My Sisters' Place/Child Protective Services Partnership

To address the myriad problems faced by women who are experiencing both domestic violence and child maltreatment issues, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has set up collaborations in counties throughout the state between domestic violence service providers and Child Protective Services (CPS) offices.

In 2001, My Sisters' Place was chosen to spearhead this initiative in Westchester County. Since then, with additional support from Westchester County, the collaboration has grown, and today, MSP counselors are co-located at all four Westchester CPS district offices to provide advocacy and education for these victims and their children. MSP counselors do not work for CPS, but rather alongside the CPS caseworkers to ensure that the safety and security needs of each client is preserved. MSP counselors independently provide supportive counseling, safety planning, information, court accompaniment, and referrals.

During this timeframe progress has been made towards positively impacting the safety outcomes of the clients served. For example, in the last reporting period, the number of clients who demonstrated increased safety by creating a safety plan exceeded the performance target by 30%. This success is typical of our collaborative efforts with CPS.

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