Idaho Change Initiative Transforming Our Work Strengths and Needs Assessment Plan A Collaboration between the Idaho Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Idaho State Independent Living Council 9/6/2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 4 Vision Statement 7 Mission Statement 8 Project Goals for Needs Assessment 8 Participant Selection Strategies 8 Idaho Coalition Executive Director and SILC Executive Director 9 Idaho Coalition Program Managers 9 Idaho Coalition Program Specialists and Program Assistant, and SILC Program Managers 9 Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living 10 Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities 12 Overview of Methods 13 Interviews 13 Surveys 15 Focus Groups 15 Recruitment 20 Idaho Coalition and SILC 20 Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs 20 Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities 21 Work Plan 22 Appendix A: Idaho Change Initiative Information Sheet 24 Appendix B: Invitation to Participate 30 Idaho Coalition and State Independent Living Council Staff Members 30 Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs 32 Domestic and Sexual Violence Program and CIL Staff Members 34 Domestic and Sexual Violence Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities 36 Appendix C: RSVP 37 RSVP Focus Group Form 37 Assurances 39 Domestic and Sexual Violence Waiver 41 Appendix D: Interview Questions 43 Idaho Coalition Executive Director 43 SILC Executive Director Interview 45 Appendix E: Idaho Coalition and SILC Staff Surveys 51 Idaho Coalition and SILC Staff Surveys 51 Appendix F: Focus Group Questions 54 Idaho Coalition Program Managers Focus Group 54 Idaho Coalition Program Specialists and Program Assistant/SILC Program Managers 56 Domestic and Sexual Violence Program Staff Focus Groups 58 Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities Focus Groups 62 Appendix G: Facilitator’s Script for Interviews 63 Idaho Coalition Executive Director 63 SILC Executive Director 66 Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs 69 Executive Directors of Center for Independent Living 72 Appendix H: Facilitator’s Script for Focus Groups 75 Idaho Coalition Program Managers: 75 Idaho Coalition Program Specialists, Program Assistant, SILC Program Managers: 78 Domestic and Sexual Violence Program Staff 81 Center for Independent Living Staff 84 Survivors and Individuals With Disabilities Focus Groups 87 Appendix I: Focus Group Debriefing Form 89 Appendix J: Definitions 91 Appendix K: Resources 95 Appendix L: Participant Charts 96 “This project was supported by Grant No. 2011-FW-AX-K002 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice.  The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.” Introduction History of Effectiveness of Collective Impact Between 2002 and 2005, the Intermountain Fair Housing Council, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, filed at least four fair housing complaints against Idaho domestic and sexual violence programs with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Fair Housing. Many of Idaho’s twenty-six domestic and sexual violence programs were both physically and programmatically inaccessible and likely in violation of the Fair Housing Act as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act. Several of the domestic and sexual violence programs were physically inaccessible. Many of the domestic and sexual violence programs were programmatically inaccessible, including but not limited to program staff requesting confidential information related to disabilities during the intake process, disallowing emotional support animals in a shelter setting and requiring that individuals seeking services turn over their medications for distribution by program staff. In January 2006, the State Independent Living Council and the Idaho Coalition worked together to apply for the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women Educational and Technical Assistance Grant to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities. Until that time, there was no formal collaborative relationship between the Idaho Coalition and the State Independent Living Council or between the twenty-six domestic and sexual violence programs and three regional Centers for Independent Living. In October 2006, the State Independent Living Council received a three-year cooperative agreement to examine and propose changes to the systems responding to women with disabilities who experience domestic and sexual violence. The Idaho Coalition and Boise State University Gender Studies Program were partners on the collaborative agreement. Together, these three organizations formed the Idaho Equal Access Collaborative (IEAC). The mission of the IEAC was to promote attitudinal and systemic change to achieve equal access to services for all women with disabilities who are seeking safety and protection from sexual assault and/or domestic violence through the collaborative efforts of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Disability organizations. It was the vision of the Idaho Equal Access Collaborative (IEAC) that any victim, regardless of ability, has equal access to the comprehensive services the individual chooses, no matter where the individual accesses the integrated network of service. Through the IEAC, three communities were selected from within different regions of a rural state in the Intermountain West. Each community was a mid-sized, predominantly rural city or town, and each community had a community-based domestic violence/sexual assault service program and a disability service provider. Communities were chosen based on factors such as preexisting relationships and/or collaborative work between these providers; service providers’ stated willingness to work with one another to create attitudinal and systemic change within their own organizations as well as across organizational boundaries; and community demographics. During the three year initiative, the IEAC focused on building a collaborative partnership between the two state-level organizations as well as between the domestic and sexual violence program and disability advocacy provider in the three communities. The IEAC engaged in developing a Collaboration Charter, Strengths and Needs Assessment and Report, and Strategic Plan. Summary of 2007 to 2010 The IEAC fostered collaboration between the three domestic and sexual violence programs and the three Centers for Independent Living through facilitation of meetings between organizations and cross trainings in each community. The IEAC efforts successfully increased knowledge of both domestic and sexual violence programs and the Centers for Independent Living and increased meaningful referrals between the organizations and the collaborative problem-solving when an individual with a disability who was impacted by domestic or sexual violence sought assistance from a domestic and sexual violence program or Center for Independent Living. Current Initiative In October 2011, the Idaho Coalition was awarded the current OVW collaborative agreement, with the intention of collaborating with the State Independent Living Council and replicating the efforts of the IEAC in one to two new pilot sites. In December 2011, seven fair housing complaints were filed against Idaho domestic and sexual violence programs by the Intermountain Fair Housing Council with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Housing Administration. The Idaho Coalition was included as a respondent in the administrative complaints based on disability. The complaint alleged that seven domestic and sexual violence programs violated the Fair Housing Act by denying shelter to a victim of domestic or sexual violence who requested to have an emotional support animal. Each of the complaints was based on a “test” (a valid approach under the FHA) by the Intermountain Fair Housing Council who called on behalf of a niece who had a disability. The complaints were filed by the Intermountain Fair Housing Council. The complaints did not specifically state why the Idaho Coalition was also named as a respondent. The Idaho Coalition does provide OVW funds to three of the programs as sub-recipients under OVW Legal Assistance, Rural grants and/or SASP funding, but none for housing. Ultimately, the Idaho Coalition was dismissed as a respondent. One of the seven domestic and sexual violence programs had been a pilot site in the initial grant, which triggered an internal inquiry as to the effectiveness of the IEAC’s efforts to increase accessibility. The fair housing complaints demonstrated that the IEAC was not effective in creating long-term organizational behavior change in one of the pilot sites, and that the Idaho Coalition was not effective in creating the desired organizational behavior change or social through their traditional training approaches. Additionally, the Idaho Coalition had noted other internal organizational practices to indicate that organizational change had not occurred within their own organization. For example, two staff members traveled to Seattle and selected a hotel for OVW sponsored training in Seattle that was not accessible; participants for some of the trainings sponsored by the Idaho Coalition were not asked about any need for accommodation; and only 9 of the 15 grant applications and contracts have budgeted line items for accessibility. Assessment of Effectiveness The IEAC did not achieve sustainable organizational behavior change as demonstrated by the filing of the fair housing complaints after the initial grant, and most importantly did not change the organizational behavior and culture of the Idaho Coalition and SILC to ensure that we were working effectively at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. The three primary reasons for the inability to sustain organizational behavior change of the Idaho Coalition and the SILC are as follows: 1. IEAC focused on changing attitudes toward individuals with disabilities who were impacted by violence and increasing knowledge and collaboration between three domestic and sexual violence programs and Centers for Independent Living. While the collaboration between the domestic and sexual violence programs and the Centers for Independent Living resulted in increased safe and accessible services, we now know from recent research that the focus on attitudinal change or the increase in knowledge does not result in organizational behavior or social change. 2. IEAC’s Strategic Plan was well-thought out based on the information of the collaborative at that time, but was not based on strong theory of social change and a conceptualized framework based on social change research; and 3. IEAC focused outward on the three pilot sites rather than inward on the Idaho Coalition and SILC to ensure our organizational cultures work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. Understanding Oppression and Working at the Intersection of Gender-based Violence and Ability-loss/Disability By focusing on our own organizational cultures, we can deconstruct privilege and oppression, and better understand how our organizational culture interacts with the restrictions of inequality and how the often-invisible system of privilege and oppression shapes our work. We need to create environments that are more than safe and accessible, more than the temporary suppression of organizational behaviors intrinsic to systems of oppression. We will explore the interpersonal and organizational culture layers of oppression based on gender and ability-loss/disability. How do we participate in unconsciously in systematic oppression that discriminates and de-humanizes? How can we use conflicts as opportunities to more clearly understand the system that affects us? How do we support each other’s skill development? The first phase of the current grant was the planning phase. During the planning phase, the Idaho Coalition and SILC worked collaboratively to rename the project the Idaho Change Initiative (ICI) and to develop a Collaboration Charter. The Collaboration Charter defines our guiding principles, mission and vision statement, as well as guiding our conduct on the grant. As part of the planning phase, the ICI will conduct strengths and needs assessment of each of their organizational capacity to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. Using the results of the Strengths and Needs Assessment the ICI will be able to develop the strategic plan outlining the activities for the third year of the grant, which is the implementation phase. Vision Statement Individuals with disabilities will have full accessibility to programs and services related to domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. Built on a foundation of compassion and self-determination, Idaho programs and services will be trauma-informed, safe and accessible. Mission Statement The Idaho Change Initiative embraces an organizational culture and behavior that reflects the importance of working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. We will work collaboratively to ensure: * shared knowledge, attitude and values; * organizational behavior change that creates and fosters social and emotional well-being, trauma-informed, safe and accessible services for individuals with disabilities who may be or have been impacted by domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence Project Goals for Needs Assessment Assess the readiness of the Idaho Coalition, SILC, member programs, and CILs to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability by: 1. Examining within each organization, our internal attitudes, culture, policies and practices as related to the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 2. Evaluating our effectiveness in building the internal capacity1 of our organizations in creating positive social change on our shared knowledge, attitude and values on the intersection of gender-based violence and disability; 3. Identifying the strengths and challenges in our existing efforts to build the capacity of our domestic and sexual violence programs/CILs to work effectively at the intersection or gender-based violence and disability. Participant Selection Strategies (see Appendix L) The ICI determined that in order to assess our internal capacity to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disabilities that would be important to speak not only with our staff, but also with the Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs, as well as survivors. The ICI will contract with a facilitator/interviewer with recent knowledge and experience working on the OVW Disability grant project, a note taker, and a support person to facilitate interviews and focus groups of the Idaho Coalition and SILC staff, and collect Likert scale surveys from staff of collaboration