About Us
The Child Witness to Violence Project (CWVP) is a counseling, advocacy, and outreach project that focuses on young children who are the hidden victims of domestic and community violence, and other trauma-related events. The project began in 1992 and currently provides therapy to over 150 children and their families each year. In addition, the program implements both national and state-focused training for mental health clinicians, health care professionals, police, educators, and many other social service professionals who work with children who have witnessed violence and experienced traumatic grief.
CWVP is staffed by a multi-cultural staff of social workers, educational and clinical psychologists, early childhood specialists, a consulting attorney, and a consulting pediatrician. It is run under the auspices of the Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center.
We are not first responders. However, if a traumatic incident occurs in the community and you are concerned about the effects on children, we are available to speak to community groups and schools in the Boston area regarding specific incidents.
Our Services
Referrals for Direct Service
Referrals to CWVP come from a variety of sources, including the police, health and mental health providers, Head Start and other early childhood programs, schools, attorneys, shelters for battered women, court-sponsored victim programs and the families themselves. Referral criteria include:
Training and Consultation
CWVP offers many training opportunities for agencies and providers who work with children affected by violence. Some examples of our trainings/consultations:
Special Projects
professionals working with children who are affected by community violence. One
of the videos was filmed at Boston Medical Center, and staff from the program
assisted in the development of the training manual.
One on One: Connecting Kids and Cops, for police officers who encounter children
affected by violence. This training package of videos and training materials was
filmed in New Haven Connecticut and features footage of police officers in their
many roles with children.
For more information about these training resources, click here for the “Safe Havens” video series and click here for the One
on One: Connecting Kids and Cops video.
Contact Person: Maxine Weinreb, Ed.D., maxine.weinreb@bmc.org
CWVP is staffed by a multi-cultural staff of social workers, educational and clinical psychologists, early childhood specialists, a consulting attorney, and a consulting pediatrician. It is run under the auspices of the Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center.
We are not first responders. However, if a traumatic incident occurs in the community and you are concerned about the effects on children, we are available to speak to community groups and schools in the Boston area regarding specific incidents.
Our Services
- Developmentally sensitive, trauma-focused therapy for the child and parent*
- Parent guidance, family therapy as needed
- Advocacy/intervention to stabilize the environment of the child
- Case-related consultation to schools, and early care and development centers
- Clinical consultation to clinicians and/or agencies working with young children affected by trauma
- Training to professional and parents on a variety of topics related to early childhood trauma, domestic and community violence and intervention
Referrals for Direct Service
Referrals to CWVP come from a variety of sources, including the police, health and mental health providers, Head Start and other early childhood programs, schools, attorneys, shelters for battered women, court-sponsored victim programs and the families themselves. Referral criteria include:
- The child must be 8 years old or younger
- The child must have witnessed or been affected by an act of significant violence
- If the child’s primary reason for referral does not meet the criteria for our program we will help to refer the child to other programs.
Training and Consultation
CWVP offers many training opportunities for agencies and providers who work with children affected by violence. Some examples of our trainings/consultations:
- The annual two-day intensive training institute: "Clinical Intervention with Children Affected by Domestic Violence and other Trauma" that is offered at Boston Medical Center. This training is conducted in Boston or on-site at host agencies throughout the country.
- A one-day training that provides an introduction and overview of Child-Parent Psychotherapy
- Intensive skills training on Child-Parent Psychotherapy
- Ongoing clinical case consultation to agencies and clinicians
- Training or presentations on early childhood trauma; the impact of exposure to domestic and/or community violence on children
Special Projects
- The Early Trauma Treatment Network (ETTN)/National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) (www.nctsn.org)
In October, 2001, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funded a national network of centers to improve the quality and availability of services for traumatized children, their families and communities throughout the United States by establishing the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). CWVP has received funding since that time as a member of the Early Trauma Treatment Network (ETTN), a unique collaboration between the University of California, San Francisco, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Tulane University Medical Center, and Boston Medical Center. The ETTN is focused on providing Child-Parent Psychotherapy, a manualized, multimodal, relationship-based treatment for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers exposed to domestic violence, child abuse, or traumatic loss. CWVP has implemented this innovative treatment approach with children aged 0–5, and their caregivers who have experienced violence and traumatic loss. Staff from the program are credentialed trainers in the model, and have disseminated a number of products related to early childhood trauma and Child-Parent Psychotherapy.
