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Below are training/policy development/institutional coordination profiles; click for main table of contents.
Grantee Agency: Oregon Services to Children and Families
Collaborating Agencies: Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
ACF/OCS Grant No.:: 90-EV-0123, 90-EV-0051
Project Period: October 1994 through February 1996, September 1996 through December 1998
Address: HRB 2nd floor, SW, 500 Summer St., NE, Salem, OR 97310-1017
Telephone: (503) 945-6686
Contact(s): Bonnie Jean Braeutigam, Project Director
Telephone: (503) 945-6686
Fax: (503) 581-6198
Email: bonnie.braeutigam@state.or.us
Primary Reason(s) Applied for OCS' DV/CPS Collaboration Grant: Oregon applied for the DV/CPS collaboration grants because administrators at the State Office of Services to Children and Families (SCF) and domestic violence advocates realized that child welfare workers needed training on domestic violence issues. The State's approach to collaboration was to plan and implement a wide variety of activities including policy revision, staff training, assistance to local offices on collaborating with domestic violence organizations, and a demonstration of pilot services to abused women.
Grant Project Goals: The objectives of both grant projects were to increase awareness at all organizational levels of the importance of assessing for domestic violence in child protective services investigations; increase the level and quality of collaboration between local SCF branches and domestic violence organizations; increase the ability of child protective services and domestic violence workers to assess for domestic violence and child abuse; and to increase the ability of child protective services and domestic violence workers to assist women to develop safety plans through the provision of information, referrals, and support services.
Implementation: Basic training, using the "Train the Trainers" model of providing domestic violence specialists with the tools necessary to train local SCF workers, continued throughout both grant periods. In each of four SCF regions, domestic violence specialists were out-stationed to the child welfare offices for several hours per week. This activity was referred to as "case specific" training. The number of hours and types of activities varied by SCF region. A videotape was made by one branch that discusses in-depth the barriers and lessons learned through implementation of this activity. Two selected communities developed a coordinated or "best practices" approach to serving families with both types of abuse.
Although the "Train the Trainers" portion was implemented in full, there were some delays in scheduling the basic training sessions. Some domestic violence specialists who had participated in the "Train the Trainers" sessions were no longer at the organizations when it came time to conduct the trainings for SCF staff. Overall, 75 percent of the SCF branches (a total of 40) participated in the basic training.
Lessons Learned and Impact on DV/CPS Relationship: Overall, the State considers this endeavor successful. Concerns about confidentiality arose when domestic violence specialists would consult on cases involving women they already knew from the shelter. Also, advocates struggled with whether to provide direct service to clients (which many of the SCF workers wanted the advocates to do) and the consultation nature of the work.
Coordination with all agencies that are currently part of the child welfare multi-disciplinary teams was central to the development of a "best practices" approach to coordinating child abuse and domestic violence services and systems. This activity was delayed several times due to the difficulty in scheduling meetings with representatives from a number of different agencies. In addition, because of the wide range of agencies represented, it was difficult to focus on the tasks and determine next steps. A facilitator was hired for this activity as opposed to a curriculum writer because of the need to facilitate the many different agencies involved. The State seems pleased with this decision; however, the lack of a "writer" made it the group's responsibility to write the curriculum.
Ongoing Activities/Future Plans: The State was recently awarded a Violence Against Women grant that will further the work initiated under the DV/CPS collaboration grants. The new grant will continue the domestic violence work on-site at the SCF branch offices and will include a formal evaluation. In addition, meetings of the workgroup established under the collaboration grants were included in the Violence Against Women grant. The new grant also plans to conduct some focus groups with clients (as was done during the first DV/CPS collaboration grant). During the last legislative session, the State changed the domestic violence assault charges from a misdemeanor to a felony when children have witnessed the crime. With regard to worker training, the child protective services trainer is updating the training for new workers with input from the workgroup on best practice issues concerning domestic violence.
