NOVA, Bucks County’s comprehensive crime victim services agency, is pleased to announce that it has
recently received a $10,000 Bucks Innovation and Improvement Grant (BIIG) from
Foundations Community Partnership. The BIIG grant will be used by NOVA to offer
Understanding
Child Abuse and Trafficking Indicators in a Clinical Setting, a pilot training program to help
healthcare professionals recognize and identify indicators of potential abuse and
trafficking situations and within the pediatric population.
“There is a significant need to support young people who may be vulnerable to sexual exploitation,” said Jamie Pfister, Training Coordinator, NOVA. “Medical settings provide an opportunity to identify children who may be risk and offer support services. We are extremely thankful to Foundations Community Partnership for allowing us the opportunity to educate those in the medical community who interface with potential pediatric victims.”
Healthcare
providers play
an important role in preventing child abuse and trafficking, but it can be
difficult to identify the indicators without proper training. This one-year
grant will allow NOVA to train 50-100 healthcare professionals in Bucks County
and will include research and development of the curriculum, as well
as dissemination of the
content to the healthcare providers. The plan is to expand this program to all Bucks County hospitals and to have this as a future offering under NOVA’s Training Institute.
“As NOVA proudly reflects on its 50-year history of providing comprehensive victim services in the County, we are proud to contribute to the organization’s efforts with this latest grant,” said Dr. Tobi Bruhn, CEO, Foundations Community Partnership. “Our Board of Directors appreciated the opportunity to support this crucial educational initiative for healthcare professionals in Bucks County.”
About
NOVA
NOVA supports, counsels and
empowers victims of sexual assault and other serious crimes in Bucks County and
works to prevent and eliminate violence in society through advocacy, training, community
education and prevention programs. Founded in 1974, NOVA is a non-profit
501(c)(3), community-based organization operating out of three offices in
Fairless Hills, Jamison and Perkasie. Services are made possible through the financial
support of federal, state and local government grants and contracts,
corporations, foundations and private donations. All contributions are tax
deductible to the extent provided by law. For more information, visit www.NOVABucks.org.
About
Foundations Community
Partnership
Established in 1964, as the
Delaware Valley Mental Health Foundation, Foundations Community Partnership
supports the behavioral health and human service needs of children, young
adults, and families in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The foundation does this
through grants to non-profit organizations, awarding scholarships to high school seniors, subsidizing service-learning
internships for college students, and underwriting professional
development programs. To learn more, go to http://fcpartnership.org/
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