April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and is an opportunity to highlight a system of care for those children victimized and traumatized by abuse. In Montana, a collaborative team (the Linking Systems of Care Committee) and in Virginia (the Partner Agency Team) is involved in The Linking Systems of Care for Children and Youth Demonstration project funded by the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Victims of Crime. This unique project is designed to provide or coordinate prevention and intervention services to youth and families experiencing trauma and victimization, and to build capacity within communities to meet the needs of youth exposed to violence. At the heart of this project is the idea that all systems of care are connected, and, to be effective, they need to create a common vocabulary, share information, and create seamless and equitable access to victims.

The states of Montana and Virginia are working to develop a groundbreaking common-use screening tool to identify victimized youth whenever they interact with a system of care and refer them to needed services. Identification and referral of child victims is extremely important in these demonstration sites. More importantly, the common use of a screening tool illustrates that opportunities for healing occur at all points of contact, and by investing in common screening and assessment, systems of care can reduce the duplicative and redundant investigation that often re-traumatize victimized youth.

If you are interested in how you can become involved in this project, visit the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges at http://www.ncjfcj.org. 

To read more of Hon. Ramona Gonzalez article, please click here.
Board Director, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
La Cross County Circuit Court, Wisconsin