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Grantee Agency: Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Collaborating Agencies: Vermont Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services, Vermont Council on Family Violence
ACF/OCS Grant No.: 90-EV-0121
Project Period: September 1996 through December 1997
Address: P.O. Box 405, Montpelier, VT 05601
Telephone: (802) 223-1302
Contact(s): Annie McCullough
Telephone: (802) 223-1302, ext. 26
Fax: (802) 223-6943
Email: vnadvsa@sover.net
Primary Reason(s) Applied for OCS' DV/CPS Collaboration Grant: A major reason the Network applied for this grant was that domestic violence workers were complaining that Social and Rehabilitative Services (SRS) child welfare workers were removing a lot of children from the homes of women with whom the shelters were working, and the SRS workers did not appear to be considering the domestic violence situation. In addition, the Project Director was completing a Master's thesis on the topic of domestic violence and child welfare collaboration; her knowledge of both the child welfare issues and the domestic violence shelters provided the requisite perfect background for applying for this grant.
Grant Project Goals: Goals and objectives of the project consisted of training both child welfare and domestic violence workers and developing a model protocol for SRS to identify and intervene in cases with domestic violence. In addition, a child intake/assessment form was developed for use in each of the five shelters across the State, and memoranda of understanding were to be established between each of the 15 Network agencies and their SRS district offices.
Implementation: Training was implemented through five regional 2-day trainings utilizing Colorado's Curriculum (derived from the National Curriculum). A total of 95 child welfare workers and 69 domestic violence workers attended the regional trainings. Local experts from both child welfare agencies and domestic violence organizations were the trainers, and the Director of SRS spoke to the need to help protect the abused mother within the child protective system. With funding from their Rural Project grant, domestic violence specialists were outstationed at three SRS district offices to provide consultation to child protective services workers. Initially, there were some problems with SRS workers adjusting (not feeling like they had to work with the "outsiders") and the feeling of some SRS workers that focusing on mothers in addition to the child would increase their workload.
One setback to the project was a rumor that circulated in a community. One particular community agency (a welfare agency) felt that the DV/CPS collaboration, and, in particular, having a domestic violence worker on-site at the child welfare office, was really an effort to cite more mothers for abuse. The rumor was especially dangerous because battered women hearing it would be less likely to seek help from the shelter. The project director spent many weeks clarifying the mission of the project and the benefits for abused women and their children.
Another grant activity included implementing a child intake form (a revised version of the Duluth, MN, format) in each of the five shelters in the State. Prior to the grant, only one of the women's shelters utilized the form.
The project director continues to review other States' protocols and hopes that development of case guidelines will be used as a tool for developing a Statewide SRS domestic violence protocol for child welfare workers. Memoranda of Understanding were developed between the majority of SRS district offices and the domestic violence shelter in their region. The memorandum of understanding would be used to document specific practices and procedures the two agencies will follow, increase accountability, and allow for evaluation of specific practices. Only three of the 15 sites were having problems that were not resolved quickly. Two of the three sites with problems are resolving them by having a facilitator come to meetings and help develop consensus between the two systems.
Lessons Learned and Impact on DV/CPS Relationship: Overall, this grant project has had an impact on the relationship between domestic violence and child welfare service systems. The statewide training was originally conceived as a mandatory training for all child protective services workers; however, a key administrator who had past experience as an SRS district director felt that, if the training were "mandatory," child welfare workers would be initially hostile toward the issues presented. Thus, the training was "highly suggested" for all child welfare workers and domestic violence shelter workers. The development of memoranda of understanding has involved a wide range of professionals in each of the local SRS districts. This was the first statewide training provided to child welfare and domestic violence workers. The implementation of child intake and assessment forms at all five shelters in the State has provided a renewed focus on children of abused mothers. One of the activities of the Rural Project is to have children's advocates at each of the five shelters.
Ongoing Activities/Future Plans: With funding from the Rural Project grant, many of the activities initiated under the DV/CPS collaboration grant are continuing. The statewide training is to be implemented on an annual basis to all newly hired workers or workers who have not participated in the training. Use of the child intake/assessment tool is continuing at each of the five shelters statewide, and work on a statewide protocol for child welfare workers on serving cases with domestic violence is ongoing as the task force continues to meet on this issue. In her new role as Children's Advocate for the Rural Project, the project director of the DV/CPS collaboration grant continues to consult with all 15 SRS district offices and to further the work of the memoranda of understanding between these offices and the domestic violence shelters in their region.
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Grantee Agency: Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, Inc.
