Promising Approaches

About us

The Massachusetts Department of Social Services' (DSS) primary responsibility is to protect children who have been abused or neglected in a family setting, and to ensure that each child has a safe, nurturing and permanent home. The DSS Domestic Violence Unit is a statewide initiative designed to enhance the Department's ability to protect children experiencing family violence. The DSS Domestic Violence Unit works with DSS Regional and Area office staff to strategize how to best integrate this knowledge and also consults with social workers and managers on cases to assist staff in designing safe interventions, that decrease risk and keep children with the non-abusive parent, when it is possible.

Purpose

• To provide a framework for mandated reporters to create family centered approaches when domestic violence is identified.
• To offer guidelines to assist mandated reporters to assess, accurately and sympathetically, the impact of domestic violence on children and their families.