Wynonas House A New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation

OUR MISSION IS TO PROMOTE HOPE, HEALING, AND JUSTICE FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT THROUGHOUT ESSEX COUNTY, BY COORDINATING INVESTIGATION, PROSECUTION, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION SERVICES. OUR VISION IS TO CREATE A COMMUNITY WHERE CHILDREN ARE SAFE, FAMILIES ARE STRONG, AND VICTIMS BECOME CHILDREN AGAIN.

WYNONA'S HOUSE IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT THAT FACILITATES A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY-BASED RESPONSE TO CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT A UNITED VOICE TO HELP PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE. CELEBRATING OUR 21ST YEAR OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE PROVIDED SERVICES TO 10,336 CHILD VICTIMS IN 10,661 CASES AND SERVED MORE THAN 18,804 OF THEIR NON-OFFENDING SIBLINGS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND CARETAKERS. IN THIS REPORT YEAR, OUR STRATEGIC PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTERNSHIPS PROVIDED COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES TO 728 CHILD VICTIMS IN 742 CASES AND SERVED 920 OF THEIR NON-OFFENDING SIBLINGS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND CARETAKERS. OUR TEAM PROVIDED 121 FORENSIC VIDEO INTERVIEWS THIS REPORT YEAR. ALTHOUGH CASE NUMBERS WERE DOWN FROM A TYPICAL YEAR DUE TO THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACTS, THE LEVEL OF CASE WORK INCREASED DRAMATICALLY, AND CASE COUNTS ARE RETURNING TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. WYNONA'S HOUSE IS MADE UP OF AN EXTRAORDINARY PARTNERSHIP OF EXPERT CHILD PROTECTION, LAW ENFORCEMENT, MEDICAL DOCTORS AND NURSES, CHILD AND FAMILY ADVOCATES, AND MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS. BEGINNING WITH THE REPORT OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT, FOLLOWED BY INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION PHASES, INTAKE, TRIAGE AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM COORDINATION OF SERVICES ARE CONDUCTED AND CONTINUE THROUGH TREATMENT, HEALING, AND RECOVERY PHASES. WE PROVIDE WRAP-AROUND SERVICES INCLUDING CASE MANAGEMENT, CRISIS INTERVENTION, AND LEVERAGING OUR NETWORK OF RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN NEED. IN A TYPICAL YEAR, WE SERVE APPROXIMATELY 950 CHILD VICTIMS AND 884 NON-OFFENDING SIBLINGS, PARENTS AND CARETAKERS AND CONNECT THEM TO COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE SUCH AS COUNSELING, MEDICAL CARE, HOUSING, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SAFETY CONCERNS, EDUCATIONAL ISSUES, EMPLOYMENT, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, FOOD, CLOTHING, AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS. WYNONA'S HOUSE IS THE ONLY FULLY CO-LOCATED CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER IN NEW JERSEY, WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, MEDICAL, MENTAL HEALTH, CHILD PROTECTION AND FAMILY ADVOCACY SERVICES IN ONE LOCATION, WITH SELECTED SERVICES AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. ALL SERVICES ARE DELIVERED AT NO COST TO OUR CLIENTS. THE FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM (FAP) PROVIDES EXTENDED SERVICE TO FAMILIES TO ENSURE LONG-TERM HEALING, RECOVERY, AND FAMILY STRENGTHENING, FOR AS LONG AS THEY ARE IN NEED, INCLUDING AFTER OTHER PARTNER SERVICES HAVE BEEN TERMINATED. IN JULY 2017, WYNONA'S HOUSE LAUNCHED THE FAMILY ADVOCATE VOLUNTEER INITIATIVE (FAVI) TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO AN IDENTIFIED, UNDERSERVED SUBSET OF OUR CLIENTS, A GROUND-BREAKING AND COST-EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY-BASED EFFORT TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT ADDITIONAL FAMILIES WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE CENTER'S WRAP-AROUND SERVICES. THE PROJECT RECRUITS, VETS, TRAINS, AND GUIDES COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE EXPERT ASSESSMENT, CASE PLANNING AND ONGOING SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT FAMILIES RECEIVE AND MAKE USE OF THE FULL ARRAY OF SUPPORT REQUIRED TO HELP THEIR CHILDREN HEAL AND RECOVER FROM CHILD ABUSE. THE PROJECT CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT. DURING THE FIRST THREE YEARS, WE PROVIDED INFORMATION AND SUPPORT TO 192 FAMILIES WHO WERE NOT CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN FAP SERVICES. IN JULY 2018, WYNONA'S HOUSE LAUNCHED AN INTERSECTIONAL VIOLENCE INITIATIVE, WORKING WITH FAMILIES FROM OUR EXISTING CASE LOAD, TO BETTER IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT FAMILIES EXPERIENCING ADDITIONAL VICTIMIZATION INCLUDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING. IN 2019, WE FURTHER EXPANDED SERVICES TO CHILD VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES AT RISK FOR OR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AS ANTICIPATED, THE RESULTING DEMAND OF SERVICES WAS