Trauma Prevention and Response

Fatalities in Georgia related to Stalking: Annual Report 2017

April 5, 2018 by Chief Navigator

Georgia’s Commission on Family Violence and the Coalition Against Domestic Violence provide us each year with an annual report that is more than just stats, it’s a roadmap to saving lives. The 2017 report focuses on stalking and is a must read for all responders and advocates. It’s especially important for victims and family members or friends of victims.

Georgia Domestic Violence – Fatality Review Annual Report 2017 by Deb Beacham on Scribd

Filed Under: Assault Victims, Court Watch, Domestic Violence, Evolving Solutions: Family Law, Georgia Fatalities, Preventing Tragedy & Loss, Stalking, Uncategorized Tagged With: Child Advocacy, Children Exposed to Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence seen by Children, Trauma Prevention and Response

Preparing Your Court for a Trauma Consult

August 19, 2017 by Chief Navigator

Being trauma-informed means asking,

What happened to you and how can we help?

versus

What is wrong with you?

The Trauma Manual for Judges in Family and Juvenile Courts

Informed judicial officers and other court professionals can make an immediate, positive impact on children and parents who are being traumatized by abuse and fraud within their immediate family or through their extended family units.

This applies to schools, churches and to healthcare companies and organizations as well. The kind of stress and trauma that is inflicted in litigation, especially where custody disputes are used as weapons against a victim of domestic abuse or fraud, for example. Any first responder, mandated reporter of abuse or anyone interacting with families and children in a professional capacity should become trauma-informed.

We believe it’s worth spending the extra time learning and discussing these issues with court officials, professionals in other fields, and also with family members in your cases to engage them in the process.

This guide or Trauma Manual as referred to by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges will go a long way toward making your courtroom a safer and more constructive path for those who enter your court seeking protection and relief from abuse. [Read the Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases to learn to recognize signs that abuse may be concealed from the record.]

NCJFCJ Trauma Manual for Family and Juvenile Court Judges by Deb Beacham on Scribd

Filed Under: Alienation of Parents & Children, Assault Victims, Child Abuse Response & Prevention, Child Custody, Early Prevention, Free Jack and Thomas, Guardian Ad Litem, Judicial Guide to Child Custody, On Behalf of Children, Preventing Tragedy & Loss, Professional Spotlight, Psychological Professionals, Rights of Children, US Legislation on Child Custody Tagged With: Child Custody Trauma, Council of Superior Court Judges, Court Intervention, Courts as First Responder, Education, Judicial Education, Judicial Guide to Child Custody, NCJFCJ, Schools as First Responders, Trauma Prevention and Response, Trauma resulting from Abuse, Trauma-informed

Trauma Prevention in Courts: What Judges Should Know

August 19, 2017 by Chief Navigator

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges has developed several insightful tools for judges and court staff involved with families dealing with conflict and troubling transitions. Mental health, family violence / economic abuse, child abuse and neglect, addiction, loss of homes and jobs, confusion and fear all mix together to bring new and greater challenges to our courts every day.

Previously I wrote about the Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases as the safety of children is often lost in the shuffle of legal documents and tactics to gain an advantage. Improving safety, reducing stress and keeping loving, safe parents together with their children can be back-burnered when professionals appearing before judges are too focused on billings.

Denying children safety or peace of mind and failing to protect parents who are being victimized by physical, mental and/or economic abuse translates to trauma and trauma-related symptoms that can set children up to fail, impacting them harshly for life. Fortunately more professionals are making time to learn and to advocate against abuse and uncertainty, and policy leaders are making this a priority.

Please read and share these documents with your staff and other judges and court professionals you know. Preparing to assess trauma and to respond for the sake of improving safety and recovery time will save lives. Contact me here if you would like to review case studies that show the difference – how lives are saved vs. lost depending on how courts respond to abuse of parents and children.

The Trauma Manual for Judges can be downloaded from this page as the next step after reading the “Changing Minds” Infographic below.

Thank you for paying attention – and taking action on this important topic!

Deb Beacham

Trauma Infographic for Judges 2016 by Deb Beacham on Scribd

Filed Under: Alienation of Affection, Alienation of Parents & Children, Assault Victims, Child Custody, Child Custody Evaluators, Domestic Violence, Early Prevention, Evolving Solutions: Family Law, Guardian Ad Litem, Judicial Guide to Child Custody, Kids Need Their Parents, On Behalf of Children, Preventing Tragedy & Loss, Professional Spotlight, Psychological Professionals, Rights of Children Tagged With: courts, Domestic Law, Georgia Family Court, Judicial Guide, Judicial Guide to Child Custody, NCJFCJ, Trauma Prevention and Response