July 15, 2021
Restoring Ourselves In-Person Gathering for Advocates and Executive Directors
Please join the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and Vanessa Timmons, Executive Director of the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, for a convening for program advocates to come together in person to explore the lessons, gifts and grief of this moment and engage in restorative healing practices that they can use for themselves and to create healing spaces for survivors.
Since March of 2020 we have been on a collective journey of deep change, which at times has felt overwhelming. But what we know about change is that it is also a fertile time, allowing us to heal, practice our unique wholeness and build collective and personal resiliency. You are invited to join us for Restoring Ourselves, where we will gather to explore the lessons, gifts, and grief of this moment and engage in restorative healing practices, both for ourselves and to learn practices to engage in with survivors. We will learn deep listening tools, healing storytelling, journal writing techniques, and explore the healing power of community. Together we can transform our grief into medicine for change. We look forward to sharing these practices with you!
Vanessa Timmons has been a writer, activist, and women’s health advocate for over 25 years. She is trained in the Interpersonal Neurobiology of Trauma through Portland State University. Vanessa has served as the Director of Programs at Raphael House of Portland, a Northwest regional field organizer for the National Organization for Women, and the domestic violence program coordinator for the Multnomah County Domestic Violence Coordination Office.
The Idaho Coalition will cover travel costs for those of you travelling more than 30 miles on way. Please contact Kailey if you have any questions.
Register here
The Child Tax Credit will help so many families begin to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic. The American Rescue Plan Act is projected to cut child poverty in 1/2 & build racial equity, and the 1-yr expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) accounts for the vast majority of its poverty-fighting power. Visit Momsrising.org’s Child Tax Credit info page for more information about how you can help survivors find out if they qualify.
As an advocate I have had so many experiences with families in shelter who were dealing with the difficulties of leaving the violence in their homes and adjusting to their new lives in shelter. We all know that when a survivor decides to leave their home with their children, they are opening a door to their lives that is sometimes hard to close. Many will begin to plan what their new lives are going to look like and what it will be like to support their families on their own. This usually means agency after agency and case manager after case manager asking for private details about their lives. Some of the agencies may be new to them or some they may have existing relationships with already. Many of these agencies will not understand the intricacies of domestic violence and may assume because there was violence in the home that a child abuse and neglect report should be made.
Advocates understand that the presence of domestic violence does not always mean a child has experienced abuse or neglect in the home. Since everyone in Idaho is a mandatory reporter there could come a time when you are presented with the impossible decision of having to make a report. How do you know when you need to make that call? How do you make that decision without causing more harm?
Futures Without Violence has created a resource that can help advocates reduce the harm that may be caused by filing a report while also considering the safety and children and adults. This report was created to be a guide for advocates to review before making a report. It has questions to consider before, during, and after filing a child abuse report and steps to prevent and address bias in program reporting policies and procedures.
Here are some questions from the guide to consider when making a decision to report:
Here are some steps to take to prevent and address bias in reporting:
Please visit Futures Without Violence’s website to download the guide for more information. And as always, if you have questions about Idaho’s laws regarding mandatory reporting, please contact Annie Hightower.
Kailey Carter-Zitterkopf
kailey@engagingvoices.org
Three Things to reach out to me for:
2021 National Sexual Assault Conference| August 4-6, 2021
ValorUS (formerly CALCASA) is proud to host the 2021 National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) as a virtual conference. The National Sexual Assault Conference is a three-day conference providing advanced training opportunities for activists, advocates and other professionals working to prevent sexual violence, provide critical intervention services and support those who have experienced sexual violence. With the issue of sexual assault garnering more attention than ever before in the last 40 years, this conference takes place at a time when it is necessary to highlight the solutions toward ending sexual violence.
This year’s conference theme, “Advancing Equity. Ending Sexual Violence”, will focus on providing cutting-edge information, effective and relevant practices, and content that incorporates culturally appropriate programs and services to underserved communities to change the conditions that promote sexual violence. All workshops and tracks are designed to support our collective movement to end sexual violence. Register here.
Advocate Training COVID Series Book Discussion
Wednesday, September 1, 2021| 12:00 pm-1:30 pm MT
The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence invites you to a collective reading opportunity throughout the summer and continue the Advocate Training series with a book discussion in September. The survey results are in and the book that was chosen for discussion is, What Happened to You by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. Zoom links for the discussion will be sent soon!
Email any questions to Kailey at kailey@engagingvoices.org
Restoring Ourselves In-Person Gathering for Domestic Violence Advocates and Executive Directors
September 15-16, 2021
A convening for program advocates to come together in person to explore the lessons, gifts, and grief of this moment and engage in restorative healing practices that they can use for themselves and to create healing spaces for survivors. More info above. Register here
MMIW/P- The Next Steps
October 13-14, 2021
Please save this important date on your calendar for an in-person conference. Professionals from several different organizations and jurisdictions will come together to create a plan addressing the next steps of MMIW/P. Open to all agencies, advocates, and educators. For more info please email blasarte@cdatribe-nsn.gov.
*** ALL material orders are currently on hold, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. ***
Reminder that shipping for all material orders made by Programs on the Idaho Coalition website store is FREE of cost, please use the below coupon for all orders.
Visit the online store to view current Idaho Coalition materials available for order. For store questions, please contact Amy York.
Membership