Collaborating Agency: Children and Youth Services of Delaware County
ACF/OCS Grant No.: 90-EV-0120
Project Period: September 1996 through June 1997, March 1997 through August 1998
Address: P.O. Box 174, Media, PA 19063
Telephone: (610) 565-6272
Contact(s): Mary Sweeney
Telephone: (610) 565-6272
Fax: (610) 565-9911
Primary Reason(s) Applied for OCS' DV/CPS Collaboration Grant: Both Children and Youth Services (CYS) and the Domestic Abuse Project (DAP) had the same families as clients. CYS staff had very little understanding of domestic violence issues and how to work effectively with victims of domestic violence. High staff turnover and insufficient training furthered this lack of knowledge. In October 1996, a 1-day seminar, entitled "Violence in the Home: The Impact on Foster Care and the Community, was attended by representatives from both CYS and DAP. This conference helped to motivate CYS' interest in collaboration, particularly due to David Liederman and Linda Spears, two experts in the field of child welfare, emphasizing the importance of understanding the relationship between domestic violence and child maltreatment.
Grant Project Goals: The project's goals included the development of a curriculum to train all Domestic Abuse Project (DAP) and Children and Youth Services (CYS) direct service staff and supervisors to understand and respond to the issues of domestic violence and child maltreatment. A domestic violence specialist would be stationed at a CYS agency; protocols for effective interventions would be developed; and teams of CYS and DAP workers would conduct joint case management. An evaluation would measure changes in service delivery and would collect data on spouse abuse and child abuse and neglect.
Implementation: Training materials were developed by DAP, CYS, and the University of Harrisburg. All CYS and DAP new workers (including supervisors and front-line workers) were required to participate in training. In all, 161 (150 CYS and 11 DAP) staff were trained. Training was a 1-day presentation that was repeated for five consecutive days. A shared protocol was developed between DAP and CYS, and a domestic violence case manager was stationed in the CYS office in Chester, PA, one day a week for case conferencing and client meetings. The case manager was available for phone consultation on other days. No data collection activities occurred.
Lessons Learned and Impact on DV/CPS Relationship: Support from the administrative level has been key in establishing the relationship between the two agencies. The relationship between the two communities is much more open since the project began. High staff turnover was an ongoing barrier to collaboration. Ongoing education and communication are necessary in overcoming perceived loss of program identity, loss of authoritative roles, and differences in leadership styles, ideologies, and organizational norms.
Ongoing Activities/Future Plans: Training has become an annual event held in the late spring. Due to the lack of funding, the DAP case manager is no longer assigned to the CYS agency, and no other activities have continued.
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Grantee Agency: Family Place (Dallas, Texas)
Collaborating Agencies: Dallas County Child Protective Services
ACF/OCS Grant No(s).: 90-EV-00571
Project Period(s): September 1995 through February 1997
Address: P.O. Box 7999, Dallas, TX 75209
Telephone: (214) 443-7730
Contact(s): Steven Ryder, Domestic Violence Specialist
Telephone: (214) 443-7741
Fax: (214) 443-7797
Primary Reason(s) Applied for OCS' DV/CPS Collaboration Grant: The Administrations of the Family Place and Dallas County Child Protective Services had a close personal and professional relationship. Both recognized the overlap between child maltreatment and domestic violence and realized the difficulties in delivering services to families where both issues were present. Domestic violence staff felt that child protective services staff did not care about victims of domestic violence, and child protective services staff believed that referrals were not being made when domestic violence staff suspected child abuse needed to be addressed. A decision was made to apply for the grant to begin to address the lack of understanding and cooperation between the two agencies when working with families where both child maltreatment and domestic violence were present.
Grant Project Goals: The project's goals included cross-training of the Family Place staff and Dallas County Child Protective Services staff; the development of a Memorandum of Understanding; the location of a domestic violence specialist within the child welfare agency; and implementation of dual case management. The University of Texas at Arlington received a contract to perform an evaluation of how workers' attitudes changed over the course of the project.
