EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD MALTREATMENT CASES: GUIDELINES FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE (GREENBOOK IMPLEMENTATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE)

Funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, allows the FVD to continue its intensive effort to reform the ways in which courts, child welfare agencies, and domestic violence agencies respond to families experiencing both domestic violence and child maltreatment.  At the heart of this effort is implementation of recommendations found in the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judge’s (NCJFCJ) 1999 publication, Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice (the Greenbook).  These efforts include providing technical assistance to six demonstration sites working to put into place Greenbook recommendations and addressing the overarching public policy issues pertaining to Greenbook implementation.

FVD STATUTE DATABASE

The FVD maintains the nation's only statute database dedicated exclusively to domestic and family violence legislation. This database allows users to search domestic violence laws from all 50 states and the U.S. territories and is updated bi-weekly.

The database contains statutes related to domestic violence from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico (in both English and Spanish where available), the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.  There are currently almost 5,000 statutes available for users to search.  The database includes, for example, criminal codes related to domestic violence, stalking, and rape; criminal procedure codes that dictate arrest procedures and bail conditions in domestic violence cases; statutes related to firearm possession and prohibitions; civil codes, which include custody (when domestic violence is present), orders of protection, etc.; statutes that provide for fatality reviews; statutes that prohibit insurance, workplace, and unemployment discrimination; and statutes that create address confidentiality programs and that create domestic violence and sexual assault counselor-victim privilege. 

FULL FAITH AND CREDIT: MAKING IT HAPPEN

Funded by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), the Full Faith and Credit project addresses two key areas: identifying and developing primary strategies that will enhance the issuing and enforcement of protection orders; and assisting judges with their responses to federal and state firearms legislation and the Full Faith and Credit provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In the near future, this bench card will be updated to reflect the changes to full faith and credit by the passage of the Violence Against Women Act 2005.  Available online only.

NATIONAL JUDICIAL INSTITUTE ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Funding by OVW allows the FVD to continue its partnership with the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) to conduct the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence (NJIDV). Each training introduces judges to innovative ideas that enable them to improve their skills in domestic violence cases.  National experts work as a faculty team to provide interactive training on such topics as the impact of domestic violence on victims and children, perpetrator behavior, protection order issuance and enforcement, custody and visitation in cases involving domestic violence, oversight of criminal cases, and cultural considerations in domestic violence cases. 

RESOURCE CENTER ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: CHILD PROTECTION AND CUSTODY

The Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody (Resource Center) was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services starting in 1993. Through the Resource Center, the FVD provides training and technical assistance to professionals seeking to improve outcomes on child protection and child custody cases that involve domestic violence, while engaging in policy reform in those areas. The Resource Center staff and advisors continue to devote a significant amount of time to the ongoing effort to change practice where domestic violence and child maltreatment co-exist.  In addition, the Resource Center provides specialized technical assistance to Greenbook Initiative grantees and Safe Havens grantees.

SAFE HAVENS: SUPERVISED VISITATION AND SAFE EXCHANGE GRANT PROGRAM

The Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program (Supervised Visitation Program). Funded by OVW, the project provides technical assistance to Supervised Visitation Program grantees. The goal of this project is to support grantees in their efforts to increase the number of centers available, to enhance the quality of services, and to increase their ability to assist victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence. 

OVW TARGETED ASSISTANCE: SUPERVISED VISITATION AND FRAMEWORK PROJECTS

Funded by OVW, the Supervised Visitation Project provides court-related and legal training, technical assistance, and educational tools relating to the issues presented by the provision of supervised visitation and exchange services for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.

The Framework Project was funded by OVW to develop a benchtool for judges that addresses best practice in child custody, visitation, and supervised visitation matters involving domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.

ENHANCING JUDICIAL SKILLS IN ELDER ABUSE CASES

The National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence (“NJIDV”), the joint project of NCJFCJ, OVW, and the Family Violence Prevention Fund,  offers a comprehensive judicial education program to improve court response to  victims of abuse in later life.

Family Violence Department – (800) 527-3223 or (800) 52-PEACE
Fax (775) 784-6160 – Wash. DC (202) 558-0034 – fvdinfo@ncjfcj.org