Dorchester Today

The Horowitz-Barker Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Children’s Alliance was awarded to Dr. Kay Phillips. Dr. Phillips is the Executive Director of the Dorchester Children's Advocacy Center. 

Dr. Phillips has grown the organization from being a one-person team to managing a staff of 25 professionals and serving more than 16,000 child abuse and neglect victims and their families during her last 18 years of leadership. 

Dr. Phillips also advocates for children statewide to receive the benefits of the CAC model. Most recently, she spearheaded a statewide child abuse protocol with the SC Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers and members of the SC Children’s Justice Act Task Force that was passed in May 2021 to mandate social services, law enforcement and other members of a multidisciplinary team to follow the Children’s Advocacy Center model. 

The award was officially presented at the NCA Recognition Awards Ceremony in June. 

"This award recognizes a professional who has demonstrated, over the course of a career, a dedication to the Children’s Advocacy Center movement and a strengthening of the CAC model. Through the nominee’s efforts, the development or significant expansion of one or more Children’s Advocacy Centers has been ensured. The nominee has led by example and demonstrated the spirit of collaboration that is the hallmark of MDT work. And, the nominee has passed on his/her professional knowledge to the next generation of CAC leaders through mentoring (whether formal or informal), coaching, and training. "



Details here

Who is eligible? Any person who has, in his or her professional capacity within the CAC field, made several significant and outstanding contributions. The nominee must be directly associated with one or more Children’s Advocacy Centers.

Criteria for selection

Has been a leader in the CAC movement at the local, state, or national level

Has mentored or trained other CAC leaders 

Has taken significant action to develop or expand Children’s Advocacy Centers at the local, state, or national level

Has worked in one or more CACs at least 15 years

Original source can be found here.