Survivors of child sexual abuse and assault in Elkhart County can now access specialized medical forensic care without leaving the community. A new partnership between Child and Parent Services, or CAPS, and Maple City Health Care Center brings sexual assault nurse examiner services to Elkhart for the first time.
Until now, children and adults who needed a medical forensic exam often had to travel to South Bend or beyond, a barrier advocates say kept many survivors from receiving timely care.
Troy Smith, chief advancement officer at CAPS, said transportation alone has prevented some families from getting help.
“So many barriers for individuals we serve are going to be transportation and again add that on top of trauma, a lot of people might not even get the service,” he said.
Smith said the collaboration with Maple City addresses a long-standing gap in local support.
“It was a really crucial measure to find a partner, locally… and Maple City Health Care Center was the one that really stepped up and provided that,” he said.
He added that partnerships like this reflect the community’s commitment to children and families.
“I think that there's nothing more important than investing in our children. These kind of collaborations are an amazing part of our community,” Smith said.
Smith said families should know they are not alone when navigating these systems.
“We want our community to know that there are amazing resources here for them and that within that those systems there are a lot of really caring people who are here to help,” he said.
The organizations say the new program is designed to offer trauma-informed care, evidence collection and support in a setting that is safe, welcoming and close to home.
