How did you first get involved with SCAN? 

I first got involved with SCAN through joining the Board of Young Professionals in 2021 after hearing about it from a coworker. As I learned about SCAN and its mission, I knew I wanted to be involved!

What has your life/work experience been that brought you to SCAN? What is your current role? 

Throughout college, I volunteered in the nearby community, and I was looking for a way to give back and become involved in the Richmond community once I began working close by. I was given that opportunity by joining SCAN’s BYP! I am currently the vice chair of the program committee.  

What inspires you to stay involved with your work at SCAN? 

The testament of those who have utilized SCAN’s programs show how vital they are in the Greater Richmond Area. The staff and people involved with SCAN are amazing to work with; they have a joy for the work and a heart for the children and families they serve! It is inspiring to hear the impact of the CASA volunteers, Family Support Program, Community Programs, Child Advocacy Centers, and Circle Preschool Program in the lives of the families and children involved.

Is there anything you wish other people knew about SCAN? 

There are many ways to get involved with SCAN to include providing donations, taking the time to volunteer, or purchasing from their wish-list!

What has been the best experience with SCAN so far? 

I enjoy helping to put on the Holiday Shop and seeing the joy and excitement on the kids’ faces as they get to play games, make crafts, meet Santa, and receive gift cards for presents on the day of the shop! I’ve been involved with putting on the Holiday Shop since 2021 and have loved seeing everyone work together to make it a better event as each year goes by. Working with the other volunteers contributes to the great experience!  

What are any challenges you have faced in your work with SCAN? 

I joined near the end of COVID and that made planning events and getting together more difficult than it had been. Even with that constraint, the SCAN staff and other BYP members worked hard and overcame those challenges!

Do you have any goals or hopes for the next year with SCAN? Is there anything coming up/happening in your work that you are excited about or want to share? 

My hope is that as a member of the BYP, I can bring more awareness to the programs and volunteer opportunities at SCAN throughout my interactions in the community. I hope to support SCAN in any way possible!

Are you involved with any other community organizations, hobbies, or activities? 

I am a runner and enjoy doing as many races in the Richmond area as possible. I’ve enjoyed running the Richmond 10k, Richmond Half Marathon, and Markel Corporate Run to name a few.

What might someone be surprised to learn about you? 

I am the oldest of six kids, and I’ve moved over 10 times growing up as a military kid, to include living in England and Italy.

Help bring the magic of the holidays to SCAN families this year! You can support SCAN's Holiday Shop by purchasing a physical gift card or donating funds (please note "holiday shop" in the comments section) to support children in SCAN's programs this holiday season. Holding a gift card drive at your office, church, school, or other group is another great way to get involved!

Contact Kasey Brach with questions or to coordinate a donation or giftcard drive

Get your office, team, or group involved in raising funds to support children right here in Richmond this November by joining ‘Staches for SCAN!

Sign up to join Greater Richmond SCAN’s Mustaches for Kids team this growing season! Your support will directly help children and families served by Greater Richmond SCAN.

Scared to grow a 'stache yourself?

You can also donate to the SCAN team here.

Find more information and details about how to join the SCAN team here.

Share this flyer with your friends, colleagues, and others to encourage

them to join the team too!

Questions? Contact Sarah Mersereau

SCAN primarily serves families from the cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights, and Petersburg and the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Louisa, King William, New Kent, Powhatan and Prince George, in addition to other localities in Central VA. SCAN's training and consultation services reach families, professionals, and community members across the Greater Richmond region, Virginia, and the United States.

During the July 2023 – June 2024 fiscal year:

SCAN's Family Support Program served 328 caregivers and 74 children—

all from families who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing child abuse and/or neglect.

SCAN CASA volunteers advocated for 189 children in the Richmond and Petersburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court system.

SCAN's Child Advocacy Center served 856 children and 448 caregivers through child forensic interviews, family advocacy services, Multidisciplinary Team case review, and Trauma-Focused Treatment outpatient therapy services.

SCAN's Circle Preschool Program served 26 children and 35 caregivers

SCAN’s Community Programs, including the TICN (Trauma-Informed Community Network), reached over 4,300 adults through trainings, workshops, and film screenings.

Thank you to all of you who help make this work possible!

SCAN Therapist Featured in VHCF Annual Report

"a VHCF grant enabled SCAN to hire me as a bilingual children's therapist. I received the clinical hours and supervision required for licensure and became certified in play therapy. It all opened my eyes and set me on a path to helping traumatized children find a way back to normalcy. Now I'm in my dream position helping children process their pain. There's no better future than that"

We are thankful to Virginia Health Care Foundation for providing a grant to allow SCAN to hire Lorena in 2022 to help expand behavioral health services to Spanish speaking families who have experienced sexual abuse or severe physical abuse (including human trafficking and witness to violence). Lorena was recently highlighted in VHCF's annual report. Find the full Virginia Health Care Foundation annual report here.

Save The Date

Upcoming Events to Support SCAN

Unshackled Wine Dinner at Tarrant's West

November 15, 2024

6-9pm

Get tickets here

Thank you to everyone that joined us for Greater Richmond SCAN's 14th Annual Child Advocate's Breakfast, hosted by the SCAN Board of Directors.

