Creative Strategies for Threading Violence Awareness into the Four Core Services

Created by Leslie Myers, MS< CRC, CDVC

DART Program Manager, IndependenceFirst

PresentersLeslie Myers, MS, CRC, CDVCDART Program ManagerIndependenceFirst600 W Virginia Street, 4th FloorMilwaukee, WI 53204(414) 291-7520 V/TTY(414) 226-8381 Direct Voice

Roberta Sick, Project DirectorPartners for Inclusive Communities-UAMSArkansas' University Center on Disabilities2001 Pershing Circle - Suite 300North Little Rock, AR   72114501-682-9900501-682-9902 TTY

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)

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!)

IntroductionThe Rehabilitation Act defines a CIL as:

A consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, 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.

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 self-identified goals through peer counseling, skills training, advocacy, information and referral and other independent living services.

CILs

Consumer control

Self-help and self-advocacy

Development of peer role models

Equal access to all services, programs, activities, resources and facilities

Promote & Practice IL Philosophy

Advocacy

Peer Support

Independent Living Skill Development

Information and Referral

Four Core Services

Counseling

Housing modifications

Assistance in finding accessible housing

Rehabilitation technology

Mobility training

Interpreters and readers

Other Services

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

Missed appointments because their abuser controls their every move

Hard to advocate for themselves since their self- esteem 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

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

Violence and Abuse Affects Service Delivery, cont.

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  

Rehabilitation Act

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?

Addressing Issues – Where to Start?

Questions and Answers

Information and Referral

Awareness of community programs

Victim service programs

Sexual assault agencies

Domestic violence shelters

Law enforcement personnel

Gather information on these programs and services

Get information on program accessibility

Take opportunity to advocate for changes within inaccessible programs

What to do……

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

Information and Referral

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 1-800-211-7996

Locating interpreters

Providing accommodations

Working with people with different types of disabilities

Other Services You Can Provide

Weave these topics into your existing curriculum:

Self-protection

Safety planning

Empowerment

Abuse awareness

Self-esteem

IL Skills Training

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

Peer Support

Serious Advocacy Issues Waiting List

Lack of Affordable/Accessible Housing

Accessible Transportation

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

Individual Advocacy

Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act

Crimes committed against people with disabilities

NCIL Resolution

Systems Advocacy

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

Educate providers of abuse-related services to be more responsive and accessible to consumers with disabilities

Educate abuse intervention programs on full accessibility

Supporting Female Consumers, cont.

Obtain personal assistants

Replace assistive devices or medications lost when the woman left home

Offer transitional services to establish independence from her abuser

Assisting Female Consumers in Shelters

Questions and Answers

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

Collaboration

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_DatingViolenceResourceCenter101

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

The End

Wrap-Up and Evaluation