ATTORNEYS FOR THE Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) from across the state attended a full-day training June 27, 2003 in Plymouth on domestic violence issues in child protection cases. The DCYF Attorneys' Toolbox for Child Protection Cases Involving Domestic Violence was co-sponsored by DCYF and the Grafton County Greenbook Project. Attorney Leigh Goodmark of the American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law was the featured speaker for the conference, which focused on the dynamics of domestic violence, the effects of domestic violence on children and linking information to case practice.

Goodmark urged the group to consider philosophical changes when it comes to handling cases where there is the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child abuse and neglect. She said safety for the adult domestic violence victim often equates to safety for children. Citing a national study, she said, "Social workers who have made the switch in their thinking agree that nine times out of ten, if you can reach a safe resolution for the adult victim, it is also going to be a safe resolution for the children." She acknowledged that although keeping the adult victim and children together is the ideal in most situations, there are other times when removal is appropriate.

Goodmark told the attorneys that change is hard. "What I'm doing is really challenging you to think differently in these cases, and because you're thinking differently, to do things differently." She emphasized that all systems involved with these types of cases need to change their practices to better address the needs of families.

In introductory remarks, DCYF Director Nancy Rollins spoke of DCYF's commitment to improving how it addresses cases where there is the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child abuse and neglect. DCYF administrator Bernie Bluhm, Dr. Scott Hampton of Ending the Violence and Department of Health and Human Services trainer Karen McCall of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence also presented at the training.

Attorney Gina B. Apicelli, director of The Greenbook Project, said the training for the attorneys was "part of a comprehensive effort by DCYF to improve outcomes for children." She said that no one segment of a system can be trained on best practices in isolation and expect change to happen. The attorneys' toolbox followed a training session for child protective service workers on children's exposure to domestic violence, held this spring at the three DCYF district offices serving Grafton County. "The importance of the DCYF attorneys' role for favorable outcomes for families cannot be overlooked. They need to have the tools to obtain the legal relief for families that are consistent with best practices when there is a co-occurrence of domestic violence and child abuse and neglect," said Apicelli.

National studies indicate that in 30 to 60 percent of child abuse and neglect cases, there is also domestic violence. In recognition of this factor in DCYF's caseload, the Greenbook Project will continue to work with DCYF and the Department of Health and Human Services' Training Unit to identify areas in which to focus training efforts. DCYF also is addressing co-occurrence issues in its collaboration with the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic Violence in the Domestic Violence Program Specialist Project, in which domestic violence advocates work half-time in DCYF district offices across the state.

The attorney training was one of numerous activities undertaken by the Greenbook Project, which is a federal initiative in Grafton County designed to enhance collaboration among DCYF, the Grafton County district courts and Family Division, and four domestic and sexual violence crisis centers to improve the systems' response to families experiencing child abuse and neglect and domestic violence. The three systems are engaged in multi-disciplinary and system-specific efforts to address the overarching project goal of increasing the long-term safety and well-being of victims of domestic violence and child abuse and neglect. For more information on the project, visit www.thegreenbook.info or contact the project at nhgreenbook@cyberportal.net or (603) 536-7719. For more information on the American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law, visit www.abanet.org/child/home.html.

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