Jackson County Multidisciplinary Team Receives $14,816 Grant from WI DOJ

Grant Money to Equip a New Child Forensic Interview Room

BLACK RIVER FALLS – The Wisconsin Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victim Services has awarded the Jackson County Multidisciplinary Team a $14,816 grant to be used to equip a new child forensic interview room at the Department of Health and Human Services. The award is made possible through a grant from the Children’s Justice Act (CJA) program.

Currently, interviews are conducted at the Jackson County Law Enforcement Center. The new room will have state-of-the-art video recording equipment and will be used exclusively for interviews.

The Wisconsin Children’s Justice Act grant program is committed to improving the investigation and prosecution of child abuse and neglect. The program encourages county childcare professionals to work together to streamline the investigative process so that children who are victims of a crime are not further traumatized. Often, this is done by bringing together a multidisciplinary team of law enforcement and social service agencies who work together from the start of an investigation.

CJA grant funds can also be used to train law enforcement officers and social workers on how to conduct forensic interviews of children. Forensic interviews provide a number of advantages. They allow for the child to be interviewed once rather than repeatedly by numerous agencies. The interviews are taped and can be used in preliminary court proceedings, rather than having to have the child testify in a courtroom on multiple occasions.

“Working together streamlines the investigative process and reduces secondary trauma to child victims,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. “I am pleased the Wisconsin Department of Justice can support these important programs that protect child victims.”

The Jackson County multidisciplinary team includes representatives from the Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney’s Office, DHHS Children and Family Services, mental health, public health, and community medical and educational partners.