partners. Collaboration partners will facilitate interviews and focus groups of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs, CILs and survivors. Idaho Coalition Executive Director and SILC Executive Director Invitations to participate (Appendix B) will be sent to the Executive Directors of both organizations. They will meet individually with contracted facilitator and note taker to complete interviews. Interviews will be conducted in an accessible, off-site location in order to avoid interruptions that might occur if held in their offices. Additionally, all will be asked to complete surveys (based on Likert scales, to assist with measuring impact of the grant pre-implementation and post-implementation) which will be sent via survey monkey. Results of surveys will go to the contracted facilitator/interviewer. It was decided that all interviews and focus groups of Idaho Coalition and SILC staff would be mandatory in order to demonstrate the importance of the project and working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. Idaho Coalition Program Managers Invitations to participate (Appendix B) will be sent to all Program Managers informing them of the date, time, and location of the focus group that will be facilitated by contracted facilitator and note taker. Program managers are responsible for the oversight, facilitation and evaluation of all Idaho Coalition initiatives. Focus group will be conducted in an accessible, off-site location, in order to avoid interruptions that might occur if held in their offices. A contracted support person will be available during the focus group. Additionally, all will be asked to complete surveys (based on Likert scales, to assist with measuring impact of the grant pre-implementation and post-implementation) which will be sent via survey monkey. Results of surveys will go to the contracted facilitator/interviewer. It was decided that all interviews and focus groups of Idaho Coalition and SILC staff would be mandatory in order to demonstrate the importance of the project and working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. Idaho Coalition Program Specialists and Program Assistant, and SILC Program Managers Invitations to participate (Appendix B) will be sent to all Idaho Coalition Program Specialists and Program Assistant, and SILC Program Managers. They will be given the choice of signing up to participate in one of two focus groups. The groups will not be larger than five participants. The invitation will include the dates, times, and location of the focus groups that will be facilitated by contracted facilitator and note taker. Additionally, all will be asked to complete surveys (based on Likert scales, to assist with measuring impact of the grant pre-implementation and post-implementation) which will be sent via survey monkey. Results of surveys will go to the contracted facilitator/interviewer. Focus group will be conducted in an accessible, off-site location in order to avoid interruptions that might occur if held in their offices. A contracted support person will be available during the focus group. It was decided that all interviews and focus groups of Idaho Coalition and SILC staff would be mandatory in order to demonstrate the importance of the project and working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living The ICI identified the following criteria for selecting community locations to hold focus groups: 1. Number of staff members – Based on the number of staff at most of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs (programs) and Centers for Independent Living (CILs) available to participate in focus groups (many have fewer than four staff); 2. Geography – Due to rural nature of much of Idaho it was decided that it would be important to limit distance needed to travel to get to meeting site location; 3. Regions – We will conduct groups in three areas of the state (Central Idaho, Southwestern Idaho, and Eastern Idaho) where there were 2 - 3 programs and CILs that could be invited to participate to ensure the groups were made up of 6-8 participants each. Executive Director Interviews: The ICI program staff will invite 14 Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and the three CILs to participate in in-person interviews (see Appendix B). The goal is to interview between six and nine EDs of programs and all three CILs. All interviews will be held in a neutral location in order to avoid interruptions that might occur if held in one of their offices. The Executive Directors are located in Central Idaho, Southwest Idaho, and Eastern Idaho where the focus groups will be conducted. For those Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs participating, the Idaho Coalition and the SILC will provide a signed statement with the following assurances: 1. Any information obtained at the focus group cannot be used in future litigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Housing Act, or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act initiated by the Idaho Coalition or SILC and 2. All information will be compiled collectively and not attributed to any one program. The focus group facilitator, note-taker and support person will all be ICI staff. The interviewer and note taker will be ICI staff. Focus Groups: Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs- The ICI determined that focus groups of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs would be held in the following communities, asking each of the invited programs to encourage staff members (see numbers below) to attend at an off-site, neutral location in order to avoid interruptions that might occur if held in one of their offices. For those Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs participating, the Idaho Coalition and the SILC will provide a signed statement with the following assurances: 1. Any information obtained at the focus group cannot be used in future litigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Housing Act, or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act initiated by the Idaho Coalition or SILC and 2. All information will be compiled collectively and not attributed to any one program. The focus group facilitator, note-taker and support person will all be ICI staff. Central Idaho: In order to reach the largest number of participants two focus groups will be held in Central Idaho, one in Lewiston (inviting YWCA and Nez Perce Tribe Women’s Outreach Program) and one in Moscow (inviting the Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse and the Coeur d’Alene Tribal STOP Violence Program). Each of the programs will be invited to each send 3 – 4. See Appendix B. Southwest Idaho: In order to reach the largest number of participants two focus groups will be held in Southwest Idaho, one in Payette (inviting the Rose Advocates, Advocates Against Family Violence, and Gem Family Resource Center) and one in Boise (inviting Valley Crisis Center and Women’s and Children’s Alliance). Each of the programs will be invited to each send 3 – 4 staff members. See Appendix B. Eastern Idaho: In order to reach the largest number of participants two focus groups will be held in Eastern Idaho, one in Rexburg (inviting the Family Crisis Center, Family Safety Network, and the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center) and one in Pocatello (inviting Bingham Crisis Center, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Victims of Crime Assistance Program, Family Services Alliance, and Oneida Crisis Center). Each will each be invited to send 2-3 staff members. See Appendix B. Centers for Independent Living - The ICI determined that focus groups of CILs would be held in the following communities, asking each of the offices invited to encourage up to 3-5 staff members to attend. The focus groups will be held in a neutral, off-site location in order to avoid interruptions that might occur if held in one of their offices. The focus group facilitator, note-taker and support person will all be ICI staff. Central Idaho: In order to reach the largest number of participants the focus group will be held in Moscow, Idaho. The Moscow and Lewiston offices will be invited to send 3-5 staff. See Appendix B. Southwest Idaho: In order to reach the largest number of participants the focus group will be held in Boise, Idaho. The Boise and Caldwell offices will be invited to send 3-5 staff members. See Appendix B. Eastern Idaho: In order to reach the largest number of participants the focus group will be held Pocatello, Idaho. The Blackfoot and Pocatello offices will be invited to send 3-5 staff members. See Appendix B. Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities The ICI determined that focus groups of survivors and individuals with disabilities would be conducted in the same communities of the state where the staff focus groups are being held. The programs and CILs in each of the regions will be encouraged to refer individuals to participate in the focus groups. In order to increase participant’s comfort level, the focus groups will be held at the local program. The focus group facilitator, note-taker and support person will all be ICI staff. Central Idaho: In order to reach the largest number of participants in Central Idaho, focus groups will be held in both Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho. The CILs in Moscow and Lewiston, the YWCA, Nez Perce Tribe Women’s Outreach Program, Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, and the Coeur d’Alene Tribal STOP Violence Program will be encouraged to each invite/recruit 2 – 3 individuals. See Appendix B. Southwest Idaho: In order to reach the largest number of participants in Southwest Idaho, focus groups will be held in Payette and Boise, Idaho. The CILs located in Caldwell and Boise, Idaho, the Rose Advocates, Advocates Against Family Violence, Gem Family Resource Center, Valley Crisis Center, Safe Place Ministries, and Women’s & Children’s Alliance will be encouraged to each invite/recruit 2 - 3 individuals. See Appendix B. Eastern Idaho: In order to reach the largest number of participants in Eastern Idaho, focus groups will be held in both Rexburg and Pocatello, Idaho. The CILs in Idaho Falls and Pocatello, the Family Crisis Center, Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Center, Family Safety Network, Bingham Crisis Center, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Victims of Crime Assistance Program, Lehmi County Crisis-Mahoney House, Oneida Crisis Center, and Family Services Alliance will be encouraged to each invite/recruit 2 – 3 individuals. See Appendix B. Overview of Methods The ICI will be using a mixed methods approach to gathering data for the needs assessment. This will provide the most accurate and beneficial data. In Idaho there has been an influx in the number of Intermountain Fair Housing complaints filed with shelter programs, including domestic and sexual violence shelters. As a result, some programs are reticent about participating in conversations that they fear may result in further complaints being filed. In an effort to engage more programs the ICI will be collecting assurances from the CILs and SILC that the information gathered will be looking at the work of the Idaho Coalition and SILC and how collectively they can provide technical assistance and training in the future to domestic and sexual violence programs and CILs to build their capacity and not be used to file additional complaints. The programs that do agree to participate will be asked to sign a waiver that details the risks and benefits of participation. The ICI will meet with Intermountain Fair Housing to establish trends and look for themes regarding accessibility concerns with domestic violence and sexual assault shelters in Idaho. Interviews Idaho Coalition and SILC Interviews will be conducted with the Executive Director of the Idaho Coalition and the Executive Director of State Independent Living Council. The interviews will provide information on the strengths and needs of their organizations to effect lasting behavioral change within their member programs and CILs that creates and fosters social and emotional well-being, trauma-informed, safe and accessible services for individuals with disabilities who may be or have been impacted by domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. The interviews will be conducted by a contracted facilitator who is familiar with working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disabilities and with the OVW project. The interviews will each last one to two hours. The contracted individual will also serve as the facilitator for all Idaho Coalition and SILC staff focus groups and will collect staff surveys. The ICI will also contract with a note-taker who has experience facilitating and documenting focus groups. (See roles below). Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living Interviews conducted with the Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living will provide information on the strengths and needs in the areas of technical assistance and training provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to provide lasting behavior change within their organizations that creates and fosters social and emotional well-being, trauma-informed, safe and accessible services for individuals with disabilities who may be or have been impacted by domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. Executive Directors from Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs located in Eastern Idaho, Southwest Idaho and Central Idaho will all be invited to participate. For those Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs participating, the Idaho Coalition and the SILC will provide a signed statement with the following assurances: 1) any information obtained at the focus group cannot be used in future litigation under the American with Disabilities Act, Fair Housing Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act initiated by the Idaho Coalition or SILC and 2) all information will be compiled collectively and not attributed to any one program. The interviews will be conducted by a collaboration partner and will last one hour. Another collaboration partner will serve as the note-taker. (See roles below). The collaborative is inviting the ED’s of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs in each of the three regions (Eastern, Central and Southwestern Idaho) to participate in interviews to meet the needs assessment goals. They will still be invited to have their staff participate. EDs of the following programs/organizations as well as the Associate Director of the Idaho Coalition will be invited to participate in interviews: * Idaho Coalition * SILC * Advocates Against Family Violence * Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse * Bingham Crisis Center * Coeur d’Alene Tribal STOP Violence Program * Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center * Family Crisis Center * Family Safety Network * Family Services Alliance * Gem Family Resource Center * Lehmi County Crisis-Mahoney House * Nez Perce Tribe Women’s Outreach Program * Oneida Crisis Center * Rose Advocates * Safe Place Ministries * Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Victims of Crime Assistance Program * Valley Crisis Center * Women’s & Children’s Alliance * YWCA - Lewiston * Disability Action Center NW * Living Independence Network Corporation * Living Independently for Everyone Facilitation: Roles of the collaborative members The facilitator will be responsible for: 1. reviewing assurances (Appendix C) 2. reviewing waiver information (Appendix C) 3. obtaining passive consent using the facilitator’s script (See Appendix D); 4. confirming that all accommodation needs have been fulfilled; 5. asking questions designed for the particular audience; 6. providing prompts as necessary; 7. keeping the interview on the topic; and, 8. facilitating the debriefing meeting immediately following each interview with the note taker. The note-taker will be responsible for: 1. writing down all responses; 2. asking for clarification immediately if a response is not understood for recording purposes; and 3. delivering the written notes (typed to assist with reading) to the facilitator within two weeks of the interview. Surveys To assist with outcome measurements, all staff at the Idaho Coalition and SILC will be asked to complete pre and post surveys based on Likert scale in addition to an interview or focus group. Surveys will be sent via Survey Monkey to contracted facilitator to help with the anonymity of individual responses. The staff pre- surveys will be administered before the staff participates in focus group. After implementation staff surveys will be completed again to evaluate effectiveness of capacity building efforts within the Idaho Coalition and SILC. Focus Groups The collaborative has decided to hold focus groups of Idaho Coalition and SILC staff (internal) as well as focus groups with Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs, Centers for Independent Living, survivors and individuals with disabilities (external). All focus groups will last one to two hours. In addition to the facilitator, all will have a note-taker and a support person available. The staff of the Idaho Coalition and SILC will be required to attend the internal focus groups to emphasize the importance of the project, to increase buy-in and to help with planting seeds for those who might not otherwise recognize the importance of working at the intersection. While attendance is mandatory, no one will be forced to participate in answering questions. Staff surveys are also being utilized as a way for staff to express themselves in a more confidential way. The internal focus groups will provide information on the strengths and needs of their organizations to effect lasting behavioral change within their member programs and CILs that creates and fosters social and emotional well-being, trauma-informed, safe and accessible services for individuals with disabilities who may be or have been impacted by domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. Information gathered from the external focus groups, conducted with direct services staff, will provide information on the strengths and needs in the areas of technical assistance and training provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to provide lasting behavior change within their organizations that creates and fosters social and emotional well-being, trauma-informed, safe and accessible services for individuals with disabilities who may be or have been impacted by domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. Participation in external focus groups will be voluntary. Information gathered from survivors will provide the ICI with a key perspective regarding what they need from organizations in order to be accessible, welcoming, feel safe and supported when disclosing their experiences of violence. This information will help guide the ICI in the development of resources, tools and trainings to help support programs and CILs to build their capacity to serve survivors and individuals with disabilities. Internal Focus Groups Each internal focus group will be facilitated by a contracted facilitator, note-taker, and support person. The facilitator will be someone who is familiar with working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disabilities and with the OVW project. The focus groups will each last one to two hours. (See roles below). Facilitation: Roles of the collaborative members The facilitator will be responsible for: 1. reviewing assurances (Appendix C) 2. reviewing waiver information (Appendix C) 3. obtaining passive consent using the facilitator’s script (See Appendix D); 4. confirming that all accommodation needs have been fulfilled; 5. asking questions designed for the particular audience; 6. providing prompts as necessary; 7. keeping the interview on the topic; and 8. facilitating the debriefing meeting immediately following each interview with the note taker, completing Debriefing Form (Appendix I). The note-taker will be responsible for: 1. writing down all responses; 2. asking for clarification immediately if a response is not understood for recording purposes; 3. delivering the written notes (typed to assist with reading) to the collaboration within two weeks of the interview. The support person will be available in a separate room outside of the focus group and will be responsible for: 1. contributing to the provision of a safe and comfortable environment; 2. providing emotional support to focus group participants who might find the nature of the discussion upsetting, and; 3. providing additional support and referrals, as necessary External Focus Groups – Program and CIL Staff The facilitator, note-taker, and support person for external focus groups will be ICI staff (see roles below). The focus groups will last one to two hours and will be held in neutral locations. Leadership of the programs and CILs will identify which staff they wish to invite to participate in the focus groups. The collaboration has selected the following external programs for focus groups: 1. Staff from Central Idaho Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs (Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, Coeur d’Alene Tribal STOP Violence Program, Nez Perce Tribe Women’s Outreach Center, YWCA) 2. Staff from Central Idaho CILs 3. Staff from Southwest Idaho programs (Advocates Against Family Violence, Gem Family Resource Center, Rose Advocates, Valley Crisis Center, Safe Place Ministries, and Women’s and Children’s Alliance) 4. Staff from Southwest Idaho CILs 5. Staff from Eastern Idaho programs (Bingham Crisis Center, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center, Family Crisis Center, Family Safety Network, Family Services Alliance, Lehmi Family Crisis-Mahoney House, Oneida Crisis Center, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Victims of Crime Assistance Program) 6. Staff from Eastern Idaho CILs Facilitation: Roles of the collaborative members The facilitator will be responsible for: 1. Reviewing assurances of collaborative members (See Appendix C); 2. Reviewing waiver (see Appendix C) and obtain passive consent using the facilitator’s script (See Appendix D); 3. confirming that all accommodation needs have been fulfilled; 4. asking questions designed for the particular audience; 5. providing prompts as necessary; 6. keeping the interview on the topic; and, 7. facilitating the debriefing meeting immediately following each interview with the note taker, completing Debriefing Form (Appendix I). The note-taker will be responsible for: 1. writing down all responses; 2. asking for clarification immediately if a response is not understood for recording purposes; 3. delivering the written notes (typed to assist with reading) to the facilitator within two weeks of the interview. The support person will be available in a separate room outside of the focus group and will be responsible for: 1. contributing to the provision of a safe and comfortable environment; 2. providing emotional support to focus group participants who might find the nature of the discussion upsetting, and; 3. providing additional support and referrals, as necessary External Focus Groups – Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities The facilitator, note-taker, and support person for external focus groups for survivors and individuals with disabilities will be ICI staff (see roles below). The focus groups will last one to two hours and will be held in neutral locations. The facilitator will inform that participation is voluntary. Programs and CILs will invite individuals to participate in the focus groups. (See roles below) The collaboration has selected the following communities for the external focus groups with survivors: 1. Lewiston 2. Moscow 3. Payette 4. Boise 5. Rexburg 6. Pocatello Facilitation: Roles of the collaborative members The facilitator will be responsible for: 1. obtaining passive consent using the facilitator’s script (See Appendix D); 2. confirming that all accommodation needs have been fulfilled; 3. asking questions designed for the particular audience; 4. providing prompts as necessary; 5. keeping the interview on the topic; and, 6. facilitating the debriefing meeting immediately following each interview with the note taker, completing Debriefing Form (Appendix I). The note-taker will be responsible for: 1. writing down all responses; 2. asking for clarification immediately if a response is not understood for recording purposes; and, 3. delivering the written notes (typed to assist with reading) to the facilitator within two weeks of the interview. The support person will be available in a separate room outside of the focus group and will be responsible for: 1. contributing to the provision of a safe and comfortable environment; 2. providing emotional support to focus group participants who might find the nature of the discussion upsetting, and; 3. providing additional support and referrals, as necessary Recruitment Idaho Coalition and SILC The Project Director, in conjunction with the Executive Directors of the Idaho Coalition and SILC (both of whom are members of ICI Collaborative) will serve as recruiters for the staff of both organizations and the Executive Committees of the Idaho Coalition Board and SILC Council. The Project Director will work with the contracted facilitator, note taker, and support person to schedule times for interviews and focus groups. The Executive Directors of both the Idaho Coalition and SILC will be required to sign and honor assurances document (see Appendix C) agreeing that information obtained during interviews or focus groups will not be used in future litigation under ADA Act, Fair Housing, or Section 504 Act; that information will be compiled collectively; that focus groups of programs and CILs will be conducted by ICI staff; and that information will be collected and destroyed in accordance with plan (following OVW approval of needs assessment). ICI staff will share with programs and CILs that assurances have been signed and will also review waivers with program/CIL EDs. Executive Directors The Project Director will work with the Executive Directors of the Idaho Coalition and SILC to schedule times for interviews. In order to ensure no interruptions, all interviews will be held in neutral locations. Staff Members of ICI will share information about the project at their respective staff meetings. This will be followed by an email from Project Director with Information Sheet (Appendix A), Invitations to Participate (Appendix B), and Resource Sheet (Appendix K). Idaho Coalition Program Specialists, Program Assistant, and Program Managers with SILC will be instructed to RSVP with the Project Director their first and second choice of times with the Project Director. To ensure that groups are balanced in numbers the Project Director may ask a participant to attend group they indicated was their second choice. The Project Director will work with the Idaho Coalition Program Managers to find a time they will all be able to participate in an off-site focus group. Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs Recruitment packages will be sent via email to the Executive Directors of each of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs in each of the regions that the ICI will be visiting. The recruitment packages will include Information Sheet (Appendix A), Invitations to Participate (Appendix B); RSVP Form and copies of assurances and waiver (Appendix C); and Resources Sheet (Appendix K). Within a week of sending the Recruitment package a member of the ICI will contact each of the Executive Directors to answer any questions; discuss benefits and for their program and survivors and individuals with disabilities; and inquire about their interest in participating. If they express interest an informational and recruitment training call will be scheduled. Staff at Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs The Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs will serve as the recruiters for staff focus groups. All staff will be informed about the project and invited as well as encouraged to participate in a focus group. If the interest exceeds the number of participants allotted for the program the Executive Director will exclude the individual who has worked/volunteered for the program for the longest period of time as well as the newest member of staff – and shall include those individuals in the middle. Staff who will be participating will complete RSVP forms and turn in to Executive Director who will fax or email to Project Director for planning purposes. Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities Recruitment packages will be sent via email to the Executive Directors of each of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs in each of the regions that the ICI will be visiting. The recruitment packages will include Information Sheet (Appendix A), Invitations to Participate (Appendix B), RSVP Form (Appendix C), and Resources Sheet (Appendix K). Within a week of sending the Recruitment package a member of the ICI will contact each of the Executive Directors to answer any questions; discuss benefits and incentives for their program and survivors and individuals with disabilities; and inquire about their interest in participating. If they express interest an informational and recruitment training call will be scheduled for the staff that they will be assigning to recruit survivors and individuals with disabilities for focus groups. Survivors Most Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs facilitate support groups where they can inform a number of survivors of the project and an opportunity to participate in a focus group. The risks and benefits of participating would be discussed and interested participants encouraged to speak with the support group facilitator after the group for more details and to RSVP if interested. Domestic violence advocates could also recruit survivors that they are working with individually as well as prior clients. The staff member collecting RSVP forms will be instructed to fax or email them to Project Director for planning purposes. Individuals with Disabilities Most of the CILs do not facilitate support groups but some hold social gatherings. The individuals acting as recruiters for the CILs can inform a number of individuals about the project and the opportunity to participate in a focus group. Interested participants will be encouraged to speak individually with recruiter for more information and to RSVP. Since this is a social setting the recruiter will emphasize individuals may contact them at their office for more information. CIL staff may also recruit individuals they are working with in a one-on-one setting, being attentive to recruiting individuals that are their own guardian and can consent to participate in the needs assessment process themselves. If the CILs in the regions are unable to recruit the minimum number of participants for focus groups – then the ICI will work with regional CILs to identify local service providers (i.e. ARC, NAMI) that provide services to individuals with disabilities that may have groups where the CIL may go in to and present information on the project. The staff member collecting RSVP forms will be instructed to fax or email them to the Project Director for planning purposes. Work Plan Ongoing Charter X Completed Site visit with OVW X Completed Submit the SNAP to Vera for review and feedback X Aug 2013 Complete the SNAP and send to OVW for approval X Aug 2013 Conduct needs assessment X Aug-October 2013 Compile findings and analyze themes X Aug-Nov 2013 Prepare key findings report X Nov 2013 Submit key findings report to OVW for approval X December 2013 Create strategic plan and submit for approval X X Jan-March 2014 Submit continuation grant X Jan 2014 Implement. X Feb 2014 Appendix A: Idaho Change Initiative Information Sheet Idaho Change Initiative The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence in partnership with the State Independent Living Council are talking with Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs, Centers for Independent Living, survivors of gender-based violence and individuals with disabilities around the state to better understand how we can work collaboratively to provide training and technical assistance to Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living (CILs) to support their work and address the needs of services for survivors and individuals with disabilities. Needs Assessment Information from individuals around the state will be gathered through interviews of leadership at the Idaho Coalition, SILC, and domestic and sexual violence programs and CILs located in Eastern, Central, and Southwestern Idaho; focus groups of the Idaho Coalition, SILC, and regional domestic and sexual violence program and CIL staff; focus groups of survivors and individuals with disabilities in the above regions. Additionally, surveys will be gathered from the staff at the Idaho Coalition and SILC. If you need additional information, please contact the Idaho Change Initiative Project Director at 208-384-0419 or 1-888-293-6118. Frequently Asked Questions to Guide Recruitment What is the Idaho Change Initiative (or ICI)? For staff at Idaho Coalition and SILC; staff at Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs: The Idaho Change Initiative, or ICI for short, is a three year OVW grant funded project between the Idaho Coalition & SILC. The grant provides a unique opportunity for the two organizations to look internally at their work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability as well as their effectiveness in building the capacity of member programs and CILs around the state. For survivors and individuals with disabilities: The Idaho Change Initiative, or ICI for short, is collaboration between the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council. ICI is working to identify gaps and improve services for survivors of domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and individuals with disabilities who have experienced care-giver abuse, domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. Who are we asking to participate? For all: To gather the most information possible we will be speaking with a number of individuals around the state. Executive Directors of the Idaho Coalition; SILC; Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Eastern Idaho, Central Idaho, and Southwestern Idaho; and the Associate Director of the Idaho Coalition will all be invited to participate in interviews. Staff at the Idaho Coalition, SILC, and Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs in Eastern Idaho, Central Idaho, and Southwestern Idaho will be invited to participate in focus groups. Additionally we will be inviting survivors and individuals with disabilities in each of the above regions to participate in focus groups. Why do you need my input? For staff at the Idaho Coalition and SILC and Executive Committees: We are looking for information the effectiveness of our work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability including safety, social emotional well-being, accessibility, and trauma-informed practices. It is important that we hear from all staff and executive committee members regarding perspectives on current organizational cultures, policies, training, and services as well as ideas on how we might make improvements. To be successful moving forward we need to have your commitment to this work. For Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs: We are looking for information the effectiveness of our work and capacity building efforts at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability including safety, social emotional well-being, accessibility, and trauma-informed practices. It is important that we hear from all staff regarding perspectives on current organizational cultures, policies, training, and services as well as ideas on how we might make improvements to help build your organizational capacity to work at the intersection. For survivors and individuals with disabilities: We are looking for information on the needs of survivors and individuals with disabilities in order to improve the services received. This includes safety, social emotional well-being, accessibility, and trauma-informed services. It is only with this information that we will be able to address the needs of survivors with disabilities and ensure the changes we make are directly informed from the voices of those seeking services. What are the expectations of my involvement? For all participating in a focus group: Arrive at focus group on time. If you are unable to attend and it is safe to do so please call ahead so someone else may attend. The focus group will last one to two hours. Answer questions from your own knowledge and experience and provide ideas on how things could be improved. Maintain the confidentiality of what others share in the group. While you are encouraged to answer all questions you may skip any question(s) you do not wish to answer. You can discontinue participation at any time. We hope that you will talk about changes that may improve services in Idaho for survivors with disabilities. For all participating in interviews: Arrive at interview on time. The interview will last one to two hours. Answer questions from your own knowledge and experience and provide ideas on how things could be improved. When and where will the focus groups/interviews be held? The focus group/interview will be held on: ______________at _________ (time) at _____________(location). Who should I contact if I can’t come? Please contact ___________________(insert name of person recruiting) at ____________(insert contact information) if any conflicts arise so that an alternate may attend in your place. Are responses confidential? For all: All individual responses will be kept confidential by those conducting the meeting and recording notes. Cumulative responses will be gathered from around the state and will be part of a written report compiled by the ICI. It will be shared with Vera Accessing Safety staff and the Office on Violence Against Women. The report will not contain any identifying information. For focus groups: All participants are encouraged not to provide personal information that they do not wish to have shared by others in the group. While the ICI will maintain confidentiality, they cannot ensure that all participants will. The collaboration will not require written consent forms and will not keep written records of who participates. What is mandatory reporting and how does it apply? For all: Questions in the focus groups and interviews are not intended to ask individuals to share stories of personal experience of violence or abuse or the stories of violence or abuse of persons they know. Idaho is a mandatory reporting state for individuals under 18 years old. This means if you talk about an instance of abuse or neglect against a person under the age of 18 it will have to be reported along with any identifying information you may have shared. You will be encouraged to make the call yourself with an advocate or the facilitator in the room though if you choose not to make the call the facilitator will do it for you. Idaho also has a mandatory reporting law that pertains to licensed social workers, counselors, and other health care workers, requiring them to report any abuse of vulnerable adults. Attempts will be made to have no mandated reporters of vulnerable adults facilitating any of the focus groups with survivors and individuals with disabilities. If as a result of scheduling a mandated reporter is facilitating group or taking notes, this will be disclosed prior to the beginning of the group. If the support person in a mandated reporter, this will be disclosed at the beginning of the group. What is “intent to harm” and “duty to warn” and how do they apply? Questions in the focus groups and interviews are not intended to ask individuals to share stories of personal experience of violence or abuse or the stories of violence or abuse of persons they know. If you share a serious threat of imminent harm towards yourself or another person, Idaho licensure laws require counselors and social workers to report to law enforcement and the person you are threatening. Attempts will be made to have no mandated reporters of vulnerable adults facilitating any of the focus groups with survivors and individuals with disabilities. If as a result of scheduling a mandated reporter is facilitating group or taking notes, this will be disclosed prior to the beginning of the group. If the support person in a mandated reporter, this will be disclosed at the beginning of the group. If you think that participation in the group might increase any thoughts of suicide or harming others you are encouraged to skip the group, take care of yourself by seeking the support of the referring agency or call the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (7255). What are the safety considerations for my participation? For all focus group participants: In an attempt to make the group safe and comfortable for everyone to share we will be holding the groups in neutral locations. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe for any reason you may ask for support or leave at any time. All participants will be offered a list of resources and a trained support person will be immediately available in a separate room from the focus group. What accommodations are available to support my participation? For all: If you wish to participate we ask that you indicate on RSVP form any necessary accommodations. Can my Personal Care Attendant come with me? For all: We welcome your personal care attendant to bring you to the group and will have a separate room or space for your personal care attendant to wait while you are in the meeting. If you need an attendant during the meeting we will work with you to identify an alternate attendant or make arrangements for your attendant to remain in the room. Please indicate this on the RSVP form. What will I get in return? For Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs: If an Executive Director chooses to have program/CIL participate the program/CIL will be reimbursed for the staff members’ time spent in the focus group and mileage. For survivors and Individuals with Disabilities: As a thank you for your time and participation we will provide all participants with a $20 gift card to a local store. This will be handed out as you leave the group. Who can I contact with any additional questions or concerns? Your Recruiter: Recruiter name and contact information: ____________________________________ Project Director: 1-888-293-6118 or XXXX@engagingvoices.org Appendix B: Invitation to Participate Idaho Coalition and State Independent Living Council Staff Members Dear Staff: The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council are collaborating on the Idaho Change Initiative project. The purpose of the collaboration is to increase the capacity of our individual agencies to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. The vision of this project is that individuals with disabilities will have full accessibility to programs and services related to domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. The 2012 Office of Justice Programs’ Crimes Against Persons with Disabilities Report shows that in 2011, individuals with disabilities were more than three times as likely to experience serious violent crime, including rape/sexual assault and aggravated assault, (22 per 1,000 compared to 6 per 1,000) and more than twice as likely to experience simple assault (26 per 1,000 compared to 13 per 1,000) as their peers without disabilities. Additionally, they often experience additional programmatic and physical accessibility challenges (i.e. lack of disability training, communication barriers, lack of ramps, and narrow doorways). Given these numbers, it critical that Idaho programs and services are built on a foundation of compassion and self-determination, are trauma-informed, safe and accessible. Your voice is needed to inform the project of how to best increase our internal capacity to work at this intersection. We are asking for your participation in a survey and in this focus group to: Assess the readiness