Implementation: Over 200 child protective services program directors, supervisors, and caseworkers participated in a 3-day training provided by staff from the Family Place and the Child Protective Services Training Academy staff. The training covered victimization; profiles and myths of women who are battered; profiles of men who batter; developmental issues of children exposed to domestic violence; assessment and intervention strategies with women including integration of questions regarding a routine inquiry of domestic violence with all clients; intervention and counseling strategies and safety planning; information on batterer's intervention and prevention programs; and use of community and legal resources. Overall, six trainings were scheduled and implemented in four different facilities, and participants received Continued Education Units (CEUs) for Social Work education. The Family Place staff provided orientation sessions for new academy graduates regarding services available for child protective services clients with domestic violence issues. This orientation was integrated into the curriculum of the child protective services Training Academy. Domestic violence staff received eight hours of cross-training through the assignment to various child protective services investigation units and the shadowing of child protective services investigative staff. A full-time domestic violence specialist was hired. The domestic violence specialist was included in child protective services removal staffings to advocate for non-abusing battered parents and to provide consultation on service planning when domestic violence was an issue. Dual case management was implemented when a child protective services caseworker assessed a client as needing domestic violence services. The domestic violence specialist's background in child advocacy and domestic violence helped to establish this position within both communities. A Memorandum of Understanding was established between The Family Place and the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (Dallas County Child Protective Services). The evaluation portion of the project was not completed due to the lack of funding.
Lessons Learned and Impact on DV/CPS Relationship: The political and power structure of the two agencies (one is a private nonprofit and the other a State agency) created considerable barriers in gaining cooperation within the communities. Sensitivity to and a thorough understanding of those structural differences were paramount to the successful implementation. The high turnover of child protective services workers makes ongoing training efforts imperative. Long-term changes in attitudes, beliefs, and practices will involve continued collaboration and relationship development between the two communities. The lack of adequate computer infrastructure and problems of confidentiality have also made it difficult to track the level of referrals between the two agencies.
Ongoing Activities/Future Plans: The domestic violence specialist continues to be funded as a full-time position. The Family Place has added a permanent caseworker in their outreach department for child protective services cases, and dual case management continues. A committee was formed within the Children's Advocacy Task Force of the Texas Council on Family Violence to work with the child protective services project coordinator regarding the implementation of collaboration with child protective services throughout the State. There has been a move to involve law enforcement and the judiciary in future collaboration. Substance abuse and mental health are areas that are being looked at for future collaboration. The Family Place found that batterers often have substance abuse problems that contribute to their being non-compliant with treatment. Also, mental health professionals need to be educated on the dynamics of domestic violence. Often their assessment tools do not take domestic violence into account, and victims get labeled as post traumatic stress disorder.
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Grantee Agency: Maine Department of Human Services
Collaborating Agencies: Edmund S. Muskie Institute of Public Affairs
ACF/OCS Grant No.: 90-EV-0098/01, 90-EV-0060
Project Period: October 1995 through February 1997, March 1997 through August 1998
Address: State House Station 11, Augusta, ME 04333
Telephone: (207) 287-5060
Contact(s): Polly Campbell, Muskie Institute
Telephone: (207) 780-5864
Primary Reason(s) Applied for OCS' DV/CPS Collaboration Grant: The Child Abuse Action Network, a multi-disciplinary committee of the State's child service agencies and private service providers, developed and published a multi-disciplinary model for assessment and intervention in child abuse cases and provided training on its use throughout the State. However, there was a realization that most staff in both communities cared about families, but they were working in isolation. This meant they were often at odds when they tried to help families and frequently gave different accounts in court when testifying on the same family.
Grant Project Goals: Goals of the project included developing statewide protocols, mandatory report forms, and screening tools for use by Children's Services and the Maine Coalition for Family Crisis Services' staff. Training was to be developed and implemented for representatives of the child protective services and domestic violence communities. Specific data collection needs were to be identified. Thirteen liaison teams were to be established in each of Maine's five regional Department of Human Services (DHS) offices. A strategy for providing ongoing evaluation was to be developed.
Implementation: A retreat for child welfare caseworkers and advocates for battered women and children was held to provide joint training and to review and critique a draft protocol, a mandatory reporting form, and a risk assessment and screening tool. Fifteen child welfare caseworkers and supervisors and 15 advocates for battered women and children attended. The training portion focused on legal issues (mandatory reporting statutes, child and family services, the Child Protection Act, and domestic abuse statutes). Topics for the retreat were chosen based on the results of focus groups. Two part-time staff were hired to work with the Maine Children and Families Coalition to provide services to battered women. An advisory committee consisting of representatives from both service systems was established. Sixteen liaison teams consisting of both child protective services and domestic violence workers were also established. An evaluation was not completed because the evaluator moved out of State.
