the essential guide - Texas Council on Family Violence

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At times, you may be challenged to work with internal and external agency colleagues with differentperspectives, opinions and working from different foundations. At times, <strong>the</strong> survivors you work with willpose challenging situations. You do not need to like every survivor who you assist.There will be successes and <strong>the</strong>re will be disappointments and learning experiences. By routinely doingan internal check-in, you streng<strong>the</strong>n your vision for <strong>the</strong> work. You may find it useful to identify <strong>the</strong> valuesand skills you bring to this work. Self-reflection can serve to prevent burn out and identify when youneed to set better boundaries.Good practice is to engage in healthy relationships in all aspects of your life. This includes using ethicalcommunication, good boundaries, respect, and healthy conflict resolution with <strong>the</strong> survivors you workwith, colleagues, volunteers, family and friends.Improving your knowledge about your organization will help you connect your day-to-day work with <strong>the</strong>organization’s mission. Review <strong>the</strong> mission, vision, values and culture of your agency to help recalibrateyourself from time to time. As you begin to feel comfortable in your position, you can later expand tobetter understand policies, funder requirements and strategic plans.Creating and fostering positive engagement with your community by promoting a CoordinatedCommunity Response that works cooperatively and seamlessly is vital to improve <strong>the</strong> outcome of manysurvivors’ lives. You and each of your co-workers play an important role in building and nurturingcollaborations on behalf of survivors.Lastly, recognize you are one in a larger movement to end family violence, abuse and oppression. Attimes, work may seem frustrating or endless. Advocates often join this movement for different reasons.Most are personal and motivate advocates when <strong>the</strong>y face difficult situations. Serve as a role model andpromote a culture of nonviolence, respect and empowerment with both words and actions.Informed by <strong>the</strong> Social Ecological ModelTHE ESSENTIAL GUIDE: AN INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCATING FOR SURVIVORS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE20 | P a g e
Safety PlanningAs advocates, we need to assist survivors in planning for <strong>the</strong>ir safety. A safety plan is not static; it mustchange as conditions change. It is good to check in with survivors often about <strong>the</strong>ir safety needs. Safetyplanning should be completed for:Short-Term Safety NeedsDevelop strategies to stay safe during a crisis, while leaving, after leaving and on a day-to-day basis. Itmay include legal remedies that can enhance safety for some: calling 911 or obtaining a Protective Order.You should support <strong>the</strong> survivor in assessing risk based on batterer’s current and past actions, threatsand access to weapons. Use that to information to discuss <strong>the</strong> safety options that may work best for <strong>the</strong>survivor. Help <strong>the</strong> survivor identify specific concerns and recognize strategies that have helped promotesafety in <strong>the</strong> past. Basic safety planning forms and information are available online at: National Domestic Violence Hotline Office of <strong>the</strong> Attorney GeneralLong-Term Safety NeedsDevelop strategies and goals for long-term safety and self-sufficiency. It can be helpful to ask <strong>the</strong> survivorabout any past barriers to getting and staying out of <strong>the</strong> abusive relationship. Ask what might be neededto overcome those barriers in <strong>the</strong> future and try to create action steps to meet those needs. The focus ofa long-term safety plan is survivor independence and autonomy.See <strong>the</strong> Resource Guide in Appendix for more Safety Planning resources.Confidentiality and AdvocacyConfidentiality is <strong>the</strong> fundamental component of advocacy. Confidentiality policies exist to protect <strong>the</strong>safety and privacy of those we serve.It is vital you explain <strong>the</strong> limits of confidentiality and <strong>the</strong> circumstances in which confidentialitywould have to be broken (reporting child abuse, court orders) under your agency’s policies.Inform survivors <strong>the</strong>ir personal information is <strong>the</strong>irs to control, and it’s <strong>the</strong>ir decision when, howand with whom <strong>the</strong>y will share information.Explain what kinds of records will be kept about <strong>the</strong> survivors, who has access to <strong>the</strong>m, howinformation is reported and how records are maintained and protected.If survivors would like for you to disclose information about <strong>the</strong>m, you should talk with survivorsabout <strong>the</strong> specific information to be disclosed, how <strong>the</strong> information will be shared, and <strong>the</strong> risksof disclosing any information. If your program is funded by <strong>the</strong> Health and Human ServicesCommission, this conversation should take place before survivors sign consent for Release ofInformation (ROI). All ROIs are statutorily required to be time-limited and specific to <strong>the</strong> agencyreceiving <strong>the</strong> information.THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE: AN INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCATING FOR SURVIVORS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE21 | P a g e
Page 2 and 3: Table of ContentsIntroduction: Hist
Page 4 and 5: provide a unified statewide presenc
Page 6 and 7: The Family Violence Prevention and
Page 8 and 9: The chapters that follow will provi
Page 10 and 11: Understanding the
Page 12: Leaving an Abusive RelationshipTher
Page 15 and 16: Helps Plan for Future Safety Helps
Page 17 and 18: What is Active Listening?Active Lis
Page 19: Focus on SafetySurvivors of family
Page 23 and 24: Would the informat
Page 25 and 26: Victims who witness the</st
Page 27 and 28: Temporary Ex Parte Protective Order
Page 29 and 30: Here is an overview of some of <str
Page 32 and 33: Family Law CasesFamily Law Cases ar
Page 34 and 35: A common way abusers instill fear i
Page 36 and 37: An Advocate’s Role…AssessExplor
Page 38 and 39: Pregnant women not eligible for Med
Page 40 and 41: Texas Advocacy Gui
Page 42 and 43: GuardianshipIn some cases, an adult
Page 44 and 45: Resources to AssessQuestions to Ask
Page 46 and 47: VAWA protections (VAWA)VAWA require
Page 48 and 49: These protections fall into a few d
Page 50 and 51: housing and homeless issues in <str
Page 52 and 53: Individuals respond to traumatic ev
Page 54 and 55: Relocation Rental AssistanceRelocat
Page 56 and 57: Law Enforcement & Legal Services•
Page 58 and 59: Chapter 8: Coordination of Communit
Page 60 and 61: The end result of a well-maintained
Page 62 and 63: The success of offenders in a BIPP
Page 64 and 65: Finding SupportSince the</s
Page 66 and 67: Economic Justice ResourcesNational

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