Creative Strategies for Threading Violence Awareness into the Four Core Services

Created by Leslie Myers, MS< CRC, CDVC
DART Program Manager, IndependenceFirst

Presenters

Leslie Myers, MS, CRC, CDVC
DART Program Manager
IndependenceFirst
600 W Virginia Street, 4th Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53204
(414) 291-7520 V/TTY
(414) 226-8381 Direct Voice

Roberta Sick, Project Director
Partners for Inclusive Communities-UAMS
Arkansas' University Center on Disabilities
2001 Pershing Circle - Suite 300
North Little Rock, AR   72114
501-682-9900
501-682-9902 TTY

Mary Oschwald                                           
Research Assistant Professor 
Regional Research Institute-PSU 
PO Box 7511600 SW 4th St Suite 900   
Portland OR  97207  
(503) 725-9602               
(866) 856-1385 (toll-free)

Important Terms
•	Independent Living (IL)
•	National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)
•	Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL)
•	Centers for Independent Living (CILs)
•	Independent Living Centers (ILCs)
•	Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC)
•	State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL)
•	Personal Assistance Services (PAS)

History-How Did We Get Here?

•	2004 - Focus groups held at NCIL’s annual conference
•	 “Voices Across America: Communities Coming
    Together to End Crimes Against People with
    Disabilities” developed 
•	  2006 – NCIL’s and APRIL’s Resolutions on Violence and Abuse of People with Disabilities sparked need for Task Force 
•	  2007 - NCIL Task Force on Violence and Abuse of People with Disabilities developed the “Violence Awareness Survey for Independent Living Centers”

Violence Awareness Survey

41.35% return rate
  89% (n=98) extremely important for CILs to understand and respond to issues of violence 
  70% (n=77) somewhat confident recognizing signs of abuse, 20% (n=22) extremely confident 
  91% (n=100) wanted to learn more about “Role of CILs in Dealing with Violence/Abuse” (Here we are!)

Introduction

The Rehabilitation Act defines a CIL as:

 A consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential private nonprofit agency, designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities. 

CILs provide services and advocacy by and for persons with all types of disabilities to create opportunities for independence and assist individuals with disabilities to achieve their maximum level of independent functioning.

CILs

Centers are authorized to provide IL services in accordance to a SPIL, which is developed by the SILC in partnership with the State Vocational Rehabilitation agency. 

A Center works with an individual to achieve their self-identified goals through peer counseling, skills training, advocacy, information and referral and other independent living services. 

Promote and Practice IL Philosophy

•	Consumer control 
•	 Self-help and self-advocacy 
•	 Development of peer role models
•	 Equal access to all services, programs, activities,
   resources and facilities

Four Core Services

•	Advocacy
•	 Peer Support 
•	 Independent Living Skill Development 
•	 Information and Referral 

Other serv ices

•	Counseling
•	 Housing modifications
•	 Assistance in finding accessible housing 
•	 Rehabilitation technology 
•	 Mobility training 
•	 Interpreters and readers 

Other Services, cont.
•	Personal assistance including attendant care 
•	Needs surveys 
•	Training for participation in community activities 
•	Transportation
•	Therapeutic treatment 
•	Social and recreation services 

Other Services, cont.
•	Services to youth to promote self-esteem and  self-empowerment 
•	Services for children 
•	Preventive services 
•	Disability awareness in local communities

Other Services, Cont.

•	Services to youth to promote self-esteem and  self-empowerment 
•	Services for children 
•	Preventive services 
•	Disability awareness in local communities
 
Violence and Abuse Affects Service Delivery

•	Missed appointments because their abuser
   controls their every move  

•	 Hard to advocate for themselves since their self-
   esteem has been shattered at the hands of an
   abuser

•	 Violence and abuse takes toll on the mind, body
   and soul

Violence and Abuse Affects Service Delivery, cont.

•	Individuals are often kept isolated by their abusers

•	 Many agencies that serve victims of violence/abuse
   are not accessible to people with disabilities

•	 These combined barriers make it nearly impossible
    for the person being abused to leave  

Rehabilitation Act

•	Provide services on a cross-disability basis to
   individuals with a variety of disabilities

•	 Provide services to unserved and underserved

•	 Work to increase availability and quality of
   community options for independent living

•	 Increase communities’ capacity to meet needs of
   individuals with disabilities

•	 Develop funding sources beyond that afforded by the
   Rehabilitation Act  

Addressing Issues
Where to Start?

•	Violence/abuse issues are disability issues and
   we need to make sure that they are addressed in
   every aspect of our programming and service
   delivery. 

•	 Is it a separate issue or will it fit into your existing
   Center activities and SPIL?

Questions and Answers

Information and Referral

Awareness of community programs

 Victim service programs 
•	 Sexual assault agencies
•	 Domestic violence shelters
•	 Law enforcement personnel
 
What to do……

•	Gather information on these programs and
    services

•	 Get information on program accessibility

•	 Take opportunity to advocate for changes within
    inaccessible programs

Information and Referral 

Phone

•	 Develop list of programs and emergency numbers

In-Person

•	 Distribute brochures and information sheets from local
    programs

Web-Site

•	 Include links to local and national programs, information
   on victimization, self-help strategies, safety planning

National Referral Sources
•	The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 
   1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

•	Rape, Abuse & Incest, National Network (RAINN) 1-800-656-HOPE 

•	National Center for Victims of Crime 1-800-FYI-CALL (1-800-394-2255) or TTY 1-800-211-7996 

Other Services you can provide

•	Locating interpreters
•	 Providing accommodations
•	 Working with people with different types of
   disabilities 

IL Skills Training

Weave these topics into your existing 
curriculum:
•	 Self-protection
•	 Safety planning  
•	 Empowerment 
•	 Abuse awareness 
•	 Self-esteem

Peer Support

•	Provides consumer with safety in
    disclosure 

•	 Peer must be trained on appropriate
    actions to take if they receive disclosure of abuse
 
•	 Support groups and individual support are
    essential tools for victim service agencies 

Serious Advocacy Issues

•	Waiting List

•	 Lack of Affordable/Accessible Housing

•	 Accessible Transportation

Individual Advocacy

IL staff may need to:

•	 Advocate for their consumer to get accommodations
    within the victim service agency or in the courts

•	 Advocate for the consumer to be served at all by a
    victim service provider  

Systems Advocacy
•	Reauthorization of the Violence Against
    Women Act

•	 Crimes committed against people with
   disabilities

•	 NCIL Resolution

Additional IL Services
•	Nursing home transition – violence/abuse within institutions and vulnerability of transitioning consumers

•	Sports/Rec programs – teach adapted self defense

•	Youth services – provide classes on dating violence and date rape

Additional IL Services
•	Computer recycling - information on on-line and chat room safety, scams, and identity theft

•	Benefit programs offer chance to discuss financial abuse

•	Personal care attendant services – teach consumers how to identify caregiver abuse and strategies to stop it

Supporting Female Consumers

•	Provide assertiveness training, peer counseling
   and self-esteem building

•	 Recognize that abuse is a serious problem for
    women with disabilities 

•	 Offer initial counseling and referral for female
    consumers who are being abused

•	 Become educated on abuse to create safe
    environment for women to disclose abuse

Supporting Female Consumers Cont.

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

•	 Educate abuse intervention programs on full
   accessibility

Assisting Female Consumers in Shelters

•	Obtain personal assistants
•	 Replace assistive devices or medications lost
    when the woman left home

•	 Offer transitional services to establish
    independence from her abuser

 

Questions and Answers

Collaboration

•	Cross-referral between CILs and abuse
    intervention programs – very successful
 
•	 Outreach efforts enabled them to more
    effectively reach women with disabilities who
    were being abused 

Outreach Activities and Crime Prevention Initiatives

•	Include persons with disabilities in planning,
    execution, and evaluation stages of each initiative 

•	 Avoid labeling, stereotyping, and tokenism 

•	 Collaborate with key players

•	 Engage the person with a disability by making
   sure that accommodations are in place to ensure
   effective communication and full participation 

Suggestions

•	Hold staff training on violence/abuse

•	 Ask questions about abuse during intake, PAS
    supervision visits, consumer appointments

•	 Develop policy and procedures for staff to follow
    when they suspect abuse

•	 Ask victim service agencies to talk about their
    programs at staff meetings

Suggestions, cont.

•	Visit your local victim service agencies
•	 Display posters and brochures to raise
    awareness of abuse, allowing consumers to see
    you as a safe environment

•	 Read about abuse and violence against people
    with disabilities

Finding Funding
•	Office on Violence Against Women: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/

•	Office for Victims of Crime: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/fund/welcome.html

•	Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-Injury, Violence and Safety http://www.cdc.gov/InjuryViolenceSafety

Additional Resources
•	The National Domestic Violence http://www.ncadv.org/

•	The Rape, Abuse & Incest, National Network (RAINN) http://www.rainn.org/

•	National Center for Victims of Crime http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/Main.aspx

•	Stalking Resource Center http://www.ncvc.org/src/Main.aspx

•	Dating Violence Resource Center http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbID=DB_DatingViolenceResourceCenter101

Additional Resources
•	Online Directory of Crime Victim Services http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/findvictimservices/

•	Professional Online Resources on Abuse and Disability http://www.disability-abuse.com/

•	OVC Publications http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/welcome.html

•	Victims of Crime With Disabilities Resource Guide http://www.uwyo.edu/wind/resourceguide/resources/resources.asp

•	National Disability Rights Network http://www.napas.org/index.htm

•	National Adult Protective Services Association http://apsnetwork.org/

Final Questions and Answers

Wrap up and evaluation