35 YEARS IN THE FIELD
CornerHouse was founded in 1989 during the inception of the Children’s Advocacy Center model. As an accredited CAC, CornerHouse has worked to address the traumatic effects of child abuse - supporting children and families throughout the disclosure, investigation, and legal processes.
CornerHouse has expanded its services to provide therapeutic healing through mental health and advocacy services. This addition helps children and families heal from their experience of abuse.
With 35 years of experience in the Child Advocacy field, we recently added a preventative approach to how we address abuse. Through primary and secondary abuse prevention programming, CornerHouse seeks to end abuse before it begins.
THE CORNERHOUSE FORENSIC INTERVIEW PROTOCOL™
Our forensic interviewers use the CornerHouse Forensic Interview Protocol™, an interviewing protocol that CornerHouse developed and that is now widely used across the country and the globe.
CornerHouse abides by a “Child First Philosophy,” which ensures that the needs of the individual are given first priority during the forensic interview process. The forensic interview is person-centered and is aligned with the cognitive, behavioral, and social abilities of each individual.
CornerHouse training in 1989
“An effective response to child sexual abuse demands effective training of those who provide services to its victims.” - CornerHouse’s First Annual Report
In 1990, CornerHouse completed our very first training program on interviewing children. This intensive, 45-hour program was the only ones of its kind. With 6 total professionals from the Minneapolis Police Department and Hennepin County Child Protection Services, our training program kicked off and has grown immensely since then. This initial course was designed to improve interviewing skills while enhancing the comfort and dignity of the children interviewed.