May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Health and IPV Resources for API Communities

Posted May 4, 2020 by Anisa Ali

protect aapi communities May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which recognizes the rich history of Asian and Pacific Islanders* living in the United States.

According to the Pew Research Center, Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese accounted for 85% of all Asian Americans as of 2015.[1] The other 15% of the Asian American population is: Pakistani, Cambodian, Hmong, Thai, Laotian, Bangladeshi, Burmese, among others.[2]

Violence is highly prevalent among Asian Pacific Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18% of Asian or Pacific Islander women reported experiencing rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime in a national survey, as compared to 48% of American Indians or Alaska Native women, 45% of Black women, 34% of Hispanic women, and 37% of White women.[3] Visit the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, a national resource center funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and a member of the Domestic Violence Resource Network, for more resources and research on gender-based violence among Asian Pacific Islander communities.

Also prevalent among Asian Pacific Americans are experiences of racism and discrimination, including increased incidents of violence and harassment during the COVID-19 pandemic, experiences of Islamophobia against Muslims, and violence against indigenous peoples and histories of colonization.

FUTURES’ National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence (in collaboration with several partners in the field) has developed a number of resources higlighting the health impact of violence and abuse, specific to Asian and Pacific Islander communities:

“Is your relationship affecting your health?” General Health safety card available in Chinese (for a national audience), Korean, and Tagalog (for a national audience).
“Is your relationship affecting your health?” General Health safety card for Hawaiian communities available in English, Hawaiian, Chinese, Marshallese, Tagalog, and Chuukese.
“Did you know your relationship affects your health?” Reproductive Health safety card in Chinese and Korean.
“Hanging Out or Hooking Up?” Adolescent Health safety card in Chinese and Korean.
“Caring Relationships, Healthy You” LGBQ safety card in Chinese and Korean.
“Beyond Halal and Haram: Muslims, Sex, and Relationships” Muslim Youth safety card.

*The term Asian and Pacific Islanders includes: the entire Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

[1] Budiman, Abby, et al. “Key Facts about Asian Origin Groups in the U.S.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 22 May 2019, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/22/key-facts-about-asian-origin-groups-in-the-u-s/.

[2] Ibid.

^[3] CDC: 2010-2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (2017)

NCHDV Steering Committee: Finding Hope and Healing in the time of COVID-19

Posted April 29, 2020 by kvandertuig

Today at FUTURES we are honoring what would have been Day One of the 9th National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence (NCHDV) in Chicago. Over the last few months, many of our lives have changed. Much of our NCHDV community are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response – having to adapt and innovate new strategies for health and safety. We asked three of our NCHDV steering committee members who to reflect on their experience mobilizing to address the impact that COVID-19 has had on communities:

Makini Chisolm-Straker, MD MPH is an assistant professor Department of Emergency Medicine, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Brooklyn and also on per diem at Elmhurst Hospital Center Emergency Department in Queens. Makini represents HEAL Trafficking on the NCHDV Steering Committee.

Amanda Pyron is the Executive Director of the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network and represents them on the Steering Committee.

Connie Mitchell, MD MPH is the Deputy Director, Center for Family Health at California Department of Public Health and has served on the NCHDV Steering Committee since the first conference in 2000.

Q: Your job and life has changed in many ways in the last two months – is there a reflection, lesson, innovation or message that you would like to share with the health and anti-violence fields?

Makini: In fact, my life has not changed much at all. This is what emergency medicine and public health are about and for. This time, I am counted among the privileged. From the safety of my privilege, where not much has changed, I consider that not much has changed. It is our same people that bear this burden. Our same people are dying, are hungry, are grieving, are sacrificing, are afraid. They are in danger, in their own homes. We are not “in this together,” and we’ve never been. But a nation is its people, not its privileged leadership. Octavia Butler wrote, “We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.” Who are we, as a nation? This answer will require deep, terrible honesty. Who do we want to be? What do we want the seventh generation to say? How will we seal the gap? The actions required to build a lasting bridge must trouble the water.

Amanda: A core reflection for me is on the importance of relationships. I have personally and professionally been sustained by the great partners and providers who are a part of the Network and our wider community. I am proud to call them colleagues and friends and couldn’t imagine going through this without their support. I am thankful of the relationships with our City and State champions who have only been a text message or phone call away during this period.

Connie: I am coming to understand that there are three main challenges that have emerged all at once for myself and our field. There is the intellectual challenge of understanding virology – transmission, testing, protecting our health, healing from the virus, etc. We are all having to embark on a huge knowledge acceleration to stay on top of new information that emerges every day. There is also a process challenge: we now have to operate with new and different models of decision making and systems operation. I am seeing this process challenge both in my work at the California Department of Public Health, where we are all trying to learn and move together with a centralized command, but also in our communities and home lives. We are having to figure out new ways of doing things and caring for each other. Lastly there is the emotional challenge. You know there is suffering and pervasive fear and anxiety that is justified. The major response to this pandemic is physical distancing which isolates people by intention and unfortunately can magnify our fears. Every day, I am having to manage the convergence of these three major challenges at once both personally for myself and my family but for my public health workforce and the population we serve. Staying focused, setting realistic priorities for each day and including self-care is essential to managing the “convergence”.

Q: What do you and your colleagues need from the health and anti-violence fields right now?

Makini: I cannot speak for my colleagues. So, I say this with them in mind. Every shift for years, I and my colleagues bear witness to the traumas and the deaths and the sufferings that are innumerable, unbearable, and at a national level, accepted as commonplace. We hold these liquid truths for you. Even now we are holding back what we see at work, but the obnoxiously transparent truth is spilling out and over. Again, I quote Octavia Butler, “Not every pain should be immediately healed.” This pandemic will demand time for healing because the pains that fueled it have been centuries-long. Imperialism and genocide. Capitalism and acculturation. Patriarchy and white supremacy. These are what drive the US health “care” system that is not even as old as some people’s grandmas. We are not in balance, we are in pain, long overdue for the healing. The impacts of this pandemic are an overflowing of imbalance. It has scraped at and unroofed our scars, and our nation’s nerves are screaming now. In whatever work is your purpose, don’t hide the agony of those you serve nor the hard truths that make bare your complicit ugliness. Amplify their sound, magnify their guttural tremors, so that we each and all, like cells, need to gather and collectively do the arduous work of healing. It will take time because it will take listening with tenacity and humility; it will take a return to some deeply old ways; and most of all, it will take the experience and imagination of those previously ignored and placated.

Amanda: We need champions from other allied fields to stand up for victims of domestic violence and raise awareness. We also need supporters for our emergency fund– to alleviate crises experienced by victims that are not addressed anywhere else and strengthen the safety net for survivors during this time.

Connie: We need to learn from this. More than ever we are learning that shelter, food, education and health care are essential for people to feel safe and to adhere to isolation guidance. But there are huge deficiencies and inequities in the strength of each of these pillars. These pillars are foundational for not only resistance to the current pandemic but reslience for all kinds of crises or traumatic events. I expect that we will learn that societies where people have true access to health, housing, food and safety will fare better during COVID-19 and we must all carry this message forward in each of the arenas in which we work so that we foster the pillars of resiliency for all people in all places.

Q: What (if anything) is bringing you hope, strength, or peace right now?

Makini:

Knowing this gives me peace: – Ïn nīz bogzarad – (This too shall pass.)
Knowing this gives me strength: I am on purpose.
Knowing this, I have hope: Collectively, we know how.

Get more of Makini’s wisdom: COVID-19 is Our Chance at Re-Birth

Amanda: Knowing that people survive and thrive-it’s our only job to make that a bit easier for them now. And my children, who I always enjoying having around a bit more.

Connie: I am feeling anxious that we will not learn from this. I fear that we will not have the courage to make the important changes that we must. I worry that we will feel so relieved when virus eases up and maybe seek out going back to “normal”, missing the fact that “normal” got us into this trouble in the first place. We cannot not have this much suffering without great learning. However, I do find moments of peace that I actually seek out to heal my brain. Books take me to another place, time, and characters. I just finished Where The Crawdads Sing – it took me to a whole new world. Music stimulates deeply rooted neural pathways about culture, connection and community. Also I rely on laughter. My family has designated the dining room as a no work zone – we come together at the end of hard days and eat nutritious food and laugh at funny stories. The chorus of communal laughter fills our home and my heart. These strategies are how I feed and soothe the parts of my brain that are on hyper alert right now and give me hope for the challenges of the next day.

Thank you Connie, Amanda, and Makini for sharing with us and for your dedication and leadership – and to everyone in our NCHDV family who is supporting the health and safety of survivors and communities during this time. We are looking forward to the day that we can be together at the National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence in Chicago.

Innovation on Demand Part 3: Well-being as a Pathway to Safety

Posted April 28, 2020 by lkinnicutt

Innovation on Demand Part 3: Well-being as a Pathway to Safety

Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 3:00pm-4:30pm EST (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. PST)

Register here: https://bit.ly/2Y9TlsM

Please click here to download our event flyer (PDF): https://wp.me/a8nsIW-6eT

Please click here to view the recording on Zoom

Please click here to download the close-captioning transcript (Word)

This virtual dialogue is part of a three-part series. To learn more about the rest of the series, please click for Part 1 and Part 2.

Description:

In this virtual session, we will share how current shifts in practice can improve future efforts to prevent and respond to family violence and inequities of care. Reducing a family’s stress and making family well-being a priority can help families be safer. Presenters will discuss how communities can move beyond surveillance and monitoring to build resilience and strengthen families. Presenters will also share best practices for trauma-informed telehealth and virtual services.

This dialogue will be recorded and closed-captioned. The slides, recording and closed-captioning transcript will be posted here.

Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare (QIC-DVCW): click here to download The Issue Brief on Rational and Systemic Accountability for Persons Who Use Violence – English (PDF), click here to read article The Other Side of Domestic Violence: Helping Survivors by Working with Their Abusive Partners – English.

Presenters:

Juan Carlos Areán, Program Director, Futures Without Violence (New York City, NY)
Lisa James, Director of Health, Futures Without Violence (San Francisco, CA)
Kiersten Stewart, Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, Futures Without Violence (Washington, DC)
Tien Ung, Director of Impact and Learning, Futures Without Violence (Boston, MA)

Questions? Accessibility Needs? Please contact Jess Fournier at jfournier@futureswithoutviolence.org

These webinars are funded through the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau, Grant #90CA1850-01, and Grant Number 90EV0434-01-00 from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The content of these webinars does not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the funder, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations imply endorsement by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Innovation on Demand Part 2: Advancing Collaboration during COVID-19 to Protect Children and Families

Posted April 28, 2020 by lkinnicutt

Innovation on Demand Part 2: Advancing Collaboration during COVID-19 to Protect Children and Families

Thursday, May 14, 2020, 3:00pm – 4:30pm EST (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. PST)

This virtual dialogue is part of a three-part series. To learn more about the rest of the series, please click for Part 1 and Part 3. To download our event flyer (PDF), please visit: https://wp.me/a8nsIW-6eT

Please click here to view the recording on Zoom

Please click here to download the close-captioning transcript (Word)

Description:

In Part 2, presenters share new ways they are working with community partners when there are concerns about family violence. Presenters will focus on partnerships between child welfare and domestic violence professionals, including during child welfare screening and investigation. The presenters will talk about why collaboration is important to effectively help families experiencing domestic violence when there are safety concerns.

SAFE Alliance Materials: click here to download The Parent Quick Glance to a Child Protective Investigation – Spanish (PDF), click here to download The Parent Quick Glance to a Child Protective Investigation – English (PDF), click here to download The Family Violence Safety Planning During COVID-19 – English (PDF), click here to download The Guide to Working with Survivors Who Have an Open CPI/CPS Case During COVID-19

West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence: click here to download The Summary Sheet about Child Abuse & Neglect Petitions: Co-Petitioning and Battered Parent Adjudication during COVID-19 – English (PDF).

Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare (QIC-DVCW): click here to download Tip Sheet 2-Child Welfare Screening of Domestic Violence During COVID-19, click here to download Tip Sheet 3-Child Welfare Investigations with Families Impacted by Domestic Violence During COVID-19.

