Helping Children Heal: New NJ Bill Provides Domestic Violence Treatment Services

Abstract

Bill A228 Session 2022-2023: Establishes Statewide Program to Provide Treatment Services for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence [Name] What are the historical antecedents to the policy? Establishing a statewide program to provide treatment services for children and families exposed to domestic violence is a policy that has received drastic changes over time. Nothing much has been witnessed on domestic violence related policies as domestic violence cases remains handled through the perspective of the accused and the defendant leaving many affected therein without any support if they did not make their legal complains. Since domestic violence is a prevalent issue that affects a wide range of New Jersey citizens, the policy makers aims at ensuring that the most effective policy becomes enforced and implemented to address the rising demands of the target victims. While noting the strong and irrefutable connections between domestic violence and child maltreatment, New Jersey’s child welfare system noted that there has been a fragmented system of services and support to address this disturbing issue requiring some adjustments on the enforced policies. Unfortunately, there are many victims of domestic violence especially the children that the previous policies did not consider while offering support to the victim. To this effect, the need to come up with a policy that offers statewide programs to provide treatment services for children and families exposed to domestic violence became the most effective options as a policy that only helps a few and leave others does not make sense in addressing domestic violence effects in totality. One can associate inadequate support and services to the most vulnerable domestic violence victims as the most potential origin of the most recent proposed policy. As pre-filed for introduction in the 2022 session through Nancy Munoz as its main sponsor, the policy has received much emphasis with its introduction to the senate in January 26th 2023 through Senator Jean Stanfield as another potential sponsor of this proposed policy. What do such developments imply? It means that there is an urgent need for adjustments of the previous policies that New Jersey Departments of Children and Families used to address health-related effects of domestic violence. Through potential legislators either senator or a representative, the proposed Bill became sponsored to ensure that with defined amendment, it can provide a statewide program to provide treatment services for children and families exposed to domestic violence through counseling, therapies and medicinal treatment at no cost to ensure that such victims remain freed from psychological torture. It is a policy that also aims at ensuring that such services remains delivered by the most effective personnel’s fully funded by the state government to enhance effectiveness of the policy in addressing the previously noted loopholes. Domestic violence omnibus (HB1715) is a great example that is similar to statewide program aimed at ensuring statewide supportive services to domestic violence victims. The Policy Itself Establishes statewide program to provide treatment services for children and family members exposed to domestic violence is a policy whose aim remains well reflected on its title. It is Act concerning domestic violence and supplementing Title 30 of New Jersey Statutes that are responsible for providing treatment, care and rehabilitation services to mentally ill persons. It is a policy that requires nothing more or less than ensuring complete well-being of domestic violence victim following the inconsistencies of the previous policies. With the proposed amendments, the current policy aims at eliminating discriminations while addressing domestic-related cases by ensuring that the state of New Jersey offer the right support and treatment to children and family members exposed to domestic violence. The policy requires the Department of children and families to not only establish a statewide evidence-based program that provides supportive services to domestic violence victims but also facilitate development and implementation of therapeutic treatment, counseling and supportive services through grants to providers which is a great approach to a successful social welfare policy as argued by (Gilbert and Terrell, 2009). Through assigned staffs by the same department, the policy aims at enforcing effective strategies for assisting the aforementioned providers in implementing this program throughout the State. Basically, this policy aims at restoring values and well-being of domestic violence victims that have long experienced ignorance from government that has the mandate to ensure consideration of its citizen’s human rights. Based on Gilbert and Terrell (2002), the policy makers understand the eligibilities of a policy in regard to its beneficiaries and its applicability in addressing the noted social problem. The current proposal is subject to addressing a prevalent social problem related to domestic violence whose impact on children and family members with limited to no control over such encounters...