needs assessment plan … · uppercase “d”. while, deaf refers to individuals who identify with...

NEEDS ASSESSMENT PLAN

Bridging South Dakota is supported by grant no. 2013-FW-AX-K005 of the Education, Training, and

Enhancing Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women with Disabilities Grant Program

awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice.

2 | B r i d g i n g S o u t h D a k o t a

Table of Contents Project Partners ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 6

Mission Statement ........................................................................................................................................ 7

Vision Statement ........................................................................................................................................... 7

Needs Assessment Goals .............................................................................................................................. 7

Information Sources: Existing and New ........................................................................................................ 9

Overview of Methods/Methodology and Audiences ................................................................................. 10

Recruitment Strategy and Training Plan ..................................................................................................... 20

Confidentiality Considerations and Concerns ............................................................................................. 25

Consent Process .......................................................................................................................................... 28

Work Process .............................................................................................................................................. 29

Timeline....................................................................................................................................................... 30

Appendix A - Facilitator Script for Survivors, D/deaf Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities ............ 31

Appendix B - Facilitator Script for Leadership Interviews ........................................................................... 33

Appendix C - Facilitator Script for Staff Focus Group ................................................................................. 36

Appendix D - Sexual Assault Survivor Focus Group Questions ................................................................... 38

Appendix E - Individuals with Disabilities (e.g., physical, mental, intellectual, sensory, hidden) Focus

Group Questions ......................................................................................................................................... 40

Appendix F - Deaf Individuals Focus Group Questions ............................................................................... 42

Appendix G - Network Membership Agency Leadership Interview............................................................ 44

Appendix H - Network Membership Agency Middle Management Staff Focus Group Questions............. 46

Appendix I - Network Membership SA Agency Staff .................................................................................. 48

Appendix J - Centers for Independent Living, Mental Health Agency, or Community Support Provider

Leadership Interview .................................................................................................................................. 51

Appendix K - Centers for Independent Living, Mental Health Agency, and Community Support Providers

Middle Management Focus Group Questions ............................................................................................ 54

Appendix L - Centers for Independent Living, Mental Health Agency, and Community Support Providers

Staff Focus Group Questions ...................................................................................................................... 57

Appendix M - Network Staff Focus Group Questions ................................................................................. 60

Appendix N - The Coalition Staff Focus Group Questions .......................................................................... 62

Appendix O - CSD Staff Focus Group Questions ......................................................................................... 64

Appendix P - Executive Director of the Network Interview Questions ....................................................... 67

Appendix Q - Administrative Services Coordinator of the Network Interview Questions ......................... 70

Appendix R - Executive Director of the Coalition Interview Questions ...................................................... 72


Appendix S - CSD Leadership Interview Questions ..................................................................................... 76

Appendix T - Network Board of Directors Survey ....................................................................................... 79

Appendix U - The Coalition Board of Directors Survey ............................................................................... 83

Appendix V - CSD Advisory Board Survey Questions .................................................................................. 86

Appendix W – Letter of Invitation (SA Survivors) ....................................................................................... 90

Appendix X – Letter of Invitation (D/deaf Individuals) ............................................................................... 92

Appendix Y – Letter of Invitation (Individuals with Disabilities) ................................................................. 94

Appendix Z – Explanation of Activities for Survivors, D/deaf Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities 96

Appendix AA - Focus Group/Interview RSVP Form ................................................................................... 101

Appendix BB – Auxiliary Aids and Services Request Form ........................................................................ 102

Appendix CC – Explanation of Activities for Staff and Leadership ............................................................ 103

Appendix DD – Letter of Invitation (Leadership and Staff) ....................................................................... 107

Appendix EE - Confidentiality Statement .................................................................................................. 109

Appendix FF - Focus Group Debriefing Form ............................................................................................ 110

Appendix GG - Resources .......................................................................................................................... 112


Project Partners

The South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault was established in 1991. The Network is a non-profit agency comprised of caring people dealing with the concerns of domestic violence and sexual assault victims. The member programs employ and support individuals of all racial, social, religious and economic groups, ages, and lifestyles. Rural, urban and tribal areas are proudly represented. The Network believes that the abuse of power in society fosters domestic violence, rape, gender inequality, racism, and poverty by perpetuating conditions in which certain groups benefit from the domination of others. The Network membership believes that domestic violence results from the use of force or threat to achieve and maintain control over others in intimate relationships. The Network opposes the use of violence as a means of control over others and supports equality in relationships. All programs and services are rooted firmly in the belief that people victimized by crime have the right to assume power over their own lives by making informed choices regarding their empowerment journey. The Network is dedicated to the empowerment of those victimized by domestic or sexual violence. Networking with other entities in our community creates avenues to impact long-term systemic and social change. The Network provides ongoing training, technical assistance, funding, system change work, and consultation to its member organizations.

The South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition), incorporated in 1990, is a statewide, cross-disability membership organization whose members include consumer, provider and advocacy organizations and individual members with and without disabilities. The Coalition advocates for public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of people with disabilities of all ages in South Dakota. The Coalition believes in full inclusion of all people in all aspects of society, and believes that everyone should have the freedom of choice to pursue their own quality of life. The Coalition has an extensive history of advocacy and training, and it has an extensive history of collaborative efforts across a variety of constituencies to promote social change at the local, state and national levels, which supports the full inclusion of people with disabilities of all ages.


The Coalition provides resources and advocacy for all individuals to exercise their rights and freedoms.

We support the idea that people with greater needs should receive greater support, and people with greater gifts are called to share those gifts with others.

We support the idea that people should be as active and independent members of society as they choose to be.

We promote self-responsibility, self-determination, and freedom of choice.

We want to expand our network of partners to provide opportunities for their involvement.

We promote unity by serving as a single point of contact for all disability groups.

Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) opened its doors in 1975 with a mission to both advocate for and create access to essential programs and services that make the world more equal for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. CSD began its journey as a small, but passionate grassroots movement in South Dakota and we have evolved in the decades since into an international organization that has positively affected millions of lives. For nearly forty years, CSD has worked to challenge convention by championing innovation, which has transformed the communications experience for deaf and hearing people. CSD is proud of our heritage, our talented and dedicated global workforce, and our persevering, unwavering devotion to our community. We provide a variety of services such as:

Interpreting

Relay Services

Contact Centers

Human Services o Advocacy o Peer Support o Community Integration Training o Technical Assistance o Communication Assistance o Deaf Awareness training o Information and Referral o Adult Basic Education


o Domestic Violence (DV and SA) o Equipment Distribution Program (EDP) o Deaf Health o Consultations

Introduction Bridging South Dakota is comprised of three organizations – Communication

Service for the Deaf (CSD), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities

(Coalition) and South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault

(Network). We, as partners, share a concern for victims of sexual and domestic

violence, as well as a concern for individuals of all ages with disabilities and

D/deaf1 who historically have been underserved by providers of victim’s services.

We further share an acknowledgement that services and advocacy groups for

individuals with disabilities and individuals who are D/deaf and hard of hearing

can be much more effective in identifying and responding to incidents of

victimization experienced by the people they serve. As a result we came together

to respond to the OVW FY 2013 Education, Training and Enhanced Services to End

Violence Against and Abuse of Women with Disabilities grant opportunity, and in

September 2013, the Network was awarded funding for Bridging South Dakota.

Bridging South Dakota will be focusing on reviewing the internal capacity of our

three organizations and our respective staff’s ability to provide technical

assistance to consumers and members surrounding the issue of sexual assault

experienced by individuals with disabilities and D/deaf individuals.

1 Bridging South Dakota recognizes that not everyone identifies as D/deaf and we strive to respect individual

identification preferences. We understand that essentially “deaf” refers to individuals with hearing loss. The

lowercase “d” reflects a physical or audiological perspective, or those who choose not to be defined by the

uppercase “D”. While, Deaf refers to individuals who identify with and participate in the language, culture

and community of Deaf people, based on sign language. The capital “D” reflects this socio-cultural point of

view, which may or may not be accepted by all people with varying hearing status, e.g., hard of hearing

individuals. For the purposes of this document, D/deaf will be used and is intended to encompass the full

spectrum of hearing status, cultural backgrounds, and identities.


Mission Statement Bridging South Dakota seeks to improve services for victims and survivors with

disabilities or who are D/deaf by cultivating the capacity of our statewide

organizations to provide trauma-informed, safe and accessible interventions

through technical assistance, training and curricula.

Vision Statement We envision that survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, who

have disabilities or who are D/deaf, will receive knowledgeable, culturally

sensitive and effective services from providers and advocates throughout the

state of South Dakota.

Needs Assessment Goals 1. Identify existing or needed policies and procedures of the Network, the

Coalition, and CSD related to victim/survivors of sexual assault who have

disabilities or who are D/deaf.

a. Identify the policies that our agencies have for addressing

accessibility

b. Identify the policies that our agencies have for addressing safety

in the workplace

c. Identify the policies that our agencies have for responding to

sexual assault

d. Identify the policies or procedures for providing technical

assistance

2. Identify the strengths and gaps in the provision of technical assistance

and training for service providers throughout South Dakota related to

victim/survivors of sexual assault who have disabilities or who are

D/deaf.

a. Identify current practices of organizations related to Technical

Assistance – including training, consultation, education, policy and

advocacy activities


b. Identify existing policies and resources that affect the ability of

the organization to provide technical assistance to other agencies

or organizations

c. Identify recommended policies and practices related to providing

technical assistance

3. Evaluate the current connections between the project partners, barriers

to working together; and opportunities to sustain, expand, and

enhance those relationships in order to provide technical assistance that

facilitates accessible and effective services to victim/survivors of sexual

assault who have disabilities or who are D/deaf.

a. Identify how to build on these relationships amongst ourselves

and with organizational members

b. Assess the readiness/willingness to change in order to better

serve victim/survivors of sexual assault who have disabilities or

who are D/deaf

c. Identify how to create sustainable changes through our technical

assistance

4. Evaluate staff knowledge about sexual assault, safety and accessibility

in order to build our capacity to provide technical assistance to

programs who serve victim/survivors of sexual assault who have

disabilities or are D/deaf.

a. Identify how experienced staff are working with individuals who

have disabilities or are D/deaf or sexual assault victim/survivors

b. Assess readiness to assist member agencies/programs in building

their own policies and procedures surrounding the intersection of

serving victim/survivors of sexual assault who have disabilities or

who are D/deaf

c. Assess current polices and implement recommended policies

surrounding the intersection of serving victim/survivors of sexual

assault who have disabilities or who are D/deaf

5. Identify best practices in the delivery of services to victim/survivors of

sexual assault who have disabilities or who are D/deaf.


a. Identify what makes clients/consumers feel welcomed

b. Identify what makes clients/consumers feel safe

c. Identify what clients/consumers need in order to receive the best

services

Information Sources: Existing and New

Existing Information

In South Dakota, it is reported that there are 90,173 individuals with disabilities

which represents 11.3% of the overall population, based on the 2010 US Census

Report. During the 2013 fiscal year2, it was reported that 12,983 victims3 were

served in South Dakota. Of those over 630 reported as being D/deaf, hard of

hearing, and/or reporting to have a disability, making up approximately 5% of the

population victims served.

Nationally, there is an overall lack of research on individuals with disabilities who

have been physically or sexually assaulted. The data available continually shows

that individuals who have a disability tend to be at greater risk for abuse, in

particular sexual abuse. Women with disabilities experience sexual abuse at four

times the rate than women without disabilities (Martin, et al.4, 2006; Casteel, C.,

Martin, S.L., Smith, J.B., Gurka, K.K., Kupper, L.L., 20085). Mitra, Mouradian and

Diamond (2011) surveyed over 25,000 respondents and found that individuals

who reported lifetime sexual violence that were men with disabilities reported a

higher rate of victimization than women without disabilities (13.9% vs. 12.4%).6

Member organizations of our collaboration do collect data on the clients they

serve, however, they have not collected data regarding best practices for serving

victims/survivors of sexual assault who have disabilities and/or who are D/deaf.

2 October 1, 2012 – September 30, 2013 3 Victims include categories reported to South Dakota Department of Services Victim Services Department by Victim Services Programs throughout the state of South Dakota (e.g. Adolescent Sexual Abuse, Adult Incest Survivors, Assault, Child Abuse Physical/Sexual, Domestic Abuse (Men, Women, Children), DUI/DWI, Elder Abuse, Secondary Victims, Adult Sexual Abuse, Stalking) 4 Martin, S.L., Ray, N., Sotres-Alvarez, D., Kupper, L.L., Moracco, K.E., Dickens, P.A., Scandlin, D., & Gizlice, Z. (2006). Physical and Sexual Assault of Women With Disabilities. Violence Against Women, 12 (9), 823-837. 5 Casteel, C., Martin, S.L., Smith, J.B., Gurka, K.K., & Kupper, L.L. (2008). Injury Prevention, 14, 87-90. 6 Mitra, M., Mouradian, V.E., & Diamond, M. (2011) American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 41(5), 494-497.


Additionally, at this time, no organization has collected this type of information

within the state of South Dakota.

New Information

The data collected through our Needs Assessment will be original and qualitative

in nature. The information will be obtained through focus groups, surveys and

individual interviews. We will not be gathering information on the prevalence of

violence in the lives of people with disabilities. We will focus gathering

information on practices and policies within our organizations, and in the state,

that affect our ability to support member agencies and other constituents who

respond to victims/survivors of sexual assault who have disabilities and/or who

are D/deaf.

The gathered information will be used to develop a Strategic Plan which will

address identified strengths, weaknesses and needs. This will help Bridging South

Dakota become a more valuable resource for individuals and organizations in the

state who serve victims/survivors of sexual assault who have disabilities and/or

who are D/deaf.

Overview of Methods/Methodology and Audiences Bridging South Dakota will use three methods of gathering information: focus

groups, interviews and surveys.

We will be gathering information from program participants at partner agencies,

which will include: staff, leadership, volunteers and boards of directors. We will

also engage individuals with disabilities, D/deaf individuals and victim/survivors of

sexual assault.

Focus Groups

Bridging South Dakota will utilize focus groups for gathering a diverse range of

ideas and perspectives.

A focus group is a group of individuals that have been brought together for a

moderated discussion about a particular topic. Because they tend to be open-

ended in nature, focus groups allow for a deeper exploration of a given topic

(accessingsafety.org).


Focus groups of individuals with a common position or experience are the best

way to get information that will help us understand their experiences. Focus

group questions have been carefully written to elicit information about current

services, ideal services and connections between agencies that affect

victims/survivors of sexual assault who have disabilities and/or who are D/deaf.

Bridging South Dakota will conduct focus groups for:

o Individuals with Disabilities (e.g., physical, mental, intellectual,

sensory, hidden) o D/deaf individuals

o Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault

o Staff at each project partner agency

o Direct services staff at SDNAFVSA member agencies, and

o Direct services staff at Coalition member agencies

General Guidelines for Focus Groups:

Each staff/agency group will have 2-13 people

Program participant focus groups will be limited to 10

Groups will last approximately 2 hours

Careful consideration for safety and accessibility

Focus Group Team Members:

The focus group team members are the facilitator, note taker, floater, on-call

advocate and certified ASL interpreter. Two members of Bridging South Dakota

will be at each focus group. At a minimum, there will be a facilitator and note

taker at all focus groups.

The facilitator will be responsible for the following:

Obtaining consent from focus group participants

Confirming that all auxiliary aids and service requests have been fulfilled

Beginning focus group with facilitator script for the particular audience

o (See Appendices A, B, C)

Asking questions designed for the particular audience

Providing prompts as necessary

Keeping the focus group on topic, redirecting as necessary

Debriefing with the note taker immediately following each focus group


The note taker will be responsible for the following:

Writing down all responses

Affirming with participants accuracy of written responses

Asking for clarification immediately if a response is not understood for

recording purposes

Summarizing the written notes and deliver them to the Project Coordinator

following each focus group.

The floater will be responsible for the following:

Paying attention to the comfort level of focus group participants

Noting body cues, memorable quotes, and critical information that is not

captured by the questions

Providing support or assistance to participants as needed

Group management

The on-call advocate will be responsible for the following:

Providing emotional support during the focus groups with survivors

Assisting with debriefing, as needed

Providing referrals to focus group participants, as needed

The certified ASL interpreter will be responsible for the following:

Following the Professionals Code of Conduct, which include requirements

of confidentiality

Ensuring the D/deaf individuals fully comprehend questions

Appropriately voice interpret the D/deaf individuals’ responses

Focus Group Staffing

The facilitator for focus groups will be a project partner and when possible will be

performed by the Project Coordinator. This may not be the case when conducting

the focus group with D/deaf individuals as they may be more comfortable directly

with an individual fluent in ASL. The note taker role will be filled by a project

partner or another individual familiar with the project for consistency. When

needed a floater will be utilized and a project partner will fill this role. We will

have an advocate available on-call throughout the process.


Sexual Assault Survivors

Bridging South Dakota will be engaging survivors who are receiving services at

local SA programs. Clients who are current or former clients in these organizations

will be considered to participate in the focus groups. Bridging South Dakota

believes that survivors of sexual assault are the experts in their own experience

and have the power to represent their own needs and expectations. As a result,

they will be asked directly about their own personal experiences while receiving

services. The questions (Appendix D) during the focus groups are not designed to

elicit clients to disclose information specific to their abuse. It is only intended that

they provide information in regards to the services they have received or are

receiving. In the event that a client does disclose information regarding their

abuse, there will be an advocate available to assist them with processing any

feeling or emotions that might surface as a result of the discussions.

The focus group will contain 6 – 8 survivors and will be approximately one and a

half to two hours in length. All survivors who participate in a focus group will

receive a $25 gift card for their time.

Individuals with Disabilities (e.g., physical, mental, intellectual, sensory, hidden)

Bridging South Dakota will be engaging individuals with disabilities who are

currently receiving or have received services at Coalition membership agencies.

Bridging South Dakota believes that individuals with disabilities are the experts of

their experience and have a right to be involved in possible changes to the

services they receive. It is vital that they have the opportunity to provide insight

into their experience in order to provide more accessible and welcoming services

in South Dakota.

The Coalition has members who are membership organizations themselves and

individual members which together can provide a larger understanding of what

the needs of our state are across all disabilities. These different entities serve

various populations which may have different needs for training and technical

assistance in order to best address the intersection of sexual assault and

accessible services for individuals with disabilities or D/deaf individuals. Therefore

we will conduct a focus group with cross disability representation. The Coalition

will be contacting their members from South Dakota Association of the Blind,

Sioux Falls NAMI, and the Brain Injury Association to form a cross disability focus

group. There will be a peer focus group for individuals with intellectual or


developmental disabilities from a mental health agency and a peer focus group

from the Center for Independent Living agency. (See Appendix E for focus groups

questions.)

The focus groups will contain 6 – 8 individuals and will be approximately one and

a half to two hours in length, in consideration to allow for ample time to assure

effective communication and to help alleviate any communication barriers. All

individuals who participate in a focus group will receive a $25 gift card for their

time.

Deaf Individuals

Bridging South Dakota will be engaging D/deaf individuals who are current or

previous clients of CSD. These D/deaf individuals are vital to the Needs

Assessment process. The collaboration believes D/deaf individuals should be

allowed the opportunity to communicate their own needs and expectations. As a

result, it is imperative to ask them directly what their experiences are when

receiving services so we may make our own organizations more accessible and

welcoming. The strategic plan will ultimately influence the way services and

supports are provided throughout the state of South Dakota. It is vital that we ask

those receiving services for input on how and what they need. (See Appendix F for

focus group questions.)

The focus groups will contain 6 – 8 D/deaf individuals and will be approximately

two hours in length, in consideration of allowing for ample time to assure

effective communication. All D/deaf individuals who participate in a focus group

will receive a $25 gift card for their time.

Staff

Various staff at the Network, the Coalition, CSD, a Center for Independent Living,

Mental Health Agencies, Community Support Providers, and SA organizations will

be engaged in the Needs Assessment process by participating in focus groups. The

staff will be asked questions regarding the extent of sexual assault, disability and

D/deaf inclusive services provided by their agency and their TA needs surrounding

those services. By engaging staff at the various agencies, Bridging South Dakota

hopes to gain information regarding the current culture of each organization

regarding sexual assault, disability and D/deaf services; any historical or current

partnering of those services; and trainings, policies and procedures for responding

to survivors who are disabled or D/deaf, as well as barriers to providing those


services. Agency leadership will not be present during the staff focus groups in

order to create an environment where the participants feel comfortable to speak

freely. Leadership will be interviewed individually for the Needs Assessment.

The focus groups will contain 2-12 individuals. The staff focus groups will be

facilitated by a project partner who is not employed at that agency. There will

also be a note taker and floater present who are project partners and not

employees of the agency engaging in the focus group. The focus groups will be

approximately one and a half to two hours in length. Staff will not be personally

compensated for participating in any of the focus groups. (Focus Group and

Interview Questions for SA Organizations can be found in Appendices G, H, and I.

Focus Group and Interview Questions for CIL/Mental Health Agency/ Community

Support Providers can be found in Appendices J, K, and L.)

Network Staff Focus Group

The Network staff consists of the Executive Director, Financial Director,

Administrative Services Coordinator, Cultural Outreach Specialist, Training Team

Coordinator, Disability Project Coordinator, Project Specialist, and Interns. Each

person on the team has an integral role to the agency as a whole. The staff focus

group will consist of the Financial Director, Cultural Outreach Specialist, Training

Team Coordinator, Project Specialist, and Interns.

The Financial Director provides financial oversight individual projects and the

agency is its entirety. She also has a long term understanding of the Network’s

interworking. The Cultural Outreach Specialist provides technical assistance and

guidance to 16 rural advocates, including one tribal advocate, across the state of

South Dakota. She is a liaison with the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal on behalf of

the Network. She will be able to providing insight into her culture and the

technical assistance needs of many of our agency programs. The Training Team

Coordinator schedules 25 – 30 trainings a year statewide to law enforcement,

prosecutors, advocates and other professionals. She creates and revises

curriculum, activities and handouts for these trainings. The Project Specialist

works with a variety of individuals cross disciplines; she works with colleges, high

schools, law enforcement, prosecutors and advocates providing technical

assistance and guidance on coordinated community response and related issues.

The interns will provide a fresh look into our policies and procedures and can

provide innovative insight into making successful changes.


The Administrative Services Coordinator and Executive Director will be

interviewed separately as they are each supervisors of several staff members. The

Administrative Services Coordinator will be able to provide insight into policies

and procedures as well as knowledge of housing, legal and emergency needs of

victims and agencies in South Dakota. (See Appendix M for focus group

questions.)

Coalition Focus Group

The Coalition staff consists of the Executive Director, Program Specialist and

Administrative Assistant/Office Manager. Each team member plays an integral

role in the work of the organization.

The Executive Director will be interviewed separately as she supervises the staff,

and she is hired and supervised by the organization’s board of directors. The focus

group will consist of the Program Specialist and Administrative Assistant/Office

Manager.

The Program Specialist will provide insight into the interworking of the Coalition.

The Program Specialist has background knowledge of this project, as well as a

background working in the disability arena for over 18 years. The Program

Specialist has provided staff support to several board/councils which are

comprised of a majority of individuals with disabilities. She has also provided

technical assistance to individual and organizational members of the Coalition.

The Program Specialist has responded to inquiries on various subjects e.g.,

Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Housing, available services/programs,

assistive technology, auxiliary aids and services. The Program Specialist works

with a variety of individuals of cross disciplines e.g., State’s rehabilitation

engineer, independent living specialists, vocational rehabilitation, community

support providers, parents/family members, people with disabilities, social

services, first responders, government officials, healthcare providers, educational

staff to provide technical assistance and guidance on disability related issues. The

Program Specialist will be able to provide insight into policies and procedures as

well as knowledge of issues pertaining to the field of disability.

The Administrative Assistant/Office Manager is the first point of contact via the

phone and/or walk-in traffic. She makes referrals both in and out-of-house e.g.,

benefits specialist services, advocacy services conferring with the Executive


Director and Program Specialist on situations she feels unprepared to address.

(See Appendix N for focus group questions).

CSD Focus Group

As CSD is a national agency, we will only be focusing on staff who provide services to South Dakotans who are deaf, deaf blind, or hard of hearing. CSD’s South Dakota programs team consists of the National Programs Manager, who oversees the South Dakota team and its programs, a Community Outreach and Advocacy Specialist, of both who are on the Project team, two Community Support Specialists and three Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program Specialists. The Equipment Distribution Program Specialists will not be interviewed for they do not provide direct service, technical assistance (outside of equipment distribution) or advocacy. The staff focus group will consist of the three community focused specialist based throughout South Dakota. They will provide insight into their organization as well as the needs of D/deaf South Dakotans. (See Appendix O for focus group questions).

Interviews

Bridging South Dakota will utilize interviews for gathering information from the

following individuals:

Leadership/Executive Directors of Project Partners

Leadership/Executive Directors of Member Programs

Project Partner team members

Individuals who request not to participate in focus groups

Interviews have been chosen for these groups because it provides an opportunity

for individuals to have more anonymity, to share their views openly, and avoid

influencing responses of other focus group participants (in the case of staff focus

groups).

Interview Team Members

The facilitator will be responsible for the following:

Obtaining consent from interviewee

Confirming that all auxiliary aids and service needs have been fulfilled

Beginning focus group with facilitator script for the particular audience

o See Appendices A, B, C

Asking questions designed for the particular audience


Providing prompts as necessary

Keeping the interview on topic, redirecting as necessary

Debriefing with the note taker immediately following each interview

Providing crisis counseling and support to interviewee during and/or after

the interview if necessary

The note taker will be responsible for the following:

Writing down all responses

Recording the interview, with permission from the interviewee

Asking for clarification immediately if a response is not understood for

recording purposes

Summarizing the written notes and deliver them to the Project Coordinator

following each focus interview

The certified ASL interpreter will be responsible for the following:

Following the Code of Professional Conduct, which include requirements of

confidentiality

Ensuring the D/deaf individual fully comprehend questions

Appropriately voice interpret the D/deaf individual’s responses

Leadership

Bridging South Dakota plans to engage leadership at the Network, the Coalition,

and CSD, a Center for Independent Living program, and three sexual assault

programs, and disability related organizations which are organizational members

of the Coalition. These leadership interviews will be conducted by a project

partner who does not work for the same organization as the interviewee. A

second project partner will serve as the note taker. The interviews will last up to

an hour and a half.

Leadership has an integral role in policy changes and, by nature of the position, is

very knowledgeable about the culture of their respective organization, and would

be familiar with the fiscal impact of policy changes. Therefore, interviews

conducted with the leadership will focus on these areas.

Interviews conducted with leadership at the Network, the Coalition, and CSD will

help to determine how Bridging South Dakota can build internal and external

capacity to address sexual assault services for individuals with disabilities or

D/deaf individuals, identify best practices in organizational policies and


procedures related to sexual assault and disability or D/deaf services, and

determine organization readiness to provide technical assistance and trainings on

the intersection of sexual assault and accessible services for individuals with

disabilities or D/deaf individuals. (See Appendices P, Q, R, and S for interview

questions.)

Interviews conducted with leadership at the sexual assault programs, the Center

for Independent Living program, mental health agency, and community support

provider will help assess the readiness of member agencies/programs to

implement policies and procedures related to sexual assault and disability or

D/deaf services, and determine needs for training and technical assistance on

issues surrounding the intersection of serving victim/survivors of sexual assault

who have disabilities or who are D/deaf. (See Appendices G, H, J, and K for

interview questions.)

Surveys

Surveys will be used to collect information from Boards of Directors of the

Network and the Coalition (Appendix T and U). We will survey the South Dakota

Advisory Board of CSD (Appendix V), in the same manner as the Boards of

Directors as the other project partners.

Boards of Directors are an important element in any system or organizational

change initiative. They provide oversight, support, community connections and in

many cases, control policies and procedures. To capture their input we have

chosen to use a survey to inform and promote buy-in from the Boards as well as

to give us a more complete picture of each organization. Surveys provide a way of

collecting data as a representation of a whole group and are an easy way to

generate a lot of information in a relatively small amount of time. They can be

cost effective, require the least amount of resources, reach a larger population

without requiring travel, and can be offered anonymously, which should

encourage people to participate without their identity being revealed.


Recruitment Strategy and Training Plan

Bridging South Dakota will be recruiting each group we will be engaging, in the

following ways:

For survivors of sexual assault, D/deaf individuals and individuals with disabilities

the recruitment materials will include a Letter of Invitation (Appendix W, X, or Y),

an Explanation of the Activities (Appendix Z), an RSVP form (Appendix AA), and an

Auxiliary Aids or Services Request form (Appendix BB). The recruiter will review

the information with the invitee and will offer assistance in completing the RSVP

and Auxiliary Aids or Services Request forms will be completed. The contact

information for the Bridging South Dakota Project Coordinator will be provided to

the recruiter in the case of questions during the recruitment process.

For Survivors of Sexual Assault

Sexual assault survivors recruited to participate in a focus group will be an

individual who is currently receiving or has previously received services at either a

sexual assault center both of which are dual sexual assault domestic violence

centers. A staff member from the sexual assault center will recruit participants for

these focus groups. Bridging South Dakota will only engage individuals who are at

least 18 years of age or older, act as their own guardian, and can consent to

participate in the Needs Assessment themselves. We will not be asking any

individuals if they have a disability at any time during the process of the focus

group, however we will be asking if they need auxiliary aids or services in order to

participate. Those acting as recruiters will know this information ahead of time

and will only recruit those who meet these criteria.

For Deaf Individuals

D/deaf individuals recruited to participate in a focus group will be a client of CSD

and/or member of the Coalition. A CSD staff member will recruit D/deaf

individuals through a Letter of Invitation (Appendix X). This staff member will be

someone who has prior contact with the D/deaf individual. Bridging South Dakota

will only engage individuals who are at least 18 years of age or older, act as their

own guardian, and can consent to participate in the Needs Assessment

themselves. CSD staff will know this information ahead of time and will only

recruit those that meet these criteria. We will not ask D/deaf individuals to

disclose if they are victim/survivors of sexual assault at any time.


For Individuals with Disabilities (e.g., physical, mental, intellectual, sensory,

hidden)

Individuals with disabilities recruited to participate in a focus group will be an

individual who is currently receiving or has previously received services through a

Coalition membership agency. A staff member from the agency will recruit

participants for these focus groups. Bridging South Dakota will only engage

individuals who are at least 18 years of age or older, act as their own guardian,

and can consent to participate in the Needs Assessment themselves. Those acting

as recruiters will know this information ahead of time and will only recruit those

who meet these criteria. We will not ask individuals to disclose if they are

victim/survivors of sexual assault at any time.

For Staff

Staff members of the Project Partners (The Network, the Coalition, and CSD) as

well as other organizations (Center for Independent Living, local SA centers, and

disability agencies) chosen to be engaged in the Needs Assessment process will be

recruited to participate in a focus group. All staff will be invited to participate;

however, some may not be available to attend due to scheduling. These

individuals will be offered an individual interview at a more suitable time. The

supervisor will make it clear to all staff that participation is voluntary and not

required as a condition of their employment. When needed, we will interview or

conduct focus groups with middle management separately, so that we will still

have their valuable input, while allowing their staff to participate freely and

openly.

The recruitment materials will include an Explanation of the Activities sheet

(Appendix CC), an RSVP form (Appendix AA), and an Auxiliary Aids and Services

Request form (Appendix BB). The recruiter will go over the information with the

invitee and the RSVP and Auxiliary Aids and Services Request forms will be

completed. The contact information for the Bridging South Dakota Project

Coordinator will be provided to the recruiter in case questions arise during the

recruitment process.


For Leadership

Leadership of the Project Partners (The Network, the Coalition, and CSD) as well

as other organizations (Center for Independent Living, local SA centers, and

disability agencies) chosen to be engaged in the Needs Assessment process will be

invited to participate via email including a Letter of Invitation (Appendix DD) from

the Project Coordinator inviting them to participate in an individual interview.

Also included in the email will be an Explanation of the Activities (Appendix CC),

an RSVP form (Appendix AA), and an Auxiliary Aids and Services Request form

(Appendix BB) for the member of leadership to complete. The invitees will be

instructed to RSVP via email directly to the Project Coordinator.

Recruitment Process

The Recruiter will complete the following:

Explain the purpose of the focus group/interview and the overall goal of

Bridging South Dakota

Notify the invitee of any reasons that confidentiality cannot be maintained,

including mandatory reporting

Review the recruitment materials, including the RSVP form and the

Auxiliary Aids and Services Request form

If applicable, discuss the gift cards the invitees will receive for their time

and travel while participating in the focus group/interview

Review the date, time, and location of the focus group/interview

Confirm whether or not the individual is willing to participate

Offer an individual interview for those that are not comfortable

participating in a focus group

Answer any additional questions

All recruiters are to contact the Project Coordinator by phone or email within

three business days of recruitment with the responses of invitees. The recruiters

must also submit the RSVP form and Request for Auxiliary Aids and Services form

to the Project Coordinator by email or fax at least two weeks prior to the actual

focus group/interview.


Recruitment Tools

Recruiters will utilize the following tools during the recruitment process:

RSVP and Auxiliary Aids and Services Request Form

All individuals invited to participate in the Needs Assessment will receive an RSVP

form (Appendix AA) and Auxiliary Aids and Services Request form (Appendix BB).

The RSVP form will ask for the invitee’s first name, whether they want to

participate in the Needs Assessment, and how they would like to participate (i.e.

focus group or interview). This form will also prompt the participant to identify

any accommodations needed and to complete the Auxiliary Aids and Services

Request form. The first names collected from the RSVP form will only be utilized

to connect participants with their auxiliary aids and services as requested.

Additionally, we will offer participants the option of receiving meeting reminders,

which will entail asking them for the best method to contact them. This will

provide more identifying information. Client/consumer/survivor contact

information will remain with the individual/agency that recruited them in order to

further protect their identity. Once the reminder has been made the RSVP form

will be destroyed, ensuring that no identifying information other than the

person’s first name is available during the focus groups/interviews. The Project

Coordinator will be responsible for keeping track of the RSVP responses and

accommodation requests for all focus groups and interviews.

For those receiving face-to-face recruitment, the recruiter will provide them with

an RSVP and Request for Auxiliary Aids and Services form and request they

complete the forms while the recruiter is present. For those invited via email, the

RSVP and Request for Auxiliary Aids and Services forms will be attached to the

email with a request that they email the forms back by a due date selected by the

Bridging South Dakota team.

For those individuals being recruited by telephone or videophone, the RSVP and

Auxiliary Aids and Services Request forms will be filled out by the recruiter on

behalf of the individual with their consent.

Regardless of the recruitment method, the recruiter will go through each section

of the RSVP and Auxiliary Aids and Services Request forms with the individual

being invited to participate in the Needs Assessment, explaining what is needed

and ensuring that they understand what they are being asked. Once the recruiter

receives the completed forms from the invitees, it is their responsibility to


forward those forms to the Project Coordinator at least two weeks before the

focus group/interview. Following the group or interview, the RSVP and Request

for Auxiliary Aids and Services forms will be destroyed.

Explanation of Activities

The Explanation of Activities will answer general questions about what focus

groups/interviews entail (Appendices Z and CC). This sheet will be given to all

participants during the recruitment process. We will give the option for

participants to leave the Explanation of Activities with the recruiter if safety is a

concern.

Meeting Reminder Cards

All participants will be offered a meeting reminder card during the recruitment

process. The participant will have the option of declining the reminder card if they

have any privacy or safety concerns. The card will be the size of a business card

and will only list the Project Coordinator’s first name, a contact phone number,

and a blank space to fill in the date and time of the meeting. The location of the

meeting, information about Bridging South Dakota and more information about

the Project Coordinator will not be included.

Recruitment Training

All individuals who will act as recruiters will be required to participate in a

recruitment training. Recruitment training will occur prior to any recruitment

activity and will be delivered via GoToMeeting. The training will last

approximately an hour and will be conducted by the Project Coordinator or a

designated Collaboration team member. Recruiters may be Collaboration

members, leadership, or direct service staff from specific programs being

engaged.

A training packet will be used to train the recruiters for each group participating

in the Needs Assessment. Training will include the following:

An overview of the grant and Needs Assessment process

Participant Requirements

Important considerations regarding safety, confidentiality, reporting

requirements, and accessibility

Recruitment tools


How to recruit the minimum/maximum number of participants for focus

groups and keep track of the limited number for each group

How to recruit only those who meet the requirements of that particular

focus group/interview

How the Bridging South Dakota will handle situations that may arise where

an ineligible participant is recruited for the Needs Assessment process

Confidentiality Considerations and Concerns Bridging South Dakota recognizes the importance of respecting confidentiality for

individuals, staff, and agencies involved in the process of this Needs Assessment.

Personally identifying information will only be collected during the

recruitment process, when individuals will be asked their first name in

order to link them with their requested auxiliary aids and services and to

provide their contact information in order to receive optional meeting

reminders. Participants will have the option of taking with them a generic

appointment card with the time and date of the participant’s interview or

focus group.

The Project Coordinator will keep a list of any individuals who request

auxiliary aids and services with their first names. This list will be brought to

each focus group/interview. The Project Coordinator will keep RSVP forms

for those who request a meeting reminder call/email only until a reminder

is made. Client/consumer/survivor contact information will remain with the

individual/agency that recruited them in order to further protect their

identity. Once the reminder has been made the RSVP form will be

destroyed, ensuring that no identifying information other than the person’s

first name is available during the focus groups/interviews. After the focus

group/interview, the Project Coordinator will destroy the RSVP and

Auxiliary Aids and Services Request forms so as not to maintain any

identifying information.

Participants will be given a copy of the Needs Assessment Confidentiality

Statement (Appendix EE) during the focus group/interview check in. The

facilitator will review the statement with the group/individual prior to

beginning the session.


The note taker will not personally identify any participant in focus

group/interview notes, nor will other project partners identify participants

when completing debriefing forms.

In the focus groups, interviews and surveys participants will be asked not to

provide any identifying information about staff or other participants. In the

introduction to the focus groups, the facilitator will make the following

announcement:

o We want everyone to feel safe to share their ideas and comments, so

we ask that you refrain from repeating anything said outside of this

group.

We will make it clear that there will be no ramifications for employment or

services due to information shared.

Collected data will be stored at The Network office. Data will only be

accessible to Bridging South Dakota project partners and will not be copied

or distributed to other parties. The collected data will be compiled by the

Project Coordinator and Bridging South Dakota project partners.

All notes, records, surveys, etc. related to the Needs Assessment will be

destroyed after the Strategic Plan has been approved by OVW.

The Needs Assessment data and report will contain no individual level of

identifying information. The report will contain only aggregate data,

qualitative and quantitative information, and some participant quotes.

When participant’s quotes are used, the quoted individual will remain

anonymous. No raw data will be available to the public. Prior to their

participation, participants will receive full disclosure in writing of how

information will be used.

The report will be shared with our funding source, the Office on Violence

against Women (OVW), the Vera Institute (our OVW appointed technical

assistance provider), Bridging South Dakota project partners, and the

participating agencies. Individuals who participated in focus groups or

interviews may also receive a copy of the report, upon request. All

organizations and individuals will be instructed not to share the report

publicly, post online, or otherwise distribute without prior approval from

Bridging South Dakota.

Bridging South Dakota will discuss information contained on debriefing

forms (Appendix FF) for the purpose of future planning to enhance the


provision of technical assistance and service delivery. Information received

from agency staff and participants will be discussed among the team,

including current policies, procedures, knowledge, strengths, weaknesses,

and any other information deemed appropriate by the project partners.

From this information, broader trends and themes will be identified and

used to formulate the Needs Assessment Report and further used for the

Strategic Plan during the implementation phase of the project.

Safety Considerations

There are a variety of potential risks for anyone participating in this process, not

only victim/survivors and those with disabilities or who are D/deaf. We recognize

that individuals could make statements during focus groups which could feel

harmful or distressing in some way, including a staff person who may seemingly

criticize or reveal unflattering information about their employer or agency. We

have made every attempt to describe the focus group process, our confidentiality

standards as well as exceptions to these standards to participants. Bridging South

Dakota project partners have attempted to minimize potential risk through

careful planning. Despite carefully considering participants, our recruitment

process, locations and protocols for focus groups and interviews, we cannot

anticipate or eliminate all potential risks.

Our safety strategy will be to:

Present options to those who wish to participate (focus group

or interviews)

Provide a list of local services and resources (Appendix GG)

Consult with anyone presenting a safety concern or need

React individually to questions, concerns, or requests

Access

Bridging South Dakota is committed to making the Needs Assessment process

fully accessible for everyone involved, including:

Accessible meeting location

Auxiliary Aids and Services

American Sign Language Interpretation

Other communication needs, as requested


Mandatory Reporting

Bridging South Dakota understands the mandatory reporting requirements for children, elders, and adults with disabilities in South Dakota to be: Individuals in the medical and mental health professions, and employees of agencies that have ongoing contact and exposure to children, elders, and adults with disabilities, must report when there is reasonable suspicion of neglect or abuse. In the event that a disclosure occurs determining the need to make a mandated report, our collaboration will discuss the situation with at least one other collaboration member on the best way to proceed and keep in mind any possible risks to the individual. Every effort will be made to include the individual during the process of reporting and keeping them informed and aware of the process taking place. Prior to every focus group and interview, we will ensure that participants are aware of our mandatory reporting and confidentiality procedures. This disclosure will be made in a format that is accessible and understandable to participants. It will be available in print, will be read aloud and will be available in alternate formats if a request has been received to do so.

Consent Process Bridging South Dakota will use a passive consent process which explains our

confidentiality and mandatory reporting policies with all Needs Assessment

participants. This statement will be read as part of the script for each Needs

Assessment group or interview (see Appendix A, B, and C). Descriptions of

consent in a focus group or interview will be short and easily understandable.

Participants will be asked to provide acceptance of consent verbally, through

show of hands, or other acknowledgement. Once this statement has been read,

participants will be told that if they choose to stay they are showing their consent

to participate in the Needs Assessment. Additionally, individuals with disabilities,

D/deaf individuals, and victim/survivors will be advised that it is okay if they

choose to leave or end the interview without relinquishing their gift card for

participating. An additional reminder of confidentiality will be made at the

conclusion of each focus group.


Work Process

Project Partners Agency Participants # Mode

SDNAFVSA Executive Director 1 Interview

SDNAFVSA Admin. Services Coordinator 1 Interview

SDNAFVSA Staff 6 Focus Group

SDNAFVSA Board of Directors 35 Survey

SD Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities Executive Director 1 Interview

SD Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities Staff 2 Focus Group

SD Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities Board of Directors 11 Survey

CSD National Programs Manager 1 Interview

CSD Staff 3 Focus Group

CSD SD Advisory Board of Directors Survey

Direct Services Program Staff/Employees SA Program Agency (West River) Leadership 1 Interview

SA Program Agency (West River) Middle Management 1-5 Interview/Focus Group

SA Program Agency (West River) Staff 8-13 Focus Group

SA Program Agency (Rural) Leadership 1 Interview

SA Program Agency (Rural) Staff 8-13 Focus Group

SA Program Agency (East River) Leadership 1 Interview

SA Program Agency (East River) Middle Management 1-5 Interview/Focus Group

SA Program Agency (East River) Staff 8-13 Focus Group

Ind. Living Center (East River) Leadership 1 Interview

Ind. Living Center (East River) Middle Management 1 Interview

Ind. Living Center (East River) Staff 8-13 Focus Group

Mental Health Agency (West River) Leadership 1 Interview

Mental Health Agency (West River) Middle Management 1-5 Interview/Focus Group

Mental Health Agency (West River) Staff 8-13 Focus Group

Comm. Support Provider (Rural) Leadership 1 Interview

Comm. Support Provider (Rural) Middle Management 1-5 Interview/Focus Group

Comm. Support Provider (Rural) Staff 8-13 Focus Group

Comm. Support Provider (East River) Leadership 1 Interview

Comm. Support Provider (East River) Middle Management 1-5 Interview/Focus Group

Comm. Support Provider (East River) Staff 8-13 Focus Group

Stakeholders SA Support Group SA Survivors 6-8 Focus Group

ILC Peer Support Group Individuals with Disabilities 6-8 Focus Group

Cross Disability Group Individuals with Disabilities 6-8 Focus Group

MH Peer Support Group Individuals with Disabilities 6-8 Focus Group

Deaf Group (West River) D/deaf Individuals 6-8 Focus Group

Deaf Group (East River) D/deaf Individuals 6-8 Focus Group


Timeline December 2014 – February 2015

o Prepare for Needs Assessment (planning, recruitment and training)

February 2015 – March 2015

o Needs Assessment Process (conduct focus groups, interviews, and

surveys)

March 2015 – May 2015

o Needs Assessment Report and Strategic Planning

June 2015 – September 2016

o Implementation


Appendix A - Facilitator Script for Survivors, D/deaf Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Hello! My name is _______, and I work for _______ and I will be your facilitator for

today. _______ works for the _____and will be taking notes today. ___ works for

_____, and she will be assisting us with the focus group/interview today. (We also

have a sign language interpreter here with us. Our interpreters have been specially

trained for this process and will maintain confidentiality. Please allow me to

introduce _____________________.) Thank you so much for your time to

participate in this focus group/interview. Please feel free to use the restrooms,

which are __________, and get up and move around or get a snack. We will be

here for about an hour and a half to two hours. (For Survivors – an hour to an hour

and a half.)

We are trying to learn more about the delivery of services and organizations, and

are asking for your help. As we talk today about how you find, receive and use a

variety of services, I want to emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers.

Your point of view is what is important.

I also want to stress that we will not identify you in any way, either verbally or in

writing, in any report that is prepared based on this focus group. You do not have

to answer any or all of the questions and you can leave the group at any time. Our

note taker is writing things down simply to help us remember the important things

you say. Remember, we will be keeping everything secured, we will not identify

anyone and we will destroy the notes once we are finished with them.

We will do everything possible to keep your information private. We want

everyone to feel safe to share their ideas and comments, so we ask that you

refrain from repeating anything said outside of this group.

We cannot guarantee that everyone will keep what is said here private, but we do

make every effort to respect the privacy of everyone else.

Does everyone understand? Do you agree to keep things shared in this room

private? (Facilitator – Ask for show of assent – nod, smile, saying yes.)

I do want you to know that we care about your safety and state law requires us to

report some kinds of danger. This includes child abuse, abuse of an elder or an

individual with a disability. For these reasons we encourage you not to share


personal or specific information about abuse or violence that you or someone you

know may have personally experienced.

Our process to handle a situation such as the ones I described is:

o If one us in the room feels that the information you shared needs to

be reported, we will ask to speak to you in private after the focus

group or interview.

o At that time we will work with you to report the information directly.

We can provide you with the number and contact information if you

would like to choose this option.

o Otherwise, if you choose not to report the information, then it is state

law that one of us must report what information was learned during

the course of our meeting.

o We will talk with you as long as needed to do the right thing to

protect you or someone else.

As a reminder, you should have all received a $25 gift card when you arrived and checked in. If you did not receive this yet, please check with ___ before leaving. And again, we thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in the focus group. Do you have any questions before we begin?

Facilitator- See Focus Group or Interview Questions

Concluding Statement

Thank you for taking the time to give us valuable information about providing

services in South Dakota. If you would like any additional information or need

someone to talk to, please ask one of us before you leave and we will be glad to

help. Again, your participation is very much appreciated and will go a long way in

helping us improve services for you and others across South Dakota. Thank you for

your help.


Appendix B - Facilitator Script for Leadership Interviews Facilitator Script for Leadership Interviews (the Network, the Coalition, CSD,

Network Member Agencies, and Coalition Member Agencies)

Prior to participants entering the room, ___ will greet each participant, ask for

their first name, and thank them for coming. The purpose for this is to link each

individual with any auxiliary aids or services they have requested and to welcome

them.

Hi and thank you so much for meeting with us today. I am _______, the

interviewer today, and I work for ______. _______ works for the _____ and will be

taking notes today. We thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this

interview. Your experiences are a very important part of the success of this project.

As you already know, we are part of Bridging South Dakota. This is a collaborative

project of the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault

(the Network), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition)

and Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD).

The Network, as you are aware, received a three year grant from received funding

through the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in order to create

sustainable change within and between organizations that result in accessible, safe

and effective services throughout the state of South Dakota for individuals with

disabilities or who are D/deaf. As part of this work, Bridging South Dakota is

conducting a statewide needs assessment. Bridging South Dakota will use

individual interviews to gather information from the leadership of the Network,

the Coalition, CSD, sexual assault crisis centers, mental health organizations,

disability specific groups, and community support providers. Leadership consists

of the directors of the three Bridging South Dakota agencies, directors of two

sexual assault crisis centers, director of a mental health agency, and leadership

from several cross disability focused groups, as these individuals have oversight,

management, and authority over decisions made regarding training and technical

assistance, direct client interventions, strategic planning, and program policies and

procedures. The information gathered is a part of a needs assessment process

designed to accomplish the following:

1. Identify existing or needed policies and procedures of the Network, the






victim/survivors of sexual assault who have disabilities or who are D/deaf.


to working together; and opportunities to sustain, expand, and enhance

those relationships in order to provide technical assistance that facilitates

accessible and effective services to victim/survivors of sexual assault who

have disabilities or are D/deaf.

4. Evaluate staff knowledge about sexual assault, safety and accessibility in

order to build our capacity to programs who serve victim/survivors of

sexual assault who have disabilities or are D/deaf.



To reach these goals, we will be conducting interviews and focus groups across

South Dakota.

Your participation in this needs assessment interview is voluntary and you can end

your participation at any point during the session. You can also choose not to

answer a question that is asked. The notes we take will not have any identifying

information, such as your name, date of birth, address, or social security number.

The notes from the interview will be summarized in a report. All information

gathered from this interview will solely be used for the purpose of the project,

Bridging South Dakota, and for no other purpose.

All information obtained in the interview will be kept confidential by Bridging

South Dakota. We would like for you to freely share your thoughts, ideas, and

comments. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are

designed to gather information to better serve victim/survivors of sexual assault

who have disabilities or who are D/deaf.

We will not be asking you to share any information about abuse or

violence that you or someone you know may have personally

experienced. In fact, we prefer that you not share personal stories.

Rather, we will be asking you about strengths and barriers to providing

services to victim/survivors of sexual assault who have disabilities or are

D/deaf. If you choose to share examples of working with survivors, please


be careful to maintain the survivor’s confidentiality by not sharing

identifying details.

The interview will require about one hour. Please let us know if you need to take a

quick break during the interview.

Again, we thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in the

Leadership interview.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

Ok, let’s get started!!

CONCLUSION:

Thank you for your participation.


Appendix C - Facilitator Script for Staff Focus Group Prior to participants entering the room, ___ will greet each participant, ask for their

first name, and thank them for coming. The purpose for this is to link each

individual with any auxiliary aids or services they have requested and to welcome

them. I am _______, the facilitator today, and I work for _______. _______ works for the

_____and will be taking notes today. ___ works for _____ and is assisting with the

focus group today. We thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this

group. Your experiences are a very important part of the success of this project. As

you already know, we are part of Bridging South Dakota. This is a collaborative

project of the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault

(the Network), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition)

and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD).

Bridging South Dakota’s mission is to improve services for victims and survivors

with disabilities or who are d/Deaf by cultivating the capacity of our statewide

organizations to provide trauma-informed, safe and accessible interventions

through technical assistance, training and curricula.

The purpose of the Needs Assessment in conducting this focus group today is to

accomplish the following:














To reach these goals, we will be conducting interviews and focus groups across

South Dakota.


Your participation in this needs assessment group is voluntary and you can end

your participation at any point during the session. You can also choose not to

answer a question that is asked. The notes we take will not have any identifying

information, such as your name, date of birth, address, or social security number.

All information obtained in the focus group will be kept confidential by the project

partners. We would like for you to freely share your thoughts, ideas and

comments. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions

are designed to gather information to better serve D/deaf survivors of sexual

assault and sexual assault survivors with disabilities.

The notes from the group will be summarized in a report. All information gathered

from this focus group will solely be used for the purpose of the project, Bridging

South Dakota, and for no other purpose.

We will not be asking you to share any information about abuse or violence that

you or someone you know may have personally experienced. In fact, we prefer

that you not share personal stories. Rather, we will be asking you about strengths

and barriers to providing services to survivors who are D/deaf or survivors with

disabilities at your organization. If you choose to share examples of working with

survivors, please be careful to maintain the survivor’s confidentiality by not sharing

identifying details. We are only collecting information about individuals who are

18 years of age or older.

The focus group will take about one and a half hours. Please let us know if you

need to take a quick break or grab a snack during the group.

Again, thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in the focus

group.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

Ok, let’s get started!!

CONCLUSION

Thank you for taking the time to give us valuable information about providing

services in South Dakota. If you would like any additional information or need

someone to talk to, please ask one of us before you leave and we will be glad to

help. Again, your participation is very much appreciated and will go a long way in

helping us improve services for you and others across South Dakota. Thank you for

your help.


Appendix D - Sexual Assault Survivor Focus Group Questions 1. How did you learn about services available to survivors of sexual assault?

a. Where are good places to distribute or provide information about the

services available?

b. In your opinion, which of these ways would be the best choice when

reaching out to survivors to let them know about the services

available to them?

2. What can agencies do to encourage people to seek services for sexual

assault?

a. What things do agencies do to help survivors feel more comfortable

disclosing or talking about their need for support or services?

b. What things do they do to help survivors trust and have confidence in

them?

3. If you are receiving services from an organization, what makes services feel

safe and comfortable?

a. What about the location? The building? The space?

b. How can staff make the environment welcoming and comfortable?

c. What can staff say or do to make you feel comfortable and safe?

d. What can staff do to help you feel more comfortable disclosing or

talking about your experience of sexual assault?

4. On the other hand, what has an agency or service provider done that might

have made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, or prevented you from trusting

them or having confidence in them?

a. Physical space/location

b. Overall atmosphere, comfort level and approachability

c. Staff behavior, competency, knowledge

5. I’d like to focus now on confidentiality in the context of seeking services as a

survivor of sexual assault. By confidentiality, we mean keeping your personal

information and identifying details about the abuse you experienced private.

a. How important is confidentiality when you’re seeking or receiving

services?


b. In what instances would it be OK to share identifying information and

the details of your abuse with other organizations or individuals?

i. After signing a one-time release of information as part of an

intake process, allowing the organization to release your

information to anyone they deem necessary?

ii. Or do you prefer to be asked prior to each time your

information is going to be released, providing you with a choice

as to whom you want the information released to?

iii. Or are you fine with an organization releasing your information

anytime?

6. What challenges have you experienced when seeking safe, welcoming, and

effective services in your community?

a. Tell us about challenges you experienced because of stigmas or

stereotypes associated with victims of sexual assault?

b. How did you overcome those challenges?

7. What else would you like community service providers to know about how to

best support survivors of sexual assault?

8. Do you have any other feedback for us?


Appendix E - Individuals with Disabilities (e.g., physical, mental, intellectual, sensory, hidden) Focus Group Questions

1. How do you find out about services? What works well for you?

a. Where are some places that you think would be good to share

information with people with disabilities on services that are available

to them? Library? Stores? Internet? Doctor’s Offices? Emergency

Department?

2. What makes it hard to get information about services?

a. What do agencies do that may make it difficult for people with

disabilities to get the information they need about available services?

Staff attitudes, physical accessibility, misconceptions…

b. When you find out about services, what makes it hard to get the

services that you need?

c. What helps a person get what they need?

3. Think about a time you needed to explain your disability to someone at a non-

disability related agency.

a. What was difficult about that experience?

b. What can service providers do to make it more comfortable?

c. What do people who provide services need to know about people

with disabilities to best help you?

d. How do you want to be treated when you ask for help?

4. Think about a time when you were referred to another agency for services.

a. What worked well when you were being referred to another agency?

b. What didn’t work well?

c. How could’ve this process been improved?

5. I’d like to focus now on confidentiality in the context of seeking services. By

confidentiality, we mean keeping your personal information and identifying

details about your life private.


services?











anytime?

6. Do you have any additional comments or suggestions for us to improve

services for people with disabilities?


Appendix F - Deaf Individuals Focus Group Questions 1. How do you find out about the services available to the Deaf community?

a. Is there sufficient information and resources that are shared within

the Deaf Community?

b. If yes, where can you get the information?

c. If no, what would be the best way for the Deaf Community to get information? (If necessary, give examples like brochures, internet, email, newsletters, etc.)

2. Think of a hearing agency you go to for help. What makes you feel

comfortable in dealing with them?

a. How does the staff make you feel comfortable?

3. What makes the hearing agency feel more Deaf-friendly and accessible?

a. What can staff do to make sure you know that you can request

accommodations?

b. How do you inform staff that they are helping your problems? Or if

they are not?

4. What are the biggest barriers have you experienced in getting help from

agencies?

a. What didn’t work well for that agency?

b. Have you had any issues surrounding confidentiality in dealing with

agencies?

c. What are the challenges that you have experienced because of stigma

and assumptions associated with Deaf individuals?

5. If you brought up an issue to an agency about accommodations and

accessibility (i.e., auxiliary aids and services), how did they respond?

6. I’d like to focus now on confidentiality in the context of seeking services. By

confidentiality, we mean keeping your personal information and identifying

details about your life private.



services?










anytime?

7. What kind of training or information do you think agencies need to better

serve Deaf people?

8. Is there any additional information you would like to share related to agency

services for Deaf people?


Appendix G - Network Membership Agency Leadership Interview

1. Tell us about your organization’s experience in providing services to survivors

who are D/deaf or individuals with disabilities.

a. What is your perception of your staff’s knowledge about working with individuals who are D/deaf or have a disability?

b. What does your organization do well in responding to the needs of survivors who are D/deaf or have a disability?

c. What challenges does your organization face in serving survivors who are D/deaf or have a disability?

The next set of questions is about how a D/deaf survivor of sexual assault or a

survivor with a disability can access services from your organization and how

requests for accommodation are made. By access, we mean: services that meet

each individual’s physical, emotional, cognitive, financial, and cultural needs to

acquire appropriate resources, advocacy, and safety. By auxiliary aids and services,

we mean: actions to ensure individuals with disabilities are able to fully participate

in activities and services.

2. What does your organization currently do that ensures services are accessible

to D/deaf individuals or individuals with disabilities?

a. What processes does your organization have that create an opportunity for a D/deaf survivor or a survivor with disabilities to request auxiliary aids and services?

b. What do you think your shelter could do to improve its accessibility to better serve D/deaf individuals or individuals with disabilities?

c. Do you feel staff have what they need to meet auxiliary aids and services requests?

3. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide staff’s response to a

survivor who is D/deaf or has a disability?

a. What are the strengths of those policies and procedures?

b. What are some limitations?

c. What kind of training does staff receive to implement these policies and procedures?


i. New staff? ii. Review for existing staff?

d. How do you and/or other supervisors ensure quality assurance of your staff in implementing these policies and procedures?

4. Has your organization or staff ever partnered with Deaf services or disability

organizations in the past to support a survivor who is D/deaf or has a

disability?

a. If so, how did it go?

b. What were the strengths of this partnership?

c. What could be improved?

d. If no, are you aware of organizations like these you might partner

with?

5. Who do you or your staff turn to for information, guidance, or trainings?

a. In general

b. For issues surrounding sexual assault, disability or D/deaf issues?

c. How does your agency disseminate information?

d. How does your agency provide guidance or trainings?

6. Have you requested or received Technical Assistance (TA) i.e., calls for

support, training, etc. from any of the collaboration agencies in the past?

a. How did you request or find out about the TA?

b. What types of training and technical assistance do you and your staff

need to better serve D/deaf survivors or survivors with disabilities?

c. What is the best vehicle to provide you and your staff with new

information about best practices, resources, etc.? (E.g. In person,

webinars, podcasts)

d. What limits your ability to get support from outside agencies?



Appendix H - Network Membership Agency Middle Management Staff Focus Group Questions

1. Tell us about your organization’s experience in providing services to survivors

who are D/deaf or individuals with disabilities.

a. What is your perception of your staff’s knowledge about working with individuals who are D/deaf or have a disability?

b. What does your organization do well in responding to the needs of survivors who are D/deaf or have a disability?

c. What challenges does your organization face in serving survivors who are D/deaf or have a disability?

