| CJA Task Force | Larry Thorne
Chair
Valerie Milholland
Vice Chair
Roy Block
William Briley
Kriste Burnett
Cozette Bustamante
Audrey Deckinga
De Shaun Ealoms
Jon Evans
Joe Gagen
Tom Gaylor
Rolf Habersang
Denise Hyde
Joyce James
Randi King
Margaret Lalk
James Lukefahr
Chris Oldner
Daniela Ontiveroz
Daniel Powers
Joy Rauls Fairy Rutland
Gerry Williams |
| CJA Staff |
Ginny Woods
Program Director
Heidi Penix
Grant Administrator
Colette Bonstead
Finance Associate |
|
CJA Launches 2011 Grant Program
CJA's mission is to improve the investigation, prosecution, and judicial handling of cases of child abuse and neglect, particularly child sexual abuse and exploitation, in a manner that limits additional trauma to the child victim. One of the principle methods of achieving CJA's mission is through our grant process.
The 2011 funding priorities were determined by CJA's Task Force and include providing professional training to improve the handling of cases of child abuse and neglect, creating and expanding programs to ensure that all children and youth have access to advocacy and the judicial system, and developing and implementing programs that address the unique challenges faced by those victims of child abuse who also suffer from mental or physical disabilities.
Within the funding priorities, CJA has determined four types of project categories:
- Demonstration Projects
- Training and Technical Assistance Projects
- Research and Evaluation Projects
- Venture Grants
CJA is now accepting proposals under these four project categories and our specified recommendations. The deadline for submitting a complete proposal is August 13, 2010. For additional information on the CJA Grant Program, click here. |
| CJA Sponsors Targeted Training Programs to Improve Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect
Child Abuse and Neglect Training for School Personnel
 While schools are the primary reporters of suspected cases of child abuse and neglect, there is still a need for additional training, particularly in more rural school districts. Access to quality training on child abuse and neglect for school professionals varies widely across the state depending on the geographic size and location and many teachers may not feel adequately prepared to recognize abuse and make a report.
In May 2010, the Texas CJA program awarded a grant to Dallas Children's Advocacy Center (DCAC) to develop a standardized Training Curriculum and companion Implementation Guide for use throughout Texas in providing training to school district personnel. The training will address recognizing the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect and understanding the process for reporting as it relates to school personnel. The training curriculum will include a two-part DVD on recognizing and reporting, and will be delivered to school personnel throughout the state utilizing a train-the-trainer approach. For more information on the school personnel training, contact Anne Ferguson, Senior Education Specialist for DCAC, at aferguson@dcac.org.
Child Abuse and Neglect Training for Law Enforcement Officers
 Often new detectives are assigned to work the child abuse and neglect cases. New detectives do not have the training and/or experience to handle these complex investigations. Additionally, officers in rural areas do not have access to training due to travel restrictions and limited resources. The initial response to child abuse investigations is crucial to the successful prosecution of cases, as well as the healing of the child victim.
As a way to increase access to quality training for officers throughout the state, CJA has awarded a grant to the Training and Research Institute for Professional Law Enforcement (TRIPLE) to develop and deliver a structured child abuse and neglect training for law enforcement officers. TRIPLE will recruit and train highly qualified and experienced trainers to travel into communities to deliver the Advanced Child Abuse and Neglect Training at no cost to the participants. For more information on this project, contact Nicole Martinez at Nicole.Martinez@tmpa.org. |
|
CACTX Hosts Annual Training for Multidisciplinary Team Facilitators
Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas (CACTX) held its annual Team Facilitation training, March 23-25, at the CACTX Conference Center in Austin. The CACTX Team Facilitation Training is designed to enhance functioning and productivity of multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) by providing designated team facilitators with training to develop an understanding of group dynamics, group facilitation, and team management skills.
