Strategies and Tools for Serving 
Survivors with Intellectual and 
Developmental Disabilities: A 
Webinar for I/DD Service Providers 

September 17, 2019 



Why Do Work at the 
Intersection? 

Leigh Ann Davis 
Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives 
The Arc of the United States 



Alarming statistics 

• Violent crime (rape/sexual assault, robbery, 
and aggravated assault) for persons with 
disabilities (12.7 per 1,000) 
• More than three times the rate for persons 
without disabilities (4.0 per 1,000) 
• Persons with cognitive disabilities had the 
highest rates (57.9 per 1,000) 

Alarming statistics (2) 

• People with intellectual and developmental 
disabilities (I/DD) are 7 times more likely to 
experience sexual assault 
• 49% of people with developmental 
disabilities were assaulted 10 or more times. 

Relationship to offender 


Acquaintance 
Intimate partner 66% 
Other relative 

Stranger 

34% 


Unknown 



Challenges for people with I/DD 

• Bias / stereotypes about people with I/DD 
• Lack of general education about victimization and 
sex education for both adults and youth with I/DD 
in special education 
• Accessibility of sexual health materials created for 
general population, as well as prevention of all 
types of victimization 

Challenges for I/DD service 
providers in addressing violence 

• Victim service providers don’t know about 
the issue, or understand how critical it is, or 
how to connect to disability organizations 
• Different cultures and/or terminology than 
anti-violence organizations 
• Lack of opportunity to work together, co-
train, and learn from each other 
• Few funding streams or opportunities 

A Potential Solution: Introducing 
the Disability Grant Program 

Ashley Brompton 
Center on Victimization and Safety 
Vera Institute of Justice 



The Disability Grant Program 

OVW’s Training and Services to End Violence 
Against Women with Disabilities Grant 
Program 

The purpose of the Disability Grant program is to 
create permanent changes within and among the 
organizations – working in collaborations – that result 
in more accessible, safe, and effective services for 
survivors with disabilities and Deaf survivors. 



About the Grant Program 

• 3 year cooperative agreement 
• Multidisciplinary team structure 
• At least one DV/SA organization and at least one 
disability organization partner to create true 
collaboration 

Goal: Collaboration for sustainable 
organizational change 

• Emphasis on sustainable, internal organizational 
change 
• Policies and procedures 
• Safety and access within partner agencies 
• Staff capacity building 
• Shared vision amongst partner agencies for long 
term service provision in your community 

Benefits of the Grant Program 

• Opportunity to start conversations and relationship 
building at this intersection 
• Shared understanding of the complexities at the 
intersection 
• Bring lessons learned to other chapters of The 
Arc and other community partners 
• Opportunity to have an intentional planning process 

What you can accomplish in the 
Grant Program 

• Increased staff capacity to work with survivors with 
I/DD 
• Increased accessibility and safety 
• Increased capacity of anti-violence organizations 
understand I/DD, while increasing capacity to 
address DV and/or SA 
• More seamless service provision for survivors with 
I/DD 
• Innovative solutions for serving survivors with I/DD 

Solutions and resources from the 
Grant Program 

• Staff training and cross-training; 
• Policies to address mandatory reporting, 
guardianship, accommodations, and other issues for 
survivors with I/DD; 
• Plain language outreach materials; 
• Cognitively accessible tools such as an illustrated 
power and control wheel; 
• Safety and access reviews and barrier removal plans 

Grantees Share Their 
Perspectives, Work, and 
Resources 



Question 1 

What motivated you to begin work at this 
intersection? 



Question 2 

What benefits are there to working with a 
sexual assault organization? 



Question 3 

What can sexual assault and domestic violence 
organizations gain from working with I/DD 
service providers? 



Question 4 

What opportunities has the Grant Program 
provided your collaborations that you would 
not have otherwise had? 



Question 5 

What have your agencies gained from your 
work in the Disability Grant Program? 



Question 6 

How have services for survivors with I/DD 
improved since your work in the Grant 
Program? How do you anticipate them 
improving moving forward? 



Question 7 

What word of advice do you have for I/DD 
service providers looking to do work at the 
intersection? 



Twin Cities, Minnesota 

Georgann Rumsey, The Arc Minnesota 
Amy Daher-Waller, Sexual Violence Center 



Who we are 


AccessingSafety inHennepin 
County 
(ASHC) 
Mission: 

• Improve how we help victim/survivors with IDD 
• Provide help that respects and empowers victim/survivors with 
IDD 
• Support victim/survivors with IDD get the skills and resources 
they need to heal 
VISION: 

• Create best possible services for victim/survivors with IDD 
VALUES: 

• Everyone has the right to be fully included in the community & 
feel safe 

Self-advocates 

Self advocates guide our work. 


WHAT IS A SELF-ADVOCATE? 

•They act or speak for themselves or other people with 
IDD 
•They have a voice in everything that affects their lives 
“Nothing about us, without us.” 



Self-advocates (2) 


HOW DOES ASHC SUPPORT SELF-ADVOCATES? 

•Include Self-Advocates on our teams 
•Make sure materials, meeting locations, and 
conversations are accessible 
•Encourage and use their input and life experiences – 
they are the experts 



Gaps we discovered 


We conducted focus groups early in our work together 
to identify gaps in how our agencies were serving 
survivors with I/DD. 

