Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - construction - the requested funding would increase blue sky bridge's capacity to meet the time-sensitive needs for mental health and…

Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - construction - the requested funding would increase blue sky bridge's capacity to meet the time-sensitive needs for mental health and crisis services surrounding incidents of child abuse. Blue sky bridge is a child advocacy center dedicated to creating lasting, positive change in the lives of children affected by abuse in boulder county and beyond. Since 1995, cases have been handled using a child-centered approach to minimize the secondary trauma that can occur during child abuse investigations. In addition to the critical intervention and therapy programs, the organization offers a comprehensive prevention education program to prevent and disrupt the cycle of child sexual abuse. We are fully accredited by the national children's alliance (NCA). The project will a) renovate blue sky bridge's facilities in boulder to expand its capacity by 100% to conduct forensic interviews, medical exams and/or victim and family support services; and b) renovate a permanent therapy and community education facility in longmont. According to boulder county's child maltreatment plan, the lifetime economic burden of child maltreatment in colorado is $37,140,819,744, as the tragic ripples from these events spiral through the lives of individuals, families, and communities. By increasing blue sky bridge's capacity, steps are being taken to reduce and eliminate child abuse and its devastating impact. Blue sky bridge works to support the well-being of children and families in boulder county through crisis management which includes forensic interviews and victim advocacy; medical exams; therapy; and prevention education services that reduce and address occurrences of child abuse. Blue sky bridge handles more than 300 cases annually of sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, neglect, and more. Yet the majority of our cases (65-70%) involve sexual abuse. This capacity-building funding will support two key components of blue sky bridge's work, to increase its ability to meet the community's need for child and youth safety and mental health services. I. Boulder facility renovations: funding will be used to modify the current client entrance from one private entrance to two entrances allowing two families to be served simultaneously and still maintain essential standards for privacy and client confidentiality. Highly trained professionals conduct forensic interviews with the victims in specialized rooms equipped with technology that allow viewing by members of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) involved in supporting the victim, investigating the case, and providing justice. MDT members observe the forensic interview in a remote room. This practice minimizes the number of times a child must relive and repeat details of her/his trauma, supports the investigation and prosecution unique to each case, and, subsequently, increases the number of convictions. The structural changes to the entrance area will also improve accessibility for medical examinations, where scheduling restrictions have been very challenging. Funding will also be used for IT improvements and to replace aging cameras used for forensic interviews, and add a second set of cameras for redundancy in case of equipment failure. II. Permanent facility in longmont. Blue sky bridge is purchasing a facility in longmont to increase mental health services for its longmont clients. The need for mental health support for victims and family members significantly exceeds the staffing and physical capacity of blue sky bridge. By increasing accessibility to evidence-informed therapy for longmont and east boulder county children and families in crisis, healing can begin sooner. Funding will be used to renovate the new building for therapeutic services and community education programs. Many of the victims served by blue sky bridge (40%) are families living in the longmont area. This is the community with the highest percentage of cases within boulder county and the greatest need for TH e organization's services.