SIGNIFICANT. DURING THE FIRST TWO YEARS, WE SERVED 210 FAMILIES EXPERIENCING INTERSECTIONAL VIOLENCE WHILE RESPONDING TO CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT. CROSS-TRAINING PROVIDED TO THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM HAS HELPED CREATE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM APPROACH. IN SEPTEMBER 2019, WYNONA'S HOUSE LAUNCHED A PROJECT TO IMPROVE SERVICE, INCREASE ACCESS AND BETTER CONNECT CLIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND TO CONNECT OUR MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM MEMBERS WITH VITAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR VICARIOUS TRAUMA ENDURED WHILE IN SERVICE TO OUR CLIENTS. THE PROJECT IS FLOURISHING, WITH A GREAT DEAL OF COMMUNITY INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION. STAFF ARE UTILIZING SERVICES TO HELP DEAL WITH THE VICARIOUS TRAUMA THEY ARE EXPOSED TO ROUTINELY. AS A RESPONSE TO COVID-19, WE DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED A PANDEMIC RESPONSE PLAN IN 2020, AN INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO THE CORONAVIRUS/COVID QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY-19 PANDEMIC TO ENSURE HEALTH AND WELLBEING AND INCREASE CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO THE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED NEED IN THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE. THE FULLY INTEGRATED PLAN, DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM LEADERSHIP, ENSURES MINIMIZING RISK THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF CDC AND OTHER BEST-PRACTICE CONTROLS INCLUDING ENGINEERING, ADMINISTRATIVE AND PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT. WE ENSURE THE IMPLEMENTATION DAILY, CONDUCT PERIODIC MONITORING AND REVIEW, AND UPDATE AS NEEDED BASED UPON THE BEST AVAILABLE DATA AND INFORMATION, WITH A GOAL OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION. THE PANDEMIC RESPONSE PROJECT LEVERAGES AN ARRAY OF FUNDING AND IN-KIND SUPPORT TO PROTECT OUR CLIENTS, STAFF, AND VISITORS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY INCREASING SUPPORT TO OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. DURING THIS TIME, THE FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM (FAP) HAS WITNESSED A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF SERVICES EACH FAMILY NEEDS AND THE COMPLEXITY OF CASES. WITH THE INTERSECTION OF AN ONGOING IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, AND SOCIAL UNREST, THE NEEDS OF FAMILIES AT RISK HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY.OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WYNONA'S HOUSE, THE ESSEX COUNTY CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER, HAS UNDERTAKEN A MULTI-YEAR TRAUMA-INFORMED FACILITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE TO RAISE FUNDS AND ADDRESS URGENT NEEDS WITHIN OUR FACILITY TO IMPROVE AND INCREASE SERVICE DELIVERY TO CHILD VICTIMS OF ABUSE AND TO ENSURE THAT THE FACILITY EXCEEDS STANDARDS, INCLUDING ACCREDITATION OF OUR NATIONAL ACCREDITING BODY, THE NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE. IN 2021, WE LAUNCHED A PROACTIVE PLAN TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THE FACILITY AND OUR TECHNOLOGY FROM CLIMATE VARIABILITY/CHANGES AND IMPROVE OUR RESILIENCY TO ADDRESS WEATHER-RELATED IMPACTS. WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN SEVERAL PROJECTS TO PROTECT AGAINST WATER INTRUSION IN THE BASEMENT, BUILDING ENVELOPE, ROOF, AND WE ARE RELOCATING OUR SERVER ROOM. THE TRAUMA-INFORMED FACILITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE HAS BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL: TO-DATE, WE HAVE COMPLETED MORE THAN $800,000 WORTH OF FACILITY, WORKSPACE, TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS, AND INVESTMENTS IN UPDATING OUR POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SYSTEMS, AND HAVE MORE PROJECTS UNDERWAY. PROJECTS INCLUDED RENOVATION OF THE SPACE OCCUPIED BY OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNER, INCLUDING NEW WALLS, PAINTING, NEW FLOORING, NEW CEILING TILES, A NEW RESTROOM AND TWO NEW WORKSTATIONS. OTHER PROJECTS INCLUDE TWO (2) NEW OFFICES, FOURTEEN (14) NEW WORKSTATIONS, A SERENITY ROOM, AND A FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER. WE CONVERTED TWO (2) SPACES FOR PROVIDING SECURE, REMOTE DELIVERY OF SERVICES DURING THE PANDEMIC. ADDITIONALLY, AS PART OF OUR COVID-19 SAFETY RESPONSE, WE HAVE UPGRADED OUR HVAC SYSTEMS WITH NINE (9) IONIZATION UNITS, INSTALLED HIGHER MRV FILTERS, INSTALLED FIFTEEN (15) VARIOUS-SIZED AIR PURIFIERS THROUGHOUT THE CENTER, ADDED TEMPERATURE SCANNERS AT EACH ENTRANCE (3) AND INSTALLED COUGH AND WORKSTATION SCREENS THROUGHOUT THE CENTER. FINALLY, WE ALSO INVESTED IN OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP OUR CHILD ADVOCATES AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS WORK BETTER, EASIER, AND SAFER TO PROTECT OUR DATA AND ENSURE CONTINUITY OF SERVICE.