|
|
|
|
|
Volume 10. Issue 5. May 6, 2013 |
|
|
|
|
Greetings from Executive Director, Connie Neal.
Thank you to all who attended Legislative Awareness Day on April 22nd. The event was a great success, with advocates coming to Albany from all regions of the state. Feedback from participants has been extremely positive and enthusiastic, with emphasis on how important it was to hear legislators' positions on domestic violence legislation.
During the afternoon of LAD, it was an honor to sit in the gallery and watch the Assembly pass a package of domestic violence bills and a resolution proclaiming April 22nd as Domestic Violence Awareness Day in New York State. There are still several weeks to go in this session, and I hope the momentum of LAD will encourage legislators to address the unfinished business of our legislative agenda. Stay tuned for action alerts as your response to them is vital to ensuring that the legislature knows how important the bills are to their constituents. |
|
NYSCADV LAD Follow Up
Our annual legislative awareness day, this year titled New Challenges * New Solutions was a resounding success. Approximately 200 advocates from across the state converged on the Capitol to speak in a unified voice with their legislators about the role of domestic violence advocates, the need for building capacity, the enduring challenges that jeopardize victim safety, and the emerging challenges that we must be thoughtful about.
Lucia Riviecco, Director of STEPS to End Family Violence and NYSCADV Board President, welcomed the crowd and spoke about the need for the legislature to promote justice for domestic violence survivor-defendants by allowing for judicial discretion in sentencing defendants who were victims of domestic violence at the time of their crime. NYSCADV Executive Director, Connie Neal spoke about the value of domestic violence services and the need for the legislature to look differently at how services are funded. She engaged the crowd to begin that conversation with the legislature now to strategize and to prepare for next year's budget cycle. Keynote speaker, Lisa Frisch, Executive Director of The Legal Project, spoke about the gaps that are created by the inconsistent implementation of existing law which perpetuate practices that are dangerous to victims of domestic violence, setting back efforts to support victim safety and hold offenders accountable. We were joined by bill sponsors who thanked the crowd for their support and shared their commitment to protecting victims of domestic violence. Later that day, the Legislature recognized the gathering of domestic violence advocates at the Capitol by passing a resolution proclaiming April 22, 2013 as Domestic Violence Awareness Day (K.313 Titus/ J.1322 Stavisky).
The bills that we supported on that day have momentum! The Assembly passed a package of domestic violence related bills on April 22nd that:
- protect victims of domestic violence from employment discrimination (A898 Weinstein/S.3385 Hassell-Thompson)
- curb the filing of abusive collection lawsuits, which have particularly devastating impacts on victims of domestic violence (A.2678 Weinstein/S.2454 Savino).
- send the message that protected parties cannot be arrested and prosecuted for violating their own orders of protection (A.6547 Weinstein/S.4785 Gipson).
- create recourse for limited liability by providing a mechanism that allows victims to hold the system accountable for its failure by allowing for limited liability when appropriate (A.899 Weinstein).
- promote justice for domestic violence-survivor defendants by allowing for judicial discretion in sentencing defendants who were victims of domestic violence at the time of their crime (A.4314 Aubry/S.3337 Hassell-Thompson).
We look forward to the Senate passing these bills as well so that vital legislation can be sent to the governor to be signed into law.
Other bills that passed that day include:
- protecting victims of domestic violence from housing discrimination (A.5387 Englebright);
- adding crimes in which the victim and the defendant were "members of the same family or household" to the definition of serious offense as it relates to firearms and other dangerous weapons;
- requiring interpretation of orders of protection in court proceedings where an interpreter has been appointed (A.1084 Weinstein/S.1728a Espaillat);
- requiring hospitals to maintain policies to effectively aid victims of domestic violence (A.2562 Lavine/S.1583 Parker).
Two of the bills that we supported on April 22nd that only had Assembly sponsors now have Senate sponsors thanks to the advocacy and awareness that we conducted on that day. A.6547, which is the bill that sends the message that protected parties cannot be arrested and prosecuted for violating their own order of protection, is being sponsored in by Senator Gipson. The bill requiring that restrained parties who violate an order of protection while on bail are subject to forfeiture of bail was picked up by Senator Robach. And, much interest was generated over the potential for legislation that would finally allow New York State Judges to consider public safety when making bail determination.
NYSCADV continues to work with the Governor's Office and the multiple advocacy groups that support the Women's Equality Agenda and we look forward to the release of the legislation. Promoting women's equality is necessary to preventing domestic violence and we believe that this ten point plan addresses issues that are essential to a victim's independence from their abuser.
