Children's Justice Act Task Force

The Children's Justice Act (CJA) was originally enacted in 1984 as part of the Victims of Crime Act to encourage States to improve the handling of child abuse cases and, in particular, child sexual abuse cases. Most recently, CJA was reauthorized through the 2010 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA, P.L. 111-320). Section 107(c) of CAPTA requires States to create a multidisciplinary CJA Task Force composed of professionals and individuals with knowledge and experience relating to the criminal justice system and issues of child physical abuse, child neglect, child sexual abuse and exploitation, and child maltreatment related fatalities.

The CJA Task Force reviews and evaluates State investigative, administrative and both civil and criminal judicial handling of cases of child abuse and neglect, including child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as cases involving suspected child maltreatment related fatalities and cases involving a potential combination of jurisdictions, such as intrastate, interstate, federal-State and State-tribal. The task force also makes policy and training recommendations

Meetings

Agendas and Minutes

Members

Name	Title	Task Force designation
Alysia Chang	Child Abuse and Prevention Treatment Act (CAPTA) Administrator, Division of Child Welfare, Colorado Department of Human Services	Child Protective Services CJA Task Force Co-Chair
Judge Kellie Starritt	District Court Judge for the 7th Judicial District	Civil Court Judge CJA Task Force Co-Chair
April Jenkins	Child Protection and Prevention Services Manager, Division of Child Welfare, Colorado Department of Human Services	Child Protective Services
Maureen “Mo” Basenberg	Executive Director, Safe Passage	Child Advocate
Antonia Chiesa	Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Kempe Child Protection Team, The Children's Hospital Colorado	Health Professional
Danielle Jaramillo Burgar	Chief Deputy District Attorney in the 23rd Judicial District	Prosecuting Attorney
Jennifer Richardson	Clinical Director, Shiloh House	Mental Health Professional
Michelle Jensen	Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR)	Attorney for Children
Gretchen Russo	Judicial and Legislative Administrator, Office of Children, Youth & Families, Colorado Department of Human Services	Child Protective Services
Kara Smith	Grand Junction Public Defender’s Office	Defense Attorney
Guinevere Munib	Lived Experience	Person with Lived Experience in Child Protective Services
Lisa Vigil	Attorney	County Attorney
Ashley Jellison	Executive Director of Colorado Children's Alliance	Children's Advocacy Center Representative
Tori Shuler	Director, Fostering Great Ideas	Adult former victim of child abuse and or neglect
Savanna Phelan- Jones	Older Youth Program (OYP) Manager	Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Representative
Christy Van Gaasbeek	Office of the Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC)	Representative for Parents
Megan Kearsley	CIP Coordinator	Court Improvement Program Coordinator
Lorrie Montoya	Children, Youth, and Family Services Manager	County Representative
Abby Cerne	Child and Youth Counseling Program Coordinator & Art Therapist, Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN)	Individual experienced in working with homeless children and youth
Magistrate Deborah Pearson	District and County Court Magistrate, Fourth Judicial District	Criminal Court Judge
Molly Hostetler	Staff Attorney, Disability Law	Individual(s) Experienced in Working with Children with Disabilities
Katelyn White	Detective, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office	Law Enforcement Representative

Reports & Publications

The Colorado CJA Task Force submits a report annually to the Administration on Children, Youth and Families. To review CJA Task Force reports visit Child Welfare Reports & Publications.

CJA Task Force bylaws.