Sage Advocacy Center asks Okanogan County to fund local forensic interviews for child-abuse victims

Chief criminal deputy Jody Barcas introduced representatives from Sage Advocacy Center, which provides forensic interviews, therapy and courtroom support for child abuse victims, and asked commissioners to consider county funding to sustain local services.

"Children who've experienced abuse in Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan County received roughly 425% less, per child than the national standard," said Bethany O'Hagry, executive director of Sage Advocacy Center. She told the board the center has been providing courtesy support to Okanogan County for about two years and that recent state budget cuts eliminated a $250,000 community-law-enforcement grant that had helped pay for training and services.

Sage described its model: trained forensic interviewers conduct interviews in a child-friendly setting, provide advocacy and free follow-up therapy, and make expert testimony available if cases proceed to trial. The organization also brings Hank, a state-certified court-facilitator dog, to interviews and court to comfort children on request.

Prosecutor Teddy (first name used in the meeting) said he preferred that qualified, independent advocates conduct these interviews rather than prosecutors or detectives, adding: "I would much prefer someone else do these interviews. I'm not particularly friendly with kids." Commissioners and staff discussed how the county could contract for the service and which county fund should pay it. County staff suggested the crime-victim/witness fund could be used if the service met grant and statutory requirements; otherwise the county could enter a professional-services contract with a sole-source justification.

Sage requested a one-year county contract to formalize services and help the agency apply for additional funding; a specific contract amount discussed in the meeting was $42,643 (requested for the period described). Commissioners asked staff to draft contract language, verify allowable funding sources (victim-assistance grants vs. county general fund), and return with a proposed professional-services agreement. No formal funding vote was taken on Oct. 7.

The board directed staff to work with Sage and the county prosecutor's office to prepare a sole-source professional-services contract and to examine whether existing victim-assistance revenue lines can be used to pay the agency.