Lastly, NYSCADV shared its experience and lessons learned through its participation in the Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) program, which was implemented in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control. Recognizing that having effective laws and methods for responding to domestic violence once it has occurred is not enough of a deterrence, the advocates asked the legislature to support primary prevention efforts by providing funding that allows the State to implement promising practices and the lessons learned from DELTA. CDC's DELTA Program provided critical funding that helped to develop and test innovative, effective strategies designed to stop violence before it occurs. Moving forward, we'll need resources to make effective programming available in every community in the state. No lasting change can be accomplished until we have the resources to create communities that find violence against an intimate partner unthinkable. |
The Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act (TVPJA)website & advocacy day
The Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act (TVPJA) is New York State Legislation sponsored by Assembly member Amy Paulin and Senator Andrew Lanza designed to improve the State's efforts to end human trafficking by enhancing protection for trafficking victims-particularly for sexually exploited children. It increases accountability for buyers and traffickers who are fueling the growth of this massive underground industry and it helps prevent re-victimization of trafficking victims by the justice system.
The TVPJA website was recently launched to help New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition partners to mobilize their communities to push for passage of the TVPJA. The website gives you all the tools and information you need to create an action plan for your community. Click here for more information. www.TVPJA.com
The TVPJA advocacy day will be held in Albany on May 21, 2013. Click here to register. |
The Coalition for Women Prisoners' (CWP) 2013 Advocacy Day
CWP will be in Albany on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 to advocate for the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act and to end the shackling of incarcerated pregnant women.
To participate in Advocacy Day, you must attend one of the following training sessions:
Monday, May 13, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Friday, May 24, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
All training sessions will be held at the Correctional Association of NY located at: 2090 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd, 2nd Fl., in Harlem. You may take the A/B/C/D or 2/3 trains to 125 St.
To RSVP or for more info please contact: Jacqueline Velez at (212) 254-5700 ext. 336 or jvelez@correctionalassociation.org. |
NYS Guiding Principles for
Community Domestic Violence Policy
The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) recently released the NYS Guiding Principles for Community Domestic Violence Policy which was created through a collaborative effort between OPDV, the Empire Justice Center and subject matter experts across the state. This document updates the 1997 Model Policy for Counties (the Blue Book). The Guiding Principles are a great resource for domestic violence advocates to refer to and use as a conversation starter within your coordinated community response. Click here for the Guiding Principles. |
Federal Funding Update
NYSCADV's national partner, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) has been working to ensure that the voice of survivors and the programs that serve them are attended to in the budget negotiation process. The current status is:
For NNEDV's overview of federal funding and appropriations, click here. |
Domestic Violence Counts 2012
For the seventh consecutive year, NNEDV conducted a one-day, unduplicated count of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the U.S. on September 12, 2012. This annual census documents the number of individuals who sought services in a single 24-hour period, as well as the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs face as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence. This great resource includes both national and state-specific data. Click here to access the reports. |
VAWA 2013 - Tribal Provisions
The Department of Justice recently released a one-page document highlighting some of the tribal provisions found in Title IX of VAWA 2013. Click here for more information. |
National Crime Victims' Service Awards
On April 24, 2013, The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) hosted the 2013 National Crime Victims' Service Awards Ceremony, part of the National Crime Victims' Rights Week, April 21-27, 2013. At the ceremony, Attorney General Eric Holder honored individuals and organizations for their service to crime victims. Click here for the biographies and photos of the honorees. |
VAWnet Special Collection
Trauma-Informed Domestic Violence Services
VAWnet recently announced a new resource developed by the NCDVTMH, in partnership with the NRCDV, supporting trauma-informed approaches to domestic violence service provision. This 3-part series reflects an integrated perspective that:
- incorporates an understanding of the pervasiveness and impact of trauma,
- supports healing and resiliency, and
- addresses the root causes of abuse and violence.
Click here to access this Special Collection. |
Comments Sought for Human Trafficking Action Plan
|
Services for Victims of Human Trafficking
Application deadline: June 10, 2013
OVC is seeking applications to support services to victims of human trafficking throughout the United States. This program will provide funding to victim service organizations with a demonstrated history of providing trauma-informed, culturally competent services to victims of human trafficking. Click here for more information.
|
Collaboration Between Researchers and Practitioners
Application deadline: June 10, 2013
OVC is seeking applications for Bridging the Gap in Victim-Related Research to Practice. One cooperative agreement of $750,000 will be awarded to conduct an assessment of victim service providers to ascertain their level of awareness and knowledge about the benefits of social science research and program evaluation for their work with victims of crime. Click here for more information. |
Sprint Local Grant Program
Sprint is currently accepting applications through its Sprint Local Grant Program. Grants of $25,000, $15,000, and $10,000 will be awarded to three local 501(c)(3) organizations working in the focus areas of youth development, arts and culture, and environmental stewardship in Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, and New York City.
