the essential guide - Texas Council on Family Violence

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The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, <strong>the</strong> Beginning of <strong>the</strong> National Network to End DomesticViolence and <strong>the</strong> passage of <strong>the</strong> of <strong>the</strong> Violence Against Women ActFrom our experience in <strong>Texas</strong>, we knew howeffective it was to work towards establishingdesignated funding for <strong>the</strong> state domesticviolence coalition within <strong>the</strong> statute supportingfunding for direct services. This led to ouradvocacy to include a similar set-aside forfunding of state-level work at <strong>the</strong> federal level.When <strong>the</strong> Family Violence Prevention andServices Act (FVPSA) was first passed in 1984 weincluded a set-aside of 2.5% of whatever Congress appropriated to <strong>the</strong> U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services Administration for Children and Families to support <strong>the</strong> entire program to specificallyfund state domestic violence coalitions divided equally among all states and territories. There were fiveof us involved in this effort and we got it done in one week! At <strong>the</strong> time of creating <strong>the</strong> set-aside forstate coalition funding in FVPSA only half of <strong>the</strong> STDVCs had established an office to perform state-levelwork and coordination. By <strong>the</strong> time we came toge<strong>the</strong>r to form <strong>the</strong> National Network to End DomesticViolence (NNEDV), almost every state had an office for <strong>the</strong>ir state coalition. As founding Chair of <strong>the</strong>National Network, it was a priority to assist that handful of remaining states to establish coalition officesas well as to begin outreach to <strong>the</strong> territorial and Native Coalitions.In 1989 TCFV advocated for <strong>the</strong> establishment of <strong>the</strong> Battering Interventionand Prevention Project (BIPP) and secured <strong>the</strong> initial allocation of $400,000to provide funding for 14 programs working with men committing violenceagainst family and household members. This was one of <strong>the</strong> first, if not <strong>the</strong>very first, state funding of civilian programs for intervention with offenders.There were some remarkable people involved in this effort including TobyMyers who were directing <strong>the</strong> battering intervention program at Aid toVictims of Domestic Abuse. In addition, national organizations andstakeholders such as Men Stopping Violence, Emerge and Dr. EdwardGondolf advised TCFV in <strong>the</strong> development of <strong>the</strong> legislation and <strong>the</strong> programstandards. Dr. Gondolf and a remarkable TCFV Committee workedcooperatively with <strong>the</strong> <strong>Texas</strong> Department of Criminal Justice, CommunityJustice Assistance Division to devise <strong>the</strong> policies governing <strong>the</strong> BIPP programand set <strong>guide</strong>lines for local programs engaged in battering intervention andprevention. This is also important work for TCFV and will continue to developas we learn more about how to intervene more effectively in family violence.Christina WalshNNEDV led <strong>the</strong> effort to develop <strong>the</strong> Violence Against Women Act (VAWA),initially passed in 1994, with only about a dozen of us writing and workingwith o<strong>the</strong>r national groups, state domestic violence coalitions (SDVC) and Rhonda Gersonstate sexual assault coalitions (SSAC) to get it passed. We got to work closelywith Vice President, <strong>the</strong>n Senator Joe Biden as well as House co-sponsor Senator, <strong>the</strong>n RepresentativeCharles Schumer and Representative Patricia Schroeder to write <strong>the</strong> legislation. One of <strong>the</strong> all-time beststories related to <strong>the</strong> passage of VAWA concerns Representative Jack Brooks of Beaumont, <strong>Texas</strong> whoTHE ESSENTIAL GUIDE: AN INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCATING FOR SURVIVORS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE6 | P a g e
chaired <strong>the</strong> Judiciary Committee in <strong>the</strong> House and whose leadership in passing VAWA was absolutely<strong>essential</strong>. But it can really only be told in person!TCFV was also working closely with Senator Edward Kennedy to draft legislation to provide federalfunding for a national hotline. The original hotline operated by <strong>the</strong> National Coalition Against DomesticViolence and funded by Johnson & Johnson closed when <strong>the</strong>ir funding ran out. With leadership fromRhonda Gerson, Chair of <strong>the</strong> Board of TCFV at that time, TCFV stepped up to reestablish a hotline. One of<strong>the</strong> more exciting last minute developments in <strong>the</strong> passage of VAWA was <strong>the</strong> agreement to amendSenator’s Kennedy’s Hotline legislation onto VAWA and have it pass as well in 1994! Christina Walsh,Communications Director for TCFV <strong>the</strong>n and now for <strong>the</strong> National Center on Domestic and SexualViolence (NCDSV) helped write <strong>the</strong> grant to <strong>the</strong> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services FamilyViolence Prevention and Services to open <strong>the</strong> National Domestic Violence Hotline as a project of TCFV inFebruary, 1996.When VAWA was reauthorized in 2000 and 2005, many more advocates became involved and <strong>the</strong> lastmeeting I attended of The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence in 2010 <strong>the</strong>re wereover 100 groups represented! The most significant advocacy efforts now are being coordinated by <strong>the</strong>Campaign for Full Funding to End Sexual and Domestic Violence in which <strong>the</strong> NCDSV <strong>the</strong> NationalDomestic Violence Hotline andmany more are involved. TheNational Task Force to End Sexualand Domestic Violence has begun<strong>the</strong> drafting of VAWA in 2011 toensure reauthorization of thiscritical national program.Today, after 33 years, TCFV has made significantcontributions to <strong>the</strong> movement to end violence againstwomen in <strong>Texas</strong>, <strong>the</strong> United States and around <strong>the</strong>world. There is a very rich history beyond this quicksketch, but it begins to explain how <strong>the</strong> organizationbegan and some highlights in its development. As youlearn more you’ll want to know more. TCFV Board, Staffand Members will welcome your questions and chancesto talk with you in greater detail.Yokosuka Japan: Shelter Director, Translator and TuckerTHE ESSENTIAL GUIDE: AN INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCATING FOR SURVIVORS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE7 | P a g e
Page 2 and 3: Table of ContentsIntroduction: Hist
Page 4 and 5: provide a unified statewide presenc
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 and 20: Focus on SafetySurvivors of family
Page 21 and 22: Safety PlanningAs advocates, we nee
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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