Task Sharing in a Children’s Advocacy Center: The Role of Victim Advocates in Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Children & Families

This Western Regional Children's Advocacy Center (WRCAC) Issue Brief explores the concept of task sharing within children’s advocacy centers (CACs), particularly in rural and frontier communities. It advocates for the collaboration between CAC victim advocates and therapists to expand the delivery of high-quality mental health services. The brief outlines how task sharing can delegate certain tasks typically performed by licensed mental health providers to trained paraprofessionals, allowing licensed clinicians to concentrate on activities requiring advanced skills. This approach is especially beneficial in areas with a shortage of specialized child trauma therapists, as it enables more effective service provision with limited resources. The brief also discusses the broader implications of task sharing, such as addressing social determinants of health and fostering a team approach to support traumatized children’s recovery.