The two-and-a-half day training was led by Cathy Crabtree, Executive Director of CACTX, and John Alderson, the Director of Resources for Change, Inc., a training and consulting group that provides organizational and clinical consulting with interdisciplinary child sexual abuse programs. The training addressed requisite skills for enhancing team interactions, including how to build team norms, encourage participatory discussion methods, and assess the productivity of team interactions. Twelve team facilitators from various CACs throughout Texas attended the training. To learn more about CACs or CACTX, visit their website at www.cactx.org. |
CJA Hosts Roundtable on Engaging Fathers
On March 27, 2010, the Children's Justice Act (CJA) sponsored a Fatherhood Roundtable which was held at the Texas Center for the Judiciary. The Fatherhood Roundtable was a joint initiative between the Department of Family and Protective Services and CJA. It was moderated by Kenneth Thompson, Fatherhood Program Specialist at DFPS and included participants from multiple agencies working for child welfare, including the judicial system, CPS and CASA. Of greatest significance, the roundtable featured eight fathers who shared their personal experiences from within the case process. They offered their opinions on how to better engage fathers across systems and increase father involvement in their children's lives.
The roundtable generated in-depth discussion and varying opinions. However there were some broad areas of agreement. In general, participants agreed that:
- Nonresident fathers were not aggressively sought out by caseworkers and were viewed, in the best of circumstances, as merely back-up placement options if reunification with the mother failed.
- Fathers felt that they were not provided with the resources necessary to facilitate their full participation with their child's case.
- Fathers often need to be educated about their role in the child welfare process and their rights as fathers.
- There is a need for specialized and supportive programs tailored to the specific needs of fathers raising children.
At the end of the meeting, participants expressed their appreciation for the forum and were eager to put forward recommendations based on the conversation. Some of the participating fathers in the CJA Roundtable will be involved in a Fatherhood Initiative Panel at the CPS Judges Conference in San Antonio on August 5th. |
| 2nd Annual Judicial Summit Urges Trauma-Informed Decision-Making
 The TCU Institute of Child Development held its second annual Texas Judicial Summit, May 24-26th in Fort Worth, TX. The conference was attended by more than 300 judges and child protection professionals across the state of Texas. Conference sessions offered insights from the fields of child development, neurodevelopment, and attachment to empower participants to make informed decisions ultimately leading to better long term outcomes and less trauma for children in care.
Nationally recognized speakers delivered presentations on the impact of early trauma and provided strategies for making trauma-informed placement decisions and assessments. Among the highlights of the conference, Dr. Jayne Singer, introduced Dr. T. Berry Brazelton's Touchpoints Approach. Through this approach, professionals can identify known periods of risk during child development and implement appropriate strategies for preventing abuse.
The event was professionally videotaped, and DVDs will be available for purchase through TCU this Fall. A limited number of DVDs from the 2009 Summit are available free of charge through the Children's Justice Act program. If you would like a copy of the 2009 conference DVD, please contact Ginny Woods at ginnyw@yourhonor.com.
/speakers.asp. |
DFPS Introduces Enhanced Family-Centered Safety Decision-Making
 The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) held back-to-back sessions of an intensive joint training for its investigations (INV) and family-based safety services (FBSS) leadership staff on June 7-11 in Dallas. The conference, entitled Knowing the Family: A Key Piece of Enhanced Family-Centered Safety Decision-Making, was designed to help INV and FBSS management staff optimize the knowledge and skills of caseworkers as they strive to meet the needs of the families they serve. The conference was mandatory for all managers in the FBSS and Investigations units.
Throughout the two-day event, national speakers, as well as DFPS state and regional staff introduced the concept of Enhanced Family-Centered Safety Decision-Making, a practice model developed in partnership with the National Resource Center for Child Protective Services and Casey Family Programs which emphasizes safety in decision making by all levels of staff through "getting to know the family." DFPS leadership characterized the conference as a much needed opportunity to get back to the basics of good social work practice and indicated that training event is just the first step in a larger practice shift.
