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 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 new justice for families project, reach CNY, INC., in partnership with the 5TH judicial court, vera house, and the center for justice innovation upstate new york office will implement a standard project addressing the following purpose areas: 1) supervised visitation and/or safe exchange services; 5) court and court-based programs and services; and 8) training within the civil justice system, in onondaga county, NY. Specific activities under this project include: 1) supporting a 1.0 FTE program manager and part-time supervised visitation monitors to provide supervised visitation and exchanges services for families impacted by domestic violence; 2) supporting a 1.0 FTE victim advocate from vera house to work within the integrated domestic violence (IDV) courts and provide direct advocacy and safety planning with victims of domestic violence; and 3) hosting trainings and informational meetings to assist judges, court personnel, attorneys, child welfare personnel, and legal advocates in the civil justice system.