We were able to outline the needs of self-advocates, 
victim-survivors, and parents/guardians. 

These needs and interests are what have guided our 
work together. 



Focus group findings (1) 


SELF-ADVOCATES’ 
NEEDS: 

• A place that is 
welcoming and easy 
to find 
• Let me speak for 
myself 
• Treat me as an equal 
• Ask me what I need 
• Staff who are friendly 
and experts 
• Person-centered 
planning 
On left: ‘Help, no 
get in’ (the 
participant) 
On right: ‘We 
don’t want you 
over there’ (party 
goers) 


Question “When you 
go somewhere for 
services and someone 
really understands you 
and your disability, 
what is that like?” 

“It’s like hugging 
chocolate!” 



Focus group findings (2) 

VICTIM/SURVIVORS’ NEEDS: 

• Post Safe Place signage 
• Staff skilled to talk about 
sensitive and uncomfortable 
topics 
• Drop-in support groups 
• Help with transportation 
• Self-expression therapies “The first few 
words that are 
said are more 
important than 
anything else.” 


“It’s the first 
place (SVC) I’ve 
come to in a 
professional 
setting where 
people actually 
gave a damn.” 



Focus group findings (3) 


PARENTS/GUARDIANS’ NEEDS: 

• Staff need to be patient and be 
good listeners “All of their growth 
• Understand diversity 
and healing comes 

• Promote self-advocacy 
from them being 

• Continuity of staff so there is 
able to say things in 

one contact person 

• Resources that are easy to find their own words. 
and understand 
Don’t advocate for 
but advocate with.” 



Current work 

1. Continue to build access and safety 
2. Build our capacity with trainings 
3. Develop and/or revise policies and procedures 
4. Create a picture guide to explain mandated 
reporting 
5. Create a support group for victim/survivors with IDD 
6. Complete Law Enforcement Environmental Scan 
7. Continue outreach to parents, adults with IDD and 
direct support professionals 

Resources and tools for serving 
survivors with I/DD we have 
developed 



Sexual assault exam picture guide 


Thank you to Illinois Imagines 

• This picture guide helps 
victims/survivors with intellectual 
and/or developmental disabilities 
(I/DD) understand what happens 
during a sexual assault exam 
• Sexual Violence Center’s (SVC) 
medical advocates use the guides 
and they are currently used by sexual 
assault nurses at seven hospitals 
• SVC’s medical advocates are trained 
to use this guide 

Trainings 



Policies and procedures 


Goal: 

Develop policies and procedures at the Arc and the 
Sexual Violence Center for people with intellectual 
and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) that 
increase their safety, confidence, comfort and 

empowerment. 

How: 


1. What is The Arc’s role in supporting people with 
I/DD and mandated reporting? 
2. What is the SVC’s role in supporting people with 
I/DD who have a guardian? 

Bristol County, Massachusetts 

Jennifer Adams, The Arc of Bristol County 
Erin Basler, New Hope 



What we have seen in Bristol 
County 

We Know: 

• Abuse rates are high 
• Professionals don’t feel prepared to work at this 
intersection 
• In MA a survey found two ( 2 ) licensed mental health 
providers who felt competent working at the 
intersection of trauma & IDD 
• Training around safety focuses on practical safety skills. 
• Training about sexuality, healthy relationships, and 
consent are critical for recognizing and reporting abuse 
and assault. 

What we have seen -emPower BC 

What we are doing 

• Mandated Reporting 
• Sexual Assault Response 
• Access and Accommodations @ New Hope 
• Trauma-Informed Practice @ The Arc 
• Information, Training, & Resources for ALL! 

Mandated reporting 

What we plan to do: 

• Short Term -Agency policy that supports Empowerment 
• Long-Term -Conversations and Coalition Building to share 
what we learn with other Mandated Reporters in MA 
• Rationale -People with IDD deserve to make decisions 
about how and when to report -just like people without 
disabilities. Our priority is balancing physical safety, 
emotional safety, and legal requirements. 
Why working together is important 

• The Arc and New Hope are both dedicated to increasing 
autonomy in the Mandated Reporting process 
• Changing the culture of protection in reporting requires ALL 
those who are mandated reporters to operate in the same 
way. 

Sexual assault response 

What we plan to do: 

• Short Term -Sexual Assault Response Protocol 
• Long-Term -Interagency Team 
• Rationale -Written procedures increase comfort during 
a crisis. The Team provides an opportunity for ongoing 
conversation and evaluation. 
Why working together is important 

• Each agency has important perspectives on the issue 
• Based on MA systems, someone supported by the Arc 
is assaulted will likely interact with New Hope services. 
Collaboration streamlines that involvement. 

Staff training and resources 

What we plan to do: 

• Short Term -TIC Training, Access Training, 
Develop Written Guides and Resources, Help 
Cards 
• Long-Term -Culture Change, Evaluation 
• Rationale -People asked for more information. 
We need to provide education around policy and 
procedure changes. 
Why working together is important 

• Varied Experience 
• Pooled Resources 

Questions 



Thank you! 

Please complete this brief survey about your 
experience. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P3GVGCJ