| Prosecuting Attorney Shannon Johnson has announced that Calhoun County will be one of the first West Virginia counties to learn about and implement a new initiative called "Handle With Care." Representatives from the West Virginia Center for Children's Justice and United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia Booth Goodwin, will be on hand in Calhoun County on June 2, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. in the Circuit Courtroom of the Calhoun County Courthouse to present a workshop titled "Breaking Silos: Handle with Care," which will introduce this program to us. Prosecutor Johnson would like to invite anyone working with children or concerned community members to attend this meeting.
This workshop will offer innovative practices for helping to mitigate the negative effects experienced by children's exposure to trauma and will build upon the success of proven programs throughout the country.
Nationally, 60% of our children have been exposed to violence, crime, or abuse. Forty percent were direct victims of two or more violent acts. Repeated or prolonged exposure to violence and trauma seriously undermines children's ability to focus and behave appropriately and learn in school, which often leads to school failure, truancy, suspension or expulsion, dropping out, or involvement in our juvenile justice system.
By being one of the first counties to hear about this program, Calhoun County has an opportunity to be a leader in West Virginia in our ability to help children exposed to violence through improved communication and collaboration between law-enforcement, schools, and mental health providers. The West Virginia Children Exposed to Violence Initiative is a chance to prevent children's exposure to violence, mitigate negative effects experienced by children exposed to violence, and increase knowledge and awareness of this issue.
Please let the Prosecutor's Office know of your plans to attend by calling the office at 304-354-6170 so that they may prepare for your participation.
| 
