“MOST IMPORTANT INVESTMENT WE’VE EVER HAD”
With those words, WVCAN Executive Director Emily Chittenden-Laird described the Bar Foundation grant which was recently awarded to the WV Child Advocacy Network to implement a forensic interview expert consultation pilot program. Pictured above, at the WVCAN offices in Charleston, are Caitlin Smith, Program Services Specialist and Bar Foundation Board Member Gerry Stowers.
As Caitlin stated, “this project will improve interviewing practice for the benefit of kids.” In addition, the grant for the pilot program “is especially important because the quality of the forensic interview can greatly affect the investigation, ultimately impacting children’s safety and access to justice. That’s why the integrity of investigations, starting with a neutral, legally-sound forensic interview is so crucial and why we need to invest in our forensic interviewers.”
A descriptive story shows the positive impact of the grant and the pilot program:

Jane has been a forensic interviewer at her child advocacy center since her initial training one year ago. She regularly interviews children who may be victims of abuse, and they all deserve a forensic interview that is trauma-sensitive, legally sound, and developmentally appropriate. Even though Jane participates in monthly online forensic interviewer peer reviews, half of her group is from the same training cohort and, therefore, just as new to this work as she is. She shared an interview with the group last month and got feedback, but she won’t present again for another four months. With an expert consultant, forensic interviewers, like Jane, will have the support needed to advance their practice. She will be able to set goals and benchmarks, then measure her progress with this consultant as she continues to work with the children in her community.

Thanks to YOU!
The donations that YOU make to the Bar Foundation benefit our WV children!!

GIVING TUESDAY-NOVEMBER 28
$168 million raised online.
1.56 million total gifts.
$107.69 mean gift size.

This is what happened last year on Giving Tuesday, the nationally recognized date to make donations to charitable organizations.
Please plan on making a tax deductible donation to the Bar Foundation’s Justice Fund on Tuesday, November 28.
Every dollar you contribute is used solely to make grants to charitable WV organizations which work to improve the administration of justice and the provision of legal services to the state’s men, women and children.
It’s easy—- Do it online by using your credit/debit card, through the simple PayPal donation process on the Bar Foundation’s website—-wvbarfound.org
Or donations can be made by check to the Justice Fund (WV Bar Foundation, P.O. Box 4845, Charleston, WV 25364).
We Need YOU!
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GENEROUS DONATIONS
Two well known and well respected lawyers in the state have recently made contributions to the Bar Foundation’s Justice Fund, which is used solely to make grants to improve the administration of justice and the provision of legal services to WV’s men, women and children.
Ellen Cappellanti (Charleston) and Patrick Deem (Bridgeport) made donations as part of the strong effort to increase the Justice Fund to $1 million from its current level of approximately $680,000, by December 31, 2017. With one million dollars, the Fund would increase annual grantmaking by more than double the present amount!
Both Ellen and Pat are Bar Foundation Fellows, with Ellen serving now as a member of the Board of Directors.
Please join Ellen, Pat and other members of the judiciary and the legal profession, in making tax deductible contributions to support beneficial grants from the Bar Foundation’s Justice Fund!!