Covid-19 Resources and Information

NJCA hopes that you, your family, and loved ones are safe and healthy. Through all of this “new norm,” we commit to do all that we can to support our member CACs/MDTs in the best way we can. Below you will find a listing of informational resources for your professional staff, families, and all those working in the child maltreatment field. Please contact us if we can help with any additional information you may need.

New Jersey Resource Guide to Keeping Children Safe During Social Distancing

NJCA has put together a resource guide designed to help all adults who are currently communicating with children – teachers, therapists, family members, friends – recognize when something may be wrong. Recognizing signs of abuse is more difficult in this socially distanced environment, but if more of us are aware of how to look for possible signs, potentially abusive situations are more likely to be reported.

You can download the full document in English and in Spanish here or view the individual pages below.
Social Distance Communication

Activities for Children and Families

Take-A-Walk Bingo
15 Easy Doodles-you just need your hand & a pen
Science Experiments & Activities for Kids
At Home Science Activity: Wave Machine
Scholastic Learn at Home: DIY projects and resources for grades K-9
Beam’s Center’s Projects (all school levels)
Kids’ Activities for Everyone (numerous links in this document)
More kids activities
Virtual Field Trips
Podcasts for littles (2-6 yrs)
How to draw Steve the Kiwi
Coloring Pages From 113 Museums
Paper fun
Learn a language for free
YouTube video-How to explain social distancing to kids
TED-Ed: expert educators and TED speakers worldwide create
and share high-quality, interactive, video-based lessons on a daily basis, for free (elementary-university level)

Parenting During Covid-19

D2L’s Protective Steps: free online training on “Protecting Children During a Crisis” and “Talking to Children”.
Parent/Caregiver Guide from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network: a very comprehensive list of ideas for parents to keep their families, their children and themselves well.
Talking to Kids About Coronavirus kids worry more when they’re kept in the dark. Advice on how to talk to them about the impacts of the virus that will be reassuring.
Kids and Screen Time :all screen time isn’t bad. Guidance on how to evaluate the Three C’s – child, content and context – to create practical limits.
The National Association of School Psychologists–how to help children cope with all of the changes: a wealth of resources for families and educators, including Stigma and Racism, Service Delivery, Special Education, Crisis and Mental Health.
Dads at a Distance: advice and resources to maintain and strengthen relationships for fathers who have to be away from their children.
Moms Over Miles: advice and resources to maintain and strengthen relationships for fathers who have to be away from their children.
General Tips for Parents: COVID-19 and general advice about protecting children, from Prevent Child Abuse New York
Parenting in a Pandemic: Tips to Keep the Calm at Home: American Academy on Pediatrics gives advice on communication and discipline in the pandemic.
Coronavirus and Mental Health: Taking Care of Ourselves During Infectious Disease Outbreaks: Everyone needs strategies to manage feelings of fear and uncertainty. Advice from the American Psychiatric Association.
Taking Care of Family Well-Being (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, NCTSN): A guide for parents and caregivers to help families cope with COVID-19.
Supporting Homebound Children During COVID-19 (CSTS): Being homebound can create social isolation from peers and teachers, anxiety and family tension. Advice from the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress.
Supporting Your Family During Quarantine or Isolation: Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation during an Infectious Disease Outbreak (SAMHSA): What to expect and ways to support yourself during the period of social distancing, quarantine and isolation. From the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Be Aware of Scams
Consumers and healthcare facilities have been targeted by scammers pretending to be representatives of CDC or WHO and asking for personal information, donations, etc.
Finding the Right Words to Talk with Children and Teens about Coronavirus (CSTS): Help children of all ages understand basic information about COVUID-19. From the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress.
Discussing Coronavirus with your Children (CSTS): When parents feel calm and clear in their own understandin go tough topics, it is easier to be calm and clear when explaining to their children. From the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress.
Tips for Coping when Quarantined with COVID-19 Family Members :(CSTS)How to manage if your family is quarantined with family members suffering from COVID -19. From the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress.
When Family Members are Hospitalized due to COVID-19 (CSTS) )Advice for dealing with distress and fears when a family member is hospitalized due to COVID-19. From the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress.
COVID Coach App: For coping, self-care, and goal directed efforts for a general audience during the COVID-19 pandemic, developed by The National Center for PTSD (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs). An app for everyone, to support self-care and overall mental health during the pandemic.

