Child Abuse and Domestic Violence in Massachusetts: Can Practice be Integrated in a Public Child Welfare Setting?

Abstract

Massachusetts was the first public child welfare agency in the country to develop an internal domestic violence program to better identify and serve families where partner abuse and child abuse overlap. This article chronicles the development of the program, from the hiring of battered women's advocates to the implementation of statewide domestic violence protocols for investigators and social workers. Issues of case identification, risk assessment and safety planning are discussed in detail. Challenges faced by battered women's advocates in child welfare setting are presented as well as future directions for the program.

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