Responses for Families Experiencing Domestic Violence

by Child Welfare Information Gateway

(Page 2 of 4)

Building Collaborative Responses for Families Experiencing Domestic Violence

Child protective services (CPS) caseworkers cannot comprehensively address all of the multiple needs of the families they encounter. Effectively responding to the needs of families experiencing domestic violence and ensuring the safety and well-being of all family members require close collaboration with service providers. This chapter describes specific activities that build collaborative responses between CPS and service providers, presents principles of collaboration, and provides examples of promising initiatives, models, and programs from across the Nation.

Partnering With Service Providers

Safety for children and adults impacted by domestic violence can be enhanced greatly through collaborative partnerships and integrative practice approaches between CPS caseworkers and service providers. It is essential that these groups understand the unique challenges inherent within each system that can compromise case sensitive practice and seamless service delivery. Similar to when CPS partners with substance abuse treatment providers, CPS caseworkers and service providers can engage in daily activities that teach one another about relevant field issues and incorporate their areas of expertise into case practice.

CPS caseworkers can take active roles in building relationships with service providers and in developing a shared understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities through the following:

Shadowing activities. While visiting another practitioner's office may appear to be a simplistic suggestion, it can be a powerful tool in building relationships. CPS caseworkers can visit domestic violence shelters, observe a domestic violence intake, listen to hotline calls, and participate in domestic violence trainings. These visits will help them to integrate practical domestic violence knowledge and competency into their child protection efforts. Similarly, CPS caseworkers can invite service providers to listen in on child abuse hotline calls or accompany them on a child abuse investigation. By doing so, service providers can learn when CPS accepts a referral for assessment, what they assess for in determining child safety, and how they make the determination that a case meets the legal definitions for abuse or neglect. Domestic violence workers will see that many of the families entering the CPS system have multiple needs and CPS caseworkers face the daunting task of assessing and responding to several problems in addition to child maltreatment and domestic violence.

Cross-training opportunities. Regardless of who hosts or the focus of the training, cross-training allows child welfare and domestic violence professionals to receive and provide relevant information simultaneously about their respective processes and subject areas. CPS caseworkers can invite service providers to inservice trainings where they provide critical information regarding the definitions of child maltreatment, the criteria for reporting to CPS, and the CPS process. This provides an opportunity to clarify misconceptions about their roles, responsibilities, and authority. Caseworkers likely will see that some domestic violence workers struggle with mandatory reporting requirements because they fear victims will be "revictimized" by punitive child welfare practices, that it will cause them to lose their children, or that they are breaking victims' confidentiality. CPS caseworkers can ease such apprehensions by explaining the criteria for case substantiation, the course of protective custody decisions, and the required steps in the child protection process. Further, caseworkers can offer to help victim advocates develop protocols and staff trainings on mandatory reporting to CPS. Similarly, service providers and organizations can invite CPS caseworkers to trainings such as appropriate safety measures for victims, perpetrator intervention programs, and the dynamics of domestic violence.

Integrating case practice knowledge and expertise. CPS caseworkers can include service providers in case decisions and hold interagency staffings at critical decision-making points. It also may be helpful to have the service providers facilitate the family team meetings for CPS cases involving domestic violence. This integration of specialized domestic violence knowledge contributes to more informed decisions benefiting the safety and well-being of all family members. It also engages service providers in the CPS process, helps them understand ASFA timelines, and increases their awareness of service planning efforts. Service providers can observe juvenile court proceedings to learn when protective custody is necessary, the implications of child protection reunification efforts, and the conditions for recommending termination of parental rights. Service providers also can be involved in family court proceedings by providing expert testimony that educates attorneys, judges, and other parties about the impact of domestic violence on families.

Sharing information. Information sharing and confidentiality issues frequently present barriers to collaboration and generate negative stereotypes about CPS caseworkers. Service providers often are accused of being uncooperative with CPS and overly protective of their clients. In turn, service providers often perceive CPS caseworkers as unwilling to share information even when these same caseworkers ask them for information about shared clients. CPS caseworkers can help counteract this misconception by explaining that case record information is protected through agency policy or statutes limiting their ability to share information. Caseworkers can collaborate to the extent allowed by informing service providers of case decisions, explaining the CPS process, consulting with them on practice approaches, and including them in case planning efforts. Service providers also can explain their confidentiality policies to CPS caseworkers along with the victim's expectations that the sensitive information they share will not be used against them. Service providers can explain this delicate balance and ask CPS caseworkers for guidance in developing practice guidelines regarding reporting to CPS and for sharing client information. In some instances, victims may be asked to sign a confidentiality release form so that case information may be shared with other service providers.

Service providers and CPS caseworkers, despite their differences, share one primary goal - safety and freedom from violence. They can work to accomplish this for all victims of violence by joining in partnership to develop new ways to work on behalf of the families they serve. Establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) can also aid in communication and understanding of roles.

About the Author

www.childwelfare.gov
Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.