Responding to high rates of child abuse and neglect, the Navajo Child Special Advocacy Project was launched in 1990 to provide Western and Navajo therapy to victims of sexual abuse between the ages of 3 and 17. With five offices on the Reservation, the project administers Navajo diagnosis, treatment, and traditional healing, as well as sand play, art therapy, and forensic interviews. Through an array of therapeutic approaches, the program has created a safe and nurturing environment that fosters emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of children and their families. Prior to the creation of the Navajo Child Special Advocacy Project, child victims of sexual abuse and their families lacked adequate support and help. Today, the program has accomplished the almost insurmountable task of coordinating the efforts of separate agencies by forming a core discipline group to address child sexual abuse. The results of this effort ensure that law enforcement, prosecution, child protective services, and advocates can work together for the benefit of the child.
Additional Information
"Navajo Treatment Center for Children and Their Family".Honoring Nations: 2000 Honoree. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2001. Report.