Post Title: Most have heard of the VAWA (passed 1994), But what about the earlier (passed 1984) FVPSA? Or, the “DVRN”? [Published March 27, 2016]. (shortlink ends “-3dk”). Looks like about 10,800 words.

(AS WRITTEN IN 2016…)

It seems to me that the national response to wife-beating and/or child abuse may have already been put on a sort of auto-pilot, knee-jerk response decades ago, and is simply being refined, fine-tuned, and turf-and-territory-protected ever since.  The more I learn about HHS programs inspired or validated by Acts of Congress focused on stopping abuse or preventing family violence, reducing juvenile delinquency (etc. — remember my two “About NCJJ” recent posts** showing the privatization conflict of interest covered up by “NCJFCJ” which is also benefitting from the FVPSA-inspired funding as a “Special Issue Resource Center” ???) the more aware I become of what was set in motion, a lot of which I would take issue with, but probably “too late and too bad,” as it happens.

** link added 4/24/2022, in expectation of re-promoting ALL March, 2016, posts, and publishing some which had remained in draft: Updated title corrects “UNevada-Reno format, adds dates published/update (to the title itself) and corrects, which I hadn’t caught before, the spelling of “TUCSON.” //LGH: About University of Nevada, Reno-based NCJFCJ, Its Pittsburgh-based NCJJ, and NCJJ’s E.Hunter Hurst III (d.2012)’s Tucson-based, multi-million-dollar, NASDAQ-traded Company (“PRSC”): First, the Context [Publ. Mar. 10, 2016, More Font-Changes Apr. 24, 2022]. (short-link ends “-2Se” About 7,500 words)

Nevertheless, it’s still important to be aware of these things and come to some opinion on them.

But, let’s Look at the FVPSA-inspired, HHS-funded and facilitated “DVRN.”  Like that “National” “Responsible” “Fatherhood” “Clearinghouse,” what the heck it is, or is doing, is less than clear from the official sources, such as HHS websites talking about the network, its member agencies, and its “special issue resource centers.”

I’m tempted to personal comments here, but they are stowed at the bottom of this post, for now.

File this under federalizing, evaluating and quality control (?) of  EVERYTHING that relates to anyone under 21 — and their caretakers, which is almost everyone else..

The DVRN is multi-jurisdictional, subject-matter defined, and its presentation seems designed to confuse the readers and discourage identifying just how FEW organizations have been given control of policy, or operations designed to influence policy from the Executive Branch of government and so to speak “from the sidelines..”

This post follows logically from my attempt to explain “Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs” (in connection with a recent reblog of my 6/4/2011 post on this) as one of “Four Special Issue Resource Centers” — when the HHS report of those same Special Issue Resource Centers (numbering, actually 5, not 4) doesn’t even mention that organization’s name.  In fact, it downplays actual names of recipient organizations in their description.

I trust this will be an interesting and illuminating post to why certain things seem so much the same from state to state when we (parents) go to court.

The “DVRN” – Domestic Violence Resource Network

(Described @ http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/fv-centers)

Family Violence Prevention & Services Resource Centers Listen

The Domestic Violence Resource Network (DVRN) is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to inform and strengthen domestic violence intervention and prevention efforts at the individual, community and societal levels.

The DVRN works collaboratively to promote practices and strategies to improve our nation’s response to domestic violence and make safety and justice not just a priority, but also a reality.

Note the grammar — the “DVRN” is being given anthropomorphic qualities, as if it was a single living entity — or, in the case of “corporate persons” (our system in the USA), a single business entity.  BUT, it’s not.  It’s by definition networks synched along certain policies and practices, and also as to some of their sources of funding.  But the network elements span different states.

IN EFFECT, this is the federal funding through HHS and under its influence, setting up another form of government, and in a certain sense (or — ask a lawyer, get a second opinion) — simply operating in opposition to the Constitution of the USA, which (if I’m recalling this right) acknowledges the District of Columbia — and the 50 states and territories, and did not originally plan to institute multiple other interstate government entities to reign over nearly every critical aspect of family life, education, child-raising, values-establishing, and when there’s been abuse, how to stop the abuse other than through laws, effective in the states, against treating human beings like animals, or adults like children — or clueless idiots in constant need of others to make decisions for them.

