Child-advocacy organization to restructure board

By KYLE W. MORRISON

Southeast Missourian

Changes are in the works to help a Cape Girardeau-based child-advocacy center expand and improve services.

Last month, the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence brought in an outside consultant to hold five focus groups where participants were asked questions about the organization.

NASV works with local law enforcement, juvenile offices and other social service agencies to support children and adults who have been physically or sexually abused or assaulted. The organization provides forensic interviews, medical evaluations and counseling.

With the group's 10-year anniversary coming up next year, founder and director Tammy Gwaltney thought now would be a good time to look at what the organization is doing well and where it could improve.

"A lot of nonprofits, when they don't have any kind of national affiliation, don't always make it," Gwaltney said. "We feel pretty fortunate that the organization has survived and become an important entity in the community."

One of the major changes the organization will see is a complete restructuring of the board of directors.

The current board was involved in the development of NASV, and Gwaltney hopes the new board will expand to include a more members of the community.

Job descriptions

A new job description for the board at large will be developed, as will descriptions for individual board members, she said.

"We're at a point in the organization that we're seeing so many kids that we just cannot continue to have those multiple roles," Gwaltney said.

And that includes herself.

Since the organization started, Gwaltney has worn many hats at NASV, including operating as the group's director and also handling day-to-day services.

But for the organization to grow, Gwaltney is taking a step back and will instead fill out a more administrative role.

Part of that role will be spending more time in the community to spread the word on NASV and to seek out more funding.

"I really believe if people really knew the work that went on here, we would have a much more diversified and stronger funding base," she said.

Another step the organization hopes to make is a larger, permanent facility. It is Gwaltney's goal that eventually the facility will house a prosecutor, juvenile officer and child welfare representatives to work with NASV to help facilitate communication.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127