NCJ Number
232143
Date Published
September 2006
Length
15 pages
Annotation
An overview is presented on the Philadelphia Safe and Bright Futures for Children and Families Initiative (SBF) in the development of a collaborative response to children's exposure to domestic violence in pediatric health care.
Abstract
In response to a national epidemic of domestic violence, many professional organizations have developed policies recommending routine screening for domestic violence in health care environments, including pediatric office settings. In October 2004, the Institute for Safe Families (ISF), in collaboration with Lutheran Settlement House, a local domestic violence agency, received a 2-year planning grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a coordinated community response for children exposed to domestic violence. In response, the ISF launched the Philadelphia Safe and Bright Futures for Children and Families Initiative (SBF) whose purpose was to develop a sustainable, collaborative approach to children's exposure to domestic violence in pediatric health care. SBF has made the issue of children's exposure to domestic violence and the role that pediatric health care can play a priority in Philadelphia. The work of SBF covered a 2-year period (2004-2006) and encompassed two discreet project initiatives resulting in a Blueprint for Responding to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence in Pediatric Health Care: (1) the development and implementation of a Need Assessment; and (2) the second year revolved around answering the question on how to create a model system of integrated care for children exposed to domestic violence using pediatric health care as the focal point. Multiple agencies and systems worked together to create the blueprint and embark on a process of envisioning a family-centered approach to children exposed to domestic violence. Five Blueprint recommendations were formulated and presented to guide the implementation phase of the SBF.