Group Brainstorm: Strategies and Recommendations to Build Cooperation and Overcome Barriers Between Domestic Violence and Child Welfare at State, Local, and National Levels

• NCJ Number: 166295
• Author(s): Anonymous
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 9 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: University of Iowa
• Sale Source: University of Iowa
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Prepared for the conference on Domestic Violence and Child Welfare: Integrating Policy and Practice for Families, Racine Wis., June 8-10, 1994.

Annotation

This paper presents 43 guidelines for building cooperation and overcoming barriers between domestic violence and child welfare agencies at the State, local, and national levels.

Abstract

These guidelines were developed at a group brainstorming session at a conference in Racine, Wis., June 10, 1994. The first recommendation is to reframe dialogue and stop thinking that there are two distinct movements -- child welfare and domestic violence -- with two distinct goals. A second recommendation is to fund demonstration model grants to encourage multiple agencies to work together across fields. This would involve the development of new and various models that unite domestic violence, family preservation, and child abuse services. Another recommendation is to evaluate and provide better documentation about existing collaborative programs and initiatives, such as those in Massachusetts and Michigan. Other recommendations pertain to the dissemination of information about model programs, bringing practitioners together to discuss what is working and what is not working, provide training across fields and learn about other agencies at local levels. Another suggestion is to link domestic violence organizations to the national network of Children's Advocacy Centers.