Beyond 2,000 Interviews: How One Dedicated Leader Can Change Lives and a System
When most people hear that someone has conducted 2,000 forensic interviews or testified in court more than 100 times, they naturally focus on the numbers. For Hollie Reinhart, Director of Rapid Response and Forensic Interviewing at Denver Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC), those milestones almost slipped by unnoticed. “I knew it would happen sometime this year,” […]
More Than an Internship: Learning, Growing and Finding Purpose at DCAC
Every summer, Denver Children’s Advocacy Center welcomes interns who are eager to learn, grow and make a difference. They arrive with classroom knowledge, curiosity and a desire to help. They leave with something much deeper: a firsthand understanding of what it means to walk alongside children and families as they heal.
This summer, Louisa Fowler, Cinthia Alaniz, Sahira Silva and Yaileen Ruiz De Lira brought different educational backgrounds and experiences to DCAC, but they shared a common goal: to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families.
Sharing Expertise to Better Serve Children: DCAC Presents at National Child Abuse Symposium
This spring, Hollie Reinhart, Director of DCAC’s Rapid Response Team, and Angel Gudeman, Bilingual Forensic Interview Manager, alongside Chris Curtis from the Denver District Attorney’s Office, were invited to present at the 3rd Annual Joint Symposium on Child Abuse & Neglect in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The annual symposium brings together professionals from Children’s Advocacy Centers, law enforcement, child protection agencies, medical providers, mental health professionals, prosecutors, and other multidisciplinary team members to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes for children impacted by abuse.
Summer at DCAC: Healing Through Creativity, Adventure, and Play
Healing doesn’t only happen in a therapy room. Sometimes it happens while painting a picture, cheering at a baseball game, building a bridge from everyday materials, or laughing alongside new friends.
This summer, Denver Children’s Advocacy Center’s Kids Groups have been creating opportunities for children to build confidence, express themselves, and simply enjoy being kids in safe, supportive environments.
How DCAC’s Family Market Supports Families’ Healing
When a child experiences abuse, the road to healing often involves much more than therapy appointments and forensic interviews.
Families who come to Denver Children’s Advocacy Center are frequently navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives. They may also be dealing with housing instability, financial hardship, transportation challenges, in addition to caring for a child in crisis.
That’s why DCAC created the Family Market – a free resource where families can access essential items such as hygiene products, diapers, clothing, household supplies, food, and gift cards. The Family Market is built on a simple belief: when families have their basic needs met, they are better able to focus on healing.
Colorado Is Strengthening How We Support Children After Abuse
By Will Braunstein, Executive Director Earlier this year, I joined Child Advocacy Center leaders from across Colorado at the State Capitol for Hill Day with the Colorado Children’s Alliance. We talked with legislators about something we see every day in this work: when the response to child abuse is coordinated, trauma-informed, and centered around the child, […]
The Journey of Healing: Inside DCAC’s Treatment Team
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month
When a child walks through the doors of Denver Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC), they are often facing one of the most difficult moments in their life. What happens next is something many people never see, but it’s where healing begins.
At DCAC, our Treatment Team meets children and families in that moment and walks alongside them as they begin to rebuild a sense of safety, trust, and hope.
Meet the Prevention Team: The People Helping Kids Stay Safe, Heard, and Empowered
At Denver Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC), prevention isn’t just a program – it’s a commitment to creating a community where children feel safe, supported, and empowered to use their voices.
Behind this work is a passionate team of educators and advocates who show up every day to teach, listen, and connect. Their work reaches thousands of children each year, but the impact goes far beyond numbers. It’s in the confidence a child finds to speak up. It’s in the tools a caregiver gains to have hard conversations. It’s in the small, powerful moments that help kids feel seen and valued.
We asked members of our prevention team to share what drives them and what they want children, families, and communities to know.
Prevention Starts Early: How DCAC Is Reaching Kids, Families, and Schools Across Denver
At Denver Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC), prevention is at the heart of everything we do. While we are here for children and families in the most difficult moments, we are equally committed to stopping abuse before it happens – by equipping kids, caregivers, and trusted adults with the tools to recognize, prevent, and respond to […]
Strengthening Early Healing: Child–Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) Training
At Denver Children’s Advocacy Center, we know that healing begins with connection. That’s why we’re excited to share that four of our clinicians – Amy Bell, Samantha Mastaler, Julia Urbina, and Emily Murphy – have begun the 18-month Child–Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) training and consultation process.
We spoke with Ashley Khan, Bilingual Child and Family Therapist, about what CPP is, why it matters, and what it means for the children and families we serve.
Walking Alongside Families: An Advocate’s Perspective
Walking Alongside Families: An Advocate’s Perspective By Elizabeth Lopez, Bilingual Family Advocacy Manager, Denver Children’s Advocacy Center One of the things I value most about my role at Denver Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) is the privilege of walking beside families during some of the most painful and uncertain moments of their lives. No two stories […]
Standing With Children Affected by Human Trafficking
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Learn more about how DCAC’s team partners with the Denver Anti-Trafficking Alliance to support children and youth at risk of or experiencing human trafficking.
DCAC Case Management: Supporting Families, Promoting Sustainable Healing
Most families who receive services from Denver Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) are navigating many challenges. “The families I serve are rarely dealing with just one barrier—most are experiencing multiple, overlapping issues,” said Andrea Lopez Lopez, DCAC Bilingual Case Manager/Intake Specialist. “My role is to be a supportive sounding board while also offering concrete resources to […]
Learning and Growing in Every Aspect of Our Organization Part 2
In this second of two blog posts (first blog post here), we continue sharing how DCAC staff members participated in leadership conferences and opportunities to enhance their skills and connections this past year. These efforts lean into DCAC’s values of excellence, trauma-informed, child-centered, inclusion, and compassion. From therapy to presenting at conferences, every member of […]
Learning and Growing in Every Aspect of Our Organization Part 1
True to DCAC’s values of excellence, trauma-informed, child-centered, inclusion, and compassion, several members of our team participated in leadership conferences and opportunities throughout the nation. From San Diego to Washington, D.C., our team members broadened their skills and deepened their knowledge of how to better prevent abuse, strengthen families, and restore childhood. Learn more about […]
DCAC Committees Influence Internal (and External) Operations
DCAC takes pride in having staff committees that inform our work internally and externally. Our four committees – Standards; Staff Engagement; Maintenance; and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) – foster collaboration across departments, spark creativity, and strengthen DCAC’s work. All staff members are encouraged to participate in at least one of the committees. This […]
Partnerships to Protect Children and Families Impacted by Violence
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a national effort to bring awareness and unite efforts to end domestic violence. To kick off the month, Hollie Reinhart, Denver Children’s Advocacy Center’s Director of Rapid Response and Forensic Interviewer, will be speaking at the Rose Andom Center’s DVAM Walk on October 1st, 2025. “I think it’s a […]
DCAC Therapy Team All Fully Licensed
Denver Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) is pleased to share that all full-time members of our therapy team became fully licensed as of this summer. This means that they each hold the highest level clinical licensure possible. Here are our therapy team members and their respective credentials, which include Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed […]