Transcript Innovations in Domestic Violence Response: Creating New

Innovations in Domestic Violence
Response: Creating New Options
for Survivors
Volunteers of America, Oregon
Home Free
Kris Billhardt
[email protected]
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
1
Caveats and Disclaimers
• Development of new response models does
not negate the need for programs that
provide immediate safety for DV survivors.
• This is not a prescription or a miracle
solution; simply our experience of change
and its benefits.
• Consider our program’s story as to whether or
how it may be applicable in your community
to add to options available to DV survivors.
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
2
Background: Home Free
History
•1926: VOA established the Mothers
and Children’s Home to serve
“abandoned” women and children
•DV became focal in the 70’s
•Family Center/
Transition House, 1989
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
3
Background: Home Free History II
1998 – Expanding Beyond Shelter
Outreach services and mobile advocacy
methods are added to residential service
elements
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
4
Discoveries…
• We were reaching a different sub-group of
survivors
• Motel vouchering served as a bridge to
shelter, or AS shelter
• Mobile advocacy removed many barriers to
survivors engaging in services
• Advocates’ mobility made an astounding
difference in how they could assist
• Flexible funds were instrumental in survivors’
successful outcomes
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
5
…and the ensuing musing
 With 1FTE and $50,000, we’ve stabilized 35
families in safe housing...
 The cost of 2 shelter nights for a family of four
is equivalent to a month’s rent for the same
family…
 If we had more advocates not tied to the
shelter…
 With most of the system’s funding going to
residential services, how many survivors and
children have no access to help?
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
6
Home Free’s Big Change:
October, 2003
•Closed Shelter
•Hotline reduced to 8AM to 6PM M-F
•Expanded motel vouchering
•Expanded housing-focused services
•Expanded outstationed services and mobile
advocacy
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
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Steps to Change I
Program Assessment
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Fit with Mission: How are our current
services moving us toward our goal to
end DV?
Constituent Expertise: What are
survivors telling us about their needs?
Demographic Trends: Who are we not
seeing in our program, and what can
we change to increase access?
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
8
Steps to Change II
Piloting: Try New Ideas on a Small Scale
• Identify projects/funding
 HUD Horizons
VOCA Project Grants
Foundation funds
AmeriCorps
• Cultivate key partnerships/agreements
• Develop necessary expertise, policies, and
practices
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
9
Steps to Change III
Assess Pilot Programs
• High utilization of piloted services obviated
need
• Services are cost efficient
• Services could be expanded with no new
money if resources were reallocated
• Positive impact on system: reduce service
duplication, & fill gaps in our system
• Services did indeed improve our community’s
response to underserved needs of survivors
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
10
Steps to Change IV
Clarifying Our Aims to Inform Our Redesign
• Reduce need for survivors to delay leaving abuse
because shelter beds are full
• Provide housing options for those excluded from
shelters or not served by prevailing model
• Increase availability of non-residentially-based support
and community-based advocacy
• Focus on post-crisis stabilization and economic
barriers implicated in decision to return to abuser
• Offer services that are actively interventionist, flexible,
survivor-driven, and get people farther
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
11
Steps to Change V
Environmental Scan: How Will Our Idea
for Bigger Change Affect the
Landscape?
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Community partners
Systems Plan/Vision
Underserved Populations
Underserved Needs
Funding Trends
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
12
Steps to Change VI
Floating Your Idea: Dialog, Dialog, Dialog!
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Staff (early and ongoing)
Agency Administration (early buy-in critical)
Community partners
Funders
Constituents
Volunteers and other supporters
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
13
Steps to Change VII
Locking In: What Should Be in Place
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Timeline (ramping down and ramping up)
Program site
Funding commitments
Partner agreements
Staffing patterns (re-assignment/hiring)
Job descriptions, training plan
Program design, Policies and procedures
Budget and cost center redesign
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
14
Home Free – Program Design
Emergency Services
Out-stationed Services
Children’s Services
Transitional and Housing
Services
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
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Challenges
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Little in the way of a blueprint to follow
Community “gets” shelter
Remaining shelter programs wary
Some staff initially skeptical
Learning curve – many new skills
required
• Facilities and equipment needs very
different
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
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Successes
• Serving 4 times as many families with emergency
vouchers than we could house in our shelter
• 80-100 families achieve permanent housing
annually with expanded intensive housing services
• 3,000 survivors receive brief in-person services
• Expanded ability to provide outstationed advocacy
has increased access
• Substantial increase in underserved populations
• Enhanced participation in coordinated community
response
NAEH Annual
Conference 7/18/06
Volunteers Of America, Oregon
Home Free
17