Children Who Witness Violence

The Summit County Children Who Witness Violence program (CWWV) is a collaborative program with Akron Children’s Hospital. The target population is children birth to 18 who have been exposed to violence and reside in Summit County. The goal of the CWWV Program is to decrease the traumatic impact of witnessing violence by using home-based trauma focused services. The program uses a two-pronged approach to meeting its goal. The first component is crisis intervention and assessments services which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The second component is on-going trauma support services, which include individual counseling for the child, family counseling, and teaching parents how to parent a traumatized child. All services are voluntary, confidential, and free of charge.

Children enter the program in one of two ways—a traditional referral or immediate response to a crisis.

• Referral: With the traditional method, a referral source calls the program office and provides information on the child being referred. Program staff contacts the family, explains the program services, and schedules an appointment. A team of two Crisis Intervention Specialists (CIS) meets with the family to assess the situation and develop interventions designed to assist the child. Team members are housed at the Battered Women’s Shelter, Community Outreach Office. To make a referral to the program call 330-374-0740 extension 108.

• Immediate response: This referral method is utilized by law enforcement and medical professionals. To make an immediate response referral, call the 24-hour, 7 day a week a hotline number, 330-618-4765. A crisis intervention team is dispatched within 30 minutes of the referral.
  
  

Crisis Intervention Services

Collaborative partners for the Crisis Intervention Services are the Battered Women’s Shelter of Summit and Medina Counties and the Victim's Assistance Program. Once children are referred to the program, they have a series of meetings with the team of two CIS, who are available to meet 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the child’s home or at another safe location. Typically, CIS will meet with the child three to five times, with the main objective of these sessions being to resolve the crisis, normalize feelings, assess trauma symptoms, and reduce and manage distress. Each visit typically takes 60-90 minutes, although there is no set time limit and the CIS will stay as long as the child and family needs. While the CIS may meet with the family more often (especially if a death occurred as a result of the violence), the typical five-session approach consists of the following:

• Initial visit: The first visit focuses on gathering information regarding the precipitating incident and past experiences of violence; educating the caregiver about trauma and program services; obtaining signatures for a variety of forms; and meeting and giving the child a teddy bear, which are termed “care bears.” All children receive a “care bear,” even older children.

• Second visit: The second visit consists of trust building between the CIS team and the child, including the use of a variety of “ice-breaking” techniques. The CIS team observes the child for trauma symptoms and may begin to assess the need for ongoing support.

• Third visit: The third visit begins or continues with the assessment process. Art and play interventions are introduced during this visit as well as a way to further reduce levels of distress.

• Fourth visit: The fourth visit concludes the assessment process, and recommendations related to the need for ongoing support services are discussed with the caregiver. The child continues to receive art and play interventions.

• Fifth visit: The fifth visit serves as a transition meeting for those children who are referred for ongoing trauma support services (see next section). The on-going service provider will attend this meeting as well, thus assuring a seamless transition to the next level of care.
  

On-going Trauma Support Services

Collaborative partners for the on-going services component are Child Guidance/Family Solutions, Catholic Social Services, Blick Clinic, and Positive Paths. Children and families in need of on-going trauma support can receive parenting skills training, individual child counseling, and/or family counseling in their homes. On-going service providers meet with the children and/or families one to two times a week for one to two hours, over a period of three to six months. During these sessions, they use a variety of techniques, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, play therapy, and education.

Community-Based Education and Training

The program offers training to the public regarding issues around children witnessing violence, trauma, and trauma related issues.

Program website: https://www.akronchildrens.org/cwwv