Presenters:

Nelly Bonilla, Director of DCFS Services, A Safe Place (Lake County, IL)
Eloise Sepeda, SAFE Futures Program Director, SAFE Alliance (Austin, TX)
Cydney Smith, Protective Services Coordinator, West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Elkview, WV)

Questions? Accessibility Needs? Please contact Jess Fournier at jfournier@futureswithoutviolence.org

These webinars are funded through the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau, Grant #90CA1850-01, and Grant Number 90EV0434-01-00 from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The content of these webinars does not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the funder, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations imply endorsement by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Innovation on Demand Part 1: Implementing Culturally-Responsive and Trauma-Informed Telehealth Services and Family-Centered Practice During COVID-19

Posted April 28, 2020 by lkinnicutt

Innovation on Demand Part 1: Implementing Culturally-Responsive and Trauma-Informed Telehealth Services and Family-Centered Practice During COVID-19

Monday, May 4, 2020, 3:00pm – 4:30pm EST (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. PST)

This virtual dialogue is part of a three-part series. To learn more about the rest of the series, please click for Part 2 and Part 3. To download our event flyer (PDF), please visit: https://wp.me/a8nsIW-6eT

Please click here to view the recording on Zoom

Please click here to download the closed-captioning transcript (Word)

Child Witness to Violence Project Materials: click here to download Telehealth Tip Sheet (PDF), click here to download Informed Consent to Telehealth Counseling Form (PDF)

House of Ruth Maryland Materials: click here to download Virtual Abuse Intervention Program Consent Form – English (Word), click here to download Virtual Abuse Intervention Program Consent Form – Spanish (Word), click here to download Virtual Abuse Intervention Program Participant Survey Form – English (Word), click here to download Virtual Abuse Intervention Program Partner Survey Form – English (Word), click here to download Virtual Abuse Intervention Program Contract – English (Word), click here to download Virtual Abuse Intervention Program Contract – Spanish (Word)

Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare (QIC-DVCW): click here to download Tip Sheet 1-Virtual Activities to Engage Children & Youth during COVID-19 – English (PDF).

Description:

In Part 1, presenters will share how they offer virtual services with families impacted by domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Panelists will discuss equity and safety issues with telehealth counseling. They will share what it takes to create safer virtual environments with children and adult survivors of domestic violence and abusive partners.

This dialogue will be recorded and closed-captioned. The slides, recording and closed-captioning transcript will be posted here.

Presenters:

Neena McConnico, Program Director, Child Witness to Violence Project, Boston Medical Center (Boston, MA)
Lisa Nitsch, Director of Training and Education, House of Ruth (Baltimore, MD)
Jessica Nunan, Executive Director, Caminar Latino (Atlanta, GA)

Questions? Accessibility Needs? Please contact Jess Fournier at jfournier@futureswithoutviolence.org

These webinars are funded through the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau, Grant #90CA1850-01, and Grant Number 90EV0434-01-00 from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The content of these webinars does not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the funder, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations imply endorsement by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Strategies to Enhance Employee Resilience and Engagement within Survivor-Serving Organizations

Posted April 21, 2020 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Strategies to Enhance Employee Resilience and Engagement within Survivor-Serving Organizations

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2020

Listen and view the recording

Link to the PowerPoint

Link for the transcript

Handouts:

Ten Strategies to Enhance Employee Resilience and Engagement Within Survivor-Serving Organizations

Brief Overview of Presenters and Organizations

Rose Brooks Center Staff Engagement Strategies

Resources on COVID-19 Response for Domestic & Sexual Violence Programs

Webinar Description:

Employee turn-over is a challenge faced by many organizations, particularly organizations that serve survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Frequent staff changes can disrupt the quality of and capacity to serve the community and can impact an organization’s sustainability and sense of cohesion. What strategies can survivor centered organizations utilize to attract and engage staff, mitigate burnout, and build strength and collective resilience? This webinar will feature representatives of three organizations that serve survivors of violence and trauma who will share strategies that they use to increase employee engagement as well as improve services for survivors. Facilitators will also discuss some strategies they have incorporated to help staff adapt and manage during this extraordinary public health crisis.

After this webinar, participants will be better able to:

Examine your organization’s strengths and areas for improvement as to its ability to attract and support staff;
Identify strategies to attract, support and continue to engage employees within organizations that serve survivors of violence and trauma;
Utilize tools and resources to attract and continue to engage employees; and
Discuss tips to address the needs of employees during the current health crisis.

Who should participate?

Executive Directors, Program Directors/Managers/Coordinators, Supervisors, and Team Leaders in OVW funded projects.

Presenters:

Kelly Miller, Executive Director, Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence

Lisa Fleming, MSW, Chief Operating Officer, Rose Brooks Center

Vanisa Tabakovic, Executive Director, Tapestri

Facilitators:

Jennifer White & Monica Arenas, Futures Without Violence

Questions? Please contact Monica Arenas at marenas@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K047, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Supporting Mothers at the Intersection of Violence & Racism

Posted April 14, 2020 by Anisa Ali

The week of April 11th-17th marks Black Maternal Health Week, a campaign that was led and founded three years ago by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. The week serves as a time to amplify the voices of Black mamas and center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.

In the United States, Black women are 2 to 6 times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than White women. All too often, when looking at the disproportionate maternal mortality and morbidity rates among Black mothers, the issue of interpersonal violence (IPV) is left out of the conversation–an exclusion which can cost lives. We know that 43.7% of Black women have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner, which is significantly higher than the national average of IPV experienced by women of all races (25%).

As part of this week to amplify the experiences of Black mothers, I sat down with Megan Simmons of Ujima and Sevonna Brown and Farah Tanis of Black Women’s Blueprint to have a conversation about mothers at the intersections of racism and IPV– to identify the roots of this crisis, and uncover how we can begin to address it.

Black survivors are already less likely to seek health care for injuries resulting from IPV compared to White survivors, highlighting the lingering legacies of racism and discrimination in health care systems. When combined with the experience of IPV at home, where partners may restrict movement or the necessary funds to get care, many of these mothers end up not accessing care until far late into their pregnancy, or not at all. The current COVID-19 global crisis adds additional layers of complication, as not only is it stressful to live with the fear of catching COVID-19 during pregnancy, but expectant mothers could also be forced to shelter-in-place with violent family members or partners.

As this scenario is fraught with societal and cultural structures that seem almost impossible to undo, trying to find solutions is a very daunting task. Megan, Farah, and Sevonna emphasized that federal effort or legislation may not be the most effective approach. On top of the need for bipartisan legislator buy-in that would be difficult to create, the experiences and needs of Black mothers are too multi-faceted and rooted in the structures of our society for a single bill or “one size fits all” solution. Instead, we should be addressing these issues with locality in mind: addressing the individual experiences of Black mothers in neighborhoods, towns, and cities. Farah identified this approach as one that supports the creation of survivor-led, grass-roots and community organizing that is both by the people and for the people.

Doulas are one solution frequently suggested as a key strategy to improve maternal health outcomes. When asked about their potential role in trying to address this intersection, Sevonna, a doula herself, was quick to note that doulas alone can not be the ‘end-all’ solution. While doulas increase access to quality prenatal care to all mothers, most currently lack the necessary training to recognize signs of violence and respond to those in a trauma-informed manner. Sevonna emphasized that we should instead focus on the increasing proactive collaboration and partnerships with organizations who are experts in this field. No one or two hour long training could be comparable to the years of experience and knowledge that organizations like Black Women’s Blueprint possess in responding to and supporting expecting mothers through disclosures of violence. Doulas, and any other medical practitioners, should not alone be relied on as the sole source for addressing IPV among expecting mothers.

Farah additionally stressed that improving Black maternal health will require multi-sector partnership and collaboration, where advocacy and victim-service organizations can utilize their numbers, expertise, and passion together, and have a greater impact. She proposed the creation of a national technical assistance center that would offer expertise to local health programs which could either be founded by or partner with organizations that focus on Black maternal health – an idea perfectly balancing the benefits of local and national organizing to seize the necessary funding while maintaining the most effective scope of action. Farah also offered additional ways to help Black expecting mothers, both within and outside of maternal health spaces:

Increased funding for the development and implementation of evidence-based prevention strategies
Redefining terms surrounding violence and assault to be more inclusive of the various types of experiences survivors can go through (i.e. power-based violence, instead of GBV)
Increased funding for the development of culturally-specific medical education
Increased partnership with Black maternal health organizations
Supporting the Black Maternal Health Caucus

Given the disparities of maternal health outcomes, IPV rates, and health outcomes of experiencing IPV, it is crucial that we learn from the community-based, public health models that show promise in promoting maternal health for Black women.

For more resources and information on Black maternal health and IPV, please visit:

For those seeking resources on the intersection of COVID-19 and maternal health: https://www.essence.com/feature/black-mamas-childbirth-covid-19-coronavirus/

Remote Home Visitation: Supporting clients experiencing IPV in the time of COVID-19

Posted April 3, 2020 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Remote Home Visitation: Supporting clients experiencing Intimate Partner Violence in the Time of COVID-19 [Rescheduled to 5/8/2020]

Date: Friday, May 8th, 2020

Time: 11:00 AM- 12:30 PM Pacific/2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern

Webinar Materials:

View the webinar recording.

Download the webinar slides.

Download the Virtual CUES Script for Home Visitors and Additional Text Scripts.

Download PDF versions of our Home Visitor Safety Card (English and Spanish)

WSCADV Home Visitor Reference Sheet.

WSCADV COVID-19 Resource Round Up.

Description:

Given the COVID 19 pandemic, and the shift to virtual home visitation, we recognize that is very difficult for home visitors to determine client safety, confidentiality and promote healthy relationships. The “shelter-in-place” recommendations for communities can increase the risks for survivors of Domestic Violence (DV)/Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and their children. The lack of privacy for conversations and heightened isolation makes it difficult to assess the home environment and figure out if coercion and abuse are happening to a client.

This webinar is dedicated to evolving promising practices for home visitors within a virtual space to help caregivers who may be experiencing coercion and abuse from their partner, and to help them and their children be safer – but offered virtually.

During the session, we will be reviewing how power and control issues may look different within the ‘shelter-in-place’ situation and how these policies might prevent clients from being able to disclose abuse or reach out for help. Talking about healthy and unhealthy relationships and how to help friends and family is a strategy that builds stronger client relationships and allows survivors to hear about resources and ways to promote safety without disclosure of IPV. The intervention strategies we will be sharing are adapted for virtual home visitation settings for staff to use with caregivers.

However, when disclosures happen, the goal is to understand the survivor’s perspective and priorities, and work collaboratively with the client to strengthen their safety plan – building on strategies that they have used in the past, and to connect with the National Domestic Violence hotline or local domestic violence advocacy programs for ongoing systemic advocacy, problem-solving around safer planning and available resources including possible financial assistance.

Learning Objectives:

Understand evolving practices and challenges around virtual home visits and IPV.
Learn CUES, a trauma-informed evidenced-based intervention, to address domestic violence, adapted for virtual home visits.
Learn about virtual safer planning strategies during heightened isolation and advocacy resources.

Speakers:

Rebecca Levenson, former Senior Policy Analyst for FUTURES turned consultant and co-author of FUTURES’ Curricula Healthy Moms Happy Babies: An Evidence-Based Approach to Addressing Domestic Violence In Home Visitation and Perinatal Case Management Programs.

Leigh Hofheimer, Program Coordinator, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Questions? Please contact Health Team Staff, use “Home Visitation Remote Support Webinar” in your subject line: health@futureswithoutviolence.org

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Posted April 3, 2020 by Anisa Ali

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, to raise awareness and focus on prevention of sexual assault. According to the CDC, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes.[1] Sexual violence can lead to a number of chronic health issues for survivors, including gynecological, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and sexual health problems.[2] Survivors of sexual violence are also likely to experience depression, anxiety, and use substances.[3]

Health providers have an important role to play in addressing and preventing sexual violence. See our training materials and clinical guidelines below for more information on how health providers and different health settings can help:

Also check out our safety cards that can be used by health providers to address and prevent sexual violence, and by domestic violence/sexual assault advocates to address the health consequences of sexual violence.

For any questions or for technical assistance, please reach out to the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence, by emailing: health@futureswithoutviolence.org.

[1] “Preventing Sexual Violence.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Jan. 2020, www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html.

[2] Basile KC and Smith SG. (2011). Sexual Violence Victimization of Women: Prevalence,

Characteristics, and the Role of Public Health and Prevention. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (5): 407-417.

[3] Yuan, Nicole P., et al. “The Psychological Consequences of Sexual Trauma.” VAWnet.org, Mar. 2006, vawnet.org/material/psychological-consequences-sexual-trauma.

How Do You Feel About Web Training?

Posted March 31, 2020 by Kyle Coleman

Title: How Do You Feel About Web Training?