(That last half-paragraph rant was a reference to regionalism. Whether it’s regarding metropolitan areas, or much larger swaths of geography, “Regionalism is not self-government!” (Take a look at this SF Bay Area’s description of how those in power here have basically voted to turn San Francisco’s 9-county regional area into another Detroit” and how).   Or another source, completely different topic, from 2013 Florida.  Different subject matter, similar process, though: THE GREATEST THREAT TO PROPERTY RIGHTS: REGIONALISM (“Watchdogwire” year 2013, <==hover cursor over link for summary) Regionalism is bigger government and “transcends political and jurisdictional boundaries” (hover cursor for a snapshot).  The ends alway “justify” the means, and somehow the means ALWAYS involves breaking down jurisdiction-based (meaning, governmentally-responsive-to the people living there!) representative government.

I have also read some (very) fine print in JPA (Joint Power Authorities) (California Association of JPA members list — check out “PARSAC”) and was shocked to understand that though some of these authorities — which have carved up the VERY large state of California into their own regions, and sometimes the JPAs are also regionally grouped — while taking and administering federal funds which are provided IN PART by taxpayer revenues, that creates NO right for the citizens affected and the citizens whose public funds were being used.    Here’s a 2007 (California-specific, but I’ll bet parts apply to other states) explanation in lay terms of JPAs vs. Special Districts, and how they came into being, as well as characteristics.

So, no, it is NOT a small matter that smaller and smaller sets of organizations are being given larger and larger subject-matter and geographic (political expanse) influence over life-and-death matters involving families.  That’s what’s most offensive about the setup — because once in motion, and the infrastructure invested in, it’s hard to have such entrenched interests change course.  

DVRN member agencies* ensure that victims of domestic violence, advocates, community-based programs, educators, legal assistance providers, law enforcement and court personnel, health care providers, policy makers and government leaders at the local, state, tribal and federal levels** have access to up-­to-­date information on best practices, policies, research and victim resources.

*”DVRN member agencies” is pretentious and misleading terminology!!

• Membership associations (such as register their names in a specific state, charge dues, hold meetings, and file tax returns) have “members.”  There being no official “DVRN” registration shown here, it has to be “Let’s pretend” language.
• What’s more, although I realize it’s common use, the calling of private non-stock corporations, some of them controlling other private business entities, such as “LLCs” to hold real estate, etc.) “agencies” implies they are a government entity when they are not.  They may be majority government funded (and some of this, it seems, are) BUT because they are registered and organized as 501©3s, the organization is controlled, run, and accountable to their boards of directors and their own articles of incorporations and bylaws.  Not having public shareholders, they are also beholden to whoever or whatever activities are funding them.   Calling them “Agencies” is misleading and so i calling these 2 national, 4 special issue, 3 culturally sensitive and 1 hotline (which is a project, not an entity, also) somehow “members” of another non-entity.

**In short, “everyone, almost…” is to be informed what HHS-chosen experts (“DVRN member agencies” although technically speaking, a nonprofit, nonstock, privately-run corporation isn’t an “agency” or accountable in the way that a government entity can be held accountable….).

The DVRN includes two national resource centers, four special issue resource centers, three culturally-­specific Institutes, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Family Violence Prevention and Services Resource Network Fact Sheet.

To Review, per this, we have 6 (2 + 4) “resource centers,” 3 “institutes” and a hotline:

“DVRN” is: ★HHS Funded, and ★consists of (2) National & (4) Special Issue Resource Centers, (3) Culturally Specific Institutes & “the” (=1) National DV Hotline.

Yellow-highlighting is for a good reason.  People should become aware of both the organizations involved, and the pattern of networking among them.  I’m showing (posting) the (2) National and maybe the (3) culturally specific separately. But, for purpose of this post — the “Four Special Issue Resource Centers,” whose grants and organizations I’ve also looked at and kept in my peripheral vision for years now, for example, how PCADV responded to the Pennsylvania “Kids for Cash” scandal (ca. 2003-2008 occurrence, lawsuits started getting filed 2009; I’ve posted reminders recently), the AFCC-created parenting coordination field in general, and some of the scandal surrounding an FBI raid for financial information on court-connected, court-house-run programs in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania (ca. 2011ff) , and so forth.

