What do you get when you take victim advocates, forensic interviewers, medical staff, investigators and a sweet Labrador retriever and put them in the same building? It’s Dawson Place, an innovative model that provides support and resources to young victims of abuse, neglect and assault; giving them a comfortable place to feel safe and access all the support they need to heal and find justice. 

Dawson Place approaches child abuse cases with the child victim’s well-being in mind to minimize trauma and the number of times they need to repeat their story to others. Rather than going to 5 buildings for support, all of these organizations are under Dawson Place’s roof on California Street: 

• Providence Intervention Center for Assault & Abuse (PICAA)

• Compass Health Child Advocacy Program (CAP)

• Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office: Special Investigations Unit (SIU)

• Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office: Special Assault Unit (SAU)

• Child Protective Services (CPS)

Oh, and then there is the support they receive from therapy dogs Razzle and Sibella who provide unconditional love to their clients. Razzle (yellow) has recently moved on to work at the Everett School District, but Sibella (black) is still there to help. 

In addition to the above, Dawson Place staff also engage with schools and local organizations to sponsor events so community members can learn more about how to prevent, identify, and intervene in cases of child abuse and assault. If you are interested in participating in one of these workshops or training, you can learn more here.

All children deserve a safe environment to grow up in, and Dawson Place helps thousands of children in Snohomish County access the help (and love from therapy dogs) they need for this to happen. 

If you wish to report experienced, disclosed, or suspected abuse, Dawson Place provides a number of resources to make sure children can access help, including a 24/7 hotline. Dawson Place also has a newsletter to help you stay up-to-date on all the excellent work they do. 

Dawson Place is sponsored by many local businesses and is always accepting donations from the community. 

Dawson Place
1509 California St
Everett, WA 98201
(425) 789-3000

Angela Di Filippo currently works in State Social Services and recently earned her Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with extensive training in evidence-based leadership coaching. Angela moved from North Carolina to Washington 6 years ago and has proudly called Everett her home for 5 of those years. When not helping others solve problems in creative and strength-driven ways, Angela enjoys her time painting, hiking with her terrier-mix, Indy, and eating waffles.