Delivering the best support to children and families who have experienced trauma is not an easy task, but is very much needed in our world today. Child Advocacy Centers now act as a centralized 'hub' to protect and serve these families when they need it most. In today's episode, Robin Grove shares her journey to becoming the director of the Frederick County CAC. She discusses her transition and learning experience going from a non-profit leadership role to a government-based leadership role, as well as other leadership positions she's held.

Robin and her team had to learn to be both innovative and creative during the pandemic in order to stay open and continue serving children and their families. Communication and collaboration are both extremely important when it comes to the work they do, because it is very much a team effort. Every day, Robin gets to witness the tremendous impact Child Advocacy Centers and their multi-disciplinary team of professionals have on the lives of children and their families. Robin is passionate about the work she is doing with child victims and their families within the Frederick County CAC, and she feels privileged to get to be with them every step of the way.

About Robin Grove:

Robin is the Director of the Child Advocacy Center of Frederick County. She holds multiple degrees and certifications, including a B.S. in Psychology from Northwestern State University of Louisiana, and an M.A. in Forensic Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Robin came to Frederick in 2019 after being an integral part of the growth of another CAC in Winchester, VA. During her seven years with them, she gained extensive working knowledge of the many facets of CAC operations by serving as a case manager, advocate, forensic interviewer, therapist, and program coordinator.

Prior to that, Robin was a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate in Berkeley County WV for ten years. She advocated to the courts for the best interests of children who were placed within the foster care system due to child abuse and/or neglect. She is continually developing and leading new projects and trainings to positively serve children and their families dealing with trauma and abuse.

Resources and ways to connect with Robin and her team:

CAC | Frederick County MD:

https://frederickcountymd.gov/481/Child-Advocacy-Center-CAC

CAC Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/CACFrederick

CAC Instagram:

www.instagram.com/cacoffrederickcountymd

Friends of the CAC:

https://cacfriends.net/

Friends of the Child Advocacy Center | Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTheCAC

Episode Timestamps:

• Robin's journey to her leadership role as director of a CAC {1:17}
• Robin's interest in and decision to study forensic psychology {3:42}
• What child advocacy centers (CACs) actually are {4:21}
• The creation of a new prevention program that will help children and families who come through the Frederick County CAC {8:36}
• The differences Robin experienced with coming from a non-profit leadership role to a government-based leadership role {11:21}
• Important changes Robin and her team made to be able to continue serving children and families during the pandemic {13:19}
• The shift that Robin experienced as a leader when changes were happening within the CAC during the pandemic {16:56}
• Leaders who Robin has learned from along her leadership journey {18:36}
• Robin's personal mantra and philosophy when it comes to leadership {21:33}
• What Robin does to not only lead and help her team well, but also how she takes care of herself {26:11}

"It actually shifted me from managing people and looking at it as a manager, to really looking at a way to lead my staff in a way that built on the strengths they had. There were some really amazing things going on with creativity and innovation from people I hadn't even thought about. We all sort of came together and started to capitalize on everyone's strengths".

Connect with Rachel:

https://traumaspecialistsofmd.com/

https://www.frederickchamber.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trauma_specialist/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064008974101&mibextid=LQQJ4d

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-harrison-81a4796/