From that website, the “Four Special Issue Resource Centers” include some of the big-name (&/or older) domestic violence 501©3s in a few different states.  But those names do NOT appear as labels, which instead, read like this (Yellow-background marks the quote.  I ADDED THE NUMBERING, though):

HHS/ACF/FYSB web page lacks a copyright date — it’s undated.   From the inclusion of the “National Resource Center on Domestic Violence” (a 2011 501©3 housed at the “PCADV” on the same page (under the two National Centers), and from the name “Futures without Violence” (formerly Family Violence Prevention Fund, namechange ca. 2010) we can somewhat date it as post-2011.

Also notice that the first two headings are two different extensions are one 800# and under one website (“Bwjp.org”) but are visually aligned as if two separate “resource centers.”  Although the sub-text says “two partnering agencies” organizationally (as to outline level) it’s listed as two different resource centers.

I was surprised not to see PCADV as one of the so-called “four” because on HHS grants series in the mid-1990s, it was listed that way.   Instead “PCADV”s indirectly represented at the “National Level” through “NRCDV” (patience, it takes a while to keep them straight, and I will publish that separate post on the NRCDV!) while “National Clearinghouse for Defense of Battered Women” which is actually a separate 501©3, is given a “BWJP.org” website cover.  And a new one in Chicago (trauma and mental health based) — at least new to me, makes its appearance here, and another nonprofit name / acronym to learn:  “DVMHPI.”

Before I go track that down the more recent developments in Chicago with DVMHPI and NCDVTMH, let me summarize — with the exception that when BWJP finally incorporated, it became, well, itself as a separate entity — (Click Minnesota MBLS Search site Here to determine that BWJP (File# 698828200020) incorporated on 9/11/2013 ONLY, “Denise J Gamache 1801 Nicollet Ave. S., Suite 102, Minneapolis, MN 55403–3793 USA), while “Minnesota Program Development, Inc.” will only be found if one toggles On the “Include Prior Names” option before search.  When you do, you’ll find (after search results and clicking on “Details,” File# S-749, Incorporated 6/1980, with current President a man (John Beyer) and located at:

202 E Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802
USA

HHS labeling versus fiscal reality on the 4 (or, 5) Special Issue Resource Centers, I’ll alternate theirs + Logos (if available to include) with mine listed underneath:

(from “http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/fv-centers“).  This list of “5” contrasts labeling with organizational/corporate identity realities and shows the misleading representation of this HHS website.

[1]

[1] Battered Women’s Justice Project Criminal and Civil Justice Center 800-903-0111, ext 1 www.bwjp.org

CLAIM:  “Since 1993, BWJP has worked to improve the civil and criminal justice system’s response to intimate partner violence (IPV), as well as addressing the parallel responses of the military services to IPV among their ranks.”

ACTUAL:  BWJP was a project of “Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs (formerly “Minnesota Program Development, Inc.”) in Duluth, MN, until BWJP incorporated — in Minnesota anyhow — in 2013.  This website probably predates 2013 somewhat….  I have posted the tax returns separately (try, the last few of 2014) so won’t include here.  BWJP — basically = the 90+% government funded “DAIP.”  DAIP itself up til 2012 featured BWJP as its main (though not only) project, and donated to just a few organizations, one of which comes up next, in Philadelphia.

