The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the…

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) received a $583,000 Project Grant award under the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women's Justice Systems Response to Families Program (CFDA 16.021). The grant will be used to implement a three-year project addressing supervised visitation and safe exchange services, as well as training for court-based and court-related personnel, in Kent, Saginaw, and Genesee Counties in Michigan. Key activities include:

1. Providing 1.0 FTE senior monitor and a part-time monitor at Underground Railroad, Inc. (Saginaw County) for supervised visitation and safe exchange services.

2. Continuing a part-time program coordinator and part-time monitor at InvolvedDad/Family Matters (Genesee County) for these services.

3. Assigning a 1.0 FTE domestic violence consultant to oversee and provide training on the Safe and Together model to court staff.

4. Delivering training developed under a prior award to court-based and court-related personnel across the three counties.

The project aims to enhance the capacity of the justice system to respond to families affected by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as authorized under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.

The grants to support families in the justice system program (referred to as the justice for families program) was authorized in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse. The program supports the following activities for improving the capacity of courts and communities to respond to families affected by the targeted crimes: court-based and court-related programs; supervised visitation and safe exchange by and between parents; training for people who work with families in the court system; civil legal services; and the provision of resources in juvenile court matters. Projects supported by the justice for families program are those that focus on keeping victims and their children safe from further abuse and holding offenders accountable. Through this continuation justice for families project, the michigan department of health and human services michigan domestic and sexual violence prevention and treatment board, in partnership with the ywca west central michigan, kent county department of health and human services, underground railroad INC./safeplace, saginaw county friend of the court, saginaw county 10TH judicial circuit court, ywca of greater flint, genesee county friend of the court, genesee county 7TH judicial circuit court, and involveddad/family matters, will implement a standard project addressing the following purpose areas: 1) supervised visitation and safe exchange; and 3) training for court-based and court-related personnel for the state of michigan including kent county, saginaw county, and genesee county. Specific activities will include: 1) providing 1.0 FTE senior monitor and a part-time monitor at underground railroad, INC. (saginaw county); 2) continuing a part-time program coordinator and part-time monitor at involveddad/family matters (genesee county); 3) providing a 1.0 FTE domestic violence consultant to oversee and provide training and implementation of the safe and together model; and 4) delivering training developed under the prior award to court-based and court-related personnel.