Date: Monday, April 20, 2020

Listen and view the recording

Link to the PowerPoint

Link for the transcript

Handouts:

Webinar: Roles of Facilitator/Host

Using Interactivity Tools for Repurposing

Design an Interactive, Collaborative Learning Experience

Webinar Description:

Many grantees are considering delivering online trainings; some because they have always wanted to venture into that space and others in an effort to meet deliverables under existing circumstances. Virtual education can work well with preparation and planning, but there is much to consider before you deliver a course that was intended for an in person workshop to a virtual environment. In this webinar, we will talk through some of those considerations, identify common virtual delivery errors and highlight tips for “repurposing” pieces of in-person programming for virtual spaces. For purposes of interactivity, we will limit the attendance for this event and record it for wider dissemination.

As a result of this webinar, participants will be better able to:

Assess whether your educational goals and objectives lend themselves to virtual delivery.

Identify common and avoidable mistakes in web workshops.

Translate educational activities designed for in person workshops for use in web workshops.

Presenters:

Jennifer White, Futures Without Violence

Rebecca Del Rossi, Futures Without Violence

Questions? Please contact Rebecca Del Rossi at rdelrossi@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K067, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Preventing and Addressing Intimate Violence when Engaging Dads (PAIVED)

Posted March 30, 2020 by Kyle Coleman

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and/or psychological aggression carried out by an individual’s current or former intimate partner. During PAIVED data collection, interviewers asked RF program and partner organization staff to think about “violence between intimate partners” when considering IPV. Interviewers felt that all staff had a good understanding of what constitutes IPV (physical violence, emotional abuse, stalking, and sexual violence). However, RF program and partner organization staff may have nuanced, individual interpretations of the definition of IPV that were not explored in this study.IPV is prevalent in society and has lasting adverse consequences for survivors and their children, including poor physical health, psychological distress, and social consequences like isolation from social networks. Given the well-established, potentially devastating consequences of IPV for the entire family, there is a critical need for researchers, practitioners, and decision makers to better understand the services that exist to help prevent IPV and address it effectively when it occurs.
Read the full report here!

Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury: Recognizing Invisible Injuries and Finding Hope for Healing

Posted March 19, 2020 by Anisa Ali

By: Elizabeth Clendenen, MSW Intern

This March, for brain injury awareness month, we want to draw attention to a less-visible group of people who are significantly impacted by brain injury. When we think about the people who are most affected by brain injuries, we typically think about football players and veterans. We don’t tend to think about survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, survivors of IPV also experience high rates of brain injury and are impacted by brain injury in unique ways. Partner-inflicted brain injury is when person’s brain is hurt by strangulation and/or blows to the head that can cause a traumatic brain injury, concussion, or other type of brain injury while experiencing domestic violence. By learning more about the prevalence of partner-inflicted brain injury and its effects, advocates and healthcare providers can partner with survivors to make services more inclusive and trauma-informed for all survivors. Rachel Ramirez, the Founder and Director of the Center on Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury at the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN), spoke with me about this and the pioneering work that they are doing to educate providers and survivors and create resources to help prevent and treat brain injury.

Survivors of IPV experience high rates of brain injury in multiple forms. One study of individuals accessing shelter and community-based advocacy services conducted by ODVN and Dr. Julianna Nemeth, Assistant Professor at the College of Public Health at the Ohio State University, showed that 81% had been hit in the head and 83% had been strangled. Being hit in the head can lead to traumatic brain injury, where the brain is injured by rapid movement within the skull. Being strangled can lead to anoxic-hypoxic brain injury, where the brain is injured by partial or complete loss of oxygen to the brain. Both types of partner-inflicted brain injury can have serious physical and mental health impacts on survivors, including issues with memory and reasoning, seizures and tremors, noise and light sensitivity, nightmares and flashbacks, and difficulty controlling their emotions. These effects are exacerbated by repeated brain injuries, which is also common amongst survivors of IPV; the study referenced above found that 50% of survivors had been hit in the head so many times they had lost count. While some of the symptoms of trauma and partner-inflicted brain injury overlap, there are also many unique symptoms to each issue. It is important to recognize that the vast majority of survivors accessing program services are experiencing symptoms of trauma and brain injury. This is significant because treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder will not necessarily help with symptoms that are related solely to brain injury. Also, brain injury treatment will not help with trauma-related symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and avoidance reactions.

Given the emerging information we have about the prevalence and impact of partner-inflicted brain injury, advocates and healthcare providers can start taking steps towards better supporting survivors of IPV who have experienced partner-inflicted brain injury:

Providers can start by learning more about the prevalence and impact of this issue and using resources to have conversations with their clients. Providers should begin raising awareness with survivors by making information and education available to survivors on these issues, as well as directly asking about and identifying head trauma caused by blows to the head and violence that restricted a person’s ability to breathe. Some tools developed by ODVN to provide education include the Head Injury Card and a booklet about Invisible Injuries. This is critical because most survivors who have a brain injury do not know they have a brain injury and often attribute symptoms they are experiencing to other physical or mental health conditions, the results of the trauma they have endured, or even personal character defects. Knowing that many survivors of IPV have experienced verbal and emotional abuse where they were insulted, degraded, and gaslit, helping survivors identify if they have experienced partner-inflicted brain injury and giving them resources to heal and thrive can be incredibly empowering. Advocates can use tools such as CHATS that help survivors identify symptoms that might be related to brain injury and provide structure for getting testing and treatment from their healthcare providers. Healthcare providers can use universal education approaches like CUES to talk to their patients about relationships and the health impacts of violence, including partner-inflicted brain injury.
Providers should begin to look at service provision in a new light. Because a significant portion of survivors of IPV have experienced partner-inflicted brain injury and are dealing with the subsequent symptoms, we can create services and systems that account for this from the beginning – as opposed to making exceptions or accommodations for survivors who know that they have a brain injury and how it is impacting them. Traditional IPV service providers like shelters can create practices and policies that are more inclusive and trauma-informed for survivors who have experienced brain injury. This can include making shorter appointments, supporting survivors with organizing and remembering tasks, developing accessible written materials, and reframing how we understand survivors’ behavior. Just Breathe, a workbook focused on wellness and healing, gives survivors tools to prioritize self-care and emphasizes the importance of mental health alongside physical health. This workbook can also help programs learn what types of considerations and accommodations each individual survivor needs.
Finally, it is important to know that partner-inflicted brain injury is just one of the many possible health impacts of IPV. This should help motivate advocates and healthcare providers to develop stronger connections to better serve survivors. This can include advocates and healthcare providers building relationships, getting familiar with local services, co-hosting trainings, and providing in-house services (for example, a domestic violence advocate who visits a local health clinic once per week). These partnerships strengthen our ability to better service survivors of IPV experiencing health impacts such as brain injury. Check out www.ipvhealthpartners.org for step-by-step instructions and resources for building a health center and domestic violence agency partnership.

While this type of abuse can have challenging effects, it’s important to also emphasize that survivors can and do heal after experiencing partner-inflicted brain injury. The purpose of raising awareness about this issue is not to scare survivors or make them feel permanently damaged. The hope is that survivors will understand themselves better and receive services that are a better fit for their needs.

Relevant resources:

Invisible Injuries: Traumatic Brain Injury, Strangulation and Domestic Violence

Posted March 11, 2020 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Invisible Injuries: Traumatic Brain Injury, Strangulation and Domestic Violence

Date/Time: Monday, April 20th, 2020 – 10:00 AM- 11:30 AM Pacific/1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Eastern

Webinar recording: TBI and IPV Webinar Recording

Webinar materials:

Invisible Injuries: Traumatic Brain Injury, Strangulation and DV Presentation Slides (PDF)

Domestic Violence Report – TBI/Strangulation (PDF)

Brain Injury Common in Domestic Violence – YouTube Link: OSU video shown during webinar

Has Your Head Been Hurt? CHATS Resource (English PDF) – Including the Advocate Guide for CHATS

Invisible Injuries Booklet (English – PDF)

Just Breathe – Mindfulness Booklet (English PDF)

Head Injury Education Card (English -PDF) and Head Injury Education Card (Spanish – PDF coming soon!)

Description:

In observance of Brain Injury Awareness Month, attend this webinar to learn about the complex relationship between domestic violence, traumatic brain injury, and strangulation and how domestic violence organizations and health care providers are beginning to incorporate this awareness into their services. The webinar will frame what we are learning about traumatic brain injury (TBI) and strangulation from Ohio research, discuss signs and symptoms of brain injury, and share the CARE framework developed in Ohio to better accommodate the needs of DV programs. We will hear about how one health care system in Chicago is beginning to map out care pathways and explore models for educating and healing domestic violence and sexual assault survivors who have experienced head injury and strangulation. We will also talk about larger collaboration around the country aimed at future research and practice directions.

Learning Objectives:

Understand that traumatic brain injury and strangulation are critical health concerns for domestic violence survivors and how current diagnosis and treatment models used for athletes and the military must be adapted to better serve survivors.

Explore approaches and stages of care that survivors may encounter in different health care settings – such as emergency department, primary care, neurology, rehabilitative services, mental health.

Learn about accommodations that service providers in order to make their services more accessible to survivors living with a traumatic brain injury.

Learn about screening, identification, assessment, and education tools that can be used with survivors and staff in domestic violence organizations and health care settings.

This live event was CME eligible for MDs/DOs/Physicians. Certificates are only available to those who participated in the live event. We do not distribute certificates for viewing the recording of the event.

Speakers:

Kate Lawler: Director of the Violence Prevention Program, Swedish Covenant Hospital Foundation
Kate oversees the overall administration of the program, including supporting survivors, working with partner organizations, training and education, policy development, grants administration, data tracking and analysis, community outreach and representation of Swedish on several city-wide task forces. Kate has over 20 years’ experience working with women in health care settings, and non-profits, and has overseen the VPP since its inception, 5 years ago.

Rachel Ramirez, LISW-S, Founder and Director, The Center on Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
The Center on Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury is dedicated to raising awareness on the intersection of domestic violence, strangulation, and traumatic brain injury and equipping researchers and service providers to better understand and respond to this complex issue. Rachel has been with ODVN for 13 years and has multiple initiatives on trauma-informed approaches and best practices for domestic violence programs. She has trained hundreds of audiences and co-authored Trauma-Informed Approaches: Promising Practices and Protocols for Ohio’s Domestic Violence Programs, as well as articles in the Journal of Family Violence and the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma. Rachel is a licensed independent social worker and is a registered advocate with senior standing in Ohio.

Questions? Please contact Health Team Staff, use “TBI Webinar” in your subject line: health@futureswithoutviolence.org

Futures Without Violence’s National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physician – MDs and DOs. Futures Without Violence designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the live activity.

2020 FYSB Official Recruitment Notification

Posted March 6, 2020 by Kyle Coleman

Download (PDF, Unknown)

Official Recruitment and Avaibility Inquiry Email Language

Posted March 6, 2020 by Kyle Coleman

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February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Posted February 7, 2020 by Anisa Ali

Teen dating violence can happen to anyone, from the straight A student to those who are chronically absent. It can be subtle. A teen starts feeling like their partner is trying to control them, pulling them away from their friends, refusing to trust them, convincing them to skip class, telling them who they can text, sexting them, belittling them, spreading rumors about them.

Despite its prevalence – 1 in 3 teens will experience physical, sexual or emotional abuse from their intimate partners – teens may not even recognize it as abuse. That’s why it’s so important for parents and adults to know what it looks like so they can offer support and guidance.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and we have a lot of resources to share.

For Healthcare Providers

Prepare your practice using a trauma-informed approach to addressing and preventing teen dating violence. Download clinical guidelines to address teen relationship abuse and the related safety card for teens available in multiple languages.
Promote healthy relationships in school-based health care settings. Watch experts share protocols to address adolescent relationship abuse in the clinical setting.
For adults working with high school and college age Muslim youths, check out our safety card Beyond Halal and Haram: Muslims, Sex, and Relationships.

For Teenagers

Think about how your partner treats you. Check out Hanging Out or Hooking Up?

For Violence Prevention Advocates and Parents

See these facts and resources around teen dating violence. What is teen dating violence and who does it affect?
What is teen economic abuse? See what we learned by surveying 3000 13-19 year-olds and watch this conversation about how much it can affect teens.
Listen to our Pivot podcasts focused on teen dating violence this month. In two special episodes, you can learn how to authentically engage young people on their terms; and how to connect with, serve and create safe spaces for LGBT+ teens experiencing dating violence.
Learn about what a healthy teen relationship looks like with our safety card, Hanging Out or Hooking Up.
Prioritize boundaries. Ask questions. Read our 16 Tips to Support Teens Who May be Experiencing Dating Violence.
Empower teens. Learn about teen dating violence and body liberation.
Center teen voices. Read about strategies for addressing teen dating violence.

