Center for Family Services, Inc., NJ
The Center for Family Services (CFS) proposes the Peaceful Tomorrows program to expand community-based services for children ages 0-17 who have experienced violence (e.g., family violence, domestic violence, dating violence) and their non-abusing parents in Cumberland and Gloucester Counties, New Jersey. By expanding the services delivered (particularly by adding services for non-abusing parents), improving the quality of these services, and expanding the local capacity to provide these services, Peaceful Tomorrows will mitigate the impact of violence on children exposed to it and will prevent future exposure through improvement of parent and family functioning.
The focus population for the program is underserved, vulnerable, rural and/or Hispanic communities in the two-county service area. With Peaceful Tomorrows, CFS will reach further into the most underserved and needy communities in the service area through improved partnerships with allied professionals to increase referrals and expand messaging and marketing. Allied professionals working at the Family Success Centers, in the schools, with law enforcement, and in emergency rooms need training to better partner with CFS to make referrals and conduct outreach.
Key activities of Peaceful Tomorrows include provision of children and their non-abusing parent with counseling services (individual, family, group) and other therapeutic services (chiefly Expressive Therapies) and family group activities that bring families together and build supportive networks. Program activities will include referral, marketing to the focus population, intake, assessment (continues ongoing), counseling in individual/family/group sessions, expressive therapy for children, family group activities, an annual family retreat, training of allied professionals who work with these same families, and increased/improved messaging, marketing, and outreach to the focus population.
