Child and Family Service Review Outcomes: Strategies to Improve Domestic Violence Responses in CFSR Program Improvement

1. Child and Family Service Review Outcomes:Strategies to Improve DomesticViolence Responses in CFSRProgram Improvement Plans FVPF and NRCCPS Webinar September 23, 2009

2. Presenters • Lonna Davis Children’s Program Director Family Violence Prevention Fund • Theresa Costello Director, National Resource Center for Child Protective Services • Shellie Taggart Author

3. How did we get here?

4. Child and Family Service Review • Adoption and Safe Families Act (1997) • Changed the focus of federal reviews of child protection agencies to OUTCOMES for children and families • Safety • Permanency • Well-Being • Engaged states as partners in the process • Provided for technical assistance, and accountability for non-compliance

5. Child and Family Service Review • Statewide assessment (with stakeholders) • In-person review of 65 cases across 3 sites in the state (foster care and in-home), with interviews of involved parties • Report with findings • Program Improvement Plan (PIP) • 2 year plan focused on systemic changes • Roadmap for ultimately achieving outcomes www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/cwmonitoring/index.htm

6. Goal • Improve Safety, Permanency, and Well-Being outcomes for children and their families in which domestic violence* is occurring • Improve CPS practice and policy • Enhance systems of care • Build effective partnerships between DV and CPS *Intimate partner violence, including coercive control

7. Child and Family Service Review • Safety • Children are protected from abuse and neglect • Children are safely maintained in their homes whenever possible and appropriate • Permanency • Children have permanency and stability in their living situations. • The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for families.

8. Child and Family Service Review • Well-Being • Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their children’s needs. • Children receive appropriate services to meet their educational needs. • Children receive adequate services to meet their physical and mental health needs.

9. DV/CFSR Paper Strategies • Make explicit connections between best CPS/DV policy and practice to Safety, Permanency, and Well-Being • Summarize research on children and domestic violence • Provide guidance on how CPS will know when they are getting it right • Suggest how DV/CPS collaborations can focus their efforts in current budget climate

10. Co-occurrence: Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment • Over 100 studies available • Most studies found 30% to 60% overlap, 41% was median • High rates of overlap found in: • Child fatality reviews (41% - 43%) • Abused child studies • Battered mother studies Edleson (1999b), Appel & Holden (1998)

11. Domestic Violence and Repeat Child Maltreatment • Review of 20 (second-round) CFSR Final Reports in April 2009 • Seven (35%) make a connection between domestic violence and repeat maltreatment • In MA, one office reviewed all repeat maltreatment cases for 6 months, and found that 70% involved domestic violence

12. Domestic Violence within Child Protection • Child protection system (CPS) case workers identify a history of domestic violence in 45% of families when active universal screening (using formal policies, procedures, and tools) for domestic violence occurs. • Greenbook Demonstration Initiative, 2004

13. How Children Enter CPS • May be physically hurt during assault against mother (accidently or purposefully) • May be neglected, particularly when DV is severe • May be sexually assaulted by DV offender (as well as mother) • May be exposed to domestic violence and other co-occurring issues, e.g. substances • May be exposed to domestic violence without other forms of maltreatment

14. Child Exposure to Domestic Violence Children may: • Hear the violence, name calling, intimidation, threats, disrespect • Feel the tension • See the aftermath—broken furniture, injuries to their mother, father being taken away by police • Be used to relay messages, keep tabs on mother, harass mother after separation

15. Child Exposure to Domestic Violence Children may: • May have their own safety or well-being threatened—threats to kill, threats to call CPS (removal), threats of kidnapping or never seeing their mother again • Be forced to participate in or watch the abuse of their mother • Directly witness assault, rape of their mother • Witness homicide of their mother • Be injured or killed themselves, directly or as a result of intervening on their mother’s behalf

16. Differential Impact of Exposure Factors • Severity and frequency of violence • Age, and age at first exposure • Length of time since exposure • Co-occurrence of exposure and child abuse • How child understands the violence • Child’s own temperament • Presence of consistent and caring adults • Opportunities for healing and success • Assets in the community

17. Implications for CPS Practice • Screen all families for domestic violence • When domestic violence is identified, conduct danger/safety and risk assessment specific to DV • Demonstrate nexus between domestic violence and impact on child • Increase safety of the non-offending parent and child together • Tailor CPS intervention to the family based on the specific needs of the child • Engage domestic violence offender to hold him accountable for harm to the child

18. Safety Outcomes • Children are protected from abuse and neglect • Clarify thresholds and definitions related to domestic violence, and use them consistently in practice • Conduct universal screening • Assess nature, frequency, severity of violence • Implement domestic violence best practice to avoid increasing danger or risk

19. Safety Outcomes • Children are safely maintained in their homes when possible and appropriate • Increase safety of non-offending parent and child together by providing resources and holding DV offender responsible • Establish family engagement and family team meeting strategies that keep children and mothers safe • Provide workers specialized consultation for planning for DV cases

20. Permanency Outcomes • Children have permanency and stability in their living situations. • Screen foster and adoptive families for domestic violence • For relative placements, explore loyalties and potential fears of domestic violence offender • Provide training to foster and kin caregivers on supporting children exposed to domestic violence • Establish DV reasonable efforts criteria

21. Permanency Outcomes • The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for families. • Explore natural support system of child and recruit placement resources based on existing relationships • Establish guidelines for separate and safe visits for non-offending parent and domestic violence offender • Explore availability and appropriateness of non-resident parent to provide a home or respite for the child

22. Well-Being Outcomes • Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their children’s needs. • Provide funding for basic needs • Refer individuals to appropriate services (avoid anger management, couples counseling, routine psychological evaluations, in home services that are not trained in domestic violence intervention) • Support and encourage parents, when safe to do so, to talk to their child about the violence • Develop a trauma-informed system of care

23. Well-Being Outcomes • Children receive appropriate educational services. • Engage schools in development of screening tools and processes for children exposed to domestic violence. • Ensure that impact of exposure to violence is considered in development of IEPs

24. Well-Being Outcomes • Children receive adequate services to meet their physical and mental health needs. • Establish basic screening for exposure to domestic violence as a core function for all contracted services • Fund/build capacity in domestic violence programs to serve children • Fund trauma evaluations when needed

25. Systemic Factors Collaborate with DV partners in: • Data collection • Collect and analyze prevalence and practice level data • Training • Provide integrated, progressive skill development • Case planning • Write separate plans for DV offender and non-offending parent

26. Systemic Factors Collaborate with DV partners in: • Quality Assurance efforts • Conduct DV case reviews • System of care development • Therapeutic services for children, children and mother together • Highly skilled in home workers who are trained in domestic violence intervention • Advocacy services for the non-offending parent • Batterer intervention services, responsible fatherhood programs for the DV offender • Culturally specific services • Supervised visitation • Gender-specific substance abuse and mental health services

27. Resources • The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative www.thegreenbook.info • National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence www.dvalianza.org • Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community www.dvinstitute.org

28. Resources • Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence www.apiahf.org • National Resource Center on Domestic Violence www.nrcdv.org • Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse www.mincava.umn.edu

29. Resources and Technical Assistance • National Resource Center on Child Protective Services www.nrccps.org • Family Violence Prevention Fund www.endabuse.org • National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Family Violence Department www.ncjfcj.org