Family 
Law 
Survival 
Kit: 


Tipping 
the 
scales 
in 
favor 
of 
DV 
survivors 
who have mental 
health concerns 


Alison 
Iser 


Project 
Manager, 
Domes1c 
Violence 
and 
Mental 
Health 
Collabora1on 
Project 
Coali1on 
Ending 
Gender-Based 
Violence 


Judy 
Lin 


Senior 
Managing 
A@orney 
Family 
Law 
Pro 
Bono 
Programs 
King 
County 
Bar 
Founda1on 


Susie 
Winston 



Director 
of 
Child 
and 
Family 
Services 
Sound 
Mental 
Health 



Nov. 1, 2016 



The 
DomesDc 
Violence 
and 
Mental 


Health CollaboraDon Project 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Please post 
your answers in 
the chat 
box 



How 
are 
survivors’ 
mental 
health 
symptoms 
used 
against 
them 
in 
protec7on 
order 
and 
family 
law 
cases? 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



DOMESTIC 
VIOLENCE 
/ COERCIVE 
CONTROL 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Mental 
Health 
Coercion 
Survey 
Results 


Gasligh1ng 


Called 
"crazy" 


86% 
74% 
Threatened 
to 
report 
"craziness" 
to 
authori1es 


Sought 
MH 
support 


53% 
50% 
From 
The 
Na1onal 
Center 


on Domes1c Violence, 
0% 
20% 
40% 
60% 
80% 
100% 
Trauma 
& 
Mental 
Health 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



DV, 
Safety 
& 
Mental 
Health 


Improves 
Improves 
Safety 
MHSafety Worsens 
MHWorsens
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Family 
Law 
Toolkits 


ToolsAdvocatesMHProviders A\orneys
Survivors 
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Accessing 
the 
Toolkits 


1. 
Goto 
our 
website 
www.endgv.org 


2. 
Select 
Projects 
& Tools 
3. 
Select 
Domes1c 
Violence 
& 
Mental 
Health 
Collabora1on 
Project 



4. 
Scroll down for 
links 
to 
Toolkits 
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



DV/MH Collabora1onProject DV/MH Collabora1onProject 

Financial 
Resources 
Template 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Please post 
your answers in 
the chat 
box 



What 
barriers 
do 
DV 
survivors 
who 
have 
mental 
health 
concerns 
face 
when 
involved 
in 
protec7on 
order 
or 
family 
law 
cases? 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Survivor 
Tools 
for 
Accessibility 


Language& 
DisabilityAccessImmigraDon 
FAQsWords Ma:erourglossary 
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Language 
& 
Disability 
Access 
Tool 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



ImmigraDon 
FAQ’s 
Tool 


I wassoafraidtodoanythingorgoanywherebecausemyhusbandkept tellingmethat I was“illegal”anddidnot haveanyrights.Hewouldtellmethat ifI calledthepoliceI wouldget arrestedanddeported.Hetoldmethat ifI triedtoleavehim,I wouldlosemychildrenbecauseI was“illegal.”AEergoingtoadomes7c violenceadvocate,whotalkedtomeabout myrights,gavemeahandout 
andreferredmetotheNorthwest Immigrant RightsProject,I wasabletobreathebeJer,andI didcallthepoliceaEermyhusbandbeat meup.I nowunderstandthat hewasusingmyimmigra7onstatusasatooltomanipulateme.I am nowapermanent legalresident,divorced,andhavefullcustodyofmychildren.
- A domes1c violence survivor
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Words 
Ma:er, our 
project glossary 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Survivor 
Tools for 
Understanding DV/OpDons 


DV DefiniDonsComparisonCourt Orders 
Comparison
DVPO Info
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Court 
Orders Comparison 
Chart 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



DV ProtecDon 
Order Info 
Tool 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Survivor 
Tools 
Regarding 
Custody 


ParenDng 
ResourcesFamilyLawEvaluaDons 
ParenDng 
Evaluators 
ComparisonFamilyCourtsServices 
Q&A 
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



ParenDng 
Resources 
Tool 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Family 
Law 
EvaluaDons 
Tool 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



ParenDng Evaluators Comparison 
Chart 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Family 
Court 
Services 
Q&A 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Survivor 
Tools for 
Survival 


FinancialResourcesCoping 
SkillsSongs for Surviving 
theFamilyLawProcess 
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Financial 
Resources 
Tool 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Coping 
Skills 
Tool 


