The Minnesota Child
Response Initiative

Need

• 3-10 million children/yr witness domestic violence (Straus & Gelles, 1990),
• Exposure to domestic violence threatens the health and emotional well-being of a child
• Of the thousands of domestic calls by Mpls police in 2001, over 50% are estimated to involve child witnesses, and the Twin Cities has no resources to intervene with the child witnesses in the acute aftermath of a violent incident.
• Little research has been done in the USA on the long-term effects of exposure to domestic violence on a child’s development

What works with children exposed to violence?

• Bringing system partners together to focus efforts on identifying these often invisible victims
• Interventions that go beyond the doors of the clinic, school, or community center

MCRI

• Partners
  • Tubman Family Alliance, African-American Family Services, CornerHouse, Family and Children’s Services, Washburn Child Guidance Center, Women of Nations, Mpls Police, Mpls Public Schools, U of M (Children, Youth and Family Consortium). Newest partner: Minneapolis City Atty.
• Funding:
  • MN Dept. of Public Safety, USDOJ, Bush Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation, Blue Cross BS Foundation, individual contributions, and in-kind funding from partner agencies (e.g. police training)

MCRI - initial results

• System change
• Intervention
• Research and evaluation

MCRI: a 3-part project

• Community work and system change
  • Community needs assessments - to date: four communities
  • Geo-mapping of resources for and needs of children exposed to violence in 3 metro counties
  • Participation in multiple community forums (e.g. FVCC)
  • Next priority: information-sharing

Figure 1



Intervention: April 2003

• Responding to children and families exposed to violence through Squad 1480 (Th, Fr, Sat) and 24/7 on call (5th precinct, May 2004-)
  • Goals: acute clinical intervention; advocacy; education about the legal system and about the impact of exposure to violence on children
  • Contact made with over 250 families
  • Families more likely to engage in immediate aftermath than even 3+ days later
  • Majority of families have no history of engagement with social services
  • Only 10% have open CPS cases
  • Less than 10% have ever been to a domestic violence shelter

Intervention

• Training police officers and others in child development and the impact of exposure to violence on children
  • Leadership group of MPD officers trained with 20 hr curriculum in Feb 2004
  • All 5th precinct supervisors trained with basic 4hr curriculum
  • 3rd precinct training planned for Fall 2004

Evaluation and Research

• Evaluation:
  • Intervention: police data on subsequent 911 calls(8-12 months post original violent event) shows a 30% drop in calls from families receiving one visit from MCRI, compared with families who either declined services or were out when the team attempted to visit
  • Client telephone survey: Beginning Sept 2004 client survey will aim to elicit client feedback regarding MCRI services, as well as follow-through with referrals, and child and parent recovery and subsequent violence.