The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges has a variety of projects which intersect with research on adverse childhood experiences and trauma. Although many projects and training opportunities are designed for sitting judicial officers, some of them are multidisciplinary and open to court professionals (lawyers, custody evaluators, guardians-ad-litem, social workers, clerks, law enforcement etc.) Some of NCJFCJ's projects include the following:
- Enhancing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence Workshop: Through the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence (NJIDV) the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, in partnership with Futures Without Violence and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) administers four national judicial workshops on domestic violence throughout the year. These workshops involve information on victim and perpetrator behavior, including segments on trauma caused by victimization or exposure to domestic violence. NJIDV also uses a victim empathy exercise called Comings and Goings, which is adapted from the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life. This exercise allows judges to role play the part of a victim of domestic violence (or a child exposed to domestic violence) and experience how trauma can affect decision-making.
- National Judicial Institute on Domestic Child Sex Trafficking (NJDCST): The NJDCST workshop is a recent project funded through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), in partnership with Human Rights For Girls. Trauma is included throughout the curriculum as a recurring theme, and particular attention is given to the effect of complex trauma on services, reunification, court intervention, and victim behavior. NJDCST also utilizes an exercise that requires judges to role play as a victim of domestic child sex trafficking and focuses on how trauma during the life-course can effect a minor's decision-making and interaction with service providers, law enforcement and the courts.
- Regional Trainings and Insertions: NCJFCJ functions as the Comprehensive Training and Technical Assistance Provider to Judges on Domestic Violence and conducts regional trainings at the request of local judges, court systems, and state institutions. Subjects at previous regional trainings and insertions have included segments on vicarious and secondary trauma (trauma experienced by judicial officers, attorneys, and other court professionals), the behavior of adult and minor litigants with trauma, and trauma-responsive court procedure and practice. During these trainings, NCJFCJ frequently utilizes resources and material on trauma from partner organizations such as the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network, OJJDP, OVW, Futures Without Violence, and the Center for Court Innovation.
- Child Abuse and Neglect Institute (CANI) and Advanced CANI: NCJFCJ conducts an annual Child Abuse and Neglect Institute (CANI) for juvenile judges which includes trauma-informed court practice. During this year's CANI in June of 2015, NCJFCJ judicial faculty also conducted a presentation on "The Court's Role in Becoming a Trauma Responsive Community." NCJFCJ also delivers an Advanced CANI workshop which includes segments on trauma-responsive practices in court procedure.
- Trauma Audits\Observations: NCJFJC also provides technical assistance through conducting trauma audits. A trauma audit is akin to a combined site visit, court-observation, training and meeting. They are usually conducted through a multidisciplinary team of family violence and domestic relations personnel, mental health experts and staff from the juvenile law division. A trauma audit allows a local system to receive expert assistance on aspects of their court procedure (from the booking process to in-court dialogue), which may pose problems for litigants with trauma. In the past, trauma audits have revealed areas where systems might benefit from further training, changes in policy, or in some cases, relatively simple changes in staff procedure.
- Linking Systems of Care: NCJFCJ is the technical assistance provider to the Linking Systems of Care demonstration sites in Montana and Virginia. In this work, NCJFCJ has partnered with the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and provides support, training, assistance and site observation for both teams who are working to develop models for improving responses to child victimization and trauma. This includes assessing instruments, providing information on trauma-focused practices, connecting sites to trauma experts and research, as well as providing direct information on court systems that have worked with trauma-affected populations.
- Tribal Trainings: NCJFCJ conducts specific outreach to tribal courts and trains on trauma issues which are unique to related to tribal populations. NCJFCJ also conducted the first Tribal Child Abuse and Neglect Institute, which included training for tribal judges and court officers.
- Resource Center on Domestic Violence, Child Protection and Custody: Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NCJFCJ also operates the Resource Center on Child Protection and Custody (RCDV:CPC). RCDV:CPC is designed for individual victims, professionals, and courts. Hotline operators provide information on trauma and exposure to domestic violence daily through technical assistance via e-mail and phone. RCDV:CPC also conducts a variety of trainings centering around domestic violence, child protection and child custody. The majority of these trainings include trauma information.
- Technical Assistance Bulletins and Publications: NCJFCJ also publishes a variety of technical assistance bulletins for courts and professionals on trauma, including Ten Things Every Judge Should Know About Trauma and Delinquency, A Trauma Primer for Juvenile Probation and Delinquency Staff, NCTSN Bench Card on Trauma (Partner Publication), Preparing for a Trauma Consultation, Trauma Informed Courts and the Role of the Judge, and other publications. The Family Violence and Domestic Relations Department also publishes Synergy, the flagship publication\newsletter of the RCDV:CPC which often deals with trauma in the context of domestic violence.
This list is not a comprehensive description of all the areas where NCJFCJ projects address trauma. If you would like more information on what NCJFCJ does in the field of trauma, visit our website at www.ncjfcj.org, or e-mail the Family Violence and Domestic Relations Program at fvdr@ncjfcj.org.
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