[2] 

[2] Battered Women’s Justice Project National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women
800-903-0111, ext. 3
www.bwjp.org

ACTUAL:  BWJP not being an entity doesn’t own anything or run anything.  In fact, last I checked even as a legitimate entity now since 2013, it’s filing form 990-N (Postcard tax returns) claiming minimal revenues as a newborn organization which grew famous while still in the mother ship’s fiscal womb….  You and I won’t be looking at them on-line any time soon, in other words.  On the other hand, the “National Clearinghouse” is actually a 501©3:

BRIEFLY, from the top row (2014) organization formed in 1987; has only 5 employees, its sole revenues ($640K) are from “Contributions” (Per Part VIII, Split $510K government grants / $130K private contributions) and its only Part VIIA paid employee is Susan M. Ostoff, at (only) $96K + benefits.  Expenses were spent about half (of revenues) on “Salaries” the rest on “Other Expenses” with $67K left over (Revs-Expenses).   They also show a separate website — so why wouldn’t that one be listed under [2] “Special Issue Resource Centers”?? It reads:   WWW.NCDBW.ORG (no longer functional, however)…

The organization address is ℅ Barbara K. Attie, “125 S 9TH STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA 19109” which I believe probably refers to the filmmaker Barabara Attie of “Attie & Goldwater Productions” although, admittedly, that mailing address is in Bala Cynwyd, PA:

Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater, Producer/Directors

Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater are recipients of the Pew Fellowship in the Arts. Since 1990, Attie and Goldwater have collaborated on award-winning documentaries for national and international broadcast.

I might be wrong about this, it’s just a hunch.  However this street address is also home to “PHMC” (Public Health Management Corporation) which offers many services to homeless people and others in crisis at the same address; you can read about it.  The National Clearinghouse tax returns do show a suite#:   http://www.phmc.org/site/programs/health-care-centers/mary-howard

(organizational chart also gives an idea of the scope)

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that builds healthier communities through partnerships with government, foundations, businesses and community-based organizations. It fulfills its mission to improve the health of the community by providing outreach, health promotion, education, research, planning, technical assistance, and direct services.

PHMC has served the Greater Philadelphia region since 1972 as a facilitator, developer, intermediary, manager, advocate and innovator in the field of public health. With nearly 1500 employees, 250 programs, eleven subsidiaries –one with programs throughout Pennsylvania, and another nationwide– 70 sites and close to 200,000 clients served annually, PHMC has become one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation.

As the saying goes, “Curiosity killed the cat.”  Hopefully this extra information won’t kill the post.  Note — no organizational connection proved between the National Clearinghouse and PHMC; I simply noticed a street address similarity — from the website.  However, three years of tax returns show two different street addresses (neither of which match the one above).  I’m not familiar with Philadelphia and won’t pursue this further — the organization is so large, almost anything could account for the similarities or differences:

Search Again

Different “organization names” in first two rows again, does not reflect the tax return, but the database provider, “The Foundation Center.”  I don’t know why it seems to do this at times, whether it’s a software function (automated fluke) or data entry, or intentional.  It does, however, mean that you are better off first locating the EIN#, then searching by that #.

Exempt program purpose — on page 1, above (year 2014):   ”

Wow.  And that’s just “4a”… here’s “4b” services especially to homeless populations:

Claims founding in 1835; street address “415 South 15th Street Philadelphia” (Matches the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women) and its main assets are actually (Year “2014” top row) on Part X Balance Sheet showing under Line 24, “Other Assets” — detailed later as $22M endowment plus $4M in “Perpetual Trusts.”  Click on tax return to see more.

WHO GOT Futures’ $1.6M of redistributed Grants in Fiscal year 2014? See my makeshift table (or look up “Schedule I” “See additional Table” on the tax return link above).  You may notice overall that public/private money is going THROUGH this organization both to statewide coalitions, a few government entities (in two states, plus some Indian tribes), and what’s also unusual — in small amounts, to two other DVRN agency members.  In other words, money is going back and forth among them (because I know that Futures also received NCJFCJ grants, separately).

I also marked in red grants to the nonprofit “Child Trends, Inc.” which is virtually an Annie E. Casey Project, but here is taking “RWJF” (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) money, to name two MAJOR (large) private tax-exempt foundations…  Notice how very little funding TO this California-domicile nonprofit is actually going TO Californians, at least as to grants.

SUBGRANTEES from FUTURES w/o VIOLENCE (“2014” return)

CHILD TRENDS, INC.–make a mental note, or bookmark!  

It’s still mostly gov’t funded (Over $9M, top row, as opposed to $6M of non-government contributions), board of only 14 chaired by a Judge (?) The Hon William A. Thorne — and most money going to SALARIES and OTHER EXPENSES (here, none at all to subgrantees).

