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MUSC Advocacy Program (MAP)

About MAP

The MUSC Advocacy Program is MUSC Charleston's 24/7 social work response program for patients, care team members, and students with concerns for abuse or neglect (children and vulnerable adults), intimate partner violence, and human trafficking.

How Does It Work?

We provide a coordinated response to MUSC Health’s patients, families, care teams members, and students experiencing abuse or neglect.

  • Intimate Partner Violence – The social workers provide safety planning, psychosocial and lethality assessments, education, brief counseling, linkage to resources, and referral to community agencies. MAP coordinates with Forensic Nurse Examiners and other members of the medical team.

  • Child Abuse or Neglect –The social workers provide crisis response, psychosocial assessment, support, brief counseling, linkage with resources, coordination of services, and referrals for suspected child abuse or neglect. MAP coordinates with the Child Abuse Pediatric Division, Forensic Nurse Examiners, local law enforcement, and Department of Social Services.

  • Vulnerable Adult Abuse or Neglect –The social workers provide crisis response, assessment, linkage with resources, and referrals for suspected vulnerable adult abuse or neglect. MAP coordinates with the medical team as well as the Department of social services Adult Protective Services, law enforcement agencies, and other community agencies to support the patient.

  • Human Trafficking - MAP coordinates with Forensic Nurse Examiners and other members of the medical team. The social workers provide safety planning, lethality assessments, education, brief counseling, linkage to resources, and referral to community agencies.

In addition to our direct services to patients, care team members, and students, we provide outreach services to educate MUSC care team members and members of the community about the prevalence and indicators of abuse and neglect as well as MUSC and community resources..

Our Goal

Our goal is to provide a coordinated response to MUSC Health patients, to improve safe outcomes in cases of suspected child and vulnerable adult abuse or neglect, intimate partner violence, and human trafficking. Our program aims to help break the cycle of family violence.

The Need is Great - Did You Know?

  • 1 in 4 women will experience intimate partner violence during her lifetime.

  • More than 3 million children witness intimate partner violence in their homes each year

  • 1 in 4 children have experienced abuse or neglect at some point in their lives and 1 in 7 children experienced abuse in the last year.

  • More than 1840 children died in the United States in 2019 from abuse or neglect.

  • Approximately 1 in 10 Americans (aged 60 and over) have experienced some form of elder abuse.

  • Charleston County had the second highest number of human trafficking reports in SC last year (2020).

  • Victims are more often trafficked by people they know than by a stranger. 

Commonly Utilized Resources

  • SC Department of Social Services – For reporting suspected abuse or neglect of a child or a vulnerable adult – 888-227-3487

  • My Sister’s House – Intimate partner violence family shelter and advocacy services – 843-744-3242

Local Law Enforcement

Child Advocacy Centers – For forensic interviews, outpatient child abuse, medical exams, child and therapy.

  • Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center – 843-723-3600

  • Dorchester Children’s Advocacy Center – 843-875-1551

  • SC Legal Services – Free or low cost legal services for victims of abuse – 888-346-5592

  • Formation Project – Charleston Area non-profit organization for adult survivors of trafficking  – 843-375-6635