Contact Person: The ETTN Boston Site Associate Director: Carmen Rosa Noroña, Ms.Ed, carmen.norona@bmc.org - Governor’s Council on Sexual and Domestic Violence
Betsy McAlister Groves, LICSW, Founder, is a member of the Massachusetts Governor’s Council on Sexual and Domestic Violence. This Council, which is chaired by the Lieutenant Governor, evaluates legislation to protect victims, evaluates the response of the law enforcement, judicial, health and human services systems to the needs of sexual and domestic violence victims, and promotes measures to prevent and reduce the incidences of sexual and domestic violence.
Contact Person: Betsy McAlister Groves, LICSW, betsy.groves@bmc.org - Pediatric Training Module on Identifying and Responding to Early Childhood Trauma in a Pediatric Setting
With funding from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the Harris Foundation, CWVP has developed a video-based training module for pediatric providers, the goal of which is to improve the identification and management of early childhood trauma in pediatric settings. The module contains a PowerPoint presentation with video clips. The content includes an overview of the epidemiology of early childhood trauma, a review of the short and long-term impact; a description of typical presenting symptoms and a case presentation and discussion, featuring video clips of a pediatrician interviewing a parent about a traumatic experience in the child’s life. The material also provides guidelines for referring a young child for mental health services; and an overview of appropriate evidence-based treatments for this age group.
Contact Person: Betsy McAlister Groves, LICSW, betsy.groves@bmc.org - Safe and Bright Futures for Children Initiative
CWVP and the Suffolk County Children’s Advocacy Center received a federal planning grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2000 to assess service needs and gaps for children and adolescents affected by domestic violence in Suffolk County. This initiative involved designing and implementing a comprehensive needs assessment of services and resources in the area, data analysis, key informant interviews, and focus groups to assess services and resources in Suffolk County. The final report, published in 2007, is available on the Products and Publications page on our website under the Resources section.
Contact Person: Betsy Groves, LICSW, betsy.groves@bmc.org - Collaboration with Family Communication, Inc. (producers of Mister Rogers Neighborhood)
CWVP has collaborated with Family Communications, Inc. on the production of two training resources for professionals working with children affected by violence:
professionals working with children who are affected by community violence. One
of the videos was filmed at Boston Medical Center, and staff from the program
assisted in the development of the training manual.
One on One: Connecting Kids and Cops, for police officers who encounter children
affected by violence. This training package of videos and training materials was
filmed in New Haven Connecticut and features footage of police officers in their
many roles with children.
For more information about these training resources, click here for the “Safe Havens” video series and click here for the One
on One: Connecting Kids and Cops video.
Contact Person: Maxine Weinreb, Ed.D., maxine.weinreb@bmc.org
- Curriculum and Training for Mental Health Professionals
A curriculum has been developed to train mental health clinicians in clinical assessment and treatment of young children who have witnessed domestic violence. It is entitled "Shelter from the Storm: Clinical Interventions with Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence." It is organized as a two-day, 15 hour training package and includes PowerPoint slides and a training guide (see our Resources section).
Contact Person: Maxine Weinreb, Ed.D., maxine.weinreb@bmc.org - Collaboration with Family Violence Prevention Fund (www.endabuse.org/newsdeck/releases)
This collaboration produced a consensus guidebook or recommendations for inquiring about domestic violence in pediatric settings: Identifying and Responding to Domestic Violence: Consensus Recommendations for Child and Adolescent Health. Available for download here.
Contact Person: Betsy McAlister Groves, LICSW, betsy.groves@bmc.org - A grant from the Avon Foundation pairs the services of a family law attorney with the clinicians at CWVP. This attorney advises clinicians of legal remedies that may increase safety for parents and children, provide consultation in court cases involving questions of custody or visitation, or provide resources for other legal issues that affect the health and well-being of families.
Contact Person: Betsy Groves, LICSW, betsy.groves@bmc.org
