Published: Friday,
May 11, 2012
TORRINGTON—The Child
Abuse Investigation Team of Northwest Connecticut (CAIT NW), a program of The
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Center for Youth and Families, recently held its
fifth annual “Pinwheels for Prevention” Child Abuse Prevention Recognition
Awards Ceremony at the Torrington Elks Lodge.
The event is held annually
to bring together and recognize professionals working with children in the
Northwest Corner, their co-workers, family members, and friends. The event
highlights Child Abuse Prevention Month and services for area children who have
been victims of child abuse. The concept of “pinwheels,” which represent the
carefree nature of children, was created in
The keynote speaker for this year’s breakfast
event was Dr. William Petit from the Petit Family Foundation. In 2011 the Petit
Family Foundation provided the
The CYF Parent Partner is one of the first positions
of its kind to be housed by a
During the awards ceremony,
four professionals were honored for their dedication and commitment to
protecting children in Litchfield County: Bob Kauffman of Bob’s Discount
Furniture received the Lifetime Achievement Award given to individuals who have
shown a dedication to the protection and oversight of children who have been
abused or are at risk of being exposed to the many types of abuse. Mr. Kaufman
has provided donations and his time to number of charitable organizations. This past year his donated furniture to the CAIT NW team for the
forensic interview space located at the Center for Youth and
Families.
Geraldine Menn of the Juvenile Courts received the
Judicial Award given to individuals in the court system who have shown a special desire and dedication to victims and
families of child abuse. Ms. Menn has worked for the past 15 years in the
juvenile justice system and is currently a child protection contract attorney
through the Office of Chief Public Defender, representing children, parents, and
delinquent youth. She has been recognized as a great support to families within
the juvenile justice system.
Louise Brockway, LMFT, received the
Dr.
Lawrence Lee, a pediatric dentist, received the Community Service Award given to
community members who have unselfishly helped children in either a professional
or personal setting, showing a strong desire to make the quality of children’s
lives better. Dr. Lee, of
The Child Abuse Investigation Team of Northwest
Connecticut is a multi-disciplinary group that coordinates the activities of the
agencies involved in child abuse case investigation throughout the region.
Formed in 1997, the team includes representatives from the state and local
police departments, Connecticut Department of Children and Families, CHH Center
for Youth & Families, Northwest Center for Family Service & Mental
Health, Connecticut Office of Victim Services, Connecticut State’s Attorney’s
Office, Connecticut Juvenile Court, Susan B. Anthony Project, and area
pediatricians and mental health professionals.
The team meets regularly
to discuss child abuse cases that occur in
“Whether you are a parent,
grandparent, aunt, uncle, neighbor or family friend, almost everyone has a child
in their life that they care about and want to see happy and healthy. We
encourage people to think about how they can help protect the children in their
lives and community,” said Joan Neveski, LCSW, clinical manager for The Center
For Youth and
For more details on any of
the above programs, please contact the Center for Youth & Families at
860-489-3391.
The Child Abuse Investigation Team of Northwest Connecticut
is one of several program and services offered at the CHH for Youth and
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