For Coaches

Learn about teaching boys about healthy relationships with our Coaching Boys Into Men workshops coming up in March and April. Go to Become a CBIM Advocate.

For Policy Leaders

See these facts and resources around teen dating violence. What is teen dating violence and who does it affect?

A window into Pakistan’s journey to equality

Posted January 30, 2020 by Kyle Coleman

In December of 2019 I had the honor to travel to Pakistan as part of a United States-Pakistan collaborative exchange hosted by Right to Play Pakistan. Participants included a small group of leaders from U.S. based girls’ and youth empowerment through sport organizations as well as Pakistani organizations using sport as a strategy to empower girls and young people. Women Win, a global leader in girls’ and women’s empowerment through sport served as the exchange program lead with support from the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan. This valuable exchange provided us with a window into the aspirations and struggles of some of the young women and girls in Pakistan, leaving us a bit more optimistic about its future, and a lot closer to its people. (more…)

For a Survivor of Stalking, Words Matter

Posted January 28, 2020 by Kyle Coleman

You’ve heard it before. Someone casually mentions that they’re “stalking” someone or something. They doubtlessly intend to say that they’re tracking something benign, like occasionally checking a love interest’s social media profiles or the availability of an item they want on an e-commerce site.

Despite their good intentions, they’re misusing a term defined by the Department of Justice as conduct that “would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her safety or the safety of others or suffer substantial emotional distress.”

I did not know the hurt of misusing “stalking” until a close friend took a stand. During a group conversation where the term was being misused, he disclosed that he has a stalker and added, preemptively, “yes, a real one.”

We should have honored our friend’s courageous disclosure with respect and empathy. Instead, we laughed. I’m not entirely sure why we didn’t take him seriously, but I suspect it had much to do with the myth that stalkers don’t pursue men.

Failing to take survivors seriously makes it more difficult for them to be open about their experiences, collaboratively plan for their own safety, and access resources and support. Survivors who identify as men are particularly stigmatized due to improper social and cultural norms misassociated with masculinity.

To our friend’s credit, he forced us to take him seriously. Right then and there, he told us of how he survives stalking every day of his life. We were duly embarrassed and we deserved it.

We learned that the stalker forced our friend to live in constant fear for many years, interfered with his family and job, and – shockingly – continued to stalk him despite suffering serious law enforcement consequences. Although the stalker has faded away in recent years, the possibility that they may return looms large.

Since January is National Stalking Awareness Month, I checked in with my friend. I asked what it’s like when people misuse the term.

Stalker“It takes me back into a guarded position,” he said. “But I also feel the pressure to convince them that stalking is real, although telling the whole story can be such a downer.”

I wondered why he would want to tell the whole story.

“For those of us who have been through it, stalking touches every part of our life. At night when a motion detector light goes off, I wonder if it’s the stalker. So does everyone in my house. People need to know that it never really goes away.”

Due to my work with Workplaces Respond to Domestic & Sexual Violence: A National Resource Center, I was particularly interested in how stalking impacts his ability to feel safe at work and earn a living.

“At work, my first thought often goes to the stalker whenever the phone rings, an e-mail is received, or anything else unexpected happens,” he explained. “It’s all-consuming. I found myself in fight-or-flight’ mode all the time and spending my time thinking of new routes to get around town or scouring public records to remove as much identifying information as possible.”

My friend spoke of the shame, embarrassment, and indignities of reporting it to his supervisor on an ongoing basis in order to protect the entire workplace.

“Security had to escort me. I had to change offices and phone numbers,” he continued. “If all this unwanted attention wasn’t enough, since the stalker contacted my workplace I had to call even more attention to myself by asking coworkers to write statements.”

What do survivors need from their employers? What did they need from their friends?

“Publicize that it’s safe to talk to someone, even if they’re embarrassed,” he suggested. “Understand that they’ve already dealt with it internally for a long time, so using the word freely or as a joke actually makes it harder to get help.”

He added, “I had to do a lot of research on my own, so more people in the workplace need to know in advance what protections are available and what’s going to happen if you try to get help.”

To better inform survivors, coworkers, and employers, Workplaces Respond offers resources on stalking and other forms of gender-based violence affecting the workplace, including a guide on protection orders and a guide for supervisors. The Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC) also offers excellent resources on addressing stalking and supporting survivors.

I wrapped up our conversation by asking my friend how he feels now that the stalking seems to have subsided.

“At some point I got numb to it,” he responded. “But that’s because it wore me down. I’m still very much worried.”

My friend’s numbness comes from trauma and exhaustion. My former numbness was due to lack of awareness and the influence of outdated social norms. I had no idea that I was only one degree of separation from a survivor of stalking, yet the data demonstrates this; according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 16% of women and 5% of men have experienced stalking in their lifetime. These statistics are stark and shocking for many racial and ethnic minorities: one-third of American Indian/Alaska Native women and one-fourth of multiracial women report that they have experienced stalking at some point in their lives.

You too are likely one degree of separation from a survivor of stalking and none of us are immune from being targeted ourselves. Survivors need us to be more aware and help remove the stigma so they are not deterred from getting help. But we must first take the term “stalking” as seriously as its threat.

Lessons Learned: Supporting Indigenous Children and Families Experiencing Domestic Violence

Posted January 22, 2020 by lkinnicutt

Title: Lessons Learned: Supporting Indigenous Children and Families Experiencing Domestic Violence

Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. PST)

Slides: Click here to download presentation slides as a PDF

Recording: Click here to view the recording

Closed-Captioning Transcript: Click here to download the closed-caption transcript as a Word document

Webinar Description:

This 90-minute webinar will highlight two FVPSA-funded Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Their Children (SSAPC) grantees: Domestic Violence Action Center, based in Hawaii, and the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence, and their work with indigenous children and families experiencing domestic violence. Presenters from each demonstration site will share key lessons learned from the past 3 years of their projects, focusing on successes and challenges. The presentation will center the importance of an intergenerational family approach to healing, building authentic partnerships between tribal and non-tribal entities, implementing community-based participatory research methods, and culturally grounded approaches to supporting indigenous children and families’ healing from domestic violence.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this webinar, participants will be better able to:

Provide an overview of the Specialized Services for Abused Parents and their Children (SSAPC) grant program and the projects of the Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) and the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence.
Explain the importance of authentic and mutually beneficial partnerships between tribal and non-tribal entities.
Identify key elements of a community-based participatory research approach when working with tribal and indigenous communities.
Describe DVAC’s intergenerational and culturally grounded approach to children and family healing and growth.

Presenters:

Melanie Fillmore, Consultant, Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence
Tai Simpson, Social Change Associate, Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence
Ella Mojica, Ohana Services Program Manager, Domestic Violence Action Center

Questions? Accessibility Needs? Please contact Jess Fournier at jfournier@futureswithoutviolence.org

This webinar is supported by Grant Number 90EV0434-01-00 from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Third Phase of National Health Initiative Kicks Off to Support Survivors of Abuse

Posted January 15, 2020 by Anisa Ali

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:

Wendi Aarons, Futures Without Violence

wendi@wendiaarons.com

National Health Initiative Kicks-off to Support Survivors of Abuse

Three leadership teams across the nation receive funding, training, and support to address intimate partner violence and human trafficking across their states

SAN FRANCISCO (January 16, 2020)— Today and tomorrow Futures Without Violence (FUTURES) is convening leaders from three newly funded states to kick off “Project Catalyst Phase III: Statewide Transformation on Health, Intimate Partner Violence, and Human Trafficking.” This marks the third phase of a project focused on fostering intimate partner violence (IPV), human trafficking (HT), and health leadership and collaboration at the U.S. state level to improve the health and safety outcomes for survivors of IPV and human trafficking and to promote prevention. Three leadership teams from Georgia, Minnesota, and Ohio—consisting of leaders from each state’s Primary Care Association, Department of Health/Public Health, and Domestic Violence Coalition—were awarded grants to:

• promote state-level policy and systems changes that support an integrated and improved response to IPV and human trafficking in community health centers and to other needed services in domestic violence programs.

• offer training and technical assistance to five community health centers and five domestic violence programs (in each state) that will partner with one another on trauma-informed practice transformation.

• implement a vision and strategy to promote policies and practices that support ongoing integration of the IPV and human trafficking response into health care delivery statewide, and significant inroads into implementation of an action plan to train and engage at least 50 percent of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded health centers by the end of the project period.

project-catalyst-iii-kickoff-meeting-group-photo

Project Catalyst Phase III Kickoff Meeting in San Francisco, January 16-17, 2020

“Community health centers and domestic violence programs are well poised to support the serious health needs of survivors of IPV and human trafficking,” said Lisa James, director of health at FUTURES. “By working both with state agencies and local health centers and their partnering DV programs, these leadership teams have the potential to make a significant impact on the health of IPV and trafficking survivors.”

Project Catalyst has an ambitious 10-month timeline (December 1, 2019-September 30, 2020) and following the kick-off meeting, a two-day training of trainers will be scheduled in each of the three states.

State Leadership Teams include:

Project Catalyst states will use comprehensive training curricula, health care provider resources, patient education materials, and quality improvement tools developed by FUTURES. This includes ipvhealthpartners.org, an online toolkit developed by and for community health centers and domestic violence agencies looking to forge or expand partnerships.

Project Catalyst Phase I and Phase II consisted of 8 state/territory leadership teams in total. As a result of the trainings, health providers and advocates reported increased comfort in talking to their patients and clients about the health impact of IPV and human trafficking.

The success of Project Catalyst has helped inform the Health Resources & Services Administration Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence, which aims to address IPV at the systems-level across all of its bureaus and offices from 2017-2020.

This project is supported through a collaboration of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) partners, including the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Family and Youth Services Bureau, the HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care, and the HRSA Office of Women’s Health. Technical assistance and training is provided by FUTURES, along with an evaluation conducted by the University of Pittsburgh.

Since 1996, FUTURES has managed the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence, supported by the U.S. DHHS’ Administration for Children and Families, Family Violence Prevention and Services Program to provide resources and trainings to health practitioners and advocates across the country in order to promote model health responses to IPV. For more information visit acf.hhs.gov/fvpsa.

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About FUTURES

Futures Without Violence is a national health and social justice nonprofit that develops groundbreaking programs, policies, and campaigns to empower individuals and organizations working to end violence against women and children. Striving to reach new audiences and transform social norms, we train professionals such as doctors, nurses, judges, educators and athletic coaches on improving responses to violence and trauma. We also work with advocates, policymakers, and others to build sustainable community leadership and educate people everywhere about the importance of respect and healthy relationships. For more information, visit www.futureswithoutviolence.org.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Posted January 10, 2020 by Anisa Ali

Human trafficking affects nearly 27.6 million people worldwide, including tens of thousands here in the United States. Like domestic violence, trafficking is about power, control and exploitation of people, particularly women and children.

Futures Without Violence works to prevent this violation of human rights by:

Supporting and empowering survivors
Equipping workplaces, healthcare settings, and domestic violence agencies as well as advocates to recognize human trafficking and respond to it
Advocating for more effective support at the national and global levels through our policy work.

Join one of our webinars this month to learn more about how to prevent and address human trafficking.

Access more resources and tools through our Futures Without Violence anti-human trafficking projects here: Building Collaborative Responses to Support Survivors, and Health Partnerships, and Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors.

Finally, share the National Human Trafficking Hotline number with anyone who is, or who knows someone who is experiencing human trafficking: 1-888-373-7888 (TTY: 711; Text 233733).

Upcoming Webinars

Economic Empowerment for People Who Have Experienced Human Trafficking for Service Providers
Wednesday January 17, 2 PM EST
Description: Economic empowerment is a critical need for many individuals who have experienced human trafficking, from their moment of exit through their long-term recovery. Learn how you and your organization can begin to address this need through financial literacy programming, job training, cash assistance, and more.
REGISTER

Health Center Emergency Preparedness for Survivors of IPV + Exploitation: Multidisciplinary Collaborations to Address Legal Needs for Medical, Legal and Anti-Violence Professionals
Tuesday January 23, 3 PM EST
Description: Learn how you and your organization can address IPV and human trafficking during a natural disaster or public health emergency.
REGISTER

Supporting Survivors of Trafficking with Intellectual Disabilities: Prevention and Response Through Multi-Systems Collaboration
Thursday January 25, 2 PM EST
Description: Explore vulnerability factors facing the individuals with intellectual disabilities who have experienced trafficking and how you and your organization can work collaboratively to offer person-centered support.
REGISTER

Capacity Building Opportunities

Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation works with community health centers to support those at risk of experiencing or surviving intimate partner violence (IPV) or human trafficking (HT) and to bolster prevention efforts.

Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Trafficking (PEOST) Training and Technical Assistance Project, aims to increase access to quality educational and employment opportunities for survivors of human trafficking.

Tools & Resources

Building Collaborative Responses with Healthcare for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Task Forces and Multidisciplinary Teams Addressing Human Trafficking 2022
This resource explores the benefits and strategies of healthcare partnerships for DV/SA/HT task forces and coalitions.

Collaboration to Increase Access to Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Human Trafficking and Domestic and Sexual Violence 2022
This document contains advocacy considerations, collaboration strategies and resources that advocacy programs can utilize to support HT survivors’ self sufficiency.

Ten Action Steps: Building and Sustaining Collaborations to Support Trafficking Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: A Toolkit for Advocacy Programs 2022
This resource contains strategies and tools for DV/SA/HT organizations to build or enhance multidisciplinary teams in order to better support survivors of human trafficking. A one-page overview of the 10 action steps is here.

LGBTQIA+ Youth and Experiences of Human Trafficking: A Healing-Centered Approach 2021

This toolkit was developed in partnership with the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center and is intended to increase health centers’ awareness of and responsiveness to LGBTQIA+ youth experiencing human trafficking.

Strengthening Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs for Trafficked Survivors: Enhancing Identification, Case Management and Advocacy

Posted January 9, 2020 by marenas

Title: Strengthening Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs for Trafficked Survivors: Enhancing Identification, Case Management and Advocacy

Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Download the PDF slides.

Watch the recording.

View the closed captioning transcript.

Handouts:

Webinar Description:

Domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA) service staff increasingly provide assistance to survivors of human trafficking (HT). While there is no official estimate of the total number of HT victims in the U.S., the number of victims reaches into the hundreds of thousands when estimates of both adults and minors and sex trafficking and labor trafficking are aggregated. Nationally, DV/SA programs are adapting their services and outreach to better meet the needs of clients who experience DV/SA/HT and to strengthen their collaboration with other community partners. This webinar will feature two DV/SA advocacy experts who will offer actionable strategies to enhance services for survivors of DV/SA/HT within community based advocacy programs. They will explore: how to identify staff needs and build capacity; changes to the intake process (identification); case management strategies; and the power of collaborative relationships.

After the webinar, participants will be better able to:

Recognize the intersections of human trafficking with domestic violence and sexual assault, and the unique needs of survivors of human trafficking.
Promote the importance of first enhancing staff capacity to address the needs of trafficked survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Identify strategies to strengthen the intake process, identification, and support for trafficked survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault within community based advocacy programs.
Utilize tools and resources available to support service providers in enhancing services through the OVW-sponsored Building Collaborative Responses to Human Trafficking Project.

Presenters:

Perla P. Flores, JD, MPA, Community Solutions and South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking.
Kiricka Yarbough Smith, Anti-Human Trafficking Consultant/Trainer.
Mónica Arenas, Program Manager, Futures Without Violence.

Target Audience:

Staff who work in domestic violence, sexual assault or human trafficking programs including: Executive Directors, Program Directors/Managers/Coordinators, and Advocates who work in OVW-funded programs. Additional audience members may include programs collaborating with DV/SA/HT advocates; or others providing services to survivors of DV/SA/HT.

Questions? Please contact Mónica Arenas at marenas@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This webinar is part of a project entitled Building Collaborative Responses Project, supported by the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K029, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Survivor Strategies to Generate Income: Opportunities through Independent Contracting

Posted December 19, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Survivor Strategies to Generate Income: Opportunities through Independent Contracting

Date: January 21, 2020 2:00 -3:00 PM EST

Download the recording

Link to the PowerPoint

Link for the transcript

Webinar Description:

Securing employment that provides economically secure wages can be a significant challenge for individuals who face obstacles to employment due to a lack of credentials, a criminal record, or care taking responsibilities. When job local opportunities are out of reach, how can survivors generate income? Working as an independent contractor may be an option. Working as an independent contract can allow survivors to utilize their skills, build their confidence as well as a resume, provide flexibility and control, and perhaps even lead to the development of their own small business. This webinar will introduce independent contracting, key considerations for those pursuing contracting, and resources to help survivors safely navigate these employment opportunities.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this webinar, participants will better be able to:

Describe independent contracting and the range of work it may encompass
Help survivor explore opportunities to pursue independent contracting including finding work, writing proposals, contracts and invoicing, taxes, and navigating safety
Connect survivors to resources and communities for independent workers

Presenters:

Iliana G. Perez is the Director of Research & Entrepreneurship at Immigrants Rising. Iliana holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Fresno State, a M.A. in Economics from Claremont Graduate University and recently completed a Ph.D. in Education Policy, Evaluation and Reform, also from Claremont Graduate University. Her research focuses on immigrant entrepreneurs, the occupational and educational attainment of immigrant students, the effects of deportation on the lives of young adults, and economics of immigration.

Aurelie Drouet is the Partnerships & Business Development Associate at SamaSchool, a nonprofit that equips people to benefit from independent work and advocates for an economy in which all workers thrive. She helps the organization develop its national presence and creates partnerships with local governments, nonprofits, and community colleges. Hailing from France and with expertise in driving revenue growth for companies in the US and Latin America, Aurelie’s expertise spans several countries. She previously led Strategic Partnerships at Dreem.

Questions? Please contact peost@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2017-VT-BX-K001, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.

New safety card translations available in Arabic and Farsi!

Posted December 19, 2019 by Anisa Ali

FUTURES recently released new translations of the General Health safety card (“Is Your Relationship Affecting Your Health?”) in Arabic and Farsi. Both versions are available as a PDF download only, and can be downloaded on our online store.

Is Your Relationship Affecting Your Health? General Health Safety Card: Farsi (PDF ONLY)

Posted December 19, 2019 by Anisa Ali

farsi_resourcestitle This 4-panel double-sided tool folds up to the size of a business card (3.5″ x 2″) and was designed for women who speak Farsi receiving health care services, domestic violence services, or services in other community-based settings. The card helps women recognize how their relationship impacts their health as well as the lives of their children and provides information on safety planning. The safety card lists specific health problems that may be the result of chronic stress from an abusive relationship. It also offers women who are in abusive relationships guidance on talking with their children.

The backside of the card refers people to the National Domestic Violence Hotline for further support. The hotline offers interpretation for Farsi. This tool is most effective when placed in private areas such as restrooms and exam rooms and may be given to patients routinely as part of regular visits, or upon disclosure of abuse. This card was translated by professional linguists and then reviewed by a committee of native Farsi speakers.

The card is available as a PDF download only.

Download the PDF now!

Is Your Relationship Affecting Your Health? General Health Safety Card: Arabic (PDF ONLY)

Posted December 19, 2019 by Anisa Ali

arabic_resourcestitle This 4-panel double-sided tool folds up to the size of a business card (3.5″ x 2″) and was designed for women who speak Arabic receiving health care services, domestic violence services, or services in other community-based settings. The card helps women recognize how their relationship impacts their health as well as the lives of their children and provides information on safety planning. The safety card lists specific health problems that may be the result of chronic stress from an abusive relationship. It also offers women who are in abusive relationships guidance on talking with their children.

The backside of the card refers people to the National Domestic Violence Hotline for further support. The hotline offers interpretation for Arabic. This tool is most effective when placed in private areas such as restrooms and exam rooms and may be given to patients routinely as part of regular visits, or upon disclosure of abuse. This card was translated by professional linguists and then reviewed by a committee of native Arabic speakers. This card uses Modern Standard Arabic.

The card is available as a PDF download only.

Download the PDF now!

You’re Never Too Old to be Treated with Respect

Posted December 11, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

One in ten older adults report being abused, neglected or exploited by someone they know, such as a spouse, partner, family member, or caregiver [1]. Yet, many victims aren’t connected with social services or other avenues of support that can help them [2]. Health care providers and aging services program staff can play an important role in talking to patients about abuse in later life, including healthy and unhealthy relationships between their spouse, partner, family members, friends and caregivers.

The good news is that now there’s a resource that can support this work.

Futures Without Violence recently partnered with National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL), to create a patient education tool called “Aging with Respect.” This tool helps providers build connections with their patients via talking with them about what it means to have healthy relationships. (more…)

Aging With Respect (Elder) Safety Card

Posted November 26, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Aging with Respect is an intervention addressing elder abuse, neglect and intimate partner violence with those later in life. It is developed for those patients/clients with agency and capacity in non-crisis, non-emergency situations that provides information about healthy and safe relationships, and the impact of unhealthy relationships on health and well being. Topics include financial, emotional, and physical abuse and exploitation, education and prevention strategies, and information on seeking support.

The intervention is designed for doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors, aging services program staff, victim advocates and Adult Protective Services staff during wellness, primary care, social service and counseling visits, health specialty settings (e.g. podiatry etc.), rehab centers, assisted living and senior housing facilities, and aging service programs such as recreational and meal programs.

Because the education is offered universally, not just to those with observational red flags, the intervention ensures that all patients, regardless of whether they choose to disclose violence, abuse or neglect, have access to information, resources and support. This approach mirrors Futures Without Violence’s (FUTURES’) evidence based universal education intervention called “CUES” (Confidentiality limits, Universal Education, Empowerment and Support). The intervention relies on a safety card to provide guidance to health and community professionals on how to talk to patients about any concerning behavior of those around them and encourages early education about emotional, physical, and financial harassment, abuse and neglect.

(The image above is the Front and Back panels of the 5-panel, double sided, safety card tool designed for use with older adults. The complete resource measures approx. 5.5″ x 17″ when unfolded, and folds down to a 5.5″ x 3.5″ card)

How to use this tool:

The well-thought-through scripts normalize these conversations with patients/clients and lets them know that the clinic or organization is a place to turn for help should they have concerns about abusive or harassing behavior at any time in the future.
In any one appointment or clinic visit, providers may focus on one or two sections of the safety card most related to their patients’/clients’ presenting problem(s), health issue(s) or circumstances. Given time limitations, issues covered in the card can be pursued over multiple visits.
This approach can be used with a clinic’s, hospital’s or organization’s current elder abuse screening procedures or protocols as a precursor to a direct inquiry approach where the Aging with Respect tool is used first to open patients to the possibility of discussing issues of concern.
Two cards are to be offered – if safe for the client to take home – to read over later and share with a friend.
While the intent of the intervention is to use it with patients and clients in-person, the card may also be distributed during community events, and/or placed in private areas such as restrooms and exam rooms for individuals to pick up on their own.

For resources on Elder Abuse visit our Elders webpage.

This intervention and safety card was created by Futures Without Violence in collaboration with National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life.

Order this resource as a Hard Copy or PDF now!

Beyond Checking the Boxes: A Discussion on Education Program Evaluations

Posted November 25, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Beyond Checking the Boxes: A Discussion on Education Program Evaluations

Date: Friday, January 17, 2020

Listen and view the recording

Link to the PowerPoint

Link for the transcript

Handouts

Logic Model Handout

Logic Model Worksheet

Logic Model Components: Definitions

Webinar Description:

As non-profit professionals with tight budgets and long lists of deliverables, we sometimes overlook the importance of stopping to evaluate the impact of our work. Evaluation is critical, however, to sustain the quality of the work and to justify what we do. Do you spend countless hours designing education programs and then, the day before the program, draft a survey type evaluation that concentrates on how the audience enjoyed the program and on assessing the teachers? Does your evaluation start and stop at the end of your training program? These are some common missteps in the process of evaluating training and development. This webinar will discuss the critical points at which you should evaluate your progress in the training design process, outline the types of information you should collect, and provide tips for how you should use the data you collect.

As a result of this webinar, you will be better able to:

Describe the importance of evaluating the education programs/trainings you offer with OVW funding;

Identify the key points in the training/education design process that you should evaluate your progress and outcomes;

Discuss the types of evaluations to use in each step of the training process that will respect your budget and provide the most useful and insightful results.