This year we highlighted SCAN's Child Advocacy Centers and celebrated 20 years of helping children who have experienced a potentially traumatizing event (such as sexual abuse, physical abuse and exposure to violence). The goal of the CAC is to provide a safe space for children to be interviewed, reduce the number of times a child is interviewed, provide assistance and support to caregivers and to provide therapy to help with healing after exposure to traumatic events.

We are so grateful to Dr. Robin Foster, Director of the VCU Child Protection Team, for sharing her expertise and experience working with

SCAN's CAC team these last 20 years.



If you weren't able to make it to the breakfast and still want to donate or get involved, learn more at https://grscan.com/get-involved/donate

Rally for SCAN attendees gathered on October 25 for a day of tennis and pickleball in support of Greater Richmond SCAN.

Thank you to all the attendees, sponsors, and committee members for making Rally for SCAN a successful event! A special thank you to our speakers, Alison Martin, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney III with Henrico County Captain, Anthony Jackson with Richmond Police Department, the event emcee, Zach Daniel, and all the tennis and pickleball pros. We are also grateful to Salisbury Country Club for their support in making this event possible.

Volunteer with SCAN - Upcoming Info Sessions

Learn more about getting involved as a Greater Richmond SCAN volunteer or becoming a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate).

General Greater Richmond SCAN Volunteer Orientation

Tuesday, November 12

6:00-7:30pm

Henrico Child Advocacy Center

Register here

Virtual CASA Information Session

Thursday, November 14

6:00 - 7:30pm

Register Here

Questions? Reach out to Sarah-Keel Crews, SCAN Volunteer Coordinator.

Trunk or Treat at Hardywood to benefit SCAN

Thank you to all the families that joined us for Trunk or Treat at Hardywood West Creek this past weekend for Trunk or Treat to benefit Greater Richmond SCAN!

A special thank you to all our trunk hosts and SCAN Board of Young Professionals volunteers for making this even possible! We are also grateful to Argo Group for their donation to support this event.

A huge thank you to Hardywood and their staff for organizing this wonderful family-friendly event each year!

Support SCAN through the River City Half Marathon and 5k!

The March 8, 2025 Virginia Credit Union River City Half Marathon & River City 5k presents an extraordinary chance for the Richmond community to come together, lace up our shoes and log miles for a purpose.

Greater Richmond SCAN is one of the charity partners of the Virginia Credit Union River City Half and River  City 5k and you can support SCAN by choosing us when registering for the race. Find out more information here.

Interested in running/walking the event and fundraising for Greater Richmond SCAN? We can provide you with a free entry to fundraise for us. Reach out to Kasey Brach for more details.

Find the full list of upcoming SCAN trainings and register to attend HERE

Trauma-Informed Supervision

November 7, 2024

9:00-10:30am ET via Zoom

Trauma-informed supervision explores the role of a supervisor in supervision, how to create a psychologically safe supervisory environment, and how to identify and offer support to staff experiencing vicarious trauma.

Resilience (film screening)

November 12, 2024

2:30-4:00pm ET via Zoom

Resilience is a one-hour documentary that delves into the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the birth of a new movement to treat and prevent toxic stress. 

Introduction to Trauma & Trauma-Informed Care

November 13, 2024

1:00-3:00pm ET via Zoom 

This training provides a foundational learning experience around the topics of trauma and trauma-informed care. We will define trauma, discuss the many types of trauma/adversity, explore the impact of trauma on the brain and behavior, introduce resilience, and discuss SAMHSA’s 4 Rs of trauma-informed care. Throughout the presentation, we will share useful tools and techniques.

Social and Emotional Health in Early Childhood Development

November 14, 2024

12:00-1:30pm ET via Zoom

This training explores developmental milestones of early childhood, shares ways to build and strengthen connections between caregivers and young children, and provides strategies for addressing challenges such as temper tantrums and big behaviors typical for this age group.

Impact of Trauma-Exposure on Professionals

November 19, 2024

 12:00-1:30pm ET via Zoom

This training will help participants identify symptoms and warning signs of traumatic stress as well as learn the differences between three common trauma exposure responses: secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout. We will discuss strategies for responding to trauma exposure and provide resources that professionals can use to mitigate the impact of trauma exposure and improve wellness.

Self-Care & Wellness

November 20, 2024

1:00-2:30pm ET via Zoom

This training will help participants develop an understanding of how stress and trauma affect our state of well-being. We will explore wellness and self-care practices and tools that help promote emotional regulation, compassion, empathy, and calm in our environments. In addition, we will examine ways to create healthy boundaries to establish safe and positive relationships with the self and with others.

Overcoming Adversity & Building Resilience 

December 3, 2024

 12:00-2:00pm ET via Zoom 

This training will provide a brief review of trauma and its impacts as well as introduce the 7 Cs of building resilience. Participants will learn about adverse and positive childhood experiences as well as strategies for building individual and community resilience.

Find the full list of SCAN Trainings and register to attend HERE

 *Some of these trainings are eligible for Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) from the National Association of Social Workers. Check SCAN's training page for details.