First Responders to Learn How to Help Child Abuse Victims with Disabilities Thanks to IVAT

San Diego, December 1, 2006 — The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma at Alliant International University, in collaboration with Dr. Nora Baladerian and her CAN-Do project in Los Angeles, has been awarded $100,000 per year for three years to be used to conduct trainings to educate first responders to the special needs of child abuse victims who live with disabilities. Issued by State of California’s Office of Emergency Services (OES), the Child Abuse Victims with Disabilities: First Responder Training Program Grant will fund a training each year at the International Conference of Violence, Abuse and Trauma held in San Diego in September, and in other venues throughout Northern, Southern and Central California the rest of the year. Two-three trainings will be offered each year according to the requirements of the grant.

Children with disabilities are abused at approximately 3.5 times the rate of children who do not have disabilities, and they usually do not receive first responder services in the manner or quality needed. Very little training is offered to first responders in this area, despite the fact that approximately 12% of children live with disabilities. The trauma of child abuse is compounded when disabilities are also an issue.

The consultants working in conjunction with IVAT are the co-authors of the curriculum to be used, entitled: “First Responder’s Curriculum: Child Abuse Victims with Disabilities.” Dr. Robert Geffner, President of IVAT, noted, “We are honored and pleased to be working with the leading pioneers of this field. We have a long history of collaboration with Dr. Baladerian and curriculum co-authors Candace Heisler and Michael Hertica, and look forward to providing this vital and much-needed training to a large group of front-line California responders.”

The Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma (IVAT)

The Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma (including the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute) has been providing resources to violence-prevention professionals for nearly 21 years. It was founded by Robert Geffner, PhD. The nonprofit institute sponsors several trainings and the International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Trauma annually. The Institute also provides continuing education, edits three professional journals in connection with Haworth Press, and publishes the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Bulletin. The Institute is located at the Cornerstone Court campus of Alliant International University in San Diego.

Alliant International University

Alliant International University has prepared students for professional careers in the applied social sciences of psychology, education and business since 2001. CSPP, now a school within Alliant, has been training professional psychologists for more than 30 years. Alliant’s unique curriculum combines academic learning and apprenticeship in all courses of study. With accredited programs at San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles, Irvine and San Diego locations, Alliant also hosts accredited programs in Mexico City, Mexico and Tokyo, Japan.

For More Information

Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma (858) 623-2777 x416
Conference Info: (858) 623-2777 x 451
Alliant International University: www.alliant.edu