Transcript Creative Strategies - Violence and Abuse

Creative Strategies for Threading
Violence Awareness into the
Four Core Services
Created by Leslie Myers, MS< CRC, CDVC
DART Program Manager, IndependenceFirst
Presenters
Leslie Myers, MS, CRC, CDVC
DART Program Manager
IndependenceFirst
600 W Virginia Street, 4th Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53204
(414) 291-7520 V/TTY
(414) 226-8381 Direct Voice
Mary Oschwald
Research Assistant Professor
Regional Research Institute-PSU
PO Box 7511600 SW 4th St Suite 900
Portland OR 97207
(503) 725-9602
(866) 856-1385 (toll-free)
Roberta Sick, Project Director
Partners for Inclusive Communities-UAMS
Arkansas' University Center on Disabilities
2001 Pershing Circle - Suite 300
North Little Rock, AR 72114
501-682-9900
501-682-9902 TTY
Important Terms
 Independent Living (IL)
 National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)
 Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living
(APRIL)
 Centers for Independent Living (CILs)
 Independent Living Centers (ILCs)
 Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC)
 State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL)
 Personal Assistance Services (PAS)
History-How Did We Get Here?
 2004 - Focus groups held at NCIL’s annual conference
 “Voices Across America: Communities Coming
Together to End Crimes Against People with
Disabilities” developed
 2006 – NCIL’s and APRIL’s Resolutions on Violence
and Abuse of People with Disabilities sparked need for
Task Force
 2007 - NCIL Task Force on Violence and Abuse of
People with Disabilities developed the “Violence
Awareness Survey for Independent Living Centers”
Violence Awareness Survey
 41.35% return rate
 89% (n=98) extremely important for CILs to
understand and respond to issues of violence
 70% (n=77) somewhat confident recognizing
signs of abuse, 20% (n=22) extremely confident
 91% (n=100) wanted to learn more about “Role
of CILs in Dealing with Violence/Abuse” (Here
we are!)
Introduction
The Rehabilitation Act defines a CIL as:
A consumer-controlled, community-based, crossdisability, nonresidential private nonprofit agency,
designed and operated within a local community by
individuals with disabilities.
CILs provide services and advocacy by and for persons
with all types of disabilities to create opportunities for
independence and assist individuals with disabilities to
achieve their maximum level of independent functioning.
CILs
Centers are authorized to provide IL services in
accordance to a SPIL, which is developed by the SILC
in partnership with the State Vocational Rehabilitation
agency.
A Center works with an individual to achieve their selfidentified goals through peer counseling, skills training,
advocacy, information and referral and other
independent living services.
Promote & Practice
IL Philosophy

Consumer control

Self-help and self-advocacy

Development of peer role models

Equal access to all services, programs, activities,
resources and facilities
Four Core Services
 Advocacy

Peer Support

Independent Living Skill Development

Information and Referral
Other Services
 Counseling
 Housing modifications
 Assistance in finding accessible housing
 Rehabilitation technology
 Mobility training
 Interpreters and readers
Other Services, cont.
 Personal assistance including attendant care
 Needs surveys
 Training for participation in community activities
 Transportation
 Therapeutic treatment
 Social and recreation services
Other Services, cont.
 Services to youth to promote self-esteem and
self-empowerment
 Services for children
 Preventive services
 Disability awareness in local communities
Violence and Abuse Affects
Service Delivery

Missed appointments because their abuser
controls their every move

Hard to advocate for themselves since their selfesteem has been shattered at the hands of an
abuser

Violence and abuse takes toll on the mind, body
and soul
Violence and Abuse Affects
Service Delivery, cont.

Individuals are often kept isolated by their abusers

Many agencies that serve victims of violence/abuse
are not accessible to people with disabilities

These combined barriers make it nearly impossible
for the person being abused to leave
Rehabilitation Act

Provide services on a cross-disability basis to
individuals with a variety of disabilities

Provide services to unserved and underserved

Work to increase availability and quality of
community options for independent living

Increase communities’ capacity to meet needs of
individuals with disabilities

Develop funding sources beyond that afforded by the
Rehabilitation Act
Addressing Issues –
Where to Start?

Violence/abuse issues are disability issues and
we need to make sure that they are addressed in
every aspect of our programming and service
delivery.

