VCU news

By Laura Arbogast

RICHMOND, Va. – Each year in the United States, millions of children are victims or witnesses to acts of violence. But often only the physical wounds are tended to leading to long-term psychological problems for the child. But now, thanks to a new pilot program launched by Virginia Commonwealth University, families arriving at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital’s Emergency Department will have the opportunity to receive mental-health services for their children.

The Department of Pediatrics at VCU’s Medical College of Virginia Hospitals has developed Child VIP, Violence Intervention Project, as a collaborative project between VCU and Richmond’s East District community, where 40 percent of the city’s homicides occur. Police, public school officials and community members from the East District began meeting in March 2000 and will continue to meet monthly with Child VIP coordinators to discuss the impact of violence on neighborhood children and ways to reduce it.

Child VIP provides training for MCV Hospitals Emergency Department staff, social workers, police and first responders. The training is designed for stress management for children involved in critical incidents.

"The goal of Child VIP is to provide immediate help for child trauma patients and children who have been exposed to violence," said Janet Delorme, project coordinator. "By providing appropriate intervention, such as counseling and play therapy, we hope to increase the child’s ability to recover from such an experience."

Margaret Dolan, M.D., VCU professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine, realized the need for such a program while working in MCV Hospitals’ Emergency Department.

"Children who are involved in car accidents, shootings or violence at home do not always have physical injuries but can have severe emotional reactions," Dolan said. "Left untreated, this can develop into symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and studies have revealed that actual physical changes to the brain can occur. We want to provide the resources needed to identify and minimize the negative impact of the trauma."

Other components of Child VIP include a referral program for police and emergency medical service providers who encounter child bystanders and witnesses. Parents of these children will be given information on the effects of trauma, how to recognize signs of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and how to contact Child VIP for additional help. Child VIP coordinators at MCV Hospitals will provide counselors and a professional play therapist to help affected children resolve their feelings about the situation.

Since statistics about Richmond children who have witnessed violence never have been formally compiled, Child VIP coordinators hope the program will teach them more about pediatric trauma and effective ways to treat it.