The Center’s services include:

• Site visits to domestic violence courts
• Hands-on assistance
• Planning toolkit
• Evaluation/Research tools
• Domestic violence training for non-judicial personnel

Site visits to domestic violence courts
Site visits are one of the best vehicles for introducing planners to the concepts and practice of domestic violence courts. Over the years, the Center has conducted structured tours for visitors to the Brooklyn Felony Domestic Violence Court, Queens Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court, and New York's various other domestic violence courts and integrated domestic violence courts, including Westchester, Suffolk County, and Queens.

On a typical site visit, visitors will:

• see the courtroom in action and meet the judge;
• meet project staff and other key stakeholders, who will be available to answer questions;
• obtain sample documents; and
• brainstorm new approaches to problems back home.

Hands-on assistance
The Center for Court Innovation provides intensive one-on-one assistance in the planning, implementation, and enhancement of integrated domestic violence courts and domestic violence courts.

Assistance is available in five main areas:

1. NEEDS ASSESSMENT

A needs assessment helps pinpoint pressing local problems, providing quantitative and qualitative data to sharpen planners’ understanding of the issues at hand.

2. PLANNING DOCUMENT

Once the problems have been clearly defined, the Center can help planners create a detailed planning document that spells out the scope and goals of a court and outlines its policies and procedures.

3. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

Armed with a clear, detailed idea about how to proceed, the Center can make it happen by helping clients identify ways to overcome hurdles and obstacles, and devise new ways to engage the community and potential government partners.

4. EVALUATION

The Center can then help planners evaluate the project by establishing performance measures and measuring its actual impact on victims and offenders.

5. TROUBLESHOOTING

Finally, the Center can assist with troubleshooting, helping program managers analyze operations and make mid-course adjustments.

Planning Toolkit
This guidebook can offer practical, step-by-step instruction for all phases of the planning process, including:

• Creation of a planning team
• Development of a work plan
• Design of a data-collection and needs-assessment strategy
• System mapping and analysis of current domestic violence case flow and caseload
• Community resource assessment

Trainings
Center for Court Innovation experts provide customized workshops, panels, and trainings on domestic violence courts to practitioners and court personnel interested in the principles of domestic violence courts and integrated domestic violence courts, domestic violence dynamic, cultural competency, sexual assault and domestic violence, and other topics as requested. Speakers from the Center have participated in conferences across the U.S. and internationally.

Evaluation/Research tools
Center for Court Innovation researchers are available to conduct original research, including both impact and process evaluations, and to produce publications as well as to assist local jurisdictions in setting performances measures.

The Center has produced a number of publications on domestic violence courts; click here to read the Center’s domestic violence court-related publications, or visit the Research page to learn more about the Center’s research team and its projects.