Deadline: June 14, 2013
Click here for more information.
|
The Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University
The 2013 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation has been announced. With a first-place award of $100,000, the Drucker Award is granted to a social-sector organization that demonstrates Peter Drucker's definition of innovation-change that creates a new dimension of performance. In addition, the judges look for programs that are highly effective and that have made a difference in the lives of the people they serve.
Deadline: July 1, 2013
Click here for more information. |
Coaching Boys in to Men is Proven Effective
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - PITTSBURGH, April 30, 2013 - Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM), a program that seeks to reduce dating violence and sexual assault, is proven effective to reduce abusive behaviors among male athletes toward their female partners, according to a study that appeared in the online version of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. Click here for more information. |
Jessica Gonzales vs. The United States
Jessica Gonzales vs. The United States of America follows the story of one woman, who in the wake of unspeakable tragedy and hardship, embarks upon a journey to reclaim her voice and discover her own power to heal herself and others. This full length documentary will be released in 2014 or 2015. Click here for a clip of the documentary and click here for the documentary's Facebook page. Please "Like" the page and encourage your friends to do so as well. They are also seeking donations to help them be able to complete the film. |
|
Educational Opportunities and Events |
TELLING amy's story
Wednesday, May 8, 2013 - 5:30 p.m.
Free screening followed by Q & A. Sponsored by Safe Homes of Orange County and Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc.
Depicting events uncovered by the investigation of a 2001 domestic violence homicide in central Pennsylvania, this riveting PBS documentary identifies the many instances when
outside professional intervention could have saved the life of a young mother.
Seating is limited; reservations are required:
ecunha@safehomesorangecounty.org / 845-562-5365, ext. 101
Event will be held at:
Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc.
Blooming Grove Operations Center
500 Route 208, Monroe, NY |
Mothers of Bedford
Wednesday May 8th, 9:00am - Noon
A FREE screening of the critically acclaimed documentary by filmmaker Jennifer McShane
Mothering can be difficult at the best of times; imagine trying to raise your children from prison. Mothers of Bedford is a deeply moving account of moms in prison, parenting behind bars.
Following the film there will be a panel discussing the realities of families dealing with imprisonment/re-entry and the importance of community collaboration in supporting families.
Click here for registration.
Event will be held at:
Westchester Institute for Human Development
20 Hospital Plaza, Cedarwood Hall, Valhalla, NY 10595 |
Considerations for Aspiring Experts at
Community-Based Domestic Violence Programs
Monday, May 13, 2013. 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Webinar - hosted by the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women
This webinar will help advocates understand the range of skills and knowledge needed to be an effective expert witness, how to begin to develop and enhance these skills, and ways that advocate-experts can evaluate whether they are an appropriate expert for a particular case. This webinar will also review some of the important factors that advocates and community-based programs must consider when deciding if and under what circumstances they will provide expert testimony. This webinar will be most helpful for community-based domestic violence advocates who are interested in testifying as an expert witness.
Click here to register. |
Assessing Patterns of Coercive Control in Abusive Relationships, Part 2: Practical Skills and Implementation
Tuesday, May 14 from 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Pacific Time
Part 2 in a 3 part series on "Assessing Patterns of Coercive Control in Abusive Relationships", this session expands from analysis and framing to skill-building, practical implications and program implementation. The Northwest Network's Assessment Tool will be introduced in detail, using advocacy stories and participant exercises. This session will also address the myriad considerations for implementation - including approach, intention, documentation, debriefing and other relevant challenges for programs interested in increasing competency in serving LGBTQ survivors and integrating a broader practice of assessment into their service delivery.
Click here to register. |
Protecting Domestic Violence Victims AND Their Pets:
How to Develop a Pet Shelter Program in YOUR Community
May 16, 2013 from 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Hosted by the SUNY Buffalo Law School Women, Children & Social Justice Clinic
Free webinar
This webinar will address developing an onsite pet shelter program, NYS Orders of Protection, the Domestic Violence Animal Shelter Database, funding opportunities to start a pet shelter program, legal issues surrounding pet shelter programs, and the SAF-T manual, which is a guide to housing pets onsite at a domestic violence shelter.
Email Karalyn Rossi for more information @ kmrossi2@buffalo.edu. |
The Intersection of Culture & Domestic Violence
Tuesday, May 21, 2013, 9:00am - 12:00
Conference hosted by the Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence
To be held at the International Institute of Buffalo
This special training has been created for all service providers, front line workers, community health workers and advocates. Participants will learn the importance of creating a culturally competent organizational response to domestic violence and will have an opportunity to explore some of the common impediments for immigrant victims of domestic violence including the challenges of working with interpreters. By the end of this training you will have a better understanding of the rights of immigrant/undocumented survivors, as well as, immigration relief.