Lessons Learned and Impact on DV/CPS Relationship: Having experienced workers from both fields helped to promote more open, frank, and informed discussions of controversial issues and collaboration. Processing of staff's beliefs and feelings was crucial to overcoming attitudinal barriers. Each discipline must feel that the other understands them before real collaboration can begin. Finally, tension between the two communities over what is best for children and families can often be an invaluable means of checks-and-balances.
Ongoing Activities/Future Plans: Meetings are being held on an as-needed basis for case consultation. The domestic violence protocol developed is part of child welfare policy and is in use by child protective services staff. The Muskie Institute received a Violence Against Women's Act grant to establish a domestic violence specialist in three hospitals in the State. Training is scheduled to be conducted with healthcare providers, child welfare staff, judicial staff, and law enforcement staff in the fall of 1999.
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Grantee Agency: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina DSS
Collaborating Agencies: United Family Services, Battered Women's Shelter and Victims Assistance
ACF/OCS Grant No.: 90-EV-0093
Project Period: September 1996 through February 1998
Address: 720 East Fourth St., Charlotte, NC 28202
Telephone: (704) 336-2131
Contact(s): Lien Bragg, DV Specialist
Telephone: (704) 336-2986
Fax: (704) 336-5940
Email: bragglh@mail.charmeck.nc.us
Primary Reason(s) Applied for OCS' DV/CPS Collaboration Grant: There was a growing local awareness of domestic violence issues. At the same time, supervisors at the Department of Social Services attended a national conference that addressed the commonalties of domestic violence and child maltreatment. Both domestic violence and child maltreatment agencies realized that their staff needed a better understanding of each other (e.g. philosophy, goals/objectives, and services).
Grant Project Goals: The goals of this project were to include child protective services staff on the Domestic Violence Advocacy Council; utilize the council as the steering committee for the project; develop and implement cross-training for child protective services staff and domestic violence staff; establish a Resource/Consultant Advocate (domestic violence specialist); develop and implement local protocols; create a multi-disciplinary team for the review of cases involving domestic violence; and develop a Memorandum of Understanding between the two communities.
Implementation: Local domestic violence experts provided two trainings consisting of six 2-hour sessions to 150 child protective services supervisors and front-line workers. No domestic violence staff received training. The Youth and Family Services Domestic Violence Protocol was developed for child welfare intervention (based on the protocol developed in Boston, Massachusetts); however, it was neither formally approved nor implemented. A domestic violence specialist was established within the child welfare agency to increase awareness of domestic violence resources and educate staff. "Shadowing" between child welfare and domestic violence staff of day-to-day activities was conducted. Child protective services staff participated in "ride-alongs" with the city police department's domestic violence unit staff. The domestic violence specialist conducted training sessions with the domestic violence community on child protective services policies and practice issues as requested. A formal multi-disciplinary team to review cases was not established, but multi-disciplinary staffings have occurred on several child protective services where domestic violence issues were identified. Letters of Agreement took the place of a Memorandum of Understanding due to time restraints.
Lessons Learned and Impact on DV/CPS Relationship: The grant activities provided a foundation for bridging the gap between the two communities who have had an antagonist relationship in the past. Grant activities have increased awareness of domestic violence issues among child welfare staff. The domestic violence specialist's background in child welfare allowed her to develop trust with child protective services staff and empathize with their concerns. North Carolina statutes that addressed confidentiality issues and sharing of information aided the success of the project. Strong administrative support on both sides also played a major role in the project's success.
Ongoing Activities/Future Plans: The training activities continue, as needed. Two units within the department of social services were established to respond to severe domestic violence situations in which child maltreatment is present. Staff from these units will work one-on-one with the domestic violence specialist (now a county-funded permanent position). Once the Department has formally approved it, the domestic violence protocol will be implemented, and the domestic violence specialist will do trainings of child welfare staff on its utilization. The State is currently planning to develop a DV/CPS mandatory protocol and training, and the staff from this project hope to participate in its development. A multi-disciplinary training of juvenile court judges and child welfare staff is scheduled for the spring of 1999.
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Updated by the webmaster on January 27, 2000.