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PORTLAND, OR

Multnomah County
421 Southwest Oak Street
Suite 630
Portland, OR 97204
503.988.4113

Purpose
To improve the response of the child welfare system to children who are victims of child abuse and who witness domestic violence. To reduce the impact on children aged 6 years or younger of co-occurring child abuse or exposure to domestic violence.

Interventions
Child Welfare-Domestic Violence Co-location: Domestic violence advocates are co-located in the Department of Human Services to help provide safety planning, referral to and advocacy for other needed services, accompaniment to court, team decision meetings, and other child welfare meetings. They also provide consultation and technical assistance to the child welfare workers and others involved in the child protective service system regarding domestic violence issues and system responses.

Parenting support and services: A parent-child specialist provides interventions to the mother-child dyad with the goal of reducing the impact of exposure to violence. Services include home visits, parenting support, and coaching for mothers who need additional parenting support due to their domestic violence experiences.

Case consultation and coordination: Domestic violence and child welfare staff work together to develop a collaborative case plan that jointly addresses domestic violence and child abuse and neglect issues.

Promising or Evidence-Based Practices
Child Welfare-Domestic Violence Collaboration: Recommended by National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Best Practice Guidelines in: Schechter, S. and Edleson, J. (1999). Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice.

Child Parent Psychotherapy: Van Horn, P. and Lieberman, A. (2006). Child-Parent Psychotherapy and the Early Trauma Treatment Network. Collaborating to Treat Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers. Children Exposed to Violence. Feerik, M. and Silverman, G. (Eds.) Paul Brooks: Baltimore.