Presenters:

Jennifer White, Futures Without Violence

Barbara MacQuarrie, Centre for University of Western Ontario, Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women and Children

Questions? Please contact Rebecca Del Rossi at rdelrossi@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K067, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Core Values and Domestic & Sexual Assault Organizations

Posted November 25, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Core Values and Domestic & Sexual Assault Organizations

Date: Thursday, December 12, 2019

Listen to the Recording

Link for the PowerPoint

Link for the Transcript

Toolkit on Mission and Cores Values

Past Webinars on Organizational Capacity Building and Resources

Webinar Description:

Core values guide how an organization operates, makes decisions, and treats its employees, volunteers and clients. Core values, when utilized and incorporated throughout a workplace, can help organizations thrive and facilitate a positive, healthy and efficient organizational culture. Presenters will discuss the importance of having core values and strategies to keep them alive, and align them to workplace practices, systems, and culture. Presenters will share tools and resources to assist OVW grantees.

After this webinar, participants will be better able to:

Define what are core values and their utility.

Apply and align core values to your organizational practices, systems, and culture.

Utilize tools and resources for reviewing and formalizing your organizational core values.

Who should participate?

Executive Directors, Program Directors/Managers/Coordinators, Supervisors, and Team Leaders in OVW funded projects.

Presenters:

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew has an extensive background in nonprofit management, partnership development, training and education. She is currently serving as a Director of Community Affairs for the State Fair of Texas. She was formerly a catalyst, partnership broker, and capacity builder of an international NGO and its partners’ around the U.S. This entailed facilitating the emergence and strengthening of community-led initiatives to improve and sustain the well-being of children and their families. She also assists a number of organizations as a consultant, board member, trainer or adviser. Froswa’ earned her PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch University with a focus on relational leadership and social capital. She participated in the documentary, Friendly Captivity, a film that followed a cast of seven women from Dallas to India in 2008. She is the author of Rules of Engagement: Making Connections Last, a workbook designed to help women build identity and psychological capital that can result in stronger social capital and of Ready for a Revolution: 30 Days to Jolt Your Life, a devotional for women.

Kirsten Rambo, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of Stand Strong, formerly known as the Women’s Shelter Program of San Luis Obispo County. She moved to California three years ago from Atlanta, Georgia, where for six years, she led the national domestic violence prevention program at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Previously, she was for five years the Executive Director of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence. She received her Ph.D. in Women’s Studies from Emory University. Her book, “Trivial Complaints:” The Role of Privacy in Domestic Violence Law and Activism in the U.S., was published in 2009. She has served on the board of several organizations, including Men Stopping Violence.

Facilitators:

Jennifer White & Monica Arenas, Futures Without Violence

Questions? Please contact Monica Arenas at marenas@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K047, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

What can health providers and advocates do to alleviate anti-trans violence? What can we all do?

Posted November 15, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

This week (November 13^th-19^th) marks Trans Awareness week, an annually recognized week to highlight issues specific to the Transgender and Gender Non-conforming (Trans/GNC) communities. It is a week that culminates on November 20^th, which is annually recognized as Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). TDOR is a day to acknowledge those that we’ve lost to the persistent anti-trans violence within our society. To learn more, visit GLAAD’s webpages about Trans Awareness Week and TDOR.

Taking my first step into the field of violence prevention, I had a personal question about the meaning of “gender-based violence”. Surely, it must include folks that identify outside of the gender binary? When I started my position as Health Program Assistant at FUTURES, I was so excited to see resources specifically created for Trans/GNC communities, for my community. This week weighs heavily, and while the importance of remembrance cannot be understated leading up to TDOR, conversation within my own community continues as we ask the question, “What can we do to stop the violence?”
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Language Access in Educational Design and Delivery

Posted November 14, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Language Access in Educational Design and Delivery

Título: Acceso al Lenguaje en el Diseño y Entrega Educativa

Date: December 11, 2019

Fecha: Miércoles, 11 de Diciembre de 2019

Click here to view and/or listen to the recording.

Haga clic aquí para ver y/o escuchar la grabación.

Click here to access the power point slides.

Haga clic aquí para acceder a las diapositivas de Power Point.

Click here to access the closed captioning transcript.

Haga clic aquí para acceder al guión de los subtítulos.

Webinar Description:

This webinar will focus on employing the core concepts that apply to all in-person adult learning environments through the lens of language access and equity. Participants will learn from experts at the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence and Futures Without Violence on the best strategies to foster full engagement and leadership of Limited English Proficient (LEP) stakeholders and individuals impacted by domestic violence/sexual assault (dv/sa) in grantees events, education and training programs. As a result of this webinar, you will be better able to:

Recognize language access and language equity as a critical component of inclusive and equitable grantee-led education and training programs.

Comply with local and federal laws covering language access including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the American with Disabilities Act.

Identify promising practices and tools to engage multilingual, multiracial and multicultural audiences, and respond to a variety of language needs in in-person training programs through the creation of multilingual spaces.

Descripción general del seminario en línea:

Este seminario en línea se enfocará en el uso de conceptos básicos que aplican a todos los entornos de aprendizaje para adultos en modo presencial a través de la lente del acceso a y la equidad del lenguaje. Los participantes aprenderán de expertas del Instituto Asia-Pacífico sobre la Violencia Basada en Género y de Futures Without Violence sobre las mejores estrategias para fomentar la participación plena y el liderazgo de participantes con dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés) y de las personas afectadas por la violencia doméstica/agresión sexual (vd/as) en los eventos y programas de educación y capacitación de beneficiarios de subvenciones. Como resultado de este seminario en línea, los participantes podrán:

Reconocer el acceso a y la equidad del lenguaje como un componente crítico de los programas de educación y capacitación inclusivos y equitativos dirigidos por beneficiarios de subvenciones.

Cumplir con las leyes locales y federales que cubren el acceso a al lenguaje, incluyendo el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles, y la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades.

Identificar prácticas prometedoras y usar herramientas para captar a audiencias multilingües, multirraciales y multiculturales, y responder a una variedad de necesidades lingüísticas en programas de capacitación presenciales mediante la creación de espacios multilingües.

Presenters/Presentadoras:

Jennifer White, Futures Without Violence
Rebecca Del Rossi, Futures Without Violence
Ana Paula Noguez Mercado, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence/ Instituto Asia-Pacífico sobre la Violencia Basada en Género

Questions? Please contact Rebecca Del Rossi at rdelrossi@futureswithoutviolence.org.

Si tiene alguna pregunta, envíe un correo electrónico a Rebecca Del Rossi a rdelrossi@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K067, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Este proyecto cuenta con el apoyo de la Subvención No. 2015-TA-AX-K067, otorgada por la Oficina de Violencia contra las Mujeres del Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos. Las opiniones, hallazgos, conclusiones y recomendaciones expresadas en esta publicación/programa/exposición son las de su(s) autor(xs) y no reflejan necesariamente los puntos de vista del Departamento de Justicia, Oficina de Violencia contra las Mujeres.

Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Human Trafficking

Posted November 4, 2019 by Sarah Gonzalez

Title: Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Human Trafficking

Date: April 11, 2019

Click here to listen to the recording.

Click here to access the power point.

Webinar Description:

For many survivors of trafficking, employment opportunities and income insecurity are the immediate and primary concerns upon exiting a trafficking situation. While employment is key to the long-term well-being of trafficking survivors, survivors regularly face challenges in accessing high-quality jobs and careers. While there are opportunities that survivors of trafficking victims can pursue to gain the information, skills, and connections needed to secure safe and sustainable employment, these workforce development programs often lack the training and practices to effectively support survivors of trafficking with complex barriers.

To improve employment outcomes for survivors of trafficking, the Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Human Trafficking project seeks to help victim service providers identify relevant federal, state, and local workforce development resources in a community; foster collaboration between victim service providers and workforce development programs; and share best practices and models for training workforce development programs on trauma and human trafficking. This webinar will introduce OVC victim service grantees to this new training and technical assistance project, what resources and tools will be developed, and opportunities for training and technical assistance.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this webinar, participants will be better able to:

Describe the various training tools, and resources available through the Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Human Trafficking project;
Identify grantees engaging employment support services either through internal programs or external partnerships; and,
Access training and technical assistance opportunities related to improving employment opportunities for survivors.

Presenters:

Sarah Gonzalez Bocinski – Program Manager for Economic Justice and Workforce Initiatives – Futures Without Violence

Eesha Bhave – Program Specialist – Futures Without Violence (Moderator)

Questions? Please contact Eesha Bhave at ebhave@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2017-VT-BX-K001, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.

NHCVA Webinar: A Change Package for Advancing Trauma Informed Care in Primary Care settings

Posted October 16, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Title: A Change Package for Advancing Trauma Informed Care in Primary Care settings

Date/Time: November 19th, 2019 at 10-11:30am PST/ 1-2:30pm EST

Registration for this webinar has closed.

Webinar Materials:

Download the webinar slides

View the webinar recording

The National Council Trauma-Informed Primary Care Change Package

Webinar Description: This webinar will provide an overview of a new Change Package, released in October 2019, for advancing trauma-informed approaches in primary care. This resource is the result of a three year initiative between the National Council for Behavioral Health (National Council) and Kaiser Permanente. Presenters will provide information about the development of the Change Package by the National Council’s transformation team and testing of the Change Package by seven primary care organizations.

This webinar represents a collaboration between the National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse (NHCVA), Trauma Informed Health Care Education and Research (TIHCER), and the National Council.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of attending this webinar, participants will be better able to:
• Describe the key elements in the National Council’s TIC Change Package for primary care settings
• Describe the development and testing process for the Change Package
• Identify important training resources that could be used in improving TIC in local settings

Questions? Please contact NHCVA Staff: health@futureswithoutviolence.org

www.nhcva.org

Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day Facebook Live Event

Posted October 16, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day 20th Anniversary!

Date/Time: October 16, 2019 – 10 am PST/ 1 pm EST

Event Materials:

Watch a recording of this event
FUTURES’ online toolkits: www.ipvhealth.org and www.ipvhealthpartners.org
Visit the National Health Resource Center on DV e-store – to order free hard copy resources (shipping fee applied)

Event Description: Health Cares About Domestic Violence (HCADV) Day is a nationally-recognized day that takes place annually on the second Wednesday of October. The 20th annual HCADV Day was held on Wednesday, October 16, 2019. Sponsored by FUTURES, the awareness-raising day aims to reach members of the healthcare and advocacy communities to offer education about the critical importance of universal education to promote healthy relationships, address the health impact of abuse and offer warm referrals to domestic violence advocates.

Presenters:

Graciela Olguin, Program Assistant, Futures Without Violence

Kate Vander Tuig, Senior Program Specialist, Futures Without Violence

Questions? Please contact Health Team Staff: health@futureswithoutviolence.org

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act: 35 Years of Progress

Posted October 10, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Only a generation ago, survivors of domestic violence had little in the way of institutional support. Law enforcement tended to treated acts of domestic violence as “private” or “family business.” Medical professionals were not trained to identify or support survivors seeking help, or to promote prevention. One survivor was asked about injuries in the emergency room, “Who did this to you?” and when she summoned the courage to say her husband hit her, her doctor replied, “You should learn to duck.” That survivor is now a doctor, and helps other providers understand the impacts of domestic violence, on both personal and public health.

The enactment of the Family Violence Prevention and Service Act (FVPSA) in 1984 provided federal government resources to address domestic violence as a public health issue. The law has funded evidence-based interventions to support survivor health and safety, along with programs to share these approaches among health providers around the country. With funds provided by FVPSA, Futures Without Violence manages The National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence (HRC), providing health care and safety support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, along with research, training, and resources to practitioners who treat survivors and work on domestic violence prevention.

By bringing multiple resources under one roof, the National Health Resource Center helps connect domestic and sexual violence advocates, health care professionals, and health policy leaders, with the aim of promoting a more holistic approach to health care and advocacy for survivors of violence. Each year, HRC provides training and technical assistance to tens of thousands of health providers and violence prevention advocates and we disseminate over a million educational resources. Through the resource center, FUTURES organizes statewide, regional and national initiatives reaching health providers in over 30 states. Our work supports innovative, evidence-based programs, best practices and policies that address the unique health needs of survivors of violence and also promote prevention.

FVPSA funding also allows us to work with other funders to lead programs such as our National Health Care Standards Campaign, promoting the integration of violence prevention into public health programs in 15 states. The Domestic Violence Project for Healthy Start, an initiative to integrate family violence identification and response into 32 Healthy Start sites around the U.S. We currently work with the FVPSA program and the Health Resources and Services Administration and Administration for Children and Families to run Project Catalyst – a program supporting community health centers in multiple states to respond to and prevent violence.