of the Idaho Coalition, SILC, member programs, and CILs to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability by: 1. Examining within each organization, our internal attitudes, culture, policies and practices as related to the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 2. Evaluating our effectiveness in building the internal capacity2 of our organizations in creating positive social change on our shared knowledge, attitude and values on the intersection of gender-based violence and disability; 3. Identifying the strengths and challenges in our existing efforts to build the capacity of our domestic and sexual violence programs/CILs to work effectively at the intersection or gender-based violence and disability. Your experience as an employee will be used to develop systematic changes in how we work at this intersection of gender-based violence and disability. We truly appreciate your commitment to your work, and again your voice is needed for the success of this project. Thank you in advance for your participation. Sincerely, Project Director Idaho Change Initiative Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs Dear Executive Directors: The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council are collaborating on the Idaho Change Initiative project. The purpose of the collaboration is to increase the capacity of our agencies to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability (physical, cognitive, and mental). The vision of this project is that individuals with disabilities will have full accessibility to programs and services related to domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. The 2012 Office of Justice Programs’ Crimes Against Persons with Disabilities Report shows that in 2011, individuals with disabilities were more than three times as likely to experience serious violent crime, including rape/sexual assault and aggravated assault, (22 per 1,000 compared to 6 per 1,000) and more than twice as likely to experience simple assault (26 per 1,000 compared to 13 per 1,000) as their peers without disabilities. Additionally, they often experience additional programmatic and physical accessibility challenges (i.e. lack of disability training, communication barriers, lack of ramps, and narrow doorways). Given these numbers, it is critical that Idaho programs and services are built on a foundation of compassion and self-determination, and are trauma-informed, safe and accessible. Your voice and the voices of your staff are needed to inform the project of how best to increase our capacity to work at this intersection. We are asking for your participation in this needs assessment to: Assess the readiness of the Idaho Coalition, SILC, member programs, and CILs to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability by: 1. Examining within each organization, our internal attitudes, culture, policies and practices as related to the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 2. Evaluating our effectiveness in building the internal capacity3 of our organizations in creating positive social change on our shared knowledge, attitude and values on the intersection of gender-based violence and disability; 3. Identifying the strengths and challenges in our existing efforts to build the capacity of our domestic and sexual violence programs/CILs to work effectively at the intersection or gender-based violence and disability. Your experience as an Executive Director will be used to develop systematic changes in how we work at this intersection of gender-based violence and disability. We are planning to be in your community ______________________________ and would like to schedule a time to interview you. Additionally we will be holding focus groups of staff of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs and are asking you to invite _______ of your staff members to participate __________. Focus groups of survivors and individuals with disabilities will also be facilitated in your community and we would like you to invite/recruit __________ individuals. Programs and CILs that choose to participate in interview and focus groups (EDs and staff) and invite/recruit survivors and individuals with disabilities) and will be reimbursed for staff salary and any mileage incurred. The project will not be able to pay for staff travel time to and from the meeting. Survivors and individuals with disabilities that participate will receive $20 gift cards. Please find their invitations attached. We truly appreciate your commitment to the work, and again your voice is needed for the success of this project. I will be contacting you in the near future to discuss your interest in participating and to answer any questions you may have. In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact me at 208-384-0419 or xxxx@engagingvoices.org Sincerely, Project Director Idaho Change Initiative Domestic and Sexual Violence Program and CIL Staff Members Dear Staff: The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council are collaborating on the Idaho Change Initiative project. The purpose of the collaboration is to increase the capacity of our agencies to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability (physical, cognitive, and mental). The vision of this project is that individuals with disabilities will have full accessibility to programs and services related to domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. The 2012 Office of Justice Programs’ Crimes Against Persons with Disabilities Report shows that in 2011 individuals, with disabilities were more than three times as likely to experience serious violent crime, including rape/sexual assault and aggravated assault, (22 per 1,000 compared to 6 per 1,000) and more than twice as likely to experience simple assault (26 per 1,000 compared to 13 per 1,000) as their peers without disabilities. Additionally, they often experience additional programmatic and physical accessibility challenges (i.e. lack of disability training, communication barriers, lack of ramps, and narrow doorways). Given these numbers, it is critical that Idaho programs and services are built on a foundation of compassion and self-determination, and are trauma-informed, safe and accessible. Your voice is needed to inform the project of how best to increase our capacity to work at this intersection. We are asking for your participation in a needs assessment focus group that will be held in your community the week of __________________. The focus of the needs assessment is to: Assess the readiness of the Idaho Coalition, SILC, member programs, and CILs to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability by: 1. Examining within each organization, our internal attitudes, culture, policies and practices as related to the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 2. Evaluating our effectiveness in building the internal capacity4 of our organizations in creating positive social change on our shared knowledge, attitude and values on the intersection of gender-based violence and disability; 3. Identifying the strengths and challenges in our existing efforts to build the capacity of our domestic and sexual violence programs/CILs to work effectively at the intersection or gender-based violence and disability. Your experience as an advocate will be used to develop systematic changes in how we work at this intersection. We truly appreciate your commitment to the work, and again your voice is needed for the success of this project. I will be contacting you in the near future to discuss your interest in participating and to answer any questions you may have. In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact me at 208-384-0419 or xxxxx@engagingvoices.org. Sincerely, Project Director Idaho Change Initiative Domestic and Sexual Violence Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities Program and CIL Staff – Please READ this to Survivor and answer any questions. Dear Participant: You are invited by the Idaho Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the State Independent Living Council to participate in a focus group to help us to collect information to provide better services. The name of the project that is collecting this information is called Idaho Change Initiative. You will be asked questions that will give us information to help us improve our services. Your experiences in obtaining services are very important to us. We will not share your personal information with anyone outside of the Idaho Change Initiative project partners. We will not record any identifying information on any focus group notes. In order for us to figure out where we need to make changes we will ask you questions about how you accessed services, how you were treated by organizations where you get services and how services can be improved. As a participant, you will receive a $20.00 gift card at the focus group as a token of our appreciation. If at any time during the focus group you decide you no longer wish to participate, you will still receive the gift card. If you are interested in participating, please let us know. Your voice and willingness to participate is greatly appreciated. Thank you! Sincerely, Project Director Idaho Change Initiative Appendix C: RSVP RSVP Focus Group Form This form is to be completed by the program/CIL responsible for recruiting focus group participants-ALSO PLEASE COMPLETE AND ATTACH THE RSVP FORM. (Both forms are due to XXX, Project Director, two weeks prior to the scheduled focus group) Date of Focus Group: ____________________ Time of Focus Group: ___________ Location of Focus Group: ________________________________________________ Are any accommodations needed? Yes ______ No _____ PLEASE LIST THE INITIALS OF THE PERSON NEEDING ACCOMMODATIONS: ____________ Referring organization, staff name, and contact information: ______________________________________________________________________ Accommodations: ( ) Large Print ( ) Braille ( ) Audio on CD ( ) Text-Only ( ) American Sign Language ( ) Interpreter (specify language) _________________________________ ( ) Assistive Listening Device ( ) Contact Sign ( ) Other ____________________________________________________________ Dietary concerns/food allergies please be specific: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Other considerations or information that would be helpful for focus group facilitator: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ * To protect the confidentiality of those participating in the focus group, a space will be available in the lobby for Personal Care Attendants. If you need the assistance of your attendant during the group to participate, please speak with ___________ before the group. Assurances The Idaho Change Initiative (“ICI”), a partnership of the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (“Idaho Coalition”) and the State Independent Living Council (“SILC”), embraces an organizational culture and behavior that reflects the importance of working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. ICI partners work collaboratively to ensure: * Shared knowledge, attitudes and values; * Organizational behavior change that creates and fosters social and emotional well-being, trauma-informed, safe and accessible services for individuals with disabilities who may be or have been impacted by domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. To meet these project goals, the ICI will conduct a strengths and needs assessment that will assess the readiness of the Idaho Coalition, SILC, member programs, and centers for independent living to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability by: 1. Examining within each organization, our internal attitudes, culture, policies and practices as related to the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 2. Evaluating our effectiveness in building the internal capacity5 of our organizations in creating positive social change on our shared knowledge, attitude and values on the intersection of gender-based violence and disability; 3. Identifying the strengths and challenges in our existing efforts to build the capacity of our domestic and sexual violence programs/CILs to work effectively at the intersection or gender-based violence and disability. The ICI determined that in order to assess partner’s internal capacity to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disabilities it would be important to speak not only with partner organization staff, but also with domestic and sexual violence programs, and centers for independent living, as well as survivors. The ICI will contract with a facilitator/interviewer with recent knowledge and experience working on the OVW Disability grant project, a note taker, and a support person to facilitate interviews and focus groups of the Idaho Coalition and SILC staff; collect surveys from the Executive Committees of the Idaho Coalition Board and SILC Council; and collect Likert scale surveys from staff of collaborative partners. Collaboration partners will facilitate interviews and focus groups of domestic and sexual violence programs, centers for independent living, and survivors. To protect the Idaho Coalition, SILC, and focus groups and interview participants the following is agreed to between the Idaho Coalition and SILC: 1. Any information obtained during interviews or focus groups conducted as a part of the ICI shall not be used by the Idaho Coalition or SILC in future litigation, including but not limited to under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Housing Act, or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act initiated by the Idaho Coalition or SILC. 2. All information will be compiled collectively and not attributed to any one program. The interviewer, focus group facilitator, note-taker and support person for all external focus groups and interviews will all be ICI staff. 