Is it a separate issue or will it fit into your existing
Center activities and SPIL?
Questions and Answers
Information and Referral
Awareness of community programs
Victim service programs
 Sexual assault agencies
 Domestic violence shelters
 Law enforcement personnel
What to do……
 Gather information on these programs and
services
 Get information on program accessibility
 Take opportunity to advocate for changes within
inaccessible programs
Information and Referral
Phone
 Develop list of programs and emergency numbers
In-Person
 Distribute brochures and information sheets from local
programs
Web-Site
 Include links to local and national programs, information
on victimization, self-help strategies, safety planning
National Referral Sources
 The National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
 Rape, Abuse & Incest, National Network
(RAINN) 1-800-656-HOPE
 National Center for Victims of Crime 1-800-
FYI-CALL (1-800-394-2255) or TTY 1-800211-7996
Other Services You Can Provide
 Locating interpreters
 Providing accommodations
 Working with people with different types of
disabilities
IL Skills Training
Weave these topics into your existing
curriculum:
 Self-protection
 Safety planning
 Empowerment
 Abuse awareness
 Self-esteem
Peer Support
 Provides consumer with safety in
disclosure
 Peer must be trained on appropriate
actions to take if they receive disclosure of abuse
 Support groups and individual support are
essential tools for victim service agencies
Serious Advocacy Issues
 Waiting List
 Lack of Affordable/Accessible Housing
 Accessible Transportation
Individual Advocacy
IL staff may need to:
 Advocate for their consumer to get accommodations
within the victim service agency or in the courts
 Advocate for the consumer to be served at all by a
victim service provider
Systems Advocacy
 Reauthorization of the Violence Against
Women Act
 Crimes committed against people with
disabilities
 NCIL Resolution
Additional IL Services
 Nursing home transition –
violence/abuse within institutions and
vulnerability of transitioning consumers
 Sports/Rec programs – teach adapted
self defense
 Youth services – provide classes on
dating violence and date rape
Additional IL Services
 Computer recycling - information on on-line
and chat room safety, scams, and identity theft
 Benefit programs offer chance to discuss
financial abuse
 Personal care attendant services – teach
consumers how to identify caregiver abuse and
strategies to stop it
Supporting Female Consumers
 Provide assertiveness training, peer counseling
and self-esteem building
 Recognize that abuse is a serious problem for
women with disabilities
 Offer initial counseling and referral for female
consumers who are being abused
 Become educated on abuse to create safe
environment for women to disclose abuse
Supporting Female Consumers,
cont.
 Educate providers of abuse-related services to
be more responsive and accessible to consumers
with disabilities
 Educate abuse intervention programs on full
accessibility
Assisting Female Consumers in
Shelters
 Obtain personal assistants
 Replace assistive devices or medications lost
when the woman left home
 Offer transitional services to establish
independence from her abuser
Questions and Answers
Collaboration
 Cross-referral between CILs and abuse
intervention programs – very successful
 Outreach efforts enabled them to more
effectively reach women with disabilities who
were being abused
Outreach Activities and Crime
Prevention Initiatives
 Include persons with disabilities in planning,
execution, and evaluation stages of each initiative
 Avoid labeling, stereotyping, and tokenism
 Collaborate with key players
 Engage the person with a disability by making
sure that accommodations are in place to ensure
effective communication and full participation
Suggestions
 Hold staff training on violence/abuse
 Ask questions about abuse during intake, PAS
supervision visits, consumer appointments
 Develop policy and procedures for staff to follow
when they suspect abuse
 Ask victim service agencies to talk about their
programs at staff meetings
Suggestions, cont.
 Visit your local victim service agencies
 Display posters and brochures to raise
awareness of abuse, allowing consumers to see
you as a safe environment
 Read about abuse and violence against people
with disabilities
Finding Funding
 Office on Violence Against Women:
http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/
 Office for Victims of Crime:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/fund/welcome.html
 Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-Injury, Violence
and Safety http://www.cdc.gov/InjuryViolenceSafety
Additional Resources
 The National Domestic Violence http://www.ncadv.org/
 The Rape, Abuse & Incest, National Network (RAINN)
http://www.rainn.org/
 National Center for Victims of Crime
http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/Main.aspx
 Stalking Resource Center
http://www.ncvc.org/src/Main.aspx
 Dating Violence Resource Center
http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbID=DB_DatingV
iolenceResourceCenter101
Additional Resources
 Online Directory of Crime Victim Services
http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/findvictimservices/
 Professional Online Resources on Abuse and Disability
http://www.disability-abuse.com/
 OVC Publications
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/welcome.html
 Victims of Crime With Disabilities Resource Guide
http://www.uwyo.edu/wind/resourceguide/resources/resources.asp
 National Disability Rights Network http://www.napas.org/index.htm
 National Adult Protective Services Association http://apsnetwork.org/
Final Questions and Answers
Wrap-Up and Evaluation
The End