Click here to register online. |
Same-Sex Domestic Violence:
Considerations, Suggestions, and Resources
May 22, 2013, 2:00-3:00pm EDT
Free Webinar sponsored by the National LGBT Health Education Center, The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health
This webinar, led by Jessica Newman and Cara Presley-Kimball of Fenway Health's Violence Recovery Program, will explain the unique features of same-sex domestic violence as well as the benefits of screening LGBT patients. Participants will also learn to identify barriers that LGBT victims and survivors of domestic violence face when accessing health care, legal protection, and safe shelters.
Click here to register.
Can't make it? No Problem! This and all of The Fenway Institute webinars are available on-demand on The Fenway Institute website for viewing. Click here for more information. |
Domestic Violence: The Workplace Responds
May 22, 2013, 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Presented by Domestic Violence Workplace Initiative
Queensbury Hotel
88 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801
Featuring: KC Wagner, Cornell University School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cost per person: $18 Morning Session, $28 Noon Session
Cost to Attend Both Sessions: $45 per person
Table of Eight (8): $140 Morning Session, $220 Noon Session
Event sponsors:
Warren County District Attorney Hon. Kathleen B. Hogan;
Hamel Resources, L.L.C.;
Adirondack Women's Bar Association;
Cheryl L. Sovern, Esq.;
NY State Coalition Against Domestic Violence/DELTA Project
Click here to register by May 10th. |
Elder Abuse: Domestic Violence Later in Life
Thursday, May 23rd from 12:00 to 1:30pm ET
Webinar Hosted by JWI - Free to Alliance members, $25 non-members
This webinar will explore the unique characteristics of domestic abuse in later life, focusing on the prevalence of elder abuse, working with Adult Protective Services and other resources as well as practical tips for working with older victims of abuse.
Click here to register. |
Sex Trafficking of Children
May 28, 2013, Registration 7:30 AM-8:30 AM, Conference: 8:30 AM-4:00 PM
Conference hosted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NY Chapter
$30, lunch included
RIT Inn & Conference Center
5257 West Henrietta Road
Rochester, NY 14602
This conference will provide practical instruction, current information, and successful intervention strategies, to professionals responsible for addressing sex trafficking of minors. Presentations and workshops include: Dynamics of Domestic Child Sex Trafficking; Story of a Survivor; Case Study: Thomas Cramer; Correlations Between Child Labor Trafficking and Child Sex Trafficking; Human Trafficking Overview & Response; Interviewing Victims of Child Sex Trafficking; Technology & Trafficking; NCMEC Child Victim Identification Program & Sex Trafficking Team Resources; and Professional Therapeutic Response to Victims of Sex Trafficking.
On May 29th this conference will continue with a law enforcement training.
Click here to view descriptions of all the workshops and presenters and to register for the May 28th conference and/or the May 29th Law Enforcement training. |
How Language Helps Shape Our Response to
Gender-Based Violence
Thursday, May 30, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Albany, NY
SPONSORED BY: NYS Unified Court System, Center for Court Innovation, Legal Momentum, Albany County Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (ACCADA), The Albany County Bar Association, The Gender Fairness Committee of the Third Judicial District , The Capital District Women's Bar Association, Interrupting Oppression, and The College of Saint Rose.
This free and interactive session will explore the language of domestic violence and sexual assault: how we talk and write about these crimes. The workshop will discuss examples of the language often used and explore how to discuss domestic violence and sexual assault in a way that more accurately depicts the crime.
Presented by:
Claudia J. Bayliff. Esq.
Project Attorney for Legal Momentum's
National Judicial Education Program
This training is ideal for anyone who work with or talks about issues related to domestic and sexual violence including: advocates, judges, civil and criminal attorneys, law enforcement, college administrators, communication officers, SANE personnel, clergy, journalists, and other interested professionals and community members.
Two FREE CLE credits will be offered for attending this workshop.
Free on campus parking. Please register early - space is limited.
Click here to register. |
Assessing Patterns of Coercive Control in Abusive Relationships, Part 3: Practice and Program Implementation
Tuesday, June 11 from 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Pacific Time
Webinar hosted by BWJP.
Click here for more information. |
The Why, What & How of Court Mandated Batterer Programs & Domestic Violence Offender Accountability
Thursday, and Friday, June 20 and 21, 2013
Hosted by VCS Inc. of Rockland County, NY & Catholic Charities of Buffalo, NY
Orchard Park Presbyterian Church
4369 South Buffalo Street
Orchard Park, NY
For more information, please contact Gregory White - gregory.white@ccwny.org or call 716.896.6390. |
Immigration, Domestic Violence and LGBTQ Communities
Tuesday, June 25 from 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Pacific Time
More information coming soon.
Click here to register. |
Domestic Violence Related Employment Opportunities |
|
|
Communications
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
