Child Response Initiative

The National Field-Generated Training, Technical Assistance, and Demonstration Projects Program addresses demonstrated gaps in training or technical assistance or in the knowledge base of victim service practitioners nationwide. The aim of the program is to enhance the provision of services and support to crime victims to further ensure that all victims are afforded the rights to which they are due. All initiatives are national in scope and focus on improving the capacity of victim service providers and allied practitioners to provide services to adult and child crime victims that experience polyvictimization.

The Human Development and Services Department at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT) will utilize this award to support the Child Response Initiative (CRI) as a trauma informed, culturally competent, and comprehensive victim response demonstration project for child polyvictims and their families. CRI was adapted from the Child Development-Community Policing (CD-CP) program model. Its purpose is to provide community-based, coordinated services within a trauma informed framework to child polyvictims with the goals of reducing the likelihood of child victims later becoming violent offenders and decreasing negative mental health symptoms and other negative factors. Primary activities of CRI are to provide trauma informed advocacy and support; safety assessment and planning; education regarding traumatic stress; and coordinated referrals and supportive follow up to address any barriers that may impede service utilization. OVC funding will be used to implment CRI citywide, evaluate the program, and develop a CRI implementation toolkit for jurisdictions interested in program duplication.

ca/ncf