Child Protective Services/Domestic Violence (CPS/DV) Co-Location Program

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

Baltimore County DSS recognizes the overlap of domestic violence and child maltreatment and the compound risks that exist as a result. The agency therefore implemented the CPS/DV Co-Location Program in order to develop a comprehensive approach to families experiencing child maltreatment and domestic violence. This program combines the expertise and resources of the DV and child welfare systems toward improved safety, investigation, referral, and treatment. In this model, a DV advocate and a DV trauma-informed therapist from Baltimore County’s Family Violence unit are “co-located” within Child Protective Services. The CPS/DV advocate provides crisis intervention, field response, DV safety planning, resources and referrals, accompaniment to court, attendance at Family Team Decision Making Meetings, and assistance with protective orders. The DV trauma-informed therapist provides brief, immediate, trauma-based therapy and linkages to trauma-based community resources for clients in high danger of DV lethality and surviving family members of DV homicide. The combination of expertise between DV and CPS service systems provides the greatest benefit to DV victims, perpetrators and their children. Collaboration between both systems through regularly scheduled meetings, conferences and training offers victims and family members access to comprehensive supports and resources dedicated to the outcome of improved safety of the family.