multisector service coordination and evidence-based treatments. Research on CACs is characterized by programmatic outputs and satisfaction with services rather than person-oriented outcomes. In response to this gap, an academic-community partnership was developed between researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CWRUSOM) and the Canopy Child Advocacy Center (CCAC) to examine and respond to barriers and facilitators that impact the healing journey after CSA.

Objective: This abstract describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a community informed intervention (engagement with an animation short and activity guide) to help families navigate the role of CACs in healing after CSA.

Design/Methods: Two qualitative studies were conducted via semi-structured interviews to examine how CACs help or hinder healing after CSA from the perspectives of caregivers of children who received services at the CCAC for CSA (n=14) and CCAC staff (n=12). Data from each study was analyzed separately using Braun and Clarke’s method of thematic analysis and integrated to reveal overlapping themes of empathy, clear communication, and understanding of CAC roles and processes. Findings informed the development of an animation short that was implemented for 6 weeks and evaluated via a post-engagement survey.

Results: Of the 50 families that visited the CCAC during the pilot, 28 child/caregiver dyads interacted with the animation short and 25 caregivers responded to the survey. Families and staff members found implementation of the Canopy Cartoon animation short to be feasible, acceptable, and appropriate. Additionally, caregivers shared that the intervention successfully engaged younger children, helped kids to understand what to expect, and established the CCAC as a safe place.

Conclusion(s): CAC-based interventions that incorporate family-centered and community-engaged perspectives may promote healing after CSA. Co-designed interventions like an animation short/activity guide may be helpful in guiding families as they navigate the people and processes of CACs. Further research is needed to examine generalizability, adaptation in different languages or child age ranges, and sustainability across different CACs.