DV/MH Collabora1onProject 

Songs 
for 
Surviving 
the 
Family 
Law 
Process 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Survivor 
Tools for 
ConnecDng to Service 
Providers 


MHTreatmentResourcesDVAdvocacyResourcesLegal 
Resources
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Mental 
Health 
Treatment 
Resources 
Tool 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



DV 
Advocacy 
Resources 
Tool 




Legal 
Resources 
Tool 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Please post 
your answers in 
the chat 
box 


What 
do 
service 
providers 
need 
to 
know 
to 
beJer 
meet 
the 
needs 
of DV survivors who have 
mental 
health 
concerns 
& 
are 
involved 
in 
protec7on 
order 
or 
family 
law 
cases? 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Tools 
for 
MH 
Service 
Providers 


DV 
DocumentaDonTips 
Preparing DV 
SurvivorsForCustodyEvaluaDons 
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



DV DocumentaDon 
Tips 
Tool 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Preparing 
DomesDc 
Violence 
Survivors 
for 
Custody 
EvaluaDons 
Guide 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 




Tools 
for 
A\orneys 


Keeping theFocusonDV:
A RelaDveRisksGuideSafety Planning 
with DV Survivors 
Supplement to 
NaDonalA\orneysHandbook 
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Keeping the 
Focus 
on 
DV: 


A 
Rela1ve 
Risks 
Guide 
for 
A@orneys 
Represen1ng 
Survivors 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 




DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Supplement 
to 


Represen7ng 
Domes7c 
Violence 
Survivors 
Who Are 
Experiencing 
Trauma 
and 
Other 
Mental 
Health 
Challenges: 
A 
Handbook 
for AJorneys 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Tools 
for 
Advocates 


To Tell or Not To Tell? 
Deciding Whether toDiscloseMHConcernsinDVPO&FamilyLaw Cases 
WhenProtecDve 
Behaviors 
are Seen 
as Harmful
DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



To Tell 
or 
Not 
to Tell? 


Deciding 
Whether 
to 
Disclose 
Mental 
Health 
Concerns 
in 
Protec1on 
Order 
& 
Family 
Law 
Cases 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 




To Tell 
or 
Not 
To Tell? 


cards 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 




When 
ProtecDve Behaviors are Seen 
as Harmful 


Arguments 
for 


ProtecDve Behaviors 


ProtecDve Behaviors 


Seeking 
a 
Domes1c 
Violence 
Protec1on 
Order 
(DVPO) 
that 
includes 
the 
children 


Contac1ng 
Child 
Protec1ve 
Services 
(CPS) 
and 
making 
a 
child 
abuse 
report 
alleging 
that 
the 
other 
parent 
has 
harmed 
the 
children 


Talking 
to 
the 
child 
about 
their 
safety 


There 
is 
a 
fear 
for 
the 
children’s 
safety 
because 
of 
violence 
or 
a 
threat. 


The 
child 
has 
expressed 
harm 
and 
as 
a 
responsible 
parent 
the 
survivor 
is 
addressing 
the 
concern. 


Survivor 
has 
been 
told 
by 
a 
professional 
(e.g., 
doctor) 
to 
call 
CPS. 


The 
survivor 
wants 
to 
ensure 
that 
the 
child 
is 
aware 
of 
safety 
boundaries 
and 
knows 
how 
to 
get 
help, 
if 
needed. 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Please post 
your answers in 
the chat 
box 



How 
will 
you 
u7lize 
the 
Family 
Law 
Toolkits? 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project 



Thank 
you! 


Learn more 
at 


h@p://endgv.org/projects/domes1c-violencemental-
health-collabora1on-project/ 


(scroll 
down 
for 
toolkits) 


This 
project 
is 
supported 
by 
Grant 
No. 
2014-FW-AX-K010 
awarded 
by 
the 
Office 
on 
Violence 
Against 
Women, 
U.S.
Department 
of 
Jus1ce. 
The 
opinions, 
findings, 
conclusions,
and 
recommenda1ons 
expressed 
in 
this 
workshop 
are 
thoseof 
the 
authors 
and 
do 
not 
necessarily 
reflect 
the 
views 
of 
theDepartment 
of 
Jus1ce, 
Office 
on 
Violence 
Against 
Women. 


DV/MH 
Collabora1on 
Project