Hon. William A. Thorne also on Board of NCJFCJ, with education from Northern California:

http://www.ncjfcj.org/sites/default/files/Thorne.pdf

Honorable William A. Thorne, Jr. (Pomo Tribe) is a Pomo/Coast Miwok Indian from northern California and is enrolled at the Confederated Tribes of the Graton Rancheria. He received his B.A. from the University of Santa Clara in 1974 where he played and coached soccer. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1977. Admitted to the Utah Bar, he practiced law with Larry EchoHawk for several years at EchoHawk & Thorne, where the firm represented the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes as well as individuals and businesses with an emphasis on Federal Indian Law. In 1979 Thorne began his service as a tribal court judge with an appointment as a pro tem judge at the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Court. Since that time he has served as a tribal judge in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, Wisconsin, Washington, Michigan, and California. In 1986, Judge Thorne was appointed by the governor as a trial judge for the State of Utah. After 14 years as a state trial judge he was appointed in 2000 as a judge of the Utah Court of Appeals where he continues to serve. Judge Thorne currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, as vice-president of the National Indian Justice Center, as a member of the Advisory board for the National Resource Center for Tribes, and U.S. Children’s Bureau Centennial Blue Ribbon Committee. He is a Board member for WestED, Inc., a non-profit based in San Francisco that focuses on education excellence and equity; Board member for the Center for the Study of Social Policy, located in Washington, D.C.; Chair of the Board for Child Trends, Inc., the largest non-university based center focusing exclusively on research to assist children and families; and Chair of the Indian Child Welfare workgroup for Casey Family Programs.

CHILD TRENDS, Inc. (cont’d.):

They also spent $1.9M on Part VIIA Employees, and have 9 independent subcontractors, some of whom I recognize from marriage/fatherhood evaluations (i.e., Abt Associates).  Child Trends Legal Domicile is NY, not MD.  :Search Again  ‘

CUTE. I see from Program Service Accomplishments that “Child Trends, Inc.” considers first (spent $2.8M on) providing expert advice to a federal agency operating division (HHS/ACF) about Early Childhood Education and Child Care:

“EARLY CHILDHOOD- THE U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (THE AGENCY) PROVIDED FUNDING TO CHILD TRENDS TO PROVIDE EXPERT CONSULTATION, ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS IN CHILD CARE AND EARLY EDUCATION POLICY AND RESEARCH TO THE OFFICE OF PLANNING, RESEARCH AND EVALUATION (OPRE), IN THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (ACF),…”

Further on in the same paragraph, we can detect two sets of curricula they are testing on young children — on in the DC Public Schools, and the other related to New Mexico:

WITH FUNDING FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHILD TRENDS IS CONTINUING TO CONDUCT A SYSTEM-WIDE PROGRAM EVALUATION OF THE DCPS EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS IN A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF TITLE I EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, DIRECT CHILD ASSESSMENTS ON A SUB-SAMPLE OF CHILDREN IN THESE 111 CLASSROOMS, DIRECT CHILD ASSESSMENTS ON CHILDREN FROM THE FIRST YEAR OF THE EVALUATION AS THEY MOVE INTO NEW CLASSROOMS (BOTH PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN), AND A COMPARISON OF SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE TOOLS OF THE MIND CURRICULUM WITH THOSE USING OTHER CURRICULA  IN THIS SECOND YEAR OF THE EVALUATION, COMPARISONS WILL BE DRAWN AMONGST CLASSROOMS IMPLEMENTING TOOLS OF THE MIND FOR A SECOND YEAR, THOSE IMPLEMENTING TOOLS FOR THE FIRST YEAR, AND THOSE THAT HAVE NOT YET IMPLEMENTED TOOLS

RESULTS FROM THE PROGRAM EVALUATION WILL BE USED TO EVALUATE THE QUALITY OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM IN DCPS AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPARE CLASSROOMS USING THE TOOLS OF THE MIND CURRICULUM WITH THOSE THAT ARE USING ALTERNATIVE CURRICULA AND HOW THIS CURRICULUM MIGHT RELATE TO CHILD OUTCOMES

Gee, I wonder whose curriculum “Tools of the Mind” is and how interest-free are the financiers of “Child Trends” in this project…..  Continuing with the program accomplishment description ([4a])..