The next set of questions is about how a D/deaf survivor of sexual assault or a

survivor with a disability can access services from your organization and how

requests for accommodation are made. By access, we mean: services that meet

each individual’s physical, emotional, cognitive, financial, and cultural needs to

acquire appropriate resources, advocacy, and safety. By auxiliary aids and services,

we mean: actions to ensure individuals with disabilities are able to fully participate


2. What does your organization currently do that ensures services are

accessible to D/deaf individuals or individuals with disabilities?

a. What processes does your organization have that create an opportunity for a D/deaf survivor or a survivor with disabilities to request auxiliary aids and services?

b. What do you think your shelter could do to improve its accessibility to better serve D/deaf individuals or individuals with disabilities?

c. Do you feel staff have what they need to meet auxiliary aids and services requests?


survivor who is D/deaf or has a disability?

a. What are the strengths of those policies and procedures?

b. What are some limitations?


c. What kind of training does staff receive to implement these policies and procedures?

i. New staff? ii. Review for existing staff?

d. How do you and/or other supervisors ensure quality assurance of your staff in implementing these policies and procedures?

4. Has your organization or staff ever partnered with Deaf services or disability

organizations in the past to support a survivor who is D/deaf or has a disability?

e. If so, how did it go?

f. What were the strengths of this partnership?

g. What could be improved?

h. If no, are you aware of organizations like these you might partner

with?


a. In general




6. Have you requested or received Technical Assistance (TA) i.e., calls for support,

training, etc. from any of the collaboration agencies in the past?






webinars, podcasts)




Appendix I - Network Membership SA Agency Staff

When we say “working with or providing a service to,” please think about your own

job and role with [XYZ Shelter]. Speak to any experience where you may have

worked with a survivor with disabilities or D/deaf survivor of sexual assault or

domestic violence. If you haven’t yet, think about any hypothetical situations

where you might work with a survivor with disabilities or D/deaf survivor or if you

were the first point of contact for that person at [XYZ Shelter].

1. How do you typically learn that you are working with a D/deaf individual or

an individual with a disability?

a. Questions during your intake process?

b. Survivor discloses and/or requests accommodations?

c. Your observations?

d. Documentation by other staff in client file?

e. Notification from referring agency/person?

2. Tell us about a time when you were working with or providing services to a

D/deaf survivor or survivor with a disability. What went well and what was

challenging? What things were in place within your organization to help you?

What types of things impacted the situation?

a. Staff training on working with D/deaf survivors or survivors with a

disability?

b. Survivor and staff access to resources such as ASL interpreters, relay

service, TTY, video phone, etc.?

c. Supervisor support?

d. Other community relationships?

e. Policies and procedures?

f. Anything else?

The next set of questions is about how a survivor with disabilities or D/deaf survivor

can access services from [XYZ Shelter] and how requests for accommodation are

made. By access, we mean: services that meet each individual’s physical,

emotional, cognitive, financial, and cultural needs to acquire appropriate resources,

advocacy, and safety. By auxiliary aids and services, we mean: actions taken to


ensure individuals with disabilities or D/deaf individuals are able to fully participate


3. What policies and procedures do you have available at [XYZ Shelter] to guide

you in responding to a D/deaf survivor of sexual assault or sexual assault

survivor with disabilities?

a. What are the strengths of your policies and procedures?

b. What are some weaknesses?

c. Do you receive training in following these policies and procedures?

d. How does your agency provide support to you in following these

policies and procedures?

e. What are some changes that you think could be made to give you

more guidance in providing services to D/deaf survivors or survivors

with disabilities?

4. What does [XYZ Shelter] currently do that ensures services are accessible to

D/deaf survivors or survivors with disabilities?

a. What processes does [XYZ Shelter] have that create an opportunity

for a D/deaf survivor or survivor with a disability to request auxiliary

aids and services?

b. What do you think [XYZ Shelter] could do to improve its accessibility

to better serve D/deaf or individuals with disabilities?

c. Do you feel staff have what they need to meet a request for auxiliary

aids and services?

5. What do you see as [XYZ Shelter’s] biggest barriers to providing services for

D/deaf survivors or survivors with disabilities?

a. Anything regarding the organizational culture or atmosphere? For

example, are there any stigmas or assumptions about D/deaf

individuals or individuals with disabilities?

b. How about the training your team received?

c. What do you wish you had in place at your organization to assist you

in serving D/deaf individuals or individuals with disabilities?

i. A system to understand someone’s auxiliary aids and services

needs?


ii. Training?

iii. Resources?

iv. Community Partnerships?

v. Specific policies and procedures?

d. Anything else?

6. Have you ever partnered with a Deaf services or disability organization in the

past to support a D/deaf survivor or individuals with a disability?


b. What were the strengths in this partnership?


d. If not, are you aware of organizations like these you could partner

with?

7. What do you want Deaf or disability service providers to know about how to

best serve survivors of sexual assault?

a. What do they need to know about the impact trauma has on

survivors?

b. If you were going to train their staff, what would you put in the

training curriculum to ensure they had the basics for responding to

and serving sexual assault survivors?

8. Tell us about job related training you receive through your SA program.

a. Where do you turn for guidance and information to support you in

your work?

b. Tell us about where/how you receive training?

c. How often do you receive training?

d. How are the topics/focus areas for job-related training chosen?

e. What is a good way to deliver information to you? (E.g. in person,

webinars, podcasts)



Appendix J - Centers for Independent Living, Mental Health Agency, or Community Support Provider Leadership Interview

1. Tell us briefly about the main services your agency offers concerning people

with disabilities? For Deaf individuals?

a. What are your strengths and barriers in offering services to Deaf and

hard of hearing individuals?

b. How do you handle communication needs?

c. What assistive technology equipment and practices do you currently

have to serve Deaf individuals? How are your staff trained on this

equipment and these practices?

d. What about your services would you describe as” Deaf and hard of

hearing” friendly?

2. In the agency’s budget, are there line items to support the provision of auxiliary aids and services for people with disabilities? Reasonable accommodations of staff with disabilities? Tell us about those funding sources.

a. How does the budget support the reasonable accommodation needs

of staff with disabilities who participate in training and technical

assistance engagements?

b. Do you have a budget item for various auxiliary aids and services? (For

example: interpreters, appropriate visual aids, etc.)

c. Is there a clear policy/procedure/template that is used for people to

make requests for auxiliary aids and services? Is that working well?

How can the process be improved?

The next set of questions is about issues surrounding sexual assault. By sexual

assault, we mean: any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the

explicit consent of the recipient; including sexual activities such as forced sexual

intercourse, forcible sodomy, molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.

3. What is your perception of the knowledge of your staff about sexual

assault/violence issues surrounding disability culture?


4. In your organization, to what extent is your agency providing services to

consumers whom you believe are experiencing sexual assault? Tell us about

your experience?

a. How do you know a person is experiencing a sexual assault? (Intake

questions, shared with staff, etc.)

b. What services do you provide them?

c. What barriers do you face in serving the needs of these populations?

5. In the agency’s budget, is there a line item to support an individual’s safety

needs after experiencing a sexual assault? (For example clothing needs,

alternate transportation, alternate housing, etc.)?


survivor of sexual assault/violence who has a disability?

a. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff?

b. Is there a policy concerning confidentiality in working with a

consumer? What are some of the things you do to maintain

confidentiality?

c. How do you document information about the survivor’s abuse or

safety needs?

d. When the victim and perpetrator are both your agency’s consumers,

what do you do?

e. How are new staff made aware of these policies and procedures?

f. How often do you review your policies and procedures? Tell us about

the review process? What is working well? What can be improved?

7. Has your organization or staff ever partnered with a sexual assault service

provider in the past to support a survivor who is D/deaf or has a disability?





with?



a. In general











webinars, podcasts)


10. What do you want sexual assault service providers to know about your

agency’s assistive technology devices and services in order to adequately

serve survivors with disabilities?

11. What types of training and technical assistance do you and your staff need to

better serve sexual assault survivors?



Appendix K - Centers for Independent Living, Mental Health Agency, and Community Support Providers Middle Management Focus Group Questions


with disabilities? For Deaf individuals?

a. What are your strengths and barriers in offering services to Deaf and

hard of hearing individuals?

b. How do you handle communication needs?


have to serve Deaf individuals? How are your staff trained on this


d. What about your services would you describe as” Deaf and hard of

hearing” friendly?

2. In the agency’s budget, are there line items to support the provision of auxiliary aids and services for people with disabilities? Reasonable accommodations for staff with disabilities? Tell us about those funding sources.







request auxiliary services and aids? Is that working well? How can

the process be improved?







assault/violence issues surrounding individuals with disabilities?


consumers whom you believe are experiencing sexual assault? Tell us about

your experience?

a. What services do you provide them?

b. What barriers do you face in serving the needs of these populations?









confidentiality?


safety needs?

d. When the victim and perpetrator are both your agency’s consumers,

what do you do?

e. How are new staff made aware of these policies and procedures?

f. How often do you review your policies and procedures? Tell us about


7. Has your organization or staff ever partnered with a sexual assault service

provider in the past to support a survivor who is D/deaf or has a disability?





with?



a. In general











webinars, podcasts)


10. What do you want sexual assault service providers to know about your

agency’s assistive technology devices and services in order to adequately



better serve sexual assault survivors?



Appendix L - Centers for Independent Living, Mental Health Agency, and Community Support Providers Staff Focus Group Questions


with disabilities? For D/deaf individuals?

a. What are your strengths and barriers in offering services to people

with disabilities?

b. What are barriers to offering services to people with disabilities?


have to serve your consumers? How are your staff trained on this


2. In the agency’s budget, are there line items to support the provision of auxiliary aids and services for people with disabilities? Reasonable accommodations for staff with disabilities? Tell us about those funding sources.







make request for auxiliary aids and services? Is that working well?

How can the process be improved?






assault/violence issues surrounding disability culture?



consumers whom you believe are experiencing sexual assault/violence? Tell

us about your experience?

a. What services do you provide to them?

b. What barriers do you face in serving their needs?






g. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff?

h. Is there a policy concerning confidentiality in working with a


confidentiality?

i. How do you document information about the survivor’s abuse or

safety needs?

j. When the victim and perpetrator are both your Center’s consumers,

what do you do?

k. How are new staff made aware of these policies and procedures?

l. How often do you review your policies and procedures? Tell us about


7. Does your organization have a relationship with sexual assault/violence

organizations in your community? If so, tell us about these relationships.

a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not?

b. Is your relationship informal or formal?

c. What is working well?

d. What challenges have you experienced?

e. How could the relationship be improved? What would that

relationship look like?


8. What do you want sexual assault/violence service providers to know about

your agency’s assistive technology devices and services in order to adequately


9. Tell us about job related training you receive through your agency.

a. Where do you turn for guidance and information to support you in

your work?

b. Tell us about where/how you receive training?

c. How often do you receive training?

d. How are the topics/focus areas for job-related training chosen?

e. What is a good way to deliver information to you? (E.g. in person,

webinars, podcasts)


better serve sexual assault/violence survivors?



Appendix M - Network Staff Focus Group Questions 1. How do you provide technical assistance to membership agencies?

a. How are technical assistance topics determined? How is the

appropriate technical assistance method determined? How are

membership agencies engaged in this process?

b. How is technical assistance designed to meet the unique needs of the

membership agencies? How do agencies participate in the process?

c. Tell us about specialized technical assistance that is provided to

membership agencies? For example: face-to-face consulting, support

with product development, individualized, etc…?

d. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your technical assistance

engagements?

e. What are the suggested areas for improvement with the technical

assistance strategies that are currently being used?

f. Do you have any restrictions or limitations on who you can provide

technical assistance to?

2. How do you provide training to membership agencies?

a. How are training topics determined?

b. How do the agencies participate in this process?

c. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your training engagements?

d. How do you know that you are meeting the needs of your audience?

e. How can technical assistance provide for sustainable change

throughout the state?

3. What do you think you would need in order to provide technical assistance

around the topic of working with sexual assault victim/survivors with a

disability or who are D/deaf?

a. Are you prepared to provide specialized training and technical

assistance in this topic area? For example: policy and procedure

development, curriculum development, etc…

b. What additional training and resources would you need to increase

your capacity to provide training and technical assistance on this

topic?

4. How does the Network prepare you to provide safe, accessible and

welcoming technical assistance and trainings?

a. How is this expectation communicated to new staff or interns?


b. How do you ensure that your training and technical assistance

engagements are safe, welcoming and accessible?

c. Is training and technical assistance information available in alternate

formats or modes?

d. Does staff receive regular trainings to enhance their capacity to assess

someone’s auxiliary aids and service needs? Safety needs? Tell us

about those trainings.

e. How do you know if someone has an auxiliary aid or service need? Do

you ask? If so, when?

f. Does your organization have policies and procedure that guide staff to

respond when someone needs an auxiliary aid or service? What

happens when someone requests an auxiliary aid or service? How is it

handled?

g. How do you ensure that an environment is safe for participants?

5. Tell us about job-related training you receive through the Network.

a. Tell us about where/how you receive training.

b. How often do you receive training?

c. How are the topics/focus areas for job-related training chosen?

6. Tell us about training that you receive from project partners.

a. How frequently do you participate in cross-training opportunities with

project partners?

b. How are these training opportunities typically initiated?

c. In your experience, tell us about the benefits and challenges of these

training engagements?



Appendix N - The Coalition Staff Focus Group Questions

1. How do you provide technical assistance to membership agencies?

a. How are technical assistance topics determined? How is the

appropriate technical assistance method determined? How are

membership agencies engaged in this process?

b. How is technical assistance designed to meet the unique needs of the

membership agencies? How do agencies participate in the process?

c. Tell us about specialized technical assistance that is provided to

membership agencies? For example: face-to-face consulting, support

with product development, individualized, etc…?

d. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your technical assistance

engagements?

e. What are the suggested areas for improvement with the technical

assistance strategies that are currently being used?

f. Do you have any restrictions or limitations on who you can provide

technical assistance to?

2. How do you provide training to membership agencies?

a. How are training topics determined?

b. How do the agencies participate in this process?


d. How do you know that you are meeting the needs of your audience?

e. How can technical assistance provide for sustainable change

throughout the state?

3. What do you think you would need in order to provide technical assistance

around the topic of working with sexual assault victim/survivors with a

disability or who are D/deaf?

a. Are you prepared to provide specialized training and technical

assistance in this topic area? For example: policy and procedure

development, curriculum development, etc…

b. What additional training and resources would you need to increase

your capacity to provide training and technical assistance on this

topic?

4. How does the Coalition prepare you to provide safe, accessible and

welcoming technical assistance and training?


a. How is this expectation communicated to new staff or interns?

b. How do you ensure that your training and technical assistance

engagements are safe, welcoming and accessible?

c. Is training and technical assistance information available in alternate

formats or modes?

d. Does staff receive regular trainings to enhance their capacity to assess

someone’s auxiliary aids and service needs? Safety needs? Tell us

about those trainings.

e. How do you know if someone has an auxiliary aid or service need? Do

you ask? If so, when?

f. Does your organization have policies and procedure that guide staff to

respond when someone needs an auxiliary aid or service? What

happens when someone requests an auxiliary aid or service? How is it

handled?

g. How do you ensure that an environment is safe for participants?

5. Tell us about job-related training you receive through the Coalition.

a. Tell us about where/how you receive training.

b. How often do you receive training?

c. How are the topics/focus areas for job-related training chosen?

6. Tell us about training that you receive from project partners.

a. How frequently do you participate in cross-training opportunities with

project partners?

b. How are these training opportunities typically initiated?

c. In your experience, tell us about the benefits and challenges of these

training engagements?



Appendix O - CSD Staff Focus Group Questions 1. Have you ever suspected that you were working with a consumer who had

experienced sexual assault?

a. Without providing detailed information, can you share how you knew

they experienced sexual assault?

b. Do you have intakes or other materials that ask for this information?

c. How does a consumer know that it is safe to disclose they have

experienced sexual assault?

