South Arkansas Children’s Coalition adds equine therapy
The South Arkansas Children’s Coalition (S.A.C.C.), a nonprofit serving counties throughout southeast Arkansas, is an organization that oversees the 13th South Judicial District CASA Program as well as the South Arkansas Children’s Advocacy Center. S.A.C.C. received a $10,000 SHARE Foundation VIP grant in January.
S.A.C.C. Executive Director Robin Krneta said she is optimistic about what she hopes the programs will accomplish in 2022.
Krneta said she is particularly excited about S.A.C.C.’s new partnership with HOPE Landing, which will allow the Children’s Advocacy Center to add equine therapy to its post-trauma therapies.
The CASA program, according to Krneta, focuses on recruiting and training volunteers to “advocate for the best interest of children in foster care who were abused or neglected.” This advocacy focuses on the juvenile court system, she explained.
The mission of the Children’s Advocacy Center is somewhat more wide-ranging.
“At CAC, we work with a multidisciplinary team… Once a call is made to the child abuse hotline and accepted, you have local law enforcement, the Crimes against Children Division of the [Arkansas] state police or the Division of Children and Family
Services call us and say there is a report [they] are investigating,” Krneta said.
The CAC has staff trained to conduct forensic interviews, described on S.A.C.C.’s website as a program where the “child victim speak[s] with an interviewer who has special training in the many dynamics of child abuse. The goal is to make each child as comfortable as possible while gathering information in a neutral, objective way.”
Following the interview, CAC offers programs such as crisis intervention, support services and case management as well as an on-site medical staff and professional counseling for both children and non-offending relatives.
Krneta emphasized that both of S.A.C.C’s programs work alongside law enforcement and adjacent organizations but do not investigate cases themselves, instead focusing on advocacy and counseling, among other goals.
“With either program — we don’t remove children from homes and do not
investigate these cases. We are a critical part of the team that helps assist the investigators,” she said.
The Children’s Advocacy Center’s therapy plans are crafted according to each child’s needs, Krneta said, and include non-offending family members as well to help them help their child more effectively.
“When one of our therapists does an assessment, if [the child is] exhibiting trauma symptoms, we help to schedule them for trauma-focused therapy. It takes 10 to 16 weeks depending on the child. What I like is it works with the child and the non-offending caregiver. In this therapy, they work with the child on processing the trauma how to cope, react and deal, while the other part is spent with the caregiver, helping them with helping assist their child through the process. It’s also beneficial to the parent, because (child abuse) is traumatic to them as well,” Krneta said.
HOPE Landing’s equine therapy utilizes horses
for its programs geared towards children with disabilities. The Union County-based nonprofit holds yearly summer horse camps open to all children as well.
Krneta said she and team members have been excited to learn more about equine therapy. One CAC therapist, she continued, recently completed a lengthy training in the program and is looking forward to adding it as a therapeutic option.
Because of the specialized nature of the therapeutic programs, not every child will participate in equine therapy. Although HOPE Landing’s equine therapy programs often do feature children riding their specially-trained horses, Krneta said CAC will look more to simply have the children interact with the animals.
“We’re excited to provide equine therapy as an option for the children. Not every child who comes to us for this will participate; the therapist
will decide this. If the therapist feels they will benefit, we will get consent from the caregivers. We’re fortunate that HOPE Landing has agreed to partner and allow us to utilize their equine therapist. The child will not actually ride or get on horses; the therapist will observe and talk to child, at some point child will interact with horses,” Krneta said.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for our children… and will help them heal and move beyond their circumstances,” she continued.
Looking more generally forward to 2022, Krneta said she hopes to see her organization continue to expand and attract volunteers.
“I just hired a full time volunteer coordinator for the CASA program. I think she will be great fit and will be able to get into the community and recruit more. We recently expanded our coverage area for the CAC to seven
counties in southeast Arkansas. We have our El Dorado office and now an office in Monticello, so we’re able to serve more children and offer more services,” she said.
Krneta went on to say that the organization plans to hold two new fundraisers, one in the fall and one in the spring. Details on those will be forthcoming.
S.A.C.C. is also always looking to recruit more volunteers, according to Krneta.
“We’re always in need of volunteers. We’re not fortunate enough to have all the kids in coverage in our coverage area… You don’t need a certain education or skill set, just need to have a heart for these children and pass extensive background checks,” she said.
For more information, S.A.C.C. can be reached at (870) 862-2272.