THE FOCUS TIERED QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM (TQRIS) IS THE THIRD GENERATION OF A NEW MEXICO RATING SYSTEM AND IS SCHEDULED TO REPLACE THE CURRENT AIM HIGH RATING SYSTEM EACH GENERATION OF TQRIS IN NEW MEXICO HAS BUILT UPON AND IMPROVED UPON THE PREVIOUS GENERATION FOR FOCUS TQRIS, THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO’S CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY RESEARCH, ON BEHALF OF THE NEW MEXICO CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT, HAS CONTRACTED WITH CHILD TRENDSTO CONDUCT ACTIVITIES THAT WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATION OF THE NEW FOCUS TQRIS AND TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND ASSISTANCE TO ENSURE THAT THE TRANSITION TO FOCUS IS SUCCESSFUL

I looked up “FOCUS ….. (TQRIS)” and found it related to New Mexico’s “Race to the Top” situation.  Use your own search time to find more: I did find this on a pdf among the search results, describing a “Grantee Profile” (clicking on link probably will result in a Download.  Look at the 2nd page organizational chart to see how three major agencies reporting directly to the governor of New Mexico (Depts of Education, CYF (Children, Youth and Families) and Health) are being consolidated around this project.  “what else is new in the world….”

LEAD AGENCY: New Mexico Public Education Department NUMBER OF PROJECTS: 6 AMOUNT: $37,500,000 GRANT PERIOD: January 1, 2013–December 31, 2016

OVERALL STATE RTT-ELC GOALS: New Mexico’s Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) fund proposal has five goals. All goals are based on the commitment to the creation of an early care, health, and education system of integrated services. The five goals are centered on (1) FOCUS-TQRIS, (2) early childhood investment zones, (3) professional (etc…) …..

and from a different link at earlylearningmn.org

Background of TQRIS in New Mexico New Mexico was one of the first states to establish a Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS) back in the 1990’s. It began with the “Bronze, Silver and Gold” system (developed in a Olympic year!) and was revised to become the “Reach For The Stars” – 5-star level rating system that we have today. The current system was applied to licensed child care providers and some Head Start / Early Head Start and PreK providers that chose to participate.  FOCUS TQRIS across Early Learning Programs

Through the Race To the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant New Mexico’s TQRIS is evolving once again to become “FOCUS on Young Child’s Learning”. FOCUS TQRIS remains a 5-star rating system, but with a stronger emphasis on effective teaching / instructional practices and promoting the full participation of each child.

 MORE from “PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS” of Child Trends, Inc. — they are servicing an Edna McConnell Clark Foundation initiative, “PropelNext” (to reduce teen pregnancy).  Edna McConnell Clark is or was an “AVON” (beauty product company) heiress.  Her foundation is also one to notice — they were involved in the Greenbook Initiative (of NCJFCJ + “Futures,” affecting domestic violence/child abuse and custody issues), and actively sponsoring the Harlem Children’s Zone (which I noticed has $253M funds invested overseas, and maintains leadership involving a top hedge fund manager — separate story who the concern for children in New York ends up with the assets being invested outside the company, or how it also took funding from the JBP Foundation, which kept what was left of the Jeffrey Picower estate, that is after the Bernie Madoff scandal was able to retrieve about $7.2B of funds for the cheated investors; of which Mr. Picower was a beneficiary) ….    Edna McConnell Clark Foundation also involved at the top (federal agency) level with SIF funding.  They are searchable, you can look these things up:

And under “emerging issues,”  Child Trends is helping HHS, apparently, better study (work over) Hispanic Families along some familiar themes:  This is program accomplishment 4c

[4] 

 [4] National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health
312-726-7020
www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org

I haven’t figured this one out (confirmed that the National Center AND/OR the related DVMHPI is or is not a nonprofit)  yet, so this is a place-holder.