2. Tell us about a time when things went well when you were working with

someone who disclosed they are experiencing or has experienced sexual

assault?

a. What prepared you to respond to this disclosure?

b. What made the person feel comfortable disclosing to you?

c. Is it important that your agency has a deaf-friendly environment to

facilitate disclosure? Why?

d. How did you determine if they had immediate safety concerns?

e. What questions did you ask to determine their safety concerns?

f. What made you feel comfortable and competent in working with this

person?

g. How comfortable were you asking about their safety needs related to

sexual assault?

3. Tell us about a time when things did not go well for you when providing

services to someone that you feel may have experienced sexual assault?

a. What impacted this experience? Lack of adequate training, lack of

resources, lack of accessibility, policies and procedures, etc…

b. At the time, did you feel like you had the necessary training and tools

to respond to the needs of this individual? Please explain?


survivor of sexual assault who is Deaf or hard of hearing?





confidentiality?


safety needs?

d. When the victim and perpetrator are both CSD consumers, what do

you do?

e. What have been some effective strategies for working with

consumers who have experienced sexual assault?

f. What are challenges working with consumers who have experienced

sexual assault?

g. What are organizational challenges?

h. How are these challenges handled?

5. Does your organization have a relationship with sexual assault organizations

in your community? If so, tell us about that relationship.

a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not?

b. Is your relationship informal or formal?

c. What is working well?

d. What challenges have you experienced?

e. How could the relationship be improved? What would that

relationship look like?

6. What do you want sexual assault service providers to know about Deaf or

hard of hearing individuals in order to adequately serve survivors?

7. How does your agency provide technical assistance and training to other

service providers around being deaf-friendly?

a. To what extent do you address sexual assault in the technical

assistance and training?

8. How does your agency provide you with job-related training?

a. What does that look like?

b. Bring in guest trainers? Off-site training?


c. How often?

d. How are the topics chosen?


Appendix P - Executive Director of the Network Interview Questions

1. In your organization, to what extent are you addressing the intersection of

D/deaf individuals, individuals with disabilities and sexual assault? Tell us

about your experience.

a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse knowledge of D/deaf, cross

disabilities and related issues into the culture of The Network.

Statewide?

b. How are you communicating your commitment to your staff? Your

membership?

c. How is your commitment supported by the Board? The Network

budget aside from the Disability Grant?

d. How are funding priorities determined?

e. How are new funding priorities determined? Who participates in that

process?

2. What is your perception of the knowledge of sexual assault programs

throughout the state on issues surrounding D/deaf culture and cross

disability?

3. How do you envision the Network providing technical assistance and training

to member agencies and partners of the topic of D/deaf individuals,

individuals with disabilities and sexual assault?

a. How does providing technical assistance and training related to this

issue align with the philosophy, vision and mission of The Network?

b. If it is not aligned with the philosophy of the organization, what critical

steps would need to be taken for that paradigm shift?

c. How are new priority areas for technical assistance and training

integrated into the culture of the organization?

d. What additional resources would staff need to be successful in

providing training and technical assistance on this topic?


4. How does the Network staff make requests for reasonable accommodation

needs?

a. How are they made aware that they can safely request auxiliary aids

or service needs?

b. Tell us about the policies and procedures to handle these

accommodation requests? Who handles these requests?

c. What is working well? What can be improved?

5. In the Network budget, are there line items to support the provisions of

auxiliary aids services for people with disabilities? Reasonable

accommodations for staff with disabilities?

a. How does the budget support the auxiliary services and aids needs of

people who participate in training and technical assistance

engagements?

b. Do you have a budget item for various auxiliary aids or services? (For



make auxiliary aids or service requests?

6. What equipment and practices do you have, if any, to receive calls and

respond to calls from D/deaf? Individuals with disabilities?

a. How are staff members trained on this equipment and practices?

7. If you were providing technical assistance and training around these issues

how do you know it is effective in meeting the needs of sexual assault

agencies and allied professions?

a. What is working well with this process(es)? In what ways can this

process(es) be improved?

b. How does the process of evaluation technical assistance differ from

that of training?

c. How does the Network know they are meeting the needs of the

membership agencies?

8. Since the start of the Disabilities Project, how is the Network actively

recruiting people with expertise in the Deaf community and cross disability as

either staff, collaborative partners, or consultants?


a. How are potential applicants made to feel welcome to apply?

b. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy?

c. What are areas for improvement?

9. What are the policies in place that surround the intersection of D/deaf

individuals, individuals with disabilities and sexual assault?

a. Does your agency have a policy or procedure addressing accessibility

(e.g. for employees, members or individuals at trainings or meetings)?

b. Does your agency have a policy to address safety (e.g. employees,

individuals at trainings or meetings)?

c. Does your agency have a policy for responding to sexual assault of a

client, an employee? Are there special protections or leave policies?

d. If no, are there procedures in place surrounding those issues?

10. What is the process for making policy changes within the organization? How

are new policies institutionalized within the organization?

a. Who initiates the process?

b. Who is involved in the process? Outside involvement?

c. What works well with this process?

d. How can the process be improved?

e. How are Network staff members notified and trained on new policies?

f. How do you communicate relevant policy changes to external

constituents?

11. How would you describe the current relationships between Bridging South

Dakota Project Partners?

a. Discuss barriers to working together.

b. Describe opportunities to sustain these relationships.

c. Describe opportunities to expand and enhance these relationships.

d. How does this project align with the Network’s mission and vision?

Strategic plan and objectives?


Appendix Q - Administrative Services Coordinator of the Network Interview Questions

1. How does the Network provide technical assistance to membership agencies

and professionals?

a. What are the preferred methods of providing technical assistance to

the membership? How is the preferred method determined to meet

the unique needs of the agency?

b. How is technical assistance initiated?

c. How often is technical assistance requested?

d. How is specialized technical assistance provided to agencies? For

example: support with product development, face-to-face

consultation, phone consultation, etc…? How are the agencies

engaged in this process? How do agencies request specialized

technical assistance?

2. How does your organization ensure that you are meeting the technical

assistance needs of the membership?

a. What are the strengths and gaps with the process for membership

agencies to access technical assistance from the Network?

b. How can the process be improved?

c. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your technical assistance

engagements?

3. What do you think staff would need in order to provide technical assistance

requests around the topic of working with sexual assault victim/survivors with

a disability or who are D/deaf?

a. How would these requests be handled?

b. How prepared is staff to provide specialized technical assistance on

this topic? What are the most effective technical assistance methods

used to address these topics?

c. What additional training and resources would you – and staff - need

to enhance your capacity to provide technical assistance on this topic?

d. What additional support would you – or staff – need to provide

extensive, specialized technical assistance on this topic?

e. When providing technical assistance, how do you determine if you are

meeting the need of the intended audience?


4. How does the Network provide trainings to the membership and other

professionals?

a. What training methods are used?

b. How are your training methods determined? How are agencies

actively engaged in this process?


5. How does your organization ensure that your trainings and technical

assistance engagements are safe, accessible and welcoming?

a. How do you know if someone has an auxiliary aid or service need? Do

you ask? If yes, when do you ask?

b. Does your organization have policies and procedures that guide staff’s

response to an auxiliary aid or services request? How are requests

handled? Who is responsible for handling these requests?

c. How do you ensure that the environment is safe for participants?

6. How does your organization address reasonable accommodation requests

from staff members?

a. How is the process articulated to new staff or interns?

b. How is the process designed to welcome disclosures?

c. Who handles these requests?

d. How are these requests documented and stored to protect the

confidentiality of the person making the request?

e. Are these policies and procedures reviewed regularly? Tell us about

the review process.

7. How does the Network actively recruit people with a disability, disability

expertise, D/deaf people or people with D/deaf culture expertise?




8. How does your organization actively recruit individuals who are qualified and

prepared to provide technical assistance and training?

a. In specific expertise areas?

b. In a culturally sensitive manner?

c. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy?

d. What are areas for improvement?

e. Tell us about additional training and resources that are provided to

staff to make them successful?


f. How is staff performance evaluated?

Appendix R - Executive Director of the Coalition Interview Questions


D/deaf individuals, individuals with disabilities and sexual assault? Tell us

about your experience?

a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse knowledge of sexual assault

and related issues into the culture of the organization. Statewide?


Board? Your membership?

c. How is your commitment supported by the Board? The budget aside

from the Disability grant?



process?


throughout the state on issues surrounding D/deaf culture and cross

disability?

3. How do you envision the Coalition providing technical assistance and training

to service providers on the topic of survivors of D/deaf individuals, individuals

with disabilities and sexual assault?


issue align with the philosophy, vision and mission of the Coalition?

b. If it is not aligned with the philosophy of the organization, what

critical steps would need to be taken for that paradigm shift?





4. Tell us about your policies and procedures that guide how the Coalition

handles disclosures of sexual assault. From staff? From members?


a. What are your challenges with addressing sexual assault?

b. What trainings would be beneficial for staff to be better equipped to

safely handle disclosures?

c. If there are sexual assault policies, do you have similar policies?

5. How does the Coalition support requests for accommodation needs by either staff or by participants receiving technical assistance and training?

a. How are they made aware that they can safely request accommodations?

b. Tell us about the policies and procedures to handle accommodations?

c. What is working well? What can be improved?

6. In the Coalition budget, are there line items to support the provision of auxiliary aids and services for people with disabilities? Reasonable accommodations of staff with disabilities? ? Tell us about those funding resources?

a. How does the budget support the reasonable accommodation needs of staff with disabilities who participate in training and technical assistance engagements?

b. Do you have a budget item for various auxiliary aids and services? (For example, interpreters, appropriate visual aids, etc.)

c. Is there a policy/procedure/template that is used for people to make

requests for auxiliary aids and services? Is that working well? How

can the process be improved?




8. What equipment and practices do you have, if any, to receive calls and respond to calls for D/deaf? From a person in crisis?

9. What does the Coalition do well in responding to and meeting the needs of


10. What challenges does the Coalition face in responding to and meeting the needs of consumers who have experienced sexual assault?


11. If you were providing technical assistance and training around these issues how do you know it is effective in meeting the needs of consumers and community partners?

a. What is working well with this process(es)? In what ways can this process(es) be improved?

b. How does the process of evaluating technical assistance differ from that of training?

12. Since the start of Bridging South Dakota, how is the Coalition actively

recruiting people with expertise in sexual assault either staff, collaborative

partners or consultants?







(e.g. for employees, members or individuals at trainings or

meetings)?












e. How are the Coalition staff notified and trained on new policies?


constituents?


15. How would you describe the current relationship between Bridging South

Dakota project partners?





Appendix S - CSD Leadership Interview Questions


D/deaf, individuals with a disability, and sexual assault? Tell us about your

experience?

a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse knowledge of SA and related

issues into the culture of the organization. Statewide?


Board?

c. How is your commitment supported by the Board? The budget aside

from the Disability grant?



process?


throughout the State on issues surrounding Deaf culture and cross

disability?

3. How do you envision CSD providing technical assistance and training to

service providers on the topic of Deaf survivors of sexual assault?


issue align with the philosophy, vision and mission of the

organization?

b. If it is not aligned with the philosophy of the organization, what critical

steps would need to be taken for that paradigm shift?





4. Tell us about your policies and procedures that guide how CSD staff handles

disclosures of sexual assault. From CSD staff? From CSD consumers?

a. What are your challenges with addressing sexual assault?


b. What trainings would be beneficial for staff to be better equipped to safely handle disclosures?

5. What does CSD do well in responding to and meeting the needs of


6. What challenges does CSD face in responding to and meeting the needs of consumers who have experienced sexual assault?

7. If you were providing technical assistance and training around these issues how do you know it is effective in meeting the needs of consumers and community partners?

a. What is working well with this process(es)? In what ways can this process(es) be improved?

b. How does the process of evaluating technical assistance differ from that of training?

c. How does the organization know they are meeting the needs of the consumer?




(e.g. for employees, members or individuals at trainings or meetings)?






9. Since the start of the Disabilities Project how is CSD actively recruiting

people with expertise in sexual assault either staff, collaborative partners or

consultants?











e. How are CSD staff members notified and trained on new policies?


constituents?

11. How would you describe the current relationship between Bridging South

Dakota Project Partners?




d. How does this collaboration align with CSD’s mission and vision?

Strategic goals and objectives?


Appendix T - Network Board of Directors Survey

The South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (the Network), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition), and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) are collaborating on a project called Bridging South Dakota. The purpose of the collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs of sexual assault survivors who are D/deaf or individuals with disabilities. In order to achieve this goal we are conducting a statewide needs assessment of individuals and service providers throughout South Dakota. Bridging South Dakota is a collaboration of organizations coming together to end

domestic and sexual violence against individuals with disabilities or who are

D/deaf. We work to improve the capacity of professionals, both disability agencies

and non-disability related, to provide safe, accessible, comprehensive, and trauma

informed services to individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf who have been

subjected to sexual assault or domestic violence.

The purpose of our Needs Assessment is to collect information from our agency

leadership, agency supervisors and staff, survivors, individuals with disabilities who

have knowledge of and experience with membership agencies’ current service

delivery systems. We are interested in obtaining your input on how this project

aligns with your understanding of the Network’s Mission and strategic initiatives,

and how you see the Board of Directors as being able to influence and support this

project.

Your feedback and input will help guide Bridging South Dakota in identifying

strengths and weaknesses, knowledge and expertise within our organizations

which can be utilized to effect changes that will lead to a more accessible, safe and

responsive service system.

Please consider responding to this survey even if you feel that your responses will

not be helpful, as anything you provide will be valuable input.

1. The goal of Bridging South Dakota is to improve services for victims and

survivors with disabilities or who are d/Deaf by cultivating the capacity of

our statewide organizations to provide trauma-informed, safe and accessible

interventions through technical assistance, training and curricula. To what


degree do you think this project is consistent with The Network’s Mission:

working together to promote victim rights for a safer South Dakota?

A. Strongly Consistent

B. Somewhat Consistent

C. Not Consistent at All

Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

2. To what degree do you think this project aligns with The Network’s goals?

A. Strongly Aligns

B. Somewhat Aligns

C. Does Not Align At All

Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. To what degree would you be willing to support new initiatives at the

Network to address the intersection of sexual assault, disability issues, and

D/deaf issues?

A. Definitely would

B. Likely would

C. Not Sure

D. Likely would not

E. Definitely would not

F. Need more information

Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

4. How likely are you to utilize the Network staff or project partners for

information or training needs at the intersection of sexual assault, disability

issues or D/deaf issues?

A. Definitely would


B. Likely would

C. Not Sure

D. Likely would not



Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

5. In what ways would you be willing to support the work at the intersection of

sexual assault, disability issues or D/deaf issues?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

6. To what extent do you see any challenges for the Network in addressing the

intersection of sexual assault, disability issues and D/deaf issues?

