Lotus is Kentucky’s designated Children’s Advocacy and Sexual Violence Resource Center for the Purchase Area Region. Our mission is to support survivors, strengthen families, and empower communities. At Lotus, we see the goal of recovery as not only surviving trauma but also opening up to the possibilities of hope, healing, and growth.
Lotus is committed to ending child abuse and sexual violence. We are working to cultivate a collective, unified community that meets survivors with compassion and a culture that simply does not tolerate interpersonal violence.
We are Lotus
Our Strategic Framework
VISION
A WORLD FREE FROM OPPRESSION & VIOLENCE FOR ALL
VALUES
RESILIENCE, EMPOWERMENT, PARTNERSHIP, BELONGING
MISSION
SUPPORT SURVIVORS. STRENGTHEN FAMILIES. EMPOWER COMMUNITIES.
- Facilitate an effective community response through multidisciplinary collaboration
- Provide specialized CAC & SVRC intervention, therapeutic & restorative services
- Expand meaningful access through an accessible, culturally relevant & trauma-informed approach
- Empower survivors as engaged participants & leaders
- Cultivate a collaborative network of strength based support
- Promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships & environments for children & families
- Increase protective factors & reduce risk factors
- Reduce likelihood of child abuse & neglect
- Enhance child development
- Build a visible and accessible network of support for survivors, families & allies especially for those underserved and placed at risk
- Inform, educate & engage people to take action
- Honor the resilience of those who are navigating and thriving through adversity
- Invoke shared values, deepen understanding, & amplify our collective impact
Lotus is Kentucky’s designated Children’s Advocacy and Sexual Violence Resource Center for the Purchase Area Region. Our mission is to support survivors, strengthen families, and empower communities. At Lotus, we see the goal of recovery as not only surviving trauma but also opening up to the possibilities of hope, healing, and growth.
Lotus is committed to ending child abuse and sexual violence. We are working to cultivate a collective, unified community that meets survivors with compassion and a culture that simply does not tolerate interpersonal violence.
Our History
1984
Our efforts began in 1984 when Western Baptist emergency room nurses recognized a need. Western Baptist then installed a 24-hour helpline and volunteers were trained to assist and support victims. This was just the beginning. Educational programs began throughout the community and survivors of sexual offenses were offered counseling, medical assistance, and legal guidance.
1987
The Western Baptist Hospital and the Paducah Cooperative Ministry Rape Victim Service, Inc. was established.
1990's
During the 90’s, we expanded our services and established our Paducah campus sexual assault center on a beautiful new campus and expanded services in the Murray-Calloway County area.
2007
We assumed the designation from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services as the regional children’s advocacy program and established Kentucky’s first Expressive Arts Therapies Center dedicated to working with victims of violence.
2018
We changed our name to Lotus, reflecting the exceptional courage, strength, and resilience of survivors and symbolizing enlightenment and reawakening to embody our community initiatives.
We also established our Holistic Healing Center which provides a safe, nurturing environment that supports a holistic approach to healing and wellness.
2019
We underwent our GROW Lotus renovation and addition of our main campus in Paducah. The purposeful design of the structures and grounds of our campus supports highly specialized intervention and restorative services as well as our community outreach and education initiatives. Our Sanctuary Project promotes health outcomes by fostering enhanced tranquility and therapeutic experience through green spaces specifically designed throughout our Paducah campus to meet the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of survivors and families.
2022
In 2022, Lotus launched our Hope Heal Grow Mobile, the first mobile children’s advocacy center in Kentucky. This mobile unit, or “Winnie” as our team calls her, is innovating our outreach and expanding access to critical, life-saving services for children and families across the Purchase Area Region.
2023-Present
Lotus established our Mayfield Office location, increasing accessibility to services throughout the region.