[5] 

[5] Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody
800-527-3223
www.ncjfcj.org/dept/fvd

The Family Violence Department of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges provides leadership and assistance to consumers and professionals dealing with the issue of child protection and custody in the context of domestic violence through operation of the Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody. The Resource Center provides access to the best possible sources of information and tangible products to those working in the field of domestic violence, child protection and custody. The Resource Center provides technical assistance, training, policy development and other resources that increase safety, promote stability and enhance the well-being of battered parents and their children.

Image from the NCJFCJ’s link to its’ Family Violence Dept.” viewed (Easter) 2016

Yeah, well, NCJFCJ work has a certain “flavor” that is affected by its other many projects.  See this referral page from the DVRN site, and notice topics on the left side of the page (plus the characteristic, almost-invisible, light-gray writing describing their product and service offerings.  Remember — NCJFCJ is not a government entity, but a primarily government-funded 501©3…

• Family Violence and Domestic Relations
  • The Greenbook Initiative (see “Jeffrey L. Edleson” for a LOT more understanding of this one).
  • National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence
  • Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Interactive Website
  • State Laws

I have posted their tax returns on other recent posts and won’t duplicate here. Note — find the EIN# first to search.

Also note that NCJFCJ is into Supervised Visitation (“Safe Havens” being a USDOJ-funded project).  This is understandable because so much of the NCJFCJ leadership is actually their judicial membership.  Some NCJFCJ Presidents (at least one I can recall) have gone on to run the USDOJ/OVW and preside over the grants.  A similar situation might be when Wade Horn, working at HHS, directed funds towards “National Fatherhood Initiative” and then went to work at the NFI.  Revolving door with government ensures continuing policy influence.   The Greenbook Initiative also had HEAVY HHS (and private foundation) involvement, as well as major participation by Futures without Violence, and MINIMAL solicitation of input from the average victim / survivor.   In my opinion, this overall represents an oligarchy in operation. Supervised Visitation was WANTED by many parties (including those who went into the business as providers, or training providers, who also had at times conflicts-of-interest positions within state government over the grants, as I discovered in California re: AFCC-involved personnel working at the California Judicial Council/AOC/CFCC (Center on Families and Children in the Courts).  

LOOKING up that last (and the latest) “Special Issue Resource Center” in Chicago area.  Note:  Not done yet, but this is as far as I’m going to go on this post, or for now…

http://www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org/about/history/

The National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health was established in 2005 through a grant to the Domestic Violence & Mental Health Policy Initiative (DVMHPI) from the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program (FVPSA); Administration on Children, Youth and Families; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. DVMHPI is a Chicago-based project founded in 1999 that works to address the unmet mental health needs of domestic violence survivors and their children and the traumatic effects of abuse across the lifespan. See DVMHPI for more information.

As the “Four Special Issue Resource Centers” HHS grants seem to pre-date DVMPHI, this seems to be an outgrowth of the same general idea — and financing….

Reminds me of the focus and purpose of the CPPA, CJE, BMCC, Leadership Council (et al.’s) frequent references (esp. CPPA/Connie Valentine nonprofit in Sacramento area, Northern California) to the “IVAT” (Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma) at Alliant International University in SOUTHERN California, in fact, San Diego.   The IVAT isn’t itself an entity, but the “FVSAI”  (Family Violence Sexual Assault Institute // Robert Geffner // Texas jurisdiction), associated, is.  Again, the focus is on the mental health/Trauma (behavioral health, psychological services, etc.) aspect..

The Center is one of four national Special Issue Resource Centers funded through FVPSA and is a member of the Domestic Violence Resource Network (DVRN).

