Member News

NOVA, Bucks County’s comprehensive crime victim services agency, is pleased to announce that it has recently received a $10,000 Bucks Innovation and Improvement Grant (BIIG) from Foundations Community Partnership. The BIIG grant will be used by NOVA to offer Understanding Child Abuse and Trafficking Indicators in a Clinical Setting, a pilot training program to help healthcare professionals recognize and identify indicators of potential abuse and trafficking situations and within the pediatric population.

“There is a significant need to support young people who may be vulnerable to sexual exploitation,” said Jamie Pfister, Training Coordinator, NOVA. “Medical settings provide an opportunity to identify children who may be risk and offer support services. We are extremely thankful to Foundations Community Partnership for allowing us the opportunity to educate those in the medical community who interface with potential pediatric victims.”

Healthcare providers play an important role in preventing child abuse and trafficking, but it can be difficult to identify the indicators without proper training. This one-year grant will allow NOVA to train 50-100 healthcare professionals in Bucks County and will include research and development of the curriculum, as well as dissemination of the
content to the healthcare providers. The plan is to expand this program to all Bucks County hospitals and to have this as a future offering under NOVA’s Training Institute.

“As NOVA proudly reflects on its 50-year history of providing comprehensive victim services in the County, we are proud to contribute to the organization’s efforts with this latest grant,” said Dr. Tobi Bruhn, CEO, Foundations Community Partnership. “Our Board of Directors appreciated the opportunity to support this crucial educational initiative for healthcare professionals in Bucks County.”

About NOVA

NOVA supports, counsels and empowers victims of sexual assault and other serious crimes in Bucks County and works to prevent and eliminate violence in society through

advocacy, training, community education and prevention programs. Founded in 1974, NOVA is a non-profit 501(c)(3), community-based organization operating out of three offices in Fairless Hills, Jamison and Perkasie. Services are made possible through the financial support of federal, state and local government grants and contracts, corporations, foundations and private donations. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. For more information, visit www.NOVABucks.org.

About Foundations Community Partnership

Established in 1964, as the Delaware Valley Mental Health Foundation, Foundations Community Partnership supports the behavioral health and human service needs of children, young adults, and families in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The foundation does this through grants to non-profit organizations, awarding scholarships to high school seniors, subsidizing service-learning internships for college students, and underwriting professional development programs. To learn more, go to http://fcpartnership.org/

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Image and caption courtesy of NOVA:

FCP Healthcare Training Grant Check Presentation.jpeg—

(Left to right) Dr. Tobi Bruhn, Executive Director, Foundations Community Partnership, visited NOVA’s headquarters to present a check for $10,000 to (L to R) Mary Worthington, Director of Prevention and Training, NOVA; Michelle Cash, Director of Development, NOVA; and Melany Nelson, Director of Forensic Services and Crisis Response, NOVA.