FVPSA also funds our other collaboration with federal partners, including Indian Health Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, the Office on Women’s Health, Head Start, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Violence Against Women’s Office and the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. This collaboration helps providers make the connection between violence and leading health issues such as HIV, substance abuse, chronic disease and poor reproductive health outcomes – and offer solutions for both providers and patients.

None of these advances would be possible without the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. These educational tools and programs have created significant progress in recognizing and effectively addressing the health consequences of domestic violence — and in creating deep and lasting change. Resources can be found at ipvhealth.org and ipvhealthpartners.org

Street Harassment: Lurking in the Shadows of the #MeToo Movement

Posted October 9, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

I was cat-called for the first time when I was 14 years old. My face went red and my stomach flipped into knots. “Are my shorts too short?” I began to think. “Am I supposed to feel happy that some drunk man thinks I’m pretty?” And then the worst one: “Will I have to feel like this again?” The horrible truth is that I share a different version of the same story with many other girls and young women, and yes, only three years later, I have already felt like that again.

Street harassment is a type of sexual assault that is often not talked about. People deem it inevitable, something that will not stop simply because of its widespread nature, almost like an epidemic of an infectious disease. A 2014 study by the SSH found that 65 percent of female respondents had experienced street harassment, whether it be cat-calling, touching, or whistling^[1].

(more…)

How State/Territory, Tribal, and Federal Health Policies Can Promote Survivor Health, Preserve Autonomy, and Protect Confidentiality

Posted October 8, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Title: How State/Territory, Tribal, and Federal Health Policies Can Promote Survivor Health, Preserve Autonomy, and Protect Confidentiality

Date: Wednesday, October 30th, 2019

Time: 10-11:00am PST/ 11-12:00pm MST/ 12-1:00pm CST/ 1-2:00pm EST

Webinar Description:

Health and insurance policies at the state/territory, tribal, and federal level have the potential to promote health, preserve autonomy, and protect confidentiality for survivors of domestic violence and state/territory policymakers have an opportunity to build on federal policies for further protections for survivors. In addition, health care providers can play an important role in addressing survivors’ health, and providing a warm referral to a domestic violence agency but sometimes lack of clarity about existing laws and policies prevent them from doing so. While laws and policies vary state to state, most U.S. states have enacted mandatory reporting laws, which require the reporting of specified injuries and wounds (i.e. gunshot and knife wounds), and very few have mandated reporting laws specific to suspected abuse or domestic violence for individuals being treated by a health care professional. During this webinar we will sharing our updated compendium on these policies (see below) and hear from key partners who’ve worked to clarify laws and policies and where needed create reporting exceptions for domestic violence survivors, to ensure that patients have knowledge of appropriate resources for intervention, safety, and access to health care.

This webinar will also launch our newly updated resource, The Compendium of State/Territory Statutes and Policies on Domestic Violence and Health Care, an at-a-glance summary of state and U.S. territory laws, regulations, and other activities relevant to addressing domestic violence in health care settings. Also newly updated, Insurance Discrimination Against Victims of Domestic Violence (PDF report): authored by webinar speakers Terry L. Fromson, and Nancy Durborow, highlights the discriminatory practices of some insurance companies that penalize domestic violence victims who seek coverage and the recent changes to state and federal law. We will also hear a case example from Colorado in repealing a mandatory reporting law and putting in place legislation which better supports survivors and their health. Futures Without Violence has these tools available for professionals to best serve their clients and patients.

View the recording, and access the slides.

Materials:

After the webinar, participants will be better able to:

Explain how health care policies can support survivor health.
Identify the categories of mandatory reporting laws for health providers.
Name two ways that insurance companies discriminate against domestic violence survivors.

Presenters:

Anisa Ali, MA; Program Specialist, Futures Without Violence
Nancy Durborow, MA; Former Health Projects Manager, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Terry Fromson, JD; Managing Attorney, Women’s Law Project
Graciela Olguin; Program Assistant, Futures Without Violence
Lydia Waligorski, MPA; Director of Public Policy, Violence Free Colorado

Questions? Please contact Graciela Olguin, Program Assistant, at health@futureswithoutviolence.org

Children in Detention: Critical Clinical, Legal, Policy, and Human Rights Issues for Health Professionals

Posted October 7, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Children in Detention: Critical Clinical, Legal, Policy, and Human Rights Issues for Health Professionals

Date: September 25, 2019 – 11am PST/2pm EST

Webinar Materials:

View the webinar recording – this webinar features closed captioning.
Download the webinar slides
Visit the National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse website: www.nhcva.org

Webinar Description: Thousands of children seeking refuge from life-threatening danger in their home countries have been detained by U.S. immigration authorities, and in some cases, separated from their parents and caregivers. This urgent webinar, sponsored by the National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse (NHCVA) and presented by colleagues from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) addresses the clinical, mental health, policy, legal, and human rights issues faced by detained migrant children and their caregivers. Particular attention will be paid to how participants can harness their own professional training and standing to become more involved in both direct service and advocacy, in order to address what many consider to be an urgent humanitarian crisis and a deliberate assault on human rights.

Presenters:

Cory Shindel, Deputy Director of Policy Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
Tamar Magarik Haro, Senior Director, Federal and State Advocacy at American Academy of Pediatrics
Suzan Song, MD MPH, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Division of Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychiatry, George Washington University

Questions? Please contact NHCVA Staff: health@futureswithoutviolence.org

New Funding Announcement and Informational Webinar: Project Catalyst Phase III

Posted October 7, 2019 by Anisa Ali

Funding Announcement:

Project Catalyst III: State/Territory-wide Transformation on Health, IPV and Human Trafficking

Futures Without Violence (FUTURES) is soliciting applications for Phase III of Project Catalyst focused on fostering leadership and collaboration at the state or territory level to improve the health and safety outcomes for survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Human Trafficking (HT) as well as promote prevention efforts. This project is supported through a collaboration of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services partners, including the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Family and Youth Services Bureau, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care, and the HRSA Office of Women’s Health. Technical assistance and training will be provided by FUTURES. Since 1996, FUTURES has been ACF’s funded National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence (HRC) and in that role promotes model health responses to IPV as well as patient and provider education tools.

We are recruiting state/territory leadership teams (consisting of one state’s/territory’s: Primary Care Association (PCA), Department of Health (DH) and Domestic Violence Coalition (DVC)) to work closely with FUTURES and with each other to promote state/territory level policy and systems changes that support an integrated and improved response to IPV/HT in community health centers and to other needed services in domestic violence programs.

Read the full funding announcement and see the application.

A one hour webinar for interested applicants to learn more about the project and ask any questions about the funding announcement will be held:

Wednesday, Oct 23 (10-11am Pacific/11-12pm Mountain/12-1pm Central/1-2pm Eastern).

Learn more on our webinar page and register for the webinar.

For more information on collaborative tools for community health centers and domestic violence programs see: www.IPVHealthPartners.org

New Funding Announcement Q&A: Project Catalyst, Phase III

Posted October 7, 2019 by Anisa Ali

Title: New Funding Announcement Q&A: Project Catalyst Phase III

Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Time: 10:00-11:00am PT/11:00-12:00pm MT/12:00-1:00pm CT/1:00-2:00pm ET.

Webinar Description: Futures Without Violence (FUTURES) is soliciting applications for Phase III of Project Catalyst focused on fostering leadership and collaboration at the state or territory level to improve the health and safety outcomes for survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Human Trafficking (HT) as well as promote prevention efforts. This project is supported through a collaboration of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services partners, including the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Family and Youth Services Bureau, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care, and the HRSA Office of Women’s Health. Technical assistance and training will be provided by FUTURES. Applications are due November 8, 2019.

View the recording, access the slides, and read the captioning file.

Read the full funding announcement and see the application.

Questions? Please contact Anna Marjavi at amarjavi@futureswithoutviolence.org

Addressing Stigma within Healthcare and Social Service Provision

Posted October 1, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

Title: Addressing Stigma within Healthcare and Social Service Provision

Date: Thursday, October 10th, 2019

Time: 10-11:00am PST/ 1-2:00pm EST

Webinar Materials:

Webinar Slides (PDF)
Webinar Recording Link (features closed captioning)

Provide Materials:

FUTURES Materials:

All FUTURES’ PDF and hard copy resources can be found on the online store. They are free to download and order, with a flat-rate fee for hard copy orders.

Webinar Description:

Stigma is complicated and there are numerous components at play that allow stigma to affect health care and social services. Power imbalances among people, in environments, and in the structure of our system create an atmosphere where stigmatizing behaviors thrive. Presenters will discuss a framework for understanding stigma, identify staff behavior that stigmatize clients and provide tools/resources that can help providers treat clients with respect, dignity, and worth.

After the webinar, participants will be better able to:

1. Describe the signs and symptoms of stigma, particularly as they relate to health care and social service provision in stigmatized fields.
2. Describe staff behaviors and environmental factors that reduce stigma as it relates to health care and social service provision in stigmatized fields.
3. Describe opportunities and next steps needed to decrease stigmatizing behaviors that impact access to care and services.

Presenters:

Ondine Quinn, MSW, CSW, Training and Technical Assistance Specialist, Provide
Kate Vander Tuig, Senior Program Specialist, Futures Without Violence
Graciela Olguín, Program Assistant, Futures Without Violence

Questions? Please contact Futures Staff at health@futureswithoutviolence.org

This webinar is not sponsored or funded by the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

Futures Without Violence is accredited through the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide Category 1 Continuing Medical Education credits (CMEs) to MDs, DOs and residents for participating in select activities designated for CMEs. Futures Without Violence takes responsibility for the content, quality and scientific integrity of activities.
FUTURES is not accredited to directly provide Continuing Education Units to non-physician participants. However, nurses, social workers and other licensed professionals may obtain general certificates of attendance (designated for select activities) and present these certificates to their respective accreditation boards to claim credit.

Attendees are responsible for verifying the acceptance of education credits with their respective accreditation boards.

Succession Planning within Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Organizations, Part 2

Posted September 11, 2019 by marenas

Title: Succession Planning within Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Organizations, Part 2

Date: Thursday, October 3rd, 2019

Click here to listen to the recording.

Click here to access the power point slides.

Click here to view the closed captioning transcript.

Handouts:

Ten Actions for a Successful Leadership Succession & Resources

Resources for Organizational Capacity Building and Sustainability

Resources:

Succession Planning Within Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Organizations, Webinar Part 1

Organizational Transition Toolkit

Organizational Transition Toolkit – Instructional Video

Webinar Description:

Leadership transitions can be challenging. For non-profit organizations to succeed, it is essential to think critically about the long-term leadership needs of the organization and to prepare for leadership transitions. Presenters will discuss key elements of a departure defined (planned) succession plan, and describe a process to plan for leadership transition within a domestic violence/sexual assault organization. The webinar will also showcase the experience of succession planning and on boarding process of an executive director in an organization that serves survivors of gender-based violence. We will share planning tools and resources and provide a question-answer period.

As a result of this webinar, participants will be better able to:

Identify key elements of a departure defined (planned) leadership succession.
Apply lessons learned from a real life example of succession planning to your own organizational decision-making.
Utilize critical tools and resources for succession planning.

Presenters:

Margarita Guzman, Executive Director, Violence Intervention Project
Janeen Gingrich, Marquis-Duggan Non-Profit Solutions
Jennifer White and Monica Arenas, Futures Without Violence (Moderators)

Note: This is the second part of the first webinar on Succession Planning within Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Organizations, held in 2018.

Questions? Please contact Monica Arenas at marenas@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K047, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Supporting Families Experiencing Domestic Violence who are Involved in the Child Welfare System

Posted September 9, 2019 by lkinnicutt

Title: Supporting Families Experiencing Domestic Violence who are Involved in the Child Welfare System: Lessons Learned from the Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Children Program

Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2019, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. PST)

Webinar Materials:

Download webinar slides (PDF)
Download closed captioning transcript (Word)
Due to a technical issue, this webinar was not able to be recorded. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Webinar Description:

Domestic violence programs are important resources for survivors who are involved with the child welfare system. This webinar will share lessons learned from three grantees of the Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Children program: the Texas Council on Family Violence, SAFE Alliance, and the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. Presenters will share what they’ve learned about serving families affected by domestic violence who are involved with child welfare. They will offer suggestions for domestic violence agencies to better advocate for parent and child survivors of domestic violence and change policies. Presenters will share strategies about partnering with child welfare professionals and increasing understanding about the connection between domestic violence and child abuse. Presenters will also share initial data about the impact of their work.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this webinar, participants will be better able to:

Describe at least two pieces of an effective partnership between child welfare and domestic violence programs.
Describe three strategies to build domestic violence programs’ capacity to serve families involved in the child welfare system.
Identify three advocacy strategies that support parent survivors who are involved in the child welfare system.
Identify three lessons learned from the SSAPC grantees’ system and policy change efforts.