Meet Our Team
Lori Wells Brown, MS
Chief Executive Officer
270-534-4422 ext. 019
Karen Durbin, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
270-534-4422 ext. 012
Amberly Haverstock
Chief Program Officer
270-534-4422 ext. 032
CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER TEAM
Nichole Wadley, MS, LPA
Director of Children’s Advocacy Services
270-534-4422 ext 015
Amelia Flores, MSW
Forensic Interviewer
270-534-4422 ext 014
Sarah Grimsley
MDT Coordinator
270-534-4422 ext. 023
Mara Harris
Family Advocate
270-534-4422 ext. 038
Megan Meade
Children’s Advocacy Center Advocate
270-534-4422 ext. 018
Lisa Sullivan
Family Advocate
270-534-4422 ext. 022
Todd Vinson, M.Ed
Forensic Interviewer
270-534-4422 ext. 021
ADVOCACY TEAM
Ivette Cope
Director of Advocacy
270-534-4422 ext. 039
Bethany Vaughn
Survivor Advocate
270-534-4422 ext. 034
Leah Beach
Advocacy Support Specialist
270-534-4422 ext. 036
Katelin Waddell, Ed.D
Advocacy Support Specialist
270-534-4422 ext. 035
THERAPY TEAM
Emily McGee, M.Ed
Director of Therapeutic & Restorative Services
270-534-4422 ext. 026
Taylor Daugherty, CSW
Therapist
270-534-4422 ext. 024
Elyse Dowdy, LCSW
Therapist
270-534-4422 ext. 016
Olivia Lanier, LCSW
Therapist
270-534-4422 ext. 013
Rebecca Fountain, LPP
Therapist
270-534-4422 ext. 028
Shantaye Powell, LCSW
Therapist
270-534-4422 ext. 033
SUPPORT STAFF
Kasey James
Service Coordinator
270-534-4422 ext. 010
COMMUNITY TEAM
Hadley Purcell
Director of Community Impact
270-534-4422 ext. 029
Paris Jones
Community Impact Coordinator
270-534-4422 ext. 037
Cassidy Luker
Prevention Educator
270-534-4422 ext. 027
Brea Schofield
Prevention Educator
270-534-4422 ext. 030
Join Our Team
Grow your career at Lotus! We offer competitive benefits including:
- Health, dental, and vision coverage
- Generous paid time off
- Life and AD&D insurance
- Retirement plan
- Professional development and training opportunities
- 32-hour workweek
- Health and wellbeing resources
Position Purpose: Therapist serves to facilitate healing and recovery from interpersonal violence for all-age victim-survivors as well as their supportive family members through the provision of specialized, trauma-informed mental health services.
Responsibilities:
- Provide specialized mental health services and support to in person and via telehealth.
- Create mental health focused resources for victims-survivors to promote resilience and strengthen protective factors.
- Collaborate with advocacy staff to provide comprehensive case management.
- Ensure documentation of services.
- Engage in feasible professional development opportunities to ensure the highest quality of care to clients is being provided.
Prior Education & Training Requirements:
- Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a mental health discipline.
- Licensure in the state of Kentucky to practice in a mental health discipline.
- 2 years post-degree counseling or clinical experience.
- Knowledge in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of clinical assessment measures.
Prior Qualifications & Special Skills Required:
- Therapist should possess the knowledge and experience to provide assessment-based and empirically-supported specialized outpatient treatment to all-age victim-survivors of sexual violence and their family members.
- Good understanding of trauma-informed treatment, neurological effects of trauma and integrated treatment for interpersonal violence is recommended.
- Evidence of good interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with all types of people.
- Ability to work with people in crisis situations and ability to work effectively under stress.
- No prior history of criminal behaviors is a requirement.
Work Location: Paducah or Mayfield office and community settings as needed.
Work Schedule:
- Monday-Thursday (8:30am-5:00pm)
Travel Requirements: Travel to training and outreach events as needed.
Schedule: 8-hour shift
Work Location: In person
Board of Directors
Lotus is currently seeking dynamic and diverse leaders to serve on our Board of Directors. Do you share our collective values? Do you have skill sets and perspectives that align with our strategies, goals, and needs necessary to successfully advance our Lotus mission?
Jamie Walker
Chair
Independence Bank
Retirement Plan Advisor
Anna Turner-Abernathy
Chair-elect
Ballard County
Ambulance Service
Chief Administrative Officer
Shannon Pace
Treasurer
Paducah Bank
Assistant Vice President/Associate Credit Analyst
Tiffany Scott
Secretary
Baptist Health
Director of Operations
Dr. Lora Canter
Self-employed
Angela Copeland
Paducah Independent Schools
Director of Finance
Reis Driver
Baptist Health
Director, Business Development
Rae Samford Hall
BFW Engineering
People Operations Adminsistrator
Steven Luther
Baptist Health
Associate Vice President, Operations
Christy Ralph
Jason Ralph Farms
Financial Administrator
Ashley Parrott
Baptist Health
Director of Operations
Mark Thompson
BFW Engineering
Business Development
