Lexington Park Lions Club, in collaboration with the St. Mary’s County Child Advocacy Center and the Calvert Crisis Response Team, has committed to providing “comfort” items for use by responders in cases involving children.
Understanding that crisis situations affect more than just the individuals in crisis, the responders offer education, resources, and support to others at the scene of a crisis. Often, those overlooked during these chaotic moments are vulnerable children. Having something to provide to children on scene helps to de-escalate and potentially lessen the trauma associated with the event.
Working with our community partners, Lexington Park Lions developed “comfort bags” containing a stuffed animal, a blanket, and one or two “fidget” or “sensory” toys.
We invite other service organizations to join us in this endeavor. We can work with your organization as a joint effort, or your organization may prefer to go it alone. Either way, Lexington Park Lions stand by to assist.
St. Mary’s County Agencies
In St. Mary’s County, the Child Advocacy Center is a child-friendly environment where professionals from different disciplines work together as a team to respond to reports of child sexual abuse.
Child Advocacy Center (CAC) • (240) 725-5785
CAC’s Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) consists of social workers, local law enforcement investigators, medical and mental health professionals, prosecutors, and victim advocates. Children receive forensic on-site interviews, medical examinations, victim advocacy and other supportive services. This child-focused approach minimizes the number of times children must be interviewed and reduces any further trauma the children may experience.
The Child Advocacy Center works in tandem with the Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy and LifeStyles of Maryland. Each of these agencies provide unique and yet similar services.
Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy (SMCFA) • (301) 373-4141
Formerly the St. Mary’s Women’s Center, the SMCFA has been advocating for victims of intimate partner violence, stalking, and sexual assault for over 40 years and is the State-certified comprehensive provider of victims’ services for both domestic violence and sexual violence in St. Mary’s County.
More specifically, the SMCFA provides highly individualized legal advocacy and representation, case management, crisis management, and emergency shelter services, all free of charge, to survivors of domestic and sexual violence in St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Charles County. The SMCFA is also in charge of the 24hour domestic violence and sexual assault hotline for St. Mary’s County, which fields calls not only from victims but from all local law enforcement, health care providers, and DSS case workers.
LifeStyles of Maryland (LifeStyles) • (866) 293-0623
LifeStyles is a community-based nonprofit agency whose mission is provide compassionate programs and services that meet the needs of those who are under-served in our community resulting in Help, Hope and Transformation.
This agency serves as a one-stop-shop of resources for persons who are homeless, at-risk of homelessness or vulnerable and connect them with services such as basic safety net needs, shelter, street, outreach, transportation, safe housing, and homeless prevention. The agency provides safe housing services for survivors of domestic violence.
Calvert County Agency
In Calvert County, Calvert Crisis Response is a comprehensive crisis team available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to provide immediate, onsite access to behavioral health (substance use and/or mental health) treatment.
Calvert Crisis Response • (410) 535-5400 ext. 311
Developed with the assistance of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Calvert Crisis Response is available to be dispatched to emergency behavioral health calls and immediately connect individuals to a team of trained professionals. Being able to intervene in the midst of a crisis allows our team to be effective at the most critical time, providing the exact resources needed at the exact time they are needed.