A. Significant

B. Moderate

C. Minimal

D. None

Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

7. What challenges, if any, would you see for the Network in supporting the

work of Bridging South Dakota at the intersection of sexual assault, disability

issues, and D/deaf issues?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________


8. Would you like to provide any additional feedback?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________


Appendix U - The Coalition Board of Directors Survey

The South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (the Network), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition), and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) are collaborating on a project called Bridging South Dakota. The purpose of the collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs of sexual assault survivors who are D/deaf or individuals with disabilities. In order to achieve this goal we are conducting a statewide needs assessment of individuals and service providers throughout South Dakota. Bridging South Dakota is a collaboration of organizations coming together to end










aligns with your understanding of the Coalition’s Mission and strategic initiatives,

and how you see the Board of Directors as being able to influence and support this

project.








survivors with disabilities or who are D/deaf by cultivating the capacity of

our statewide organizations to provide trauma-informed, safe and accessible



degree do you think this project is consistent with the Coalition’s Mission: to

advocate for the full inclusion of individuals of all ages with disabilities in all

aspects of society?




Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

2. To what degree do you think this project aligns with the Coalition’s goals?

A. Strongly Aligns

B. Somewhat Aligns


Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. To what degree would you be willing to support new initiatives at the

Coalition to address the intersection of sexual assault, disability issues, and

D/deaf issues?

A. Definitely would

B. Likely would

C. Not Sure

D. Likely would not



Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________


4. How likely are you to utilize the Coalition staff or project partners for

information or training needs at the intersection of sexual assault, disability

issues or D/deaf issues?

A. Definitely would

B. Likely would

C. Not Sure

D. Likely would not



Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

6. To what extent do you see any challenges for the Coalition in addressing the


A. Significant

B. Moderate

C. Minimal

D. None

Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

7. What challenges, if any, would you see for the Network in supporting the

work of Bridging South Dakota at the intersection of sexual assault, disability

issues, and D/deaf issues?


_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________


_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Appendix V - CSD Advisory Board Survey Questions The South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (the Network), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition), and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) are collaborating on a project called Bridging South Dakota. The purpose of the collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs of sexual assault survivors who are D/deaf or individuals with disabilities. In order to achieve this goal we are conducting a statewide needs assessment of individuals and service providers throughout South Dakota. Bridging South Dakota is a collaboration of organizations coming together to end










aligns with your understanding of CSD’s Mission and strategic initiatives, and how

you see the Advisory Board as being able to influence and support this project.









survivors with disabilities or who are d/Deaf by cultivating the capacity of our

statewide organizations to provide trauma-informed, safe and accessible


degree do you think this project is consistent with CSD’s Mission?




Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

2. To what degree do you think this project aligns with CSD’s goals?

A. Strongly Aligns

B. Somewhat Aligns


Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. To what degree would you be willing to support new initiatives at CSD to

address the intersection of sexual assault, disability issues, and D/deaf

issues?

A. Definitely would

B. Likely would

C. Not Sure

D. Likely would not



Comments:

_____________________________________________________________


_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

5. How likely are you to utilize CSD staff or project partners for information or

training needs at the intersection of sexual assault, disability issues or

D/deaf issues?

A. Definitely would

B. Likely would

C. Not Sure

D. Likely would not



Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

7. To what extent do you see any challenges for CSD in addressing the


A. Significant

B. Moderate

C. Minimal

D. None

Comments:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________


8. What challenges, if any, would you see for CSD in supporting the work of

Bridging South Dakota at the intersection of sexual assault, disability issues,

and D/deaf issues?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________


_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________


Appendix W – Letter of Invitation (SA Survivors)

Dear _______________________: You are invited by Bridging South Dakota to participate in a focus group to help us collect information to provide better services. Bridging South Dakota is a collaboration of members from South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (The Network), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition), and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). The purpose of the collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs of individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf who have experienced sexual assault. In the focus group, you will be asked questions that will give us information to help us improve services. Your experiences obtaining services are very important to us and your voice is the most important part of this project. In order for us to figure out where we need to make changes, we will ask you questions about how you accessed services, how you were treated by organizations where you sought services, and how services can be improved. The focus group will last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours and will be scheduled within the next ______ weeks. We will not share your personal information with anyone outside of the project. Additionally, we will not record any identifying information, such as your address, date of birth, etc. on any focus group notes. You can change your mind at any point and decide not to participate. As a participant you will receive a $25.00 Visa Gift Card for your time at the beginning of the focus group. Please understand this invitation requesting your participation is just for you. The meeting location does not have space for additional people, nor does the location have space or care facilities for children. We do apologize if this is an inconvenience. I’ve attached an Explanation of Activities sheet with more details about the focus

group and I’m happy to answer any questions you have by phone or through email.

I will be following up with you soon to answer any questions and to discuss the

focus group date and location. In the meantime, if you have questions, please feel

free to contact me by phone: _______________ or email:

____________________________.


If you are interested in participating, please let me know. Your voice and

willingness to participate is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Sincerely, ___________________________________ Signature of Local SA Agency Representative


Appendix X – Letter of Invitation (D/deaf Individuals) Dear ___________________: You are invited to participate in an upcoming focus group for Bridging South Dakota. Bridging South Dakota is a collaboration of members from South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (The Network), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition), and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). The purpose of the collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs of individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf. In order to achieve this goal, we are conducting a focus group to get your opinions on how to better serve D/deaf individuals. Your participation will help inform Bridging South Dakota of how to improve services and remove the barriers in serving D/deaf individuals. The focus group would last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours at a minimum and would be scheduled on: _____________________ at ______________ at __________________________.

(date) (time) (location) We will not share your personal information with anyone outside of the project. Additionally, we will not record any identifying information, such as your address, date of birth, etc. on any focus group notes. You can change your mind at any point and decide not to participate. As a participant you will receive a $25.00 Visa Gift Card for your time at the beginning of the focus group. Please understand this invitation requesting your participation is just for you. The meeting location does not have space for additional people, nor does the location have space or care facilities for children. We do apologize if this is an inconvenience. I will be following up with you in the next week to answer any questions you may have and discuss the date and time of the focus group. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by phone: _________or email: __________ so I can explain this letter to you in ASL. Your voice will make a difference in the lives of D/deaf individuals and we thank you in advance for your commitment to helping improve services across the state of


South Dakota. Sincerely, CSD Recruiter ___________________


Appendix Y – Letter of Invitation (Individuals with Disabilities) Dear ___________________: You are invited to participate in an upcoming focus group for Bridging South Dakota. Bridging South Dakota is a collaboration of members from South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (The Network), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition), and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). The purpose of the collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf. In order to achieve this goal, we are conducting a focus group to get your opinions on how to better serve individuals with disabilities. Your participation will help inform Bridging South Dakota of how to improve services and remove the barriers in serving individuals with disabilities. The focus group would last approximately 1 ½ - 2 hours and would be scheduled on: _____________________ at ______________ at __________________________.

(date) (time) (location) We will not share your personal information with anyone outside of the project. Additionally, we will not record any identifying information, such as your address, date of birth, etc. on any focus group notes. You can change your mind at any point and decide not to participate. As a participant you will receive a $25.00 Visa Gift Card for your time at the beginning of the focus group. Please understand this invitation requesting your participation is just for you. The meeting location does not have space for additional people, nor does the location have space or care facilities for children. We do apologize if this is an inconvenience. I will be following up with you in the next week to answer any questions you may have and discuss the date and time of the focus group. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by phone: _________or email: __________. Your voice will make a difference in the lives of individuals who are disabled and we thank you in advance for your commitment to helping improve services across the state of South Dakota.


Sincerely, __________________________________ Local Disability Agency Recruiter Signature


Appendix Z – Explanation of Activities for Survivors, D/deaf Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities

Explanation of Activities

(For Survivors, D/deaf Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities)

Bridging South Dakota Needs Assessment

What is Bridging South Dakota?

Bridging South Dakota is a collaboration of organizations coming together to

improve services for victims and survivors with disabilities or who are D/deaf. We

work to improve the capacity of professionals, both disability agencies and non-

disability related, to provide safe, accessible, comprehensive, and trauma informed

services to individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf who have been subjected

to sexual assault or domestic violence.

In 2013, Bridging South Dakota received funding through the Office on Violence

Against Women (OVW) in order to create sustainable change within and between

organizations that result in accessible, safe and effective services throughout the

state of South Dakota for individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf. As part of

this work, Bridging South Dakota is conducting a statewide needs assessment. This

needs assessment report will be used to strengthen the collaborative relationships

between the partners of the project and identify needs within our organizations

and across the state in order to develop a plan on how to meet those needs in the

future. The partners on this project include:

South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (The

Network)

South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (The Coalition)

Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD)

What are the goals of the needs assessment? 1. Identify existing or needed policies and procedures of the Network, the

















Why do you want my input? We want to talk to you because you are one of the people that can best tell us about what services and supports you want or need from agencies and what makes services feel safe, accessible, and comfortable. Who are you asking to participate in the needs assessment? A wide variety of clients and staff from Bridging South Dakota Collaboration member organizations, as well as local sexual assault programs and Centers for Independent Living, will be asked to participate in a focus group or interview. What will happen during the focus group/interview? Focus group participants: You will attend a group meeting along with 6-8 other individuals where a member of Bridging South Dakota will ask a variety of questions related to what works and what doesn’t work for you when seeking services and assistance in your community. You and other group participants will answer questions based on your own personal knowledge and experience and provide any ideas you may have about how things could be improved. There will also be a note taker to help gather information. Depending on the needs and size of the group there could be other professionals present. Their presence will be explained at the beginning of the group. The focus group will last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours. For individual interview participants: You will meet individually with two members of Bridging South Dakota (1 interviewer and 1 note taker). You will be asked a variety of questions related to


what works and what doesn’t work for you when seeking services and assistance in your community. You can answer questions based on your own personal knowledge and experience and provide any ideas you may have about how things could be improved. The interview will last approximately 1 ½ hours. Is what I say confidential? Yes, all information you share in the focus group/interview will remain confidential and will stay within the Bridging South Dakota Collaboration (please see the question below regarding mandated reporting in certain circumstances). No names or personally identifying information about individuals who participate in the needs assessment process will be recorded or maintained during the focus group/interview. What is mandatory reporting and how does it apply to my participation in this focus group/interview? Members of Bridging South Dakota are mandated reporters and required by law to report the following for children, elders, and adults with disabilities in South Dakota: Individuals in the medical and mental health professions, and employees of agencies that have ongoing contact and exposure to children, elders, and adults with disabilities, must report when there is reasonable suspicion of neglect or abuse as defined in SDCL 22-46-1, 22-46-10, 22-46-11, 26-8A-2, and 26-8A-3. South Dakota's statute does not specifically include Deaf individuals. Bridging South Dakota understands that exclusion, when Deafness is the only determined disability, to not meet the South Dakota definition for 'adult with a disability' (SDCL 22-46-1).

During the focus group/interview we will only ask questions related to what works and what doesn’t when you are seeking services in your community. We will not ask you to share specific information about abuse or violence that you or someone you know may have personally experienced. What if I want to help but I’m not comfortable being in a focus group and would prefer an individual interview? We respect and understand that is not always comfortable or possible to participate in a group setting. In such cases, we are happy to schedule an


individual interview with you, which will include only you and a facilitator/interviewer and note taker from Bridging South Dakota. If you would prefer an individual interview, please notify the person who invited you or the Bridging South Dakota Project Coordinator (see contact information below). Do I have to answer every question? No, your participation in this process is completely voluntary and you can choose which questions you wish to answer. Will my name be used in the information you collect? We will not use your name on anything that we write about the focus group/interview. Our report may include some of the information you share, but it will not identify who shared the information. How is this information going to be used?

The notes from this focus group/interview will be combined with notes from other focus groups and interviews and summarized in a report. The report will help Bridging South Dakota make changes within our organizations that will lead to improved services for sexual assault survivors who have disabilities or who are D/deaf. All information gathered from this focus group/interview will solely be used for the purpose of the project, Bridging South Dakota, and for no other purpose. Who will get this information/report? The report will be shared with our funding source, the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), the Vera Institute (our OVW appointed technical assistance provider), Bridging South Dakota project partners, and the participating agencies. Individuals who participated in focus groups or interviews may also receive a copy of the report, upon request. What are the safety considerations for my participation? We will make every effort to make this process safe and comfortable for everyone. However, if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe during the focus group/interview for any reason, you may leave at any time. Because the nature of this topic can be emotionally sensitive, we will have an advocate available during the focus group/interview as well as a list of local resources, should you find that you would like additional support. The advocate will be available to speak to individuals privately in a separate room, and any conversation will be kept confidential, with the exception of the mandatory reporting requirements described above.


Can my children or a partner/friend come with me to the focus group? Please understand this invitation requesting your participation is just for you. The meeting location does not have space or staff for additional people, nor does the location have space or care facilities for children. We do apologize if this is an inconvenience. If this creates a problem for you, please discuss this with the person who invited you or with the Bridging South Dakota Project Coordinator for help in making other arrangements (see contact information below). What accommodations are available to support my participation? If you choose to participate in a focus group/interview, we ask that you complete a Request for Auxiliary Aids and Services Form and return the form to the person who recruited you as soon as possible. All available auxiliary aids and services are listed, and you are welcome to check all that apply to you as well as list any additional requests in the “other” sections. We will make every effort to accommodate the requests of those participating in the group/interview. Will I receive something in return for participating in the focus group/interview? As a thank you for your participation, we will provide you with a $25 gift card. Also, light refreshments will be provided during focus group sessions. Refreshments will not be provided for individual interviews. What if I lose my gift card? Once we give you the gift card, it will be up to you to keep it safe. We cannot give you a new one if it is lost or stolen. What if I can’t come? Who do I tell? If you say yes and find out that you can’t come, you can let the person that invited you know or notify the Bridging South Dakota Project Coordinator (see contact information below). If you still would like to be in an interview, we can see if there is another time for you to participate. What if I have additional questions? Please contact the Bridging South Dakota Project Coordinator: Rebekkah Kruse South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault [email protected] 605-731-0041

mailto:[email protected]


Appendix AA - Focus Group/Interview RSVP Form

Focus Group/Interview RSVP Form

This form and the Auxiliary Aids and Services Request Form are due to the

Project Coordinator at least two weeks prior to the scheduled focus

group/interview.

Participant (1st name only): ____________________________________________

Please check ONE of the following:

____ I wish to participate in a focus group on:

_______________ at ________________ at ____________________.

(date) (time) (location)

____ I wish to participate, but only in a one-on-one interview/videophone on:

_______________ at ________________ at ____________________.

(date) (time) (location)

(Cut Here and Return to Project Coordinator)

Meeting Reminder Options:

____ I would like a meeting reminder from the person that recruited me.

Best way to contact me:

____ Phone Is it okay to leave a message? Yes/No

____ Videophone

____ Mail

____ Email

Contact Information: _________________________________________________

Best time to contact me: ______________________________________________

____ I would NOT like a meeting reminder from the person that recruited me.

PLEASE LET YOUR RECRUITER KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY AUXILIARY AIDS OR SERVICES

REQUESTS.


Appendix BB – Auxiliary Aids and Services Request Form This form is to be completed by the assigned point of contact responsible for recruiting

focus group participants - ALSO PLEASE COMPLETE AND ATTACH THE RSVP FORM. Both forms

are due to Project Coordinator at least two weeks prior to the scheduled focus group.

Advocate for person requesting auxiliary aids and services

(Name and best contact number #):

Please inform us of any disability-related needs (e.g., sign language interpretation, Braille,

or large print materials). Every effort will be made to accommodate your situation. If you

have specific circumstances that you would prefer to have addressed separately, please

contact Rebekkah at [email protected] or (605) 731-0041.

