Program of Support to Victims of Sexual Abuse and their Families (PAF)

The Program of Support to Victims of Sexual Abuse and their Families (PAF) is a proposal attached to the Carlos Albizu University San Juan Campus since 2001 and subsidized by the Administration of Families and Children (ADFAN) of the Department of Family. It provides direct services of Assessment of Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Children and Adolescents and Psychotherapy to sexually abused children and adolescents and their families. It is also a training and clinical practice center for doctoral students in Clinical Psychology at Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus. It also offers training to professionals and talks and workshops to the community on issues related to sexual abuse.

The PAF is subsidized by the ADFAN and the matching funds of the UCA. This allows direct services to children to be free of charge for them and their families. FAP services are mainly offered through contact with the Department of Family. Referrals are also received from the Puerto Rico Police, the Department of Justice and federal cases referred by ICE and the FBI.

The PAF has two (2) additional centers to the one in the metropolitan area. One is located in the southern area of the island in Ponce and offers services mainly to children and adolescents from the regional areas of the Department of Families in Ponce and Guayama. The other is located in the municipality of Camuy and offers services to children and adolescents in the regional areas of Arecibo and Aguadilla. The center located in the metropolitan area serves mainly, but not limited to, children and adolescents from the regional areas of the Department of the Family in Bayamón and San Juan. With regard to physical facilities, the centre in the metropolitan area has four (4) cubicles for conducting forensic interviews, one of which specializes in recording these interviews.  It also has a large play therapy room to offer psychotherapeutic services. In addition, the center has a training room, courtyard facilities and parking lots.