3. Information compiled during the needs assessment process will be collected and stored and destroyed in accordance with the strengths and needs assessment plan. Participant and organizational confidentiality will be maintained at all times. In no event shall identifying information be released or used beyond that explicitly allowed by the strengths and needs assessment plan. Failure to comply with this agreement may necessitate remedial or disciplinary action against the organization in breach, including but not limited to, involvement of Vera and OVW or removal as a project partner. This agreement is made and entered into by: Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence ______________________________ _______________________ Kelly Miller, Executive Director Date State Independent Living Council ______________________________ _______________________ Robbi Barrutia, Executive Director Date Domestic and Sexual Violence Waiver The Idaho Change Initiative (“ICI”), a partnership of the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (“Idaho Coalition”) and the State Independent Living Council (“SILC”), embraces an organizational culture and behavior that reflects the importance of working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. ICI partners work collaboratively to ensure: * Shared knowledge, attitudes and values; * Organizational behavior change that creates and fosters social and emotional well-being, trauma-informed, safe and accessible services for individuals with disabilities who may be or have been impacted by domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. To meet these project goals, the ICI will conduct a strengths and needs assessment that will assess the readiness of the Idaho Coalition, SILC, member programs, and centers for independent living to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability by: 1. Examining within each organization, our internal attitudes, culture, policies and practices as related to the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 2. Evaluating our effectiveness in building the internal capacity6 of our organizations in creating positive social change on our shared knowledge, attitude and values on the intersection of gender-based violence and disability; 3. Identifying the strengths and challenges in our existing efforts to build the capacity of our domestic and sexual violence programs/CILs to work effectively at the intersection or gender-based violence and disability. The ICI determined that in order to assess partner’s internal capacity to work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disabilities it would be important to speak not only with partner organization staff, but also with the Executive Committees of Idaho Coalition and SILC Board/Council who are more closely involved with the work of the partner agencies, domestic and sexual violence programs, and centers for independent living, as well as survivors. The ICI will contract with a facilitator/interviewer with recent knowledge and experience working on the OVW Disability grant project, a note taker, and a support person to facilitate interviews and focus groups of the Idaho Coalition and SILC staff; collect surveys from the Executive Committees of the Idaho Coalition Board and SILC Council; and collect Likert scale surveys from staff of collaborative partners. Collaboration partners will facilitate interviews and focus groups of domestic and sexual violence programs, centers for independent living, and survivors. Focus group and interview participants should know that the Idaho Coalition and SILC have agreements and procedures in place to protect individually identifying information of participants. 1. Any information obtained during interviews or focus groups conducted as a part of the ICI shall not be used by the Idaho Coalition or SILC in future litigation, including but not limited to under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Housing Act, or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act initiated by the Idaho Coalition or SILC. 2. All information will be compiled collectively and not attributed to any one program. The interviewer, focus group facilitator, note-taker and support person for external focus groups and interviews will all be ICI staff. 3. Information compiled during the needs assessment process will be collected and stored and destroyed in accordance with the strengths and needs assessment plan. Participant and organizational confidentiality will be maintained at all times. In no event shall identifying information be released or used beyond that explicitly allowed by the strengths and needs assessment plan. While focus group and interview participants’ information is protected, participants should be aware that information will be complied and be made part of a public report. Furthermore, the Idaho Coalition and SILC cannot guarantee that focus group participants will not share information they hear during the focus group with outside agencies. Appendix D: Interview Questions Idaho Coalition Executive Director 1. In your work across the state, how would you describe the willingness of domestic violence and sexual assault programs to address the intersection of disability and gender-based violence? Tell us about your experience? a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse disability awareness into the culture of the coalition? Statewide? b. How are you communicating your commitment to your board? Your membership? c. How is your commitment supported by the Board? The coalition budget? d. How are funding priorities determined? e. How are new funding priorities determined? Who participates in that process? 2. How do you envision the Idaho Coalition building the capacity of domestic violence and sexual assault programs and allied professionals on the topic of survivors of gender-based violence living with disabilities? a. How does capacity building related to this issue align with the philosophy, vision and mission of the coalition? b. If it is not aligned with the philosophy of the organization, what critical steps would need to be taken for that paradigm shift? c. How are new priority areas integrated into the culture of the organization? d. What additional resources would staff need to be successful in building the capacity on this topic? 3. In the coalition budget, are there line items to support accommodations for people with disabilities? Staff with disabilities? Tell us about those funding sources. a. How does the budget support the accommodation needs of people with disabilities who participate in capacity building opportunities? b. Do you have a budget item for various accommodations? (For example: interpreters, large print, braille, CART, PCA’s, etc.) c. Is there a clear policy/procedure/template that is used for registration? Is that working well? How can the process be improved? d. What policies and procedures are in place for ensuring that accommodation needs are met? What is working well? What can be improved? 4. How does the coalition demonstrate the idea of active accommodations7 (ensure that all interactions are safe, accessible, and trauma-informed)? a. How is staff made aware that they can safely request accommodation needs? b. Tell us about the policies and procedures to handle staff accommodation request? Who handles these requests? c. What is working well? What can be improved? 5. Tell us about your policies or procedures that guide how Idaho Coalition staff handles disclosures of domestic violence? From staff? From program participants? a. How are disclosures from staff handled? Who is responsible for handling these disclosures? b. How does staff handle disclosures from a program participant be handled? c. What are challenges with addressing DV? What are challenges within the structure of the organization? d. What trainings would be beneficial for staff to be better equipped to safely handle disclosures? 6. What is the process for making policy changes within the organization? a. Who initiates the process? b. Who is involved in the process? c. What works well with this process? d. How can the process be improved? e. How are staff informed and trained on new policies? 7. How are the coalition’s capacity building efforts and training efforts evaluated? a. What is working well with this process (es)? In what ways can this process (es) be improved? SILC Executive Director Interview 1. In your work across the state, how would you describe the willingness of your organization and membership to address the intersection of disability and gender-based violence? Tell us about your experience? a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse gender-based violence awareness into the culture of your organization? Statewide? b. How are you communicating your commitment to your board? Your membership? c. How is your commitment supported by the Board? And your budget? d. How are funding priorities determined? e. How are new funding priorities determined? Who participates in that process? 2. How do you envision the organization providing capacity building assistance on the topic of the interconnection of gender-based violence and disability? a. Who are your capacity building and training audiences? b. How do your currently provide training and capacity building to these audiences? c. What methods do you use? What has been the most effective method? d. What resources would you need to effectively provide training and capacity building on this topic to your intended audiences? e. How do you evaluate your capacity building and training engagements? 3. Tell us about your policies or procedures that guide how SILC staff handles disclosures of domestic violence? From staff? From program participants? a. How are disclosures from staff handled? Who is responsible for handling these disclosures? b. How does staff handle disclosures from a program participant be handled? c. What are challenges with addressing DV? What are challenges within the structure of the organization? d. What trainings would be beneficial for staff to be better equipped to safely handle disclosures? 4. How does the SILC demonstrate the idea of active accommodations (ensure that all interactions are safe, accessible, and trauma-informed)? a. How is staff made aware that they can safely request accommodation needs? b. Tell us about the policies and procedures to handle staff accommodation request? Who handles these requests? c. What is working well? What can be improved? 5. How does SILC actively recruit people with domestic violence expertise? a. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy? b. What are areas for improvement? 6. What is the process for making policy changes within the organization? f. Who initiates the process? g. Who is involved in the process? h. What works well with this process? i. How can the process be improved? j. How are staff informed and trained on new policies? 7. Are there certain areas of the state that you feel are especially ready to address safety for program participants? a. Why? Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs Interview Questions 1. What does your program do well in responding to and meeting the needs of people with disabilities who have experienced gender-based violence? Some examples are: trainings, accommodations, policies and procedures, staffing, budgets, outreach, etc. 2. What challenges do you anticipate your program facing in serving people with disabilities who have experienced gender-based violence? a. Would the type of disability impact your ability to provide services? If so, how? 3. Tell us about your policy and procedures to respond to the accommodation needs of survivors with a disability? Accommodation needs for staff? a. How would survivors be made aware that it is a safe to request accommodations? How would staff? b. How would accommodation requests from survivors be handled? From staff? c. How would requests be documented and stored to maintain confidentiality? d. What are some challenges that you might face when responding to accommodation request from survivors? Staff? Organization challenges? e. How do you evaluate if you are meeting the accommodation needs of survivors? Staff? f. What additional technical assistance and training would you need to create adequate policy and procedures to address the accommodation needs of staff? And program participants? g. How can the Idaho Coalition support increasing your organizational capacity to adequately respond to the accommodation need of staff and survivors? 4. How do you determine your staff’s knowledge, skills, attitude, and behaviors related to gender-based violence and disability? a. How does staff communicate their capacity building needs to their supervisor? b. How is staff informed of resources that are available to them to be successful? c. What kind capacity building assistance, resources and support would you need from the Idaho Coalition to prepare your staff to address the intersection of gender-based violence and disability? What would be the best delivery method? d. How do you assess if your staff capacity building needs are being met? e. What are some day-to-day challenges that you experience while balancing the high demand of intervention services while meeting the capacity building needs of your staff? How can the Idaho Coalition support you? 5. How does your program access capacity building from the Idaho Coalition? a. How does the Idaho Coalition keep you informed of upcoming opportunities, best practices and trends in the field? b. Does that/those process(es) work well? c. What are strengths and gaps with that process? d. How can those processes be improved? e. What is the best vehicle to provide your center staff with new information, best practices? f. What is the most effective capacity building method that the Idaho Coalition offers? 6. Does your program have a relationship with the local organization that provides services to people with disabilities? Tell us about that relationship. a. Tell us about cross-training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is the relationship formal or informal? c. Is it working well? d. What challenges have you experienced? e. How can it be improved? f. If no, what support would you need to initiate and maintain that relationship? Executive Directors of Center for Independent Living Interview Questions 1. What does your CIL do well in responding to and meeting the needs of people with disabilities who have experienced gender-based violence? Some examples: staffing, policies and procedures, training, budget, and other resources. 2. What challenges do you anticipate your CIL facing in serving people living with a disability who have experienced domestic violence? a. Are there challenges within the culture of the organization that impact serving individuals living with a disability who have experienced domestic violence? b. Is there anything you wish SILC had to better support people living with a disability who have experienced domestic violence? 3. How does your CIL address the safety concerns of staff members? Are there policies and procedures that guide the response to the safety needs of staff members? a. How is the process designed to allow staff to feel safe expressing their safety needs? b. How is new staff made aware of these policies and procedures? c. Who handles these requests? d. How would their request be documented and stored to maintain their confidentiality? e. What are challenges that you have experienced when responding to the safety concerns or staff? Organizational challenges? f. How were these challenges handled? g. Are your policies and procedures reviewed regularly? Tell us about the review process? What is working well about the review process? What can be improved? 