CHSR, contracted by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), is evaluating a collaborative approach for serving families experiencing both intimate partner violence and child maltreatment.

Traditionally, child protective services (CPS) and domestic violence (DV) service areas function separately. However, many times they are serving the same families. It is estimated that 30-60% of families involved in child protective services are also experiencing intimate partner violence. An emerging approach, involving co-location of DV agency staff with CPS staff, is thought to have benefits for the families involved with both systems. To date, formal evaluation of this collaborative approach is sparse. Using a mixed method design, this study systematically examines outcomes of families served by co-located CPS and DV staff. Gaining an understanding of these collaborative services and their impact on children and families offers a way to structure and fund future services.

Evaluation & Research

CHSR is utilizing mixed methods to evaluate collaborative practices and outcomes for families. Methods include telephone interviews with all counties’ Directors of Services, focus groups with caseworkers and supervisors, face-to-face interviews with domestic violence staff, a statewide online survey, case records review, and surveys of clients. Three counties without CPS/DV collaborations were selected for comparison and analysis alongside three counties engaged in collaborative initiatives.

Program Development

As part of this study, CHSR worked with OCFS to develop a logic model that specifies the program components and also helps describe the evaluation plan and types of data that will be collected. The co-location logic model systematically and visually represents how the program activities are linked to the results the initiative is expected to achieve.

For more information, contact Sarah Rain.