… (from same website, I clicked on “DVMHPI” for this description):

DVMHPI

The National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health was established in 2005 by the Domestic Violence & Mental Health Policy Initiative (DVMHPI). DVMHPI is a Chicago-based project founded in 1999 that works to address the unmet mental health needs of domestic violence survivors and their children and the traumatic effects of abuse across the lifespan. Since its inception, DVMHPI has provided training and technical assistance to domestic violence, mental health, substance abuse, and social service agencies in the Chicago area, as well as city and state-level policymakers. While the Center maintains a national focus, DVMHPI continues to carry on the local aspects of the work by building the capacity of Chicago-area service systems to provide accessible, culturally relevant, and domestic violence- and trauma-informed services

(“Copyright © 2012 National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health”)

 Is DVMHPI a 501©3 or located at a law school, hospital, etc?  I don’t know, so I will look!   Illinois “Cyberdrive”  (Corp/LLC lookups courtesy the Secretary of State).  NOT FOUND…

Noticeable on the website provided by HHS above —absence of a mailing address…I found an on-line “Changemakers campaign” which says that both the “Center” and the “Initiative” are organizations.  I notice “Changemakers” refers to [© 2016] Ashoka Changemakers®

https://www.changemakers.com/competition/endabuse/entries/domestic-violence-and-mental-health-policy-initiative [“Endabuse.org” used to be the website for Family Violence Prevention Fund,” now Futures w/o Violence]

DVMHPI and the Center are grant-funded organizations. All of our products and services are either free of charge or provided at a very low cost.

What percentage, if any, of the total operating costs does earned income (from products, services, or other fees) represent? — 0%

How is the initiative financed? Is it financially self-sustainable or profitable? How much do beneficiaries contribute?

DVMHPI and its National Center are funded by a mix of public and private funds, including city, state and federal grants and contracts, as well as foundation grants. The Center is primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, while DVMHPI is funded in part with grants and contracts from city and state government and by foundation grants, such as the Chicago Community Trust, the Chicago Foundation for Women, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Irving B. Harris Foundation. Overall, 52% of our funding comes from city/state/national government funding, and 48% comes from private foundations.

FAQs on “Ashoka Changemakers® (“Changemakers” being the program, and “Ashoka” apparently the organization) including the powerful partners, the purpose, and the practice of intentionally “sweeping through systems….”  This is the flavor:

Changemakers convenes and connects high-potential changemakers, and their ideas and resources, through the power of challenges and partner networks. It has built a global network of more than 15,000 innovators, hundreds of partners, and hundreds of thousands of changemakers from 125 countries by running more than 80 online challenges during the past decade, with partners such as GE, Google, the Rockefeller Foundation, and many other innovating organizations. Through a three-step process—frame, convene, ignite—Changemakers works with** the rest of Ashoka and its partners to frame an approach to a problem that exponentially accelerates social change. It engages a network to ignite a movement that sweeps through systems, tipping the attitudes and behavior of individuals and institutions. More information.

**Again, “Changemakers” is not a person, but a program.  But it seems more powerful if spoken of as the subject of a sentence and as if a person….  “Ashoka” would seem to be the entity…

This shouldn’t be TOO surprising.  We’re in and beyond the internet age, and those who have the wherewithal to sponsor, control, organize and spend to develop networks and host platforms, would like THEIR concepts to dominate, for which purpose accelerating social change is desirable.  Same general idea as public/private cooperation in the “Social Impact (Or was it “innovation?) Funding” (SIF)…. coordinated through the CNCS (Corporation for National and Community Service)….

WHERE are the DVMPHI and “its national center” (as listed above)?  Is the DVMPHI actually at the “Hektoen Institute” — a Chicago organization I remember from simply having looked at the HHS Grants labeled “EV04##) before? Some indicators at the “national center” seem to say so.

I looked at publications (i.e., publications are owned BY someone) -but found a cooperative effort from the National DV Hotline and this center, labeled as to which grant it got.  I looked up the grant, and it was to the Hektoen Institute!

Mental Health and Substance Use Coercion Surveys  

Report from the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health and the National Domestic Violence Hotline

This report was funded through Grant #90EV0417 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Family Violence Prevention and Services Program. Points of view expressed in this document do not

©National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health and the National Domestic Violence Hotline (2014)

Here’s that grant, we can see it ranged 2011-2015 and in similar amounts to the others:@@@

Showing: 1 – 1 of 1 Recipients

SO — we need this basic language (as above) to better see what the various “resource centers” are doing, and where federal funds are going.  As you can see above, once donated to one key organization — they are likely to get circulated, transcontinentally and cross-jurisdictionally, among several related ones.