Paluxy River Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) held a ribbon cutting with the Stephenville Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 30, officially recognizing its 10 years of serving Erath County and the opening of its new Stephenville office in July.
Paluxy River started operations in Hood and Somervell counties in 2006 as a way to better serve children and families who have been the victims of child abuse by providing forensic interviews with specially trained interviewers, family advocacy services with trained advocates and free counseling to children and non-offending caregivers.
“We promote the healing of the child,” said Paluxy River CAC Program Director Shelby Gibson.
Even though the Stephenville office is new, Paluxy River has been serving Erath for the last decade.
From Sept. 2020 to Aug. 2021, Paluxy River served 217 Erath Clients with 167 forensic interviews, 136 family advocacy services and 179 counseling sessions.
The CAC also reached 2,755 Erath residents with education, outreach and/ or traning. (The center employs two workers who deliver presentations to audiences from young children with their mascot, Happy Bear, to older teens with presentations on dating violence.)
The goal with the Stephenville center was offering a place for free counseling [for Erath clients],” said Gibson. “Some families had trouble getting to Granbury.”
Gibson said the bilingual counselors offer their services for free to those in need of trauma based counseling.
Reports need to be filed for services like forensic interviews, which is why Paluxy River thrives on good relationships with CPS, local law enforcement and attorney offices as the center’s Multi-Disciplinary Team(MDT)—a team which helps conduct and carry through the center’s operations.
Gibson first got involved with Paluxy River while working in CPS. She had a respect for how the Advocacy Center and MDT worked together so she applied for an interviewer position in 2016 and transitioned to program director in 2018.
“Paluxy River captured my heart and soul,” said Gibson. “I work with all partners, and they’re all great.”
Gibson said she’s also enjoyed getting to see the positive effect Paluxy River has had in the lives of children and their families.
Paluxy River is a nonprofit organization so they welcome monetary donations as well as donations of water, snacks and hygiene items for their clients.
Paluxy River’s Stephenville office is located at 1359 W. South Loop, Suite A in Stephenville. For more information, call 254-918-7452 or visit paluxyrivercac.org.