Founded in 1983 as the Charles County Sexual Assault Center and later known under our corporate name of the Community Crisis & Referral Center, Inc., the Center for Abused Persons (CAP) today is able to provide services to a much broader range of clients, including adult victims of sexual assault, adults who were sexually abused as children, battered women, batterers, child victims of sexual or physical abuse, child observers of family violence, and others.

The Center for Abused Persons is a private, non-profit agency providing the citizens of Charles County with crisis and on-going professional counseling; support services and emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse; information, referrals and crisis intervention counseling through a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week Hotline; and, community education and awareness surrounding sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and suicide prevention.

CAP is the state-designated program in Charles County that addresses domestic violence. Our ultimate goal is to stop the cycle of family violence by providing telephone and face-to-face crisis intervention. Emergency safe shelter is available to victims fleeing violence. Working through the court system, CAP assists with filing protective orders, makes referrals for low or no-fee legal service and provides accompaniment and support during court proceedings. CAP's Abuser Intervention Program offers a 26-week counseling program designed to end the cycle of violence in relationships. Crisis and on-going counseling is offered to individuals or the entire famiy through a variety of programs.

CAP is also the state-designated program to provide servies to an increasing number of victims of rape and sexual assault in Charles County. Outreach services are provided at the Emergency Room of Civista Medical Center and at the Sheriff's Department immediately after a report of such an incident has been filed. Additionally, CAP was the first agency in the State of Maryland with a Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE) program which allows victims to be treated in a caring, sensitive manner by well-trained experts in the field of evidence collection and preservation, key components in prosecuting sexual offenders. Specialized sexual assault counseling services are offered to individuals, groups and families. Services include crisis intervention, counseling and information and referral to other agencies.

With support from the State of Maryland, CAP staff provide counseling and other support services designed to meet the special needs of children who have been sexually abused or assaulted. Specialized services are also available for child observers of domestic violence. Although not always abused themselves, witnessing violence can have a lasting and devastating impact on children's lives. Early intervention can help in preventing them from becoming adult victims and/or abusers.

Do you have old cellphones sitting around gathering dust? Did you know that donating your old cellphones to CAP can help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse? Just drop your old cellphones off at CAP and we will distribute them to victims so they can make emergency calls to 911. Or, we recycle the phones and turn them into funds that can be used in our work to end personal violence.

Thousands of citizens call our Crisis Hotline each year. Have you or a member of your family been victimized, battered or assaulted? Are you afraid, confused, lonely or thinking of hurting yourself? Call 301-645-3336 twenty-four hours a day seven days a week.

CAP's trained counselors operate the only 24-hour, seven-day-a-week Hotline in Charles County. The Hotline serves as a lifeline for troubled youth and adults who are contemplating suicide or who need solutions to such problems as substance abuse, family conflict, physical and sexual abuse, assault and emergency housing. CAP's Hotline also serves an an "after hours" backup for other human service agencies in Charles County.

You can help support the Center for Abused Persons. Help make your friends and neighbors aware of CAP's many services. Lend your support as a volunteer for outreach and expansion of the capacity to provide necessary services to the community. Offer financial support to help CAP help those in need.

For additional information, call 301-645-8994 or 301-843-1110. Or, contact us at: 2670 Crain Highway, Suite 303, Waldorf, Maryland 20601.