PLEASE LIST FIRST NAME OF THE PERSON REQUESTING AUXILIARY AIDS OR SERVICES:

_____________________________________

( ) No accommodations needed

Needed Accommodations

( ) Interpreter

( ) American Sign Language (ASL)

( ) Tactile Interpreter (Deaf Blind)

( ) Other: ___________________________________________________

( ) Assistive Listening Device

( ) Alternate format for print materials. Please identify Large print Braille

( ) A reader

( ) Other needs? Please specify: _____________________________________________

( ) Dietary concerns for snacks? Please identify: __________________________________

Other considerations: ___________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

If participant requires a personal attendant to participate they have the option of

participating in a one-on-one interview instead of a focus group to protect the confidentiality

of other focus group participants.



Appendix CC – Explanation of Activities for Staff and Leadership

Bridging South Dakota Needs Assessment

What is Bridging South Dakota?

Bridging South Dakota is a collaboration of organizations coming together to

improve services for victims and survivors with disabilities or who are D/deaf. We

work to improve the capacity of professionals, both disability agencies and non-

disability related, to provide safe, accessible, comprehensive, and trauma informed

services to individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf who have been subjected

to sexual assault or domestic violence.

In 2013, Bridging South Dakota received funding through the Office on Violence

Against Women (OVW) in order to create sustainable change within and between

organizations that result in accessible, safe and effective services throughout the

state of South Dakota for individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf. As part of

this work, Bridging South Dakota is conducting a statewide needs assessment. This

needs assessment report will be used to strengthen the collaborative relationships

between the partners of the project and identify needs within our organizations

and across the state in order to develop a plan on how to meet those needs in the

future. The partners on this project include:

South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (The

Network)

South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (The Coalition)


What are the goals of the needs assessment? 1. Identify existing or needed policies and procedures of the Network, the

















Why do you want my input? Your experience and perspective of working with individuals with disabilities, D/deaf individuals and/or survivors of sexual assault is very valuable to our assessment. You and your staff’s participation will help inform Bridging South Dakota of how to develop best practices and tools to serve this population and how to offer technical assistance and training to organizations like yours. Who are you asking to participate in the needs assessment? Staff at all levels and roles within your organization are invited to participate in the needs assessment. Executive Directors and some other leadership will be interviewed individually, and staff is invited to participate in a focus group. What will happen during the focus group/interview? Members of Bridging South Dakota will ask questions related to your strengths and barriers in providing services to survivors of sexual assault, D/deaf individuals or individuals with disabilities. We will be discussing your professional experiences as well as your organization’s policies and procedures, challenges/successes, training and other needs as they relate to meeting the needs of survivors of sexual assault, individuals with disabilities or D/deaf individuals. Even if you or your staff have limited experience working with these populations, your ideas and feedback are valuable to our assessment. The focus group/interview will last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours. Is what I say confidential? Yes, the information you share in the focus group/interview will remain confidential and will stay within Bridging South Dakota project (please see the question below regarding mandated reporting in certain circumstances). No personally identifying information about staff, survivors, or clients who participate in the process will be recorded or maintained during the focus group/interview.


What is mandatory reporting and how does it apply to our participation in this focus group/interview? Members of Bridging South Dakota are mandated reporters and required by law to report the following for children, elders, and adults with disabilities in South Dakota: Individuals in the medical and mental health professions, and employees of agencies that have ongoing contact and exposure to children, elders, and adults with disabilities, must report when there is reasonable suspicion of neglect or abuse as defined in SDCL 22-46-1, 22-46-10, 22-46-11, 26-8A-2, and 26-8A-3. South Dakota's statute does not specifically include Deaf individuals. Bridging South Dakota understands that exclusion, when Deafness is the only determined disability, to not meet the South Dakota definition for 'adult with a disability' (SDCL 22-46-1). During the focus group/interview we will only ask questions pertaining to services for survivors or individuals who are 18 years of age or older, and we ask that you not share detailed stories or information about survivors or clients that may identify them. How is this information going to be used?

The notes from this interview/group will be combined with notes from other interviews and focus groups and summarized in a report. The report will help Bridging South Dakota make changes within our organizations and design training and technical assistance that will lead to improved services for survivors of sexual assault, D/deaf individuals and individuals with disabilities. All information gathered from this focus group/interview will solely be used for the purpose of the Project, Bridging South Dakota, and for no other purpose. Who will get this information/report? The report will be shared with our funding source, the Office on Violence against Women (OVW), the Vera Institute (our OVW appointed technical assistance provider), Bridging South Dakota project partners, and the participating agencies. Individuals who participated in focus groups or interviews may also receive a copy of the report, upon request. Deaf individuals and survivors of sexual assault who participate in focus groups or interviews may also receive a copy of the report, upon request. All organizations and individuals will be instructed not to share the report publicly, post online, or otherwise distribute.


Will you be referring to my organization by name in the final report? Bridging South Dakota project partners (the Network, the Coalition, and CSD) will be identified in the report. All other participating organizations will be referred to in general terms (e.g. a local sexual assault program) but will not be identified by name or location. What accommodations are available to support my participation? If you choose to participate in a focus group/interview, we ask that you complete a Request for Auxiliary Aids and Services Form and return the form to the person who recruited you as soon as possible. All available auxiliary aids and services are listed, and you are welcome to check all that apply to you, as well as list any additional requests in the “other” sections. We will make every effort to accommodate the requests of those participating in the group/interview. What if I have additional questions? Please contact the Bridging South Dakota Project Coordinator: Rebekkah Kruse South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault [email protected] 605-731-0041



Appendix DD – Letter of Invitation (Leadership and Staff) Dear___________________: The South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (the Network), South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition), and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) are collaborating on a project called Bridging South Dakota. The purpose of the collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs of individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf who have been subjected to sexual assault. In order to achieve this goal we are conducting a statewide needs assessment of individuals and service providers throughout South Dakota. Bridging South Dakota has identified ________ as an organization that is instrumental to this process. Your participation will help inform Bridging South Dakota on how to develop best practices and tools to serve this population. Specifically, we would like to invite you to participate in an interview with 2 members of Bridging South Dakota to discuss information related to your organization’s policies and procedures, challenges, and staff training as they relate to meeting the needs of survivors of sexual assault with disabilities or who are D/deaf. The interview would last approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours and would be scheduled within the next 2 months at your office or other location convenient for you. Additionally, we would like to invite your staff to participate in a focus group to learn about their experiences in working with survivors of sexual assault, individuals with disabilities or D/deaf individuals and to learn what kind of training and technical assistance would be most useful to them in order to best serve these populations. The focus group would last approximately 1 ½ hours and be scheduled within the next 2 months at your office or other location convenient to your staff. I’ve attached an explanation of activities sheet with more details about the interviews and focus groups and I’m happy to answer any questions you have through email or by phone. I will be following up with you in the next week to answer any questions and discuss scheduling the interview and focus group on a date that is most convenient for you and your staff. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at 605-731-0041 or [email protected] if you have any questions.



Your voice and perspective are critical to the success of this project, and we thank you in advance for your commitment to helping with this process. Sincerely, Rebekkah Kruse, Disability Project Coordinator


Appendix EE - Confidentiality Statement Confidentiality Statement

Needs Assessment focus groups and interviews will operate under the following confidentiality principles: 1. Bridging South Dakota will do everything possible to keep your information private. Any information you share will be kept at The Network office and destroyed after our strategic plan is approved by OVW. Reports produced from the Needs Assessment will contain no identifying information. 2. In order to protect people’s privacy, please refrain from using people’s names in the focus group. 3. Members of Bridging South Dakota are mandated reporters and required by law to report the following for children, elders, and adults with disabilities in South Dakota: Individuals in the medical and mental health professions, and employees of agencies that have ongoing contact and exposure to children, elders, and adults with disabilities, must report when there is reasonable suspicion of neglect or abuse. 4. Bridging South Dakota cannot guarantee confidentiality among participants, but we request that everyone respect each other’s privacy. Please keep the conversations discussed today confidential and do not share information you heard with individuals outside the group. 5. If you become uncomfortable sharing with the group, please remember that we will have an advocate available to speak with you privately. All matters discussed privately with a Bridging South Dakota team member or advocate will be kept private, with the exception to those things designated by South Dakota statute that we are mandated to report. 6. All information shared will be used to improve services for survivors, individuals with disabilities, and D/deaf individuals and no other purpose.


Appendix FF - Focus Group Debriefing Form Focus Group Debriefing Form

Group: _____________________________________________

Date: ___________________ Time: ____________________

Location: ___________________________________________

Facilitator: _______________ Note Taker: _______________

Floater: __________________ Number of Participants: _____

Make brief notes (phrases, sentence fragments, any memorable quotes) about key

points. Note issues which generated dynamic group response or conflict.

Memorable Quotes:

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Common Themes:

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Conflict:

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________


Any Surprises?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

What went well?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Suggested changes for future focus groups/interviews?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Overall impression of the session?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Other comments:

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________


Appendix GG - Resources

Bridging South Dakota Project Partners

South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault

1705 S. Cleveland Ave. Suite 5

Sioux Falls, SD 57103

Toll-free Telephone: 1-800-670-3989

Office: 605-731-0041

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.sdnafvsa.com


Toll Free/Voice: 1-800-642-6410

Videophone: 605-496-0738

Website: www.csd.org

Western South Dakota 2040 West Main Street #306 Rapid City, SD 57707 605-394-6864 Email: [email protected]

Central/Eastern South Dakota

1707 4th Avenue, SE Suite #3

Aberdeen, SD 57401

605-496-0741


Sioux Falls and Southeastern Region

3520 S Gateway Lane


605-593-9392



http://www.sdnafvsa.com/

http://www.csd.org/





South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities

221 South Central Avenue, Suite 34A

Pierre, SD 57501

Toll Free/Voice 1-800-210-0143

Voice/TTY 605-945-2207


Website: www.sd-ccd.org

Disability Related Resources

DakotaLink – South Dakota’s Assistive Technology Project

1161 Deadwood Avenue, Suite #5

Rapid City, SD 57702

Phone: 605-394-6742

Toll Free: 1-800-645-0673

Department of Human Services

Divisions of Rehabilitation Services; Service to the Blind and Visually

Impaired; and Developmental Disabilities

3800 E Hwy 34;

c/o 500 East Capitol Avenue

Pierre, SD 57501

Phone: 605-773-5990

Toll Free: 1-800-265-9684

Department of Social Services

Community Behavioral Health; Correctional Behavioral Health; Human

Services Center

700 Governor’s Drive

Pierre, SD 57501

Phone: 605-773-3165


http://www.sd-ccd.org/


Interprecorp LLC

PO Box 1820

Sioux Falls, SD 57101-1820

Phone: 605-362-3507

Interpreter Services, Inc.

PO Box 85354

Sioux Falls, SD 57118-5354

Phone: 605-331-7800

NAMI SD

Executive Director: Wendy Giebink

PO Box 88808


Phone: 605-271-1871

National Federation of the Blind (South Dakota)

President: Ken Rollman

903 Fulton Street


Phone: 605-721-3311

South Dakota Advocacy Services

221 South Central Avenue Ste 38

Pierre, SD 57501

Phone: 605-224-8284

Toll Free: 1-800-658-4782

South Dakota Association of the Blind

President: Dave Miller

2617 West Minnehaha Drive


Phone: 605-336-6628


South Dakota Association of the Deaf

President: Patty Kuglitsch

7436 S Homan Place #2


Phone: 605-370-6635

South Dakota School for the Blind & Visually Impaired

423 17th Ave SE

Aberdeen, SD 57401-7699

Phone: 605-626-2580

Toll Free: 1-888-275-3814

South Dakota School for the Deaf

2001 East 8th St.


Phone: 605-367-5200

South Dakota Registry for Interpreters

Interpreter and Mentoring Services

Division of Rehabilitation Services

3800 E Hwy 34

Pierre, SD 57501

Phone: 605-773-3195

South Dakota Relay Services

http://www.relaysouthdakota.com/

South Dakota United for Hope and Recovery

PO Box 3052


Phone: 605-549-5509

http://www.relaysouthdakota.com/


Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Resources

National Domestic Violence Hotline

800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233)

www.thehotline.org

Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN)

800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673)

www.rainn.org

Artemis House--Victims of Violence Intervention Program, Inc. PO Box 486

Spearfish, SD 57783

Phone: 605-642-7825

Crisis Line: 605-642-7825

Beacon Center PO Box 781

Watertown, SD 57201

Phone: 605-886-4300 Toll Free: 1-800-660-8014

Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter

PO Box 36 Brookings, SD 57006 Phone: 605-692-7233

Call to Freedom

225 E 11th St. Ste 103 Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Phone: 605-261-9664

Catholic Family Services 523 N Duluth Ave


Phone: 605-988-3775

http://www.thehotline.org/

http://www.rainn.org/


Children's Inn

409 N Western Ave Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Phone: 605-338-0116 Crisis Line: 605-338-4880 or 1-888-378-7398

Communities Against Violence and Abuse (CAVA)

PO Box 29 Lemmon, SD 57638

Phone: 605-374-5823 Crisis Line: 605-244-7233

The Compass Center

1800 W 12th St, Suite 100 Sioux Falls, SD 57104


Domestic Violence Network of the Lakes Region, Inc

PO Box 110 Madison, SD 57042


Domestic Violence Safe Option Services (DVSOS) PO Box 144 Vermillion, SD 57069

Phone: 605-624-5311 Family Crisis Center

PO Box 347 Redfield, SD 57469



Family Service, Inc. 2210 S Brown Place

Sioux Falls, SD 57105 Phone: 605-336-1974 Crisis Line: 605-310-3963

Family Visitation Center

311 E 14th St Sioux Falls, SD 57104 Phone: 605-275-2071

Goodwill of the Great Plains 3401 S Duluth Ave Sioux Falls, SD 57105 Phone: 605-731-1932

Helpline Center (211)

1000 N West Ave Suite 310 Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Phone: 605-334-6646 Crisis Line: 605-339-4357 or 211

Jan Manolis Family Safe Center

PO Box 733 Huron, SD 57350

Phone: 605-554-0398 Crisis Line: 605-350-6690 or 605-350-6663

Journey Therapy and Consulting 6901 S Lyncrest #104 Sioux Falls, SD 57108 Phone: 605-351-1545

LSS Outpatient Counseling Services

705 E 41st St, Suite 200 Sioux Falls, SD 57105 Phone: 605-444-7631 Toll Free: 1-800-334-2953


Missouri Shores Domestic Violence Center

PO Box 398 Pierre, SD 57501


Mitchell Area Safehouse

1809 N Wisconsin Mitchell, SD 57301


River City Domestic Violence Center

PO Box 626

Yankton, SD 57078 Phone: 605-665-4811 Crisis Line: 605-665-1448

Safe Harbor

PO Box 41 Aberdeen, SD 57402

Phone: 605-226-1212 Toll Free: 1-888-290-2935

The Wholeness Center

PO Box 148 Flandreau, SD 57028


Winner Resource Center for Families

PO Box 585 Winner, SD 57580

Phone: 605-842-2736 Toll Free: 1-877-695-0558


Working Against Violence, Inc. (WAVI) 527 Quincy St Rapid City, SD 57701


YWCA Family Violence Program

17 5th St SW Huron, SD 57350 Phone: 605-352-2793 Crisis Line: 605-461-9087

needs assessment plan … · uppercase “d”. while, deaf refers to individuals who identify with...

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