• This Partnership was begun in 1986

• The Court and CSULA officials and the county created. This innovative learning resource as an adjunct to the soon to be built Edelman Children’s Court.

• The initial goals of shared training, measuring the effectiveness of court inventions, and exploring continuing education launched the Partnership

• The Partnership committed to providing educational experiences (internships) for students

            Once the Partnership was formally approved by the board of supervisors,

• A steering committee was convened in 1990; This group technically oversees the Partnership and meets three times a year. The steering committee consists of representatives from the Juvenile Dependency Court and the CSULA faculty members who have expertise in child maltreatment and family violence. That group continues to meet three times a year.

• One benefit that emerged from this Partnership was the creation of the CSULA Child Abuse and Family Violence Institute. In 1994, this Institute began serving as an educational resource for interdisciplinary education and multidisciplinary professional training and consultation. The Institute also coordinates the various aspects of the Partnership on the CSULA campus.

            At CSULA, the Partnership has three distinct components, headed by specific faculty members with expertise in child maltreatment and family violence:

• Internship and Training and Overall Director

Led by Colleen Friend, Ph.D., Director, Child Abuse and Family Violence Institute. This component is responsible for student placement, training exchanges between the organizations, maintenance of the resource center and general coordination.  Students who obtain the Child Maltreatment and Family Violence certificate typically complete an internship at the Juvenile Court.
                                                                 

• Research       

Led by Mitchell Eisen, Ph.D., Director, Forensic Psychology, this component is responsible for encouraging and assisting faculty (and their students) with the complexities of research approvals in both agencies. Dr. Eisen also coordinates activities for “Transitional youth” who are attending CSULA after emancipating form the child welfare system.  He is also actively working to establish a guardian Scholars program in LA County.

• Conference

Led by Hershel Swinger, Ph.D., Charter School of Education, this  component is responsible for the annual conference known as the New Beginning for Partnerships for Children and Families in L.A. County. It is now in its fourteenth year of operation. This interdisciplinary conference   presents the latest research in juvenile justice and child welfare. It attracts well over a 1,200 participants and is held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

• proposal for workshop
• sample previous program

All three of these components are supported by Juvenile Court funding and contracted through the CSULA College of Health and Human Services.

• Now in its nineteenth year of formal operation, the Partnership has changed its name from the CSULA Dependency Court Partnership to the more inclusive CSULA Juvenile Court Partnership. This was done to reflect the intention and importance of including Juvenile Delinquency Court related issues in our research, training and internship endeavors.
• We have also attempted to expand the Partnership through outreach to youth emancipating from the foster care system and by recruiting more students for the Child Abuse and Family Violence Certificate Program.
• Now that CSULA is the home of the new California Forensic Science Institute, the Partnership is in a unique position to educate  students, faculty and court employees who are interested in serving maltreated children, their families and court related systems.