Presenters:

Eloise Sepeda, Program Manager, SAFE Alliance
Yasmin Diallo Turk, Evaluation & Compliance Analyst, SAFE Alliance
Shellie Ryan, CPS Policy Manager, Texas Council on Family Violence
Kristina Scott, Empowered Families Kansas Child Welfare Project Coordinator, Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence

Questions? Accessibility Needs? Please contact Jess Fournier at jfournier@futureswithoutviolence.org

This webinar is supported by Grant Number 90EV0434-01-00 from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Black Women’s Equal Pay Day: Moving Toward Safety, Opportunity & Respect

Posted August 22, 2019 by Kyle Coleman

By Nathalie Meus, Outreach & Policy Associate

Black women’s pay inequity is real to me. When I worked as a bartender during college, it was an open secret among my coworkers that customers from all walks of life consistently tipped me less than White male bartenders despite the rarity of complaints about my service. This phenomena was magnified when customers regularly made race-based assumptions about where I attended college and where I lived, and some even went so far as use their assumptions to substantiate that I was able to sustain less pay.

According to the Pew Research Center, most Americans want steps taken to end pay disparities between women and men. The impacts of racism make the gap wider, and the opportunities more far reaching for Black women. This year, April 2 marked Equal Pay Day. This date, which changes each year because it is pegged to what men were paid on average during the previous year, signifies the point when women begin to earn for the rest of the year what men will earn for the whole year. In short, this year women will be shorted at least three months of pay for the same work that men do.

However, there is a different Equal Pay Day for Black women – August 22, which reflects our country’s sordid history of oppression and marginalization on the basis of both gender and race. This year, Black women will be shorted nearly eight months of pay for the same work that men do, and – when compared to White women – will be shorted over four months of pay.

Each year, Black women lose, on average, $23,653 in wages. When scored out to what we need to support ourselves and our families, not to mention the severe limitations on savings and investment for our futures, we lose out on the value of:

5 years of child care
Nearly 3 years’ worth of groceries
For homeowners, over 15 months of mortgage and utility payments
For renters, approximately 23 months of rent payments
17 months of contributions to employer-based insurance
The value of the full payoff of the average student loan

These losses are dangerous for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and sexual harassment, and are especially dangerous for Black women who disproportionately experience gender-based violence:

More than 4 in 10 Black women experience intimate partner violence during their lifetimes, at higher rates than women who are White, Latina, and Asian/Pacific Islander
More than 20 percent of Black women are sexually assaulted during their lifetimes, a higher share than among women overall
Black women are 8 times more likely to experience sexual harassment at work when compared to White women

Many survivors of domestic violence of all races literally cannot afford to leave abusive relationships, while survivors of workplace sexual violence and harassment often have make the impossible choice between safety and a paycheck. In fact, 73% (nearly 3 out of 4) of survivors recently surveyed said they stayed with an abusive partner longer than they wanted, or chose to return, for economic reasons. Black women’s pay inequity compounds these economic barriers, stymies the reaching of our full potential, limits our safety planning options, and makes us, our workplaces, and our communities less safe.

No one should go through what I experienced as a bartender. Please join me and my FUTURES colleagues in advocating for policies that end pay discrimination in the workplace, and supporting the rise of funding to Black women-led businesses and initiatives to address systemic barriers to advancement. All of us will prosper regardless of gender and race once Black women, and all women, attain the safety, opportunity, and respect that we deserve.

2 New Resources on Policies and Statutes on Health Care and Domestic Violence!

Posted August 21, 2019 by Anisa Ali

FUTURES has recently updated two resources related to policies and statutes on health care and domestic violence:

The Compendium of State/Territory Statutes and Policies on Domestic Violence and Health Care, an at-a-glance summary of state and U.S. territory laws, regulations, and other activities relevant to addressing domestic violence in health care settings. It includes analyses and themes that reflect policy and programmatic changes made in the last two decades by leaders in the fields of health care, policy and domestic/sexual violence advocacy.
Insurance Discrimination Against Victims of Domestic Violence highlights the discriminatory practices of some insurance companies that penalize domestic violence victims who seek coverage and the recent changes to state and federal law.

Watch our webinar recording from October 31st, 2019, “How State/Territory, Tribal, and Federal Health Policies Can Promote Survivor Health, Preserve Autonomy, and Protect Confidentiality.” On this webinar we shared more about these resources and heard from key partners who have worked to clarify laws and policies and where needed create reporting exceptions for domestic violence survivors, to ensure that patients have knowledge of appropriate resources for intervention, safety, and access to health care.

Information Session: Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Trafficking Institute

Posted August 16, 2019 by Sarah Gonzalez

Title: Information Session: Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Trafficking Institute

Date: September 10, 2019, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET

Click here to listen to the recording

Click here to access the presentation

View PDF of the presentation

Webinar Description:

Futures Without Violence, through a grant from, and in partnership with the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), is offering a two-day interactive training experience November 6-7 in Baltimore, MD, focused on building effective collaborations between and among victim service providers, workforce development programs, and educational institutions to improve employment opportunities and economic outcomes for survivors of human trafficking. Learn more about the goals of the Institute, application process, and participation requirement.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this webinar, participants will be better able to:

Describe the purpose and goals of the Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Trafficking Institute
Summarize application requirements
Assess an organizations’ ability to apply and participate in the training

Presenters:

Sarah Gonzalez – Futures Without Violence

Questions? Please contact peost@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2017-VT-BX-K001, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.

Join us for two upcoming webinars on trafficking!

Posted August 14, 2019 by Anisa Ali

Join us for two upcoming webinars!

Title: Collaborative Strategies and Tools to Meet the Needs of Survivors of Human Trafficking

Date: August 22, 2019

Time: 11:00-12:30pmPST/12:00-1:30pmMST/1:00-2:30pmCST/2:00– 3:30 pmEST

Webinar Description:

This webinar will highlight collaborative work undertaken by multi-disciplinary teams across the U.S. to support domestic and sexual violence and human trafficking (DV/SA/HT) survivors. Presenters will share how their partnerships or task forces were initiated; strategies to enhance client services and case coordination; and tools and training opportunities to build or expand collaborative responses for HT survivors across communities and states. The webinar will share lessons learned from a community-based DV/SA/HT advocacy program, a law enforcement-led program, and a statewide task force operated by the Attorney General’s Office. It will also feature technical assistance and training resources offered by Futures Without Violence. Time will be included for audience question/answer and discussion.

Learn more and register for the webinar.

Title: Building Sustainable Partnerships between Human Trafficking Services and Workforce Development Programs

Date: August 28, 2019

Time: 11:00-12:00pmPST/12:00-1:00pmMST/1:00-2:00pmCST/2:00– 3:00 pmEST

Webinar Description:

Partnerships between organizations serving human trafficking survivors and workforce development programs can improve survivors’ access to a range of high-quality education and employment opportunities. Building cross-sector partnerships to seamlessly and effectively enhance client services can be challenging when programs have different goals and methods of service delivery. For example, education and job training programs may not be grounded in trauma informed practices; victim service programs may not be aware of the outcome requirements education and job training programs must meet to remain accredited. This webinar will focus overcoming common challenges when building cross-sector collaborations between victim service providers and workforce development programs to help foster a strong foundation that mutually benefits collaborating agencies and survivors of human trafficking.

Learn more and register for the webinar.

Building Sustainable Partnerships between Human Trafficking Services and Workforce Development Programs

Posted August 7, 2019 by Sarah Gonzalez

Title: Building Sustainable Partnerships between Human Trafficking Services and Workforce Development Programs

Date: August 28, 2019, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET

Click here to listen to the recording

Click here to access the presentation

View PDF of the presentation

Webinar Description:

Partnerships between organizations serving human trafficking survivors and workforce development programs can improve survivors’ access to a range of high-quality education and employment opportunities. Building cross-sector partnerships to seamlessly and effectively enhance client services can be challenging when programs have different goals and methods of service delivery. For example, education and job training programs may not be grounded in trauma informed practices; victim service programs may not be aware of the outcome requirements education and job training programs must meet to remain accredited. This webinar will focus overcoming common challenges when building cross-sector collaborations between victim service providers and workforce development programs to help foster a strong foundation that mutually benefits collaborating agencies and survivors of human trafficking.

Learning Objectives:

As a result of this webinar, participants will be better able to:

Identify the services, needs, partners, and resources necessary to build a sustainable collaboration to increase access to employment and educational opportunities for survivors of trafficking;
Describe challenges that workforce development/educational services programs and victim service providers face related to collaboration; and,
Determine existing resources to build effective and sustainable partnerships.

Presenters:

Sarah Gonzalez – Futures Without Violence

Dr. Amanda Eckhardt – Restore NYC

Dr. Nir Tsuk – New York University and Osaka University

Mónica Arenas – Futures Without Violence

Questions? Please contact peost@futureswithoutviolence.org.

This project is supported by Grant No. 2017-VT-BX-K001, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.

Building Collaborative Responses to Trafficked Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: A Training Institute

Posted July 31, 2019 by Anisa Ali

Title: Building Collaborative Responses to Trafficked Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Date: November 14-15, 2019

Location: Portland, Oregon

Description: This training will focus on improving collaborative responses for adult/youth domestic violence and sexual assault victims who have also experienced human trafficking. The 2-day training will provide multidisciplinary participating teams with effective skill-building to identify, assist and promote safety for trafficked survivors; promote peer exchange to share innovation and help problem solve; and improve team coordination and recruitment of new partners to enhance services that increase survivors’ access to social services, health care, legal, and criminal resources that promote their healing and justice.

Deadline Extended!

Please apply in multidisciplinary teams by September 20, 2019

For questions, including on your team configuration, please contact:

Mónica Arenas at marenas@futureswithoutviolence.org, Tel: 415-678-5519

Application Form

Topics to be covered

As a result of this training participants will be better able to:

Strengthen multi-disciplinary collaborative strategies in responding to youth and adult trafficked survivors with domestic violence and sexual assault experiences.
Define and clarify professional and organizational roles and responsibilities in responding to trafficked survivors.
Describe the intersections of human trafficking and domestic and sexual violence.
Provide a victim-centered, trauma-informed response to trafficked survivors.
Collaborate with healthcare providers, community health centers and other health systems to support the short- and long-term health needs of survivors.
Create an action plan to develop and implement a collaborative response to address human trafficking in your community.

Who may attend?

*OVW grantees may apply in multidisciplinary teams comprised of different organizations (teams of 3-4 people) who may include, but not limited to: domestic violence/sexual assault program staff, attorneys/legal experts, law enforcement, human trafficking taskforce members, civil law enforcement agencies, and healthcare. At least one member of each team must be an OVW grantee.
OVW grantees and their OVW grantee partners can participate and use their OVW travel funds to send grant-funded staff and partners to this training, with prior approval from their OVW Program Manager.

How to apply:

Teams interested in participating must submit an application. If you are using OVW funds to participate, please obtain approval from your OVW program specialist. Due to space limitations of up to 15 multidisciplinary teams, your application is not confirmed until you receive an acceptance letter from FUTURES’ staff. Click here to view the online application, & printable flyer and application form.

Training Format:

Interactive and innovative educational sessions
Cross-professional sessions on building collaborations
Case analysis and application
Peer exchange

Faculty:

Kiricka Yarbough-Smith, Human Trafficking Consultant, NC Council for Women
John Vanek, Lieutenant (retired), Human Trafficking Consultant
Perla Flores, Division Director for DV/SA/HT Programs, Community Solutions/South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking
Cindy Liou, Human Trafficking Consultant
Anna Marjavi, Futures Without Violence
Mónica Arenas, Futures Without Violence

Training Schedule:

Thursday, November 14, 2019 – 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday, November 15, 2019 – 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Cost:

The training is provided free of charge. Please note that participants are responsible for their own meals, lodging, travel arrangements, and costs associated with attending. Accommodations are available at the government rate of $150/night plus 15.3% tax. Detailed information on the hotel will be provided upon confirmation.

Please do not make any flight or other travel arrangements until you hear from us that OVW has approved the program and that you have been accepted as a participant. Also in the interim, please ensure that your OVW program manager has approved expenditures from your award to attend the workshop.

For questions, including on your team configuration, please contact: Monica Arenas, marenas@futureswithoutviolence.org