Keynote Presentation at the 2009 Child Abuse and Family Violence Summit - Portland, Oregon

1. “Children Caught
in the Cross-Fire”
Casey Gwinn
President,
National Family Justice Center Alliance
May 5, 2009
Resource Information:
Email: casey@nfjca.org
Website: www.familyjusticecenter.org

2. Rose Jovero

3. Sgt. Paul Starzyk

4. Improving the Relationship Between Child
Advocacy Centers, Family Justice Centers, and
Domestic Violence Shelters
Understand the History…Looking
Forward…

5. FJC Vision Statement
• A future where…
– All the needs of adult and child victims are met
– Children are protected
– Violence fades,
– Batterers/abusers are held accountable
– Economic justice increases,
– Families heal and thrive,
– Hope is realized, and
– We ALL work together…

6. Brief Background on the Child
Advocacy Movement
• Rev. Charles Brace the Orphan Trains
• Mary Ellen Wilson Case – 1874 NYC (Led
to the founding of the New York Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children)
• Modeled after the New York Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• 1876 – NYSPCA and NYSPCC merged to
form the American Humane Society to
protect animals and children

7. “The child welfare movement was born in
paternalism and focused solely on the
protection of children, not the protection of
battered women”
Charles Wilson, Director, Chadwick Center for Children and
Families, San Diego (former Director of the National
Children’s Advocacy Center

8. Brief Background on the
Domestic Violence Movement
• Survivor-Driven
• Born in a Rejection of Paternalism
• Primarily focused on the protection of
battered women
• Not aligned with the child welfare
movement in its philosophy, history, or
operations…

9. The History
• The Women’s Movement
• The Battered Women’s Movement
• The Civil Rights Movement
• The Modern Domestic Violence Movement
• The Choice to Recruit the Criminal Justice
System
• The Choice to Reach Out to Men
• The Evolution Toward Co-Located
Services

10. The Future…The Greenbook Initiative…Child
Advocacy Centers focusing on DV
Victims…Child Advocacy Centers and Family
Justice Centers…
Working collaboratively…

11. Reaching the Vision
is not an event…
It is a long journey…

12. How often are they present?
1992 New York Study
Children Are Present in 68% of
All Reported Domestic Violence
Incidents

13. The Reality
• 3.3 to 10 million children witness domestic
violence each year
• 54% of all child abductions occur in the
context of domestic violence
• 75% of the children of divorced parents report
witnessing domestic violence
• 70% of shelter children are victims of physical
abuse or neglect
• Brain development is dramatically impacted
by trauma exposure

14. The Research
• 6% of pregnant women are battered (CDC 1997 Study)
• Children of DV/CA homes are 6x more likely to commit suicide; 24x more likely to
be sexually assaulted; 60x more likely to be involved in delinquent behavior
• Male children witnessing any DV: At least three times more likely to become
abusers
• Children of most violent homes: 1000x more likely to become abusers
• Dr. Harry Chugani: “We can have individuals who, based on early experiences,
are in effect quot;hard-wiredquot; for negative behaviors.”
• Dr. Bruce Perry: Persistent fear response; hyper-arousal; disassociation;
disrupted attachment process; neglect; lack of stimulation – results in limited
capacity for empathy, learning disabilities, depression, lack of neural
development and brain growth.
• Resiliency research…is very promising…(Werner, Smith 1982, 1998, 2001);
(Katz & Windecker-Nelson,2006)
• (www.childwelfare.gov – Child Welfare Information Gateway)

15. Resources
• The Link Research Project: Understanding the Link Between Child
Maltreatment and Woman Battering
www.mincava.umn.edu/link
Provides up-to-date information on current research, practice, and promising
intervention models with families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse and
neglect.
• Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody
www.ncjfcj.org/dept/fvd/
Comprehensive publications and technical assistance to the fields of domestic
violence, child protection, and custody regarding policy and practice issues inherent
in work with children exposed to domestic violence.
• Child Witness to Violence Project
www.childwitnesstoviolence.org
Offers general information about the effects of domestic violence on children,
statistics, and the Report on Violence and Children.
• The quot;Greenbookquot; Federal Initiative
www.thegreenbook.info
Provides resources and information regarding the six federally funded communities
implementing the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges guidelines,
Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines
for Policy and Practice.

16. But the Silos are difficult to
penetrate…

17. The Family Violence Program at
Children’s Hospital
• 1989 - Assigned Advocates to Battered
Women to Support Them in Family Court,
Criminal Court, Juvenile Court
• Where Child Abuse and Domestic Violence
Were Present in the Relationship
• Court Support
• Safety Planning

18. Partnership with City Attorney and
Family Violence Program
• Longer sentences with advocates in court
• Study showed victims were less likely to
recant with support from FVP
• Prior history far more extensive than prior
police contacts
• High prevalence of sexual assault
• Identification of high risk cases was easier

19. •The San Diego
Family Justice
Center…
www.sandiegofjc.org

20. Informed by…
• Child Advocacy Centers
• Evidence-based practices
• Multi-Disciplinary Work of DV Shelters
• Survivors
• Long history of collaborative work between
the domestic violence and child abuse
communities in San Diego County

21. San Diego Grand Opening – October 2002

22. San Diego Family Justice Center
District
City
Attorney
Attorney
Chaplains
SDVLP
HOME
Forensic
START
Medical Children’s
SDPD
Unit
CCS Hospital
DV Unit
UPAC
Human
SDPD
Trafficking
APS
Elder
Travelers
FJC
Aid
Dept
SDFJC
Foundation Clinical
CTAP
Program
PFJCI
Victim
Witness
CAMP
CWS Probation
HOPE
Military
Teen Volunteer
SD Program
Court
Deaf
MHS

23. Creating a Supportive Family
Environment…
• Client enters the
Front Porch at the
Family Justice Center
and checks in with the
Receptionist.

24. San Diego FJC Dining Room

25. Living Rooms and Dens
• Intake Advocate
greets Client,
conducts a Client
Assessment,
develops a Safety
Plan, and determines
needed services

26. Children’s Room

28. The Greatest Challenge:
Culture Change
• Before: • After:

29. FMU Facilities

30. San Diego FJC FMU Facilities
• Spacious Bathroom Facilities
• New fixtures
• Discrete

31. The Chadwick Center (CAC) Family
Violence Project Team at the San
Diego Family Justice Center…
Opened September 2004

32. Meeting the Needs of Children…
• Children’s Hospital’s Chadwick Center
(CAC) – Service Provider
• Goals: Provide all necessary children’s
services on-site…
– Forensic exams
– Interviews
– Therapy/Counseling

33. Central to the FJC Vision…
Camp
HOPE C

34. Camp Hope for Children
Impacted by Family Violence
• To heal
• To give hope
• To have fun
Go to:
www.camphopesandiego.org

35. Tepee Village &
Meeting Circle

36. Water Play

37. Water Play

38. Water Play - Kayaking

39. Fishing

40. Catching Frogs

41. Serenity Lodge at Camp HOPE

42. The San Diego
Family Justice Center…
• Police Department Domestic Violence Unit
• City Attorney’s DV Unit/District Attorney’s Family Protection
Division
• 25 on-site and off-site public and private agency partners
• TRO Clinic, Counseling, Food, Housing Assistance,
Transportation, Cell phones, Shelter advocates, Disability
community advocates, System advocates, Military advocates,
Probation, DA Victim/Witness, and Services for Children,
Mentoring
• Forensic Medical Unit (Sharp’s Grossmont Hospital and UCSD
Medical Center)
• Strong Volunteer Team, including Chaplains and Chaplains
Assistants
• Camping, Early Intervention with Juvenile Offenders, Mentoring
• 120 professionals on-site daily focused on DV
• Evaluation Committee – Focus Groups with Clients

43. Client Focus Group
Primary Response
“What took you so long?”

44. Initial Outcomes
The San Diego Family Justice
Center: What are we seeing?

45. Family Justice Center –
Initial Outcomes
• Natural client peer support
• Broad cross-section of victims/clients
• “Dropping charges” significantly reduced (30/70)
• Client support/safety dramatically increased
• Less focus on criminal justice system as sole or
primary response
• Strong sense of “community” developing among
service providers
• Collaboration, Efficiency
• 30, 22, 18, 13, 9, 7, 5, 5, 3 in 2008…Aiming for
ZERO in one year…