Resources for CAC/MDT Staff Working From Home

Distance Services Procedures:Example of distance services protocol from the Dallas CAC
Tele-Forensic Interview Services Protocol:a sample tele-forensic interview protocol from the Dallas CAC
Sample: Distance Services Emergency Contact Sheet: a sample document to help keep in touch with children and families served. From the Dallas CAC.
Beyond COVID-19 Manual (Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center): Guidance for CACs in the Age of Distance Services and Emergency Preparedness.
Telemental Health, CACs and Medicaid reimbursement: Information about Medicaid reimbursement for Telehealth services. From Maryland’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
HIPPA Rules-Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Telehealth Remote Communications: Office of Civil Rights will not impose penalties for noncompliance with the HIPAA Rules against covered health care providers in connection with the good faith provision of telehealth. 
Understanding the videoconferencing tools available for your nonprofit : TechSoup explains videoconferencing options.
Thinking outside the inbox Communication and collaboration tools that are better than email. From TechSoup.
With No School, Calls Drop but Child Abuse Hasn’t: Child abuse reports have slowed during the pandemic. From Associated Press.
Stats on the increase of cases due to COVID-19 pandemic: Kids are more at risk of abuse away from the largest source of hotline calls – teachers.
Child Abuse Article For many children, home is not safe.
DV and Child Abuse CNN story about concerns of increased domestic violence and child abuse during stay-at-home time.
National Children’s Alliance-Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Through Telehealth (4/20/2020) Information on providing TF-CBT remotely – research and resources.
National Children’s Alliance-Abuse & Prevention (4/13/2020) What does the increase in child sexual abuse reports mean?
National Children’s Alliance–Health & Safety & Tele-FI Guides plus Stimulus Funds (4/3/2020) Health and Safety guide, Masks for CAC safety, and info on Tele-forensic interviews.
National Children’s Alliance–Webinars and Resources to Help you Keep Serving Kids (3/19/2020) Webinars on Triaging Cases, Congress and Telehealth.
National Children’s Alliance–Covid-19 guidance for CACS on Case Triage & Safety Planning (3/16/2020) Advice for CACs on Critical vs. Non-Critical services and CAC safety.
National Children’s Alliance–Coronavirus Resources for CACs (3/9/2020) General info for CACs about COVID-19.
Safeguarding Your Information While Teleworking: Advice on how to avoid hacking and scams while working from home.
Google Voice for those without work cellphones who don’t want to give out their personal cell:Get an alternate phone number to protect your privacy.
Everything You Need to Know About Working from Home During Coronavirus: Advice on healthy working from home.
Working from Home… With Kids:Experienced multi-taskers share advice, hacks, schedules and more. WNYC radio.
Telehealth Resources From The Medical University of South Carolina: Resources and research on Telehealth from a National Telehealth Center of Excellence.
Western Regional CAC’s Telehealth Resource Webinars: Tele-Mental Health Webinar series from the Western Regional Children’s Advocacy Center.
WRCAC’s Telemental Health Resource Center: Resources for general and COVID-19 Telemental Health programs.
Schuyler Center for Policy & Analysis’s Resource Guide: Information to help families connect to resources.  
Working Remotely During COVID-19: Your Mental Health and Well-being (APA Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health, CWMH): Advice and resources for home-workers and managers.
Articles on Child Abuse and COVID-19/Recessions List of links to articles about risk of increased child abuse. Includes research about lessons learned from recession.
Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19: Tips and strategies for managing mental health challenges through the covid-19 crisis.

FREE Online Courses:

National Children’s Advocacy Center Virtual Training Center and https://www.nationalcac.org/other-online-trainings/: a wide range of FREE online training opportunities for child abuse professionals. NCACvtc includes live and archived Webinars and Recorded Trainings.
Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center: Intro to Victim Advocacy Video
Office for Victims of Crime Training Materials
Zero Abuse Project Trainings
Midwest Regional Children’s Advocacy Center: Online Training Library

Health Care & Safety Sites:

DIY: No Sew T-Shirt Face Mask
IRS warns about Coronavirus-Related Scams
The U.S. EPA has compiled a list of disinfectant products for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 24/7: Information and up-to-date news from the CDC.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Central source of information from the federal government (FEMA, the White House, and CDC)
World Health Organizatio: Facts and resources for the public, including downloadable informational flyers and fact sheets.
New Google website specific for the virus

Dealing with Dangerous Situations During the Crisis:

National Sexual Assault hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
National Sexual Assault Online Hotline: Chat online with a trained staff member who can provide you confidential crisis support.

Non-Profit Management During the COVID-19 Crisis:

Have Extra Time Because You Aren’t Seeing Clients?

Tend Academy’s Resources: articles, podcasts, and videos on Compassion Fatigue led by vicarious trauma expert and speaker Françoise Mathieu.
Listen to the NCA’s podcast One in Ten

Emergency Economic Assistance

New Jersey’s Covid-19 Information Hub: The state’s site for medical, legal, and economic information about the Covid-19 crisis, with links to organizations that can help
Essential businesses in NJ who are hiring
United Way COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund: For help with bills, rent and food call (1-866-211-9966) and provide your zip code

Coping With Anxiety, Keeping Fit & Having Some Fun:

Keep Fit at Home with OrangeTheory free, daily sessions (exercise safely)
Museum of Modern Art: free online art courses
Virtual Tours of the Vatican Museums
A Chorus Line in Quarantine
Free meditation and mindfulness activities
Many places of worship are offering online services. See if a church, synagogue or mosque near you is offering something you can attend virtually
Listen to music, take a nap, have a Zoom dance party or Netflix Movie Night.
Coping with Anxiety
Calming anxiety during a difficult time: Tips from the Child Mind Institute