4. How would CIL staff know if someone they are working with has a safety need due to domestic violence? Does your organization have policies and procedures that guide their response if someone has a personal safety concern due to domestic violence? a. How would staff respond to that request/ personal safety need? b. How would they know if the person needed a safety plan? c. How would they ensure that services are safe and non-victim blaming? d. How would their confidentiality be maintained? e. What resources would they need to assess someone’s personal safety need? f. What are challenges that CIL staff face when responding to the safety concerns of a program participants? g. How are these challenges handled? h. How would a program participants safety concerns be documented and stored, to maintain their confidentiality? 5. What training and support is provided to CIL staff to handle disclosures of domestic violence? a. How does CIL staff communicate their training needs to their supervisor? b. How are they made aware of the resources that are available to them to support their work? c. What policies and procedures are in place to determine how CIL staff document their work? 6. Does the CIL staff have a relationship with their local domestic and sexual violence programs? If yes, tell us about that relationship? a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is your relationship formal? Informal? c. What has worked well? d. What has been challenging? e. How can the relationship be improved? f. If no, what resources and support would they need to initiate and maintain those relationships? a. Appendix E: Idaho Coalition and SILC Staff Surveys Idaho Coalition and SILC Staff Surveys Dear Idaho Coalition and SILC staff members: The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council are collaborating on the Idaho Change Initiative project. The purpose of the collaboration is to increase the capacity of our individual agencies to work at the intersection of gender-based violence (care-giver abuse, domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence) and disability (physical; cognitive, such as learning, memory, perception, or problem solving; and mental). The vision of this project is that individuals with disabilities will have full accessibility to programs and services related to domestic violence, relationship abuse, stalking and sexual violence. The 2012 Office of Justice Programs’ Crimes Against Persons with Disabilities Report shows that in 2011, individuals with disabilities were more than three times as likely to experience serious violent crime, including rape/sexual assault and aggravated assault, (22 per 1,000 compared to 6 per 1,000) and more than twice as likely to experience simple assault (26 per 1,000 compared to 13 per 1,000) as their peers without disabilities. Additionally, they often experience additional programmatic and physical accessibility challenges (i.e. lack of disability training, communication barriers, lack of ramps, and narrow doorways). Given these numbers it critical that Idaho programs and services are built on a foundation of compassion and self-determination, and are trauma-informed, safe and accessible. Your voice is needed to inform the project of how best to increase our internal capacity to work at this intersection. We are asking for your participation in this needs assessment survey to help assess the Idaho Coalition and SILC’s readiness to work at the intersection. Please rate the following five questions on a Likert scale. 1. Rate your understanding of the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent 2. Rate your ability to work effectively at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent 3. Rate your perceived effectiveness in building the capacity of our organizations on our shared knowledge on the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent 4. Rate your perceived effectiveness in building the capacity of our organizations on our shared attitude and values on the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent 5. Rate your understanding of your agency’s organizational culture (attitudes, behaviors, policies, and procedures) on maintaining and ensuring physical and programmatic accessibility. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent 6. Rate your understanding of the agency’s policies on accessibility. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent 7. Rate your understanding of the agency’s practices on accessibility. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent 8. Rate your understanding of the agency’s approaches to creating and fostering social and emotional well-being (holistic view recognizing importance of culture, spirituality, family and community) among co-workers, programs, and program/CIL participants, while working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent 9. Rate your understanding of your agency’s approaches to promoting safety in their work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent 10. Rate your understanding of your agency’s trauma-informed approaches in working at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability. 1 2 3 4 5 None Minimal Adequate Above Average Excellent We truly appreciate your commitment to the work, and again, your voice is needed for the success of this project. Thank you in advance for your participation. Sincerely, Project Director Idaho Change Initiative Appendix F: Focus Group Questions Idaho Coalition Program Managers Focus Group Focus Group Questions 1. How does Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence build the capacity of domestic violence and sexual assault programs and allied professionals? a. What are the preferred methods of providing capacity building assistance to the domestic violence and sexual assault programs? How is the preferred method determined to meet the unique needs of the programs? b. How is capacity building assistance initiated? c. How is specialized assistance provided to domestic violence and sexual assault programs? d. How you do evaluate the effectiveness of your engagements? 2. In your work at the coalition, how frequently do you receive capacity building requests around the topic of working with survivors living with a disability? a. How are these request handled? b. How prepared is staff to provide specialized technical assistance on this topic? What are the most effective methods used to address these topics? c. How do determine if you are meeting the need of the intended audience? d. What additional training and resources would you –and staff-need to enhance your capacity to provide assistance on this topic? e. What additional support would you-or staff-need to provide extensive, specialized assistance on this topic? 3. How does your organization ensure that your capacity building strategies are safe, accessible and welcoming? a. How do you know if someone has an accommodation need? Do you ask? If yes, when do you ask? b. Does your organization have policies and procedures that guide staff’s response to accommodation request? How are accommodation request handled? Who is responsible for handling these requests? c. How do you ensure that the environment is safe for participants? 4. How does your organization demonstrate the idea of active accommodations? a. How is the process articulated to new staff? b. How is the process designed to welcome disclosures? c. Who handles these requests? d. How are these requests documented and stored to protect the confidentiality of the person making the request? e. Are these policies and procedures reviewed regularly? Tell us about the review process? 5. How does the coalition actively recruit people with disability or disability expertise? a. How are potential applicant made to feel welcome to apply? b. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy? c. What are areas for improvement? 6. How does your organization actively recruit individuals who are qualified and prepared to provide capacity building assistance and training? a. In specific expertise areas? b. In a culturally sensitive manner? c. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy? d. What are areas for improvement? e. Tell us about additional training and resources that are provided to staff to make them successful? f. How is staff performance evaluated? Idaho Coalition Program Specialists and Program Assistant/SILC Program Managers Focus Group Questions 1. How do you provide capacity building assistance? a. How are capacity building topics determined? How is the appropriate method determined? How are the recipients engaged in this process? b. How is capacity building assistance designed to meet the unique needs of the domestic violence and sexual assault program/CIL? How do the recipients participate in this process? c. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your capacity building engagements? d. What are the most effective capacity building strategies that you offer? What makes them the most effective strategies? e. What are suggested areas for improvement of these strategies that are currently being used? 2. What kind of capacity building requests are you receiving related the topic of the intersection of domestic violence and disability? a. How are you receiving these requests? b. How do you handle these requests? c. Are you prepared to provide specialized capacity building assistance in this topic area? For example: policy and procedure development, curriculum development, etc… d. What additional training and resources would you need to increase your capacity to provide programs/CILS with capacity building assistance on this topic? 3. How does the Idaho Coalition/SILC prepare you to provide safe, accessible and welcoming capacity building assistance? a. How is this expectation communicated to new staff? b. How do you ensure that your capacity building engagements are safe, welcoming and accessible? c. Does staff receive regular trainings to enhance their capacity to assess someone’s accommodation needs? Safety needs? Tell us about those trainings. d. How do you know if someone has an accommodation need? Do you ask? If so, when? e. Does your organization have policies and procedures that guide staff to respond when someone needs an accommodation? What happens when someone request an accommodation? How is it handled? f. How do you ensure that an environment is safe for participants? 4. Tell us about capacity building assistance that your staff receives from allied professionals? a. How frequently do you participate in cross-training opportunities with allied professionals? b. How are these training opportunities typically initiated? c. In your experience, tell us about the benefits and challenges of these training engagements? Domestic and Sexual Violence Program Staff Focus Groups Focus Group Questions 1. Tell us about a time when things went well when you were working with someone who had a disability? a. How did you know the person had a disability? Did you ask? When did you ask? Did the person tell you? b. What things are in place at your organization that made that individuals feel welcomed to disclose their disability to you? c. What made you feel comfortable and competent in working with this person? d. What questions did you ask to learn more about the disability? e. How comfortable were you asking about accommodation needs? f. What made you determine that the individual had an accommodation need? 2. Tell us about challenges you may experience in providing services to someone that may have a disability? a. What impacted the experience? 3. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide your response to a survivor who is living with a disability? a. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff? b. How is the survivors needs documented? c. What has been the most effective way that staff has handled the accommodation needs of a survivor with a disability? d. What are challenges you may face in working with a survivor with a disability? e. What could be organizational challenges? f. How would these challenges handled? 4. Does your organization have a relationship with the organization in your community that serves people with disabilities? a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is it informal or formal? c. What is working well? d. What challenges have you experienced? e. How could the relationship be improved? f. If no, what resources and support would you need to initiate and maintain a relationship with the organization? 5. What do you want disability service providers to know about providing services to individuals who have experienced gender based violence? CIL Staff Focus Groups Focus Group Questions 1. Tell us about a time when things went well when you were working with someone who disclosed they are experiencing or has experienced gender-based violence? a. What prepared you to respond to this disclosure? b. What made the person feeling comfortable disclosing to you? c. What prior capacity building assistance did you receive that prepared you to work effectively with someone who discloses exposure to gender-based violence? d. How did you determine if they had immediate safety concerns? e. What questions did you ask to determine their safety concerns? f. What made you feel comfortable and competent in working with this person? g. How comfortable were you asking about their safety needs? 2. Tell us about a time when things did not go well for you when providing services to someone that you feel may have been exposed to domestic violence? a. What impacted this experience? b. At the time did you feel like you had the necessary training and tools to respond to the needs of this individual? Please explain? 3. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide CILs staffs’ responses to a survivor of domestic violence who is living with a disability? a. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff? b. How are the survivors needs/request documented? c. What has been the most effective way that staff has handled the safety needs of a survivor of domestic violence living with a disability? d. What are challenges with working with a program participants who have experience (or is experiencing) domestic violence? e. What are organizational challenges? f. How are these challenges handled? 4. Does your organization have a relationship with the organization in your community that serves survivors of gender-based violence? If so, tell us about that relationship. a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is your relationship informal or formal? c. What is working well? d. What challenges have your experienced? e. How could the relationship be improved? f. If no, what resources and support would you need to initiate and maintain a relationship with the organization? 5. What do you want domestic violence and sexual assault service providers to know about providing services to individuals living with a disability? Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities Focus Groups 1. In your experience, which services in your community serve you the best when you need assistance? a. How did you learn about the services that you accessed? b. What did you like best about the services? c. (If discussion hovers around disability service providers) Are there non-disability service providers that serve you well? 2. What would ideal services, advocacy, or programs look like? a. What would you tell service providers and advocates about providing excellent advocacy? b. What does a fully safe, comfortable, and accessible program look and feel like? 3. When someone is working with an advocate or service provider what makes it hard to talk about sensitive topics or try to get help? a. What makes you feel uncomfortable or unwelcome? 4. What is the best way to get information to people with disabilities about available services? a. Where is the best place to access this information? How can we assist in making this information more available to people with disabilities? 5. Is there anything that you feel is important for us to know about the experience individuals with disabilities have when seeking services in your community? Appendix G: Facilitator’s Script for Interviews Idaho Coalition Executive Director Facilitator’s Script My name is _______________________________________, and I work for __________________________. The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council have contracted with me to do interviews and focus groups with the staff at the Idaho Coalition and SILC as part of a collaborative project they are working on called the Idaho Change Initiative. The Idaho Change Initiative is a project working to improve services for individuals in Idaho. Thank you for taking your time to participate in this interview today. Your expertise on the subject area is very important for the success of this project. The notes from the interviews, focus groups and surveys from around the state will be summarized in a report that will be forwarded to the Idaho Change Initiative members, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All information gathered from this interview will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the Idaho Change Initiative, and for no other purpose. As a reminder, the ICI staff have all signed assurances that information gathered will not be used for future litigation on ADA Act, Fair Housing Act, or 504 Act. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information about the capacity building efforts provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to better assist the Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living in serving individuals with disabilities who may or have experienced domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. There is one other individual that will be helping me with the interview today as a note-taker, and their name is_____. (Note-taker states name and again thanks the person for participating). The interview will last approximately one-two hours. Feel free to take your breaks as needed. We thank you very much for your time and participation in this interview. Your contribution is invaluable to us. Do you have any questions? Let’s begin!! 1. In your work across the state, how would you describe the willingness of domestic violence and sexual assault programs to address the intersection of disability and gender-based violence? Tell us about your experience? a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse disability awareness into the culture of the coalition? Statewide? b. How are you communicating your commitment to your board? Your membership? c. How is your commitment supported by the Board? The coalition budget? d. How are funding priorities determined? e. How are new funding priorities determined? Who participates in that process? 2. How do you envision the Idaho Coalition building the capacity of domestic violence and sexual assault programs and allied professionals on the topic of survivors of gender-based violence living with disabilities? a. How does capacity building related to this issue align with the philosophy, vision and mission of the coalition? b. If it is not aligned with the philosophy of the organization, what critical steps would need to be taken for that paradigm shift? c. How are new priority areas integrated into the culture of the organization? d. What additional resources would staff need to be successful in building the capacity on this topic? 3. In the coalition budget, are there line items to support accommodations for people with disabilities? Staff with disabilities? Tell us about those funding sources. a. How does the budget support the accommodation needs of people with disabilities who participate in capacity building opportunities? b. Do you have a budget item for various accommodations? (For example: interpreters, large print, braille, CART, PCA’s, etc.) c. Is there a clear policy/procedure/template that is used for registration? Is that working well? How can the process be improved? d. What policies and procedures are in place for ensuring that accommodation needs are met? What is working well? What can be improved? 4. How does the coalition demonstrate the idea of active accommodations? a. How is staff made aware that they can safely request accommodation needs? b. Tell us about the policies and procedures to handle staff accommodation request? Who handles these requests? c. What is working well? What can be improved? 5. Tell us about your policies or procedures that guide how Idaho Coalition staff handles disclosures of domestic violence? From staff? From program participants? a. How are disclosures from staff handled? Who is responsible for handling these disclosures? b. How does staff handle disclosures from a program participant be handled? c. What are challenges with addressing DV? What are challenges within the structure of the organization? d. What trainings would be beneficial for staff to be better equipped to safely handle disclosures? 8. How are the coalition’s capacity building efforts and training efforts evaluated? a. What is working well with this process (es)? In what ways can this process (es) be improved? FACILITATORS SCRIPT FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE INTERVIEWS: Thank you for your participation. SILC Executive Director Facilitator’s Script My name is _______________________________________, and I work for __________________________. The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council have contracted with me to do interviews and focus groups of the staff at the Idaho Coalition and SILC as part of a collaborative project they are working on called the Idaho Change Initiative. The Idaho Change Initiative is a project working to improve services for individuals in Idaho. Thank you for taking your time to participate in this interview today. Your expertise on the subject area is very important for the success of this project. The notes from the interviews, focus groups and surveys from around the state will be summarized in a report that will be forwarded to the Idaho Change Initiative members, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All information gathered from this interview will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the Idaho Change Initiative, and for no other purpose. As a reminder, the ICI staff have all signed assurances that information gathered will not be used for future litigation on ADA Act, Fair Housing Act, or 504 Act. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information about the capacity building efforts provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to better assist the Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living in serving individuals with disabilities who may or have experienced domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. There is one other individual that will be helping me with the interview today as a note-taker, and their name is_____. (Note-taker states name and again thanks the person for participating). The interview will last approximately one-two hours. Feel free to take your breaks as needed. We thank you very much for your time and participation in this interview. Your contribution is invaluable to us. Do you have any questions? Let’s begin!! 1. In your work across the state, how would you describe the willingness of your organization and membership to address the intersection of disability and gender-based violence? Tell us about your experience? a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse gender-based violence awareness into the culture of your organization? Statewide? b. How are you communicating your commitment to your board? Your membership? c. How is your commitment supported by the Board? And your budget? d. How are funding priorities determined? e. How are new funding priorities determined? Who participates in that process? 2. How do you envision the organization providing capacity building assistance on the topic of the interconnection of gender-based violence and disability? a. Who are your capacity building and training audiences? b. How do your currently provide training and capacity building to these audiences? c. What methods do you use? What has been the most effective method? d. What resources would you need to effectively provide training and capacity building on this topic to your intended audiences? e. How do you evaluate your capacity building and training engagements? 3. Tell us about your policies or procedures that guide how SILC staff handles disclosures of domestic violence? From staff? From program participants? a. How are disclosures from staff handled? Who is responsible for handling these disclosures? b. How does staff handle disclosures from a program participant be handled? c. What are challenges with addressing DV? What are challenges within the structure of the organization? d. What trainings would be beneficial for staff to be better equipped to safely handle disclosures? 4. How does the SILC demonstrate the idea of active accommodations? a. How is staff made aware that they can safely request accommodation needs? b. Tell us about the policies and procedures to handle staff accommodation request? Who handles these requests? c. What is working well? What can be improved? 5. How does SILC actively recruit people with domestic violence expertise? a. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy? b. What are areas for improvement? 6. What is the process for making policy changes within the organization? k. Who initiates the process? a. Who is involved in the process? b. What works well with this process? c. How can the process be improved? d. How are staff informed and trained on new policies? 7. Are there certain areas of the state that you feel are especially ready to address safety for program participants? a. Why? FACILITATORS SCRIPT FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE INTERVIEWS: Thank you for your participation. Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs Facilitator’s Script My name is _______________________________________, and I work for the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (or the State Independent Living Council). Thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this interview today. Your expertise on the subject area is very important for the success of this project. The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council have collaborated on the Idaho Change Initiative, a project working to improve services in Idaho. Your participation in this interview is voluntary and you can end your participation at any point. You can also choose not to answer a question that is asked. The notes we take will not have any identifying information. The notes from the interviews, focus groups, and surveys done around the state will be summarized in a report that will be forwarded to the Idaho Change Initiative members, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All information gathered from this interview will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the Idaho Change Initiative, and for no other purpose. As a reminder, the ICI staff have all signed assurances that information gathered will not be used for future litigation on ADA Act, Fair Housing Act, or 504 Act. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information about the technical assistance provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to better assist your organization in serving individuals with disabilities who may or have experienced domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. There is one other individual that will be helping me with the interview today as a note-taker, and their name is_____. (Note-taker states name and again thanks the person for participating). The interview will last approximately one hour. Feel free to take your breaks as needed. We thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in this interview. Your contribution is invaluable to us. Do you have any questions? Let’s begin!! Executive Directors of Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs Interview Questions 1. What does your program do well in responding to and meeting the needs of people with disabilities who have experienced gender-based violence? Some examples are: trainings, accommodations, policies and procedures, staffing, budgets, outreach, etc. 2. What challenges do you anticipate your program facing in serving people with disabilities who have experienced gender-based violence? a. Would the type of disability impact your ability to provide services? If so, how? 3. Tell us about your policy and procedures to respond to the accommodation needs of survivors with a disability? Accommodation needs for staff? a. How would survivors be made aware that it is a safe to request accommodations? How would staff? b. How would accommodation requests from survivors be handled? From staff? c. How would requests be documented and stored to maintain confidentiality? d. What are some challenges that you might face when responding to accommodation request from survivors? Staff? Organization challenges? e. How do you evaluate if you are meeting the accommodation needs of survivors? Staff? f. What additional technical assistance and training would you need to create adequate policy and procedures to address the accommodation needs of staff? And program participants? g. How can the Idaho Coalition support increasing your organizational capacity to adequately respond to the accommodation need of staff and survivors? 4. How do you determine your staff’s knowledge, skills, attitude, and behaviors related to gender-based violence and disability? a. How does staff communicate