The Navy announced Monday the creation of a team that will help reduce child abuse, neglect, and domestic violence among Navy families.

The High Risk for Violence and Coordinated Community Response (HRV-CCR) team will be used when, in the judgment of the Family Advocacy Representative (FAR), there is a threat of immediate and serious harm to Service members, family members, or unmarried intimate partners.

"The Navy is fully committed to ensuring victims of domestic and child abuse are protected, treated with dignity and respect, and are provided support, advocacy, and care," said Sonia Smith, Family Advocacy Program Senior Policy Analyst. "Violence can escalate rapidly, in order to address this issue the HRV-CCR protocol was established to manage risk and decrease the potential for violence."

The goal of the HRV-CCR team is to provide rapid assistance, safety planning, risk assessment and case management in response to an incident.

HRV-CCR team members include a representative from the command of the alleged victim and offender, Fleet and Family Support Center, Staff Judge Advocate or Regional Legal Service Office, military treatment facility, Chaplain, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, base security, and military and civilian service organizations.

"When members of the community coordinate their efforts to protect victims of abuse, the system is more efficient, victims are protected and receive the services they need, and offenders are held accountable," said Smith.

Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) will establish procedures at the regional and installation level that will provide coordinated comprehensive intervention, assessment, and support to suspected or alleged victims and offenders in response to high risk of violence situations.

Family Readiness policy falls under OPNAV N170 within the 21st Century Sailor Office. The Family Advocacy Program (FAP) is a command directed program that provides clinical assessment, treatment and services for service members and their families involved in incidents of child abuse and domestic abuse. The primary goals of FAP are prevention, victim safety and support, rehabilitative interventions, command and offender accountability, and providing a consistent and appropriate coordinated community response.

Full details on command responsibilities for HRV-CCR are available in NAVADMIN 093/17.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Month of the Military Child. For more information about these awareness efforts, visit: http://www.cnic.navy.mil/ffr/family_readiness/fleet_and_family_support_program/family_advocacy/child-abuse-prevention-month.html

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