By Corvo Rohwer, Puyallup Tribal News
Children of the River Child Advocacy Center (CRCAC) Program Manager and Forensic Interviewer Carmelita Smith was recently chosen to receive the Hometown Hero Award by the Western District of Washington. The United States Attorney’s Office nominated community leaders across 93 districts for the award.
Smith accepted the award at a monthly multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting, where organizations like the Puyallup Tribal Prosecutors office, Puyallup Tribal Law Enforcement, CRCAC and more gather to collaborate on child abuse cases and family assistance.
While Smith was excited to receive the award, she said it was also important to recognize the coordinated efforts of the multidisciplinary team as a whole.
“All of this work is done to get our community more used to speaking up when they see something. That’s the real goal of all of this,” Smith said. “Showing them that there are resources here, and these resources can be trusted to deal with them and their children in a trauma-informed way.”
The award commemorates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, with U.S. Attorney’s offices nationwide selecting people they believe represent collaboration in the mission of justice.
Victim Witness Coordinator Tracy Orcutt, alongside Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Harder and Celia Lee, presented Smith the award for her dedication to community leadership and training, child advocacy and the stewardship of cases involving children.
“We immediately thought of Carmelita as our Hometown Hero,” Orcutt said. “We really appreciate how Carmelita keeps us all together with this really important work, and we appreciate being a part of this team.”
The CRCAC offers a variety of advocacy services to help reduce the trauma of victims, including conducting child forensic interviews, mental health screenings and coordinating family support services. Outside of the services available onsite, the advocacy center was also recognized for its leadership in educating other Tribal centers.
“We are being looked at as national examples of how to bring CAC and MDT services to the Tribal community,” Smith said. “This CAC was prompted by Tribal Member Dr. Verna Bartlett, and it was through her motivation, inspiration and hard work that we are here. That hard work is paying out benefits and it’s also leading to us teaching other Tribes how to do it.”
Smith said that she hopes the CRCAC can continue to grow and stand as a community mentor for other Tribes to develop their own MDTs and child advocacy services. To learn more about the CRCAC and the resources available to families, visit their page on the Tribal website.