|
CJA Sponsors Undoing Racism Workshop
In Texas, African-Americans make up 11.8% of the child population, but represent 27.9% of the children removed from their homes due to abuse and/or neglect and nearly 35% of the children awaiting adoption. However, research has not shown varying levels of maltreatment of children by racial or ethnic group. To improve the response to racial disparities in the child welfare system, the Texas Children's Justice Act (CJA) sponsored "Undoing Racism" training provided by the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond to members of the judiciary, CPS, CASA and other representatives of the Texas child welfare community. The training was held at the Texas Center for the Judiciary on June 25-27 and was attended by 34 individuals from across Texas.  Undoing Racism training began for CPS leadership in Texas in 2004 with the Houston Region, followed by the Arlington Region, and has gradually grown to include child welfare professionals throughout the state. These workshops have proven to be effective in helping to address the issue of disproportionality. The two-and-a-half-day "Undoing Racism" workshop teaches how to (1) analyze power, (2) define racism, (3) identify manifestations of racism, (4) learn from history, (5) share culture, and (6) organize to undo racism within systems and institutions and at the community level. The workshop asserts that to undo racism, participants must understand the racially-based structures of society's institutions. 
The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond is a national and international organization of anti-racist, multicultural community organizers and educators dedicated to building an effective movement for social transformation. Since 1980, The People's Institute has impacted the lives of nearly 130,000 people both nationally and internationally. |
Upcoming Events
July 15-16
Keeping Infants and Toddlers Safe
 The Infant Toddler Court of Harris County and the Fort Bend Court Team for Maltreated Infants and Toddlers will present a Regional Conference on July 15-16 addressing Trauma, Family Interaction and Visitation, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The conference will be held at the Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston, 303 Jackson Hill St., Houston, TX and is free of charge. Conference sponsors include the Council, CJA, and Zero to Three. While the conference registration has already reached capacity, the event will be videotaped to use for training in the future. To view the conference agenda, click here. For more information, contact Connie Almeida at calmeida@zerotothree.org.
July 26-28
Advanced Child Abuse and Neglect Instructor Course
Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA) and Training and Research Institute for Professional Law Enforcement (TRIPLE) will be training new instructors to teach the three-day Advanced Child Abuse and Neglect Training (24 hour CLEOSE Credit). The training will be held at the TMPA Training Facility, 6200 La Calma Drive, Suite 200, Austin, TX. TMPA is no longer accepting applications to attend the program.
July 29
TADEC Statewide Midyear Meeting
 The Texas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (TADEC) will be holding its Statewide Midyear Meeting from 10 AM - 3 PM at Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse, 1349 Empire Central Drive, Suite 150 (first floor conference room), Dallas, TX. The meeting will include a number of topics and activities that reflect the changing face of TADEC and the drug endangered children movement in Texas. For more information on the midyear meeting or TADEC in general, please contact Justin Mazzeo at jmazzeo@gdcada.com.
August 9-12
Crimes Against Children Conference
 The 22nd Annual Crimes Against Children Conference will be held in Dallas, August 9-12, 2010 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in downtown Dallas. The nationally and internationally-recognized conference for professionals from the fields of law enforcement, prosecution, child protective service, social work, children's advocacy, therapy, and medicine who work directly with child victims of crime. Registration is now open. Please direct any questions to conference@dcac.org. |
|
SAVE THE DATE
The 2010 National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children ( National DEC) Conference is being held November 9-11, 2010 at the Dallas/Addison Marriot Quorum by the Galleria, 14901 Dallas Parkway, Dallas, TX. The conference is a three-day event providing training on latest research and best practice strategies for drug endangered children efforts at the local, state, and federal levels. The result of this conference will be enhanced collaborative efforts to protect children from the harmful effects of their caregivers' substance abuse. The event is being held in partnership with the Texas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children which is supported by CJA. For more information visit the conference website. |
|
|
|
Contact Us!
Finally, we'd like to hear from you! Simply reply to this email, and let us know what you think are the top 3 issues impacting child protection right now. Also, please share any promising practices going on in your area or ideas for future newsletters.
We will use your responses to help inform our CJA Task Force priorities and future grant programs.
|
Texas Children's Justice Act Program
Texas Center for the Judiciary |
|
|