46. Survivor VOICES
Sally quot;You all made an extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing experience
bearable. I found this setting to be very comfortable and the staff very professional
including the volunteers.quot;
Carolyn Marshall quot;The chaplain was a great inspiration. I have future goals to
accomplish with God! Thank you and I will one day offer my assistance to help others
who are victims.quot;
DeeAnn quot;You provided very good support. I needed something to do with my hands.
Someone went and brought me a deck of cards!quot;
Nicole quot;I feel so much better. I thought that there were no group resources available, but
now that I've come here, I'm more relieved that your helpful services are here to assist
me in these matters. Thank you and God bless.quot;
Tammie quot;I came in this morning worried and dreading this experience. But the staff and
workers here helped me leave here with hope. Thank you very much.quot;
Robert quot;This program is wonderful for us. It's very rare that this kind of thing happens to
me but this place is helping me get through this. Thank you very much.quot;
Natalie quot;The place is a warm environment. The people are very friendly, helpful and
professional and I am thankful this place exists.quot;
Sherry quot;Everyone was very polite, friendly and professional and understanding. The
lounge area was so cheerful and fun and the children's playroom was fantastic.quot;

47. Survivor VOICES
Marie quot;I felt I was safe, not pushed or intimidated. It was a great experience and they even fed
me. I was hungry too. I enjoyed seeing my girls be kids again. I was apprehensive coming in
thinking I could do this on my own. Thanks for your help in making me feel at ease.quot;
Amber quot;As embarrassing as the incidents were, I was made to feel comfortable and was not
judged. Greatly appreciated the assistance. I was utterly flabbergasted. The entire process was
family friendly, organized and professional, yet nurturing and caring. Everyone treated me with
dignity and respect. They even fed me and thought about my children who weren't even here at
the Center. Why hasn't this Center been available for us before?! And I thank you for your
patience and kindness. God be with you.quot;
Tim quot;All of my questions were answered and I was informed of procedures and the way the
process works. This is new to me but it's been easy for me to grasp the process because of the
assistance. I felt a sense of hope when I came here.quot;
Andrea quot;I liked the purple outfits!!!quot;
Catherine quot;I felt at ease. They assured me several times I came to the right place. It seemed
everyone did their best possible job. Thank you for all the help.quot;
Todd quot;You guys are very great people, thank you, and God bless you! The people here are the
only people that seemed to care and understand my situation. I can't thank them enough for
listening to me and believing in me. Domestic abuse in the gay community is just as painful and
serious as any other form of domestic violence, but usually no one cares.quot;

48. Fundamental Principle:
You cannot protect children if you
do not protect their mothers…

49. Key Question: Are You Planning
for the Safety of the Children in All
DV cases?
• Safety Plans for Kids
• Support Groups for Kids

50. And on the other side…
a key question:
• Are you planning for the safety of mothers
in all child abuse cases?
• Do you have specially trained domestic
violence advocates working as full
partners in your child advocacy system?
• Are DV Survivors Central to Your CAC
Vision and Child Welfare Vision?
• Beware of the Benevolent Batterer
Syndrome

51. Promising Practices
• Co-locating domestic violence advocates in child welfare offices for
case consultation and supportive services
• Developing cross-system protocols and partnerships to ensure
coordinated services and responses to families – E.g. The
Greenbook Initiative (www.thegreenbook.info)
• Co-located service delivery such as the Family Justice Center model
• Instituting family court models that address overlapping domestic
violence and child abuse cases
• Cross training domestic violence and child welfare advocates
regularly
• Creating domestic violence units in child welfare agencies with
survivor-centered service delivery philosophy
• Case conferencing with DV professionals on co-occurrence cases to
avoid removal of children whenever possible

52. Innovative Approaches
• National Children’s Advocacy Center
www.nationalcac.org
• Ouachita Parish FJC
www.fjcouachita.org
• St. Joseph County FJC Vision
• Hillsborough County FJC
• San Diego FJC/YWCA/Chadwick CAC
Vision

53. •The Long-Term
Vision: CAC +
FJC + Shelters
Working
Together in
Every Way
Possible

54. www.familyjusticecenter.org
• Proceeds help support the International FJC
Alliance in its work around the world on behalf of
victims and their children

55. Hope for Hurting Families III : A Guide to
Co-Located Services in the Middle East

56. Reminders for Dreamers
• Be Focused and Persistent
• Be Overcomers: Politics, Turf Issues,
Competing Priorities, Enemies, Money, and
Personality Conflicts
• Bringing together Child Advocacy services and
Domestic Violence services is NOT EASY!
• Stay Humble
• Learn from past mistakes
• Listen to advocates/survivors
• Always aspire, never settle
• Beyond services…what is your Camp Hope?

60. Dream Big!

61. Thank you!
www.familyjusticecenter.org