20.2 Screening for Family Violence

Overview

Research shows that domestic violence is primarily about power and control, and that the most dangerous time for victims can be when they leave their abuser. Requesting paternity establishment and/or child support can signal to batterers that they have lost control for good, sometimes triggering threats and/or violence.  Some customers may not disclose that there are safety concerns.  To help identify domestic violence cases, the following procedures shall be followed in every case:

1. The intake case worker will review the child support application, pages regarding Good Cause and “Concerns about your safety” before every intake. If safety concerns are indicated, the case worker will complete  CSP Domestic Violence Individualized Case Management Tool with the applicant.

2. The case worker may complete the CSP Domestic Violence Individualized Case Management Tool with each new applicant for services even if no concerns are indicated on the application.

3. The CSP Domestic Violence Individualized Case Management Tool will help identify safety concerns, help gauge the level of danger to the customer, and guide the case worker through explaining how the program can modify processes to help keep the customer safe. The tool also triggers the requirement to provide the information in Domestic Violence Considerations in Child Support cases, which contains information regarding domestic violence and civil legal representation resources available locally.

4. If a customer voices safety concerns at any point during the life of a case, the case worker will complete the CSP Domestic Violence Individualized Case Management Tool with the customer.

Cross Reference

None