Aviva Health Steps In to Provide Child Advocacy Services in Douglas County After Douglas C.A.R.E.S. Closure

ROSEBURG, Ore. — Aviva Health has begun providing child advocacy services in Douglas County, effective immediately, following the suspension of services at Douglas C.A.R.E.S. earlier this month. The change is intended to maintain access to trauma informed support for children and families involved in abuse investigations.

“Aviva Health has always been a great community partner,” Roseburg Police Chief Gary Klopfenstein said in a news release. “Local law enforcement is extremely grateful to Aviva for stepping in to fill the vital service gap caused by the closure of C.A.R.E.S. We are excited to work with Aviva in this capacity and have a tremendous level of confidence in their ability to provide this much needed service.”

Douglas C.A.R.E.S. shut down operations on Jan. 1, according to the release. Since then, the Oregon Department of Human Services, local law enforcement, and other agencies said they worked to keep reports of suspected abuse moving through the system, including receiving, assessing, and investigating cases while preserving established response procedures.

“When Douglas C.A.R.E.S. closed its doors unexpectedly, our community was forced with a serious gap in services for some of our most vulnerable population: our children,” Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said. “Protecting children from abuse is a paramount priority in Douglas County.”

Hanlin said maintaining access to advocacy, forensic interviews, and specialized medical care required multiple partners to step in quickly and coordinate.

“I am deeply thankful to Aviva Health for stepping forward while recognizing this work builds community trust and helps families heal, even amidst difficult circumstances,” Hanlin said. “The willingness of Aviva Health to collaborate with law enforcement, Child Protective Services and other partners reflects a true community based solution, one that keeps children at the center and ensures this critical work continues without interruption.”

What services Aviva Health is providing

Aviva Health is now providing Child Advocacy Center services, including forensic medical exams and forensic interviews. The services are delivered by trained professionals in an environment intended to support safety, privacy, and healing for children.

Aviva Health said it hired two specialized professionals, one to conduct forensic medical exams and one to conduct forensic interviews. Services are being provided at Aviva Health’s downtown Roseburg facility at 1128 SE Stephens Street.

The organization said the site had historically supported administrative functions, but was rapidly reconfigured to meet the specialized needs of children and families who require child advocacy services. Aviva Health described the adapted space as designed to support trauma informed care while ensuring privacy, safety, and coordination with partner agencies.

Reporting suspected abuse does not change

The news release emphasized that the mandatory reporting process for suspected child abuse remains the same.

Community members who suspect abuse should continue to report concerns to local law enforcement or ODHS Child Welfare. Mandatory reporters are required by law to report directly to ODHS or law enforcement and should not contact Aviva Health to initiate an investigation.

Referrals for forensic interviews and medical exams are made exclusively through law enforcement and ODHS as part of a coordinated multidisciplinary response. Aviva Health also said it does not accept walk in requests for child advocacy services and provides care only after an official referral.

How child advocacy fits into the broader response

Child Advocacy Center services are one piece of a larger response system that can include reporting, assessment, investigation, medical evaluation, prosecution, and ongoing support. Child Protective Services, law enforcement, medical providers, prosecutors, and the courts each have distinct roles, and coordination among agencies is considered important for minimizing trauma and ensuring accountability.

“CACs play a vital role in protecting children by ensuring consistent care, coordinating services and providing child focused support during critical times,” said Lindsey Stanton, an ODHS program manager. Stanton said ODHS Child Welfare works with other agencies, law enforcement, and Child Advocacy Centers to help ensure concerns are thoroughly assessed and families are connected to services intended to reduce trauma and support healing.

Aviva Health said it is coordinating with Child Protective Services, local law enforcement, CHI Mercy Health Mercy Medical Center, Umpqua Health, the state Child Advocacy Center Authority, previous Douglas C.A.R.E.S. employees, a past program director for an Oregon coast Child Advocacy Center, and other community partners.

Aviva leadership: Stability, oversight, and coordination

“The safety and well being of children is a shared community responsibility, and continuity of these services is critical,” Aviva Health Board Chair Nick Jones said. “As a board governed organization, Aviva Health will provide the stability and oversight needed to ensure child advocacy services remain available in Douglas County.”

Jones said the organization is committed to working closely with law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and community partners while upholding professional standards.

Aviva Health CEO KC Bolton said the work requires coordination across agencies and a focus on protecting children from further harm.

“Our kids need and deserve a system that protects them if they get abused,” Bolton said. “The CAC is just one piece of that system, and the work requires close coordination across agencies, a shared passion to shelter them from harm and wraparound services to address their needs moving forward. We are proud and humbled to join the rest of the organizations that are part of the whole response to suspected child abuse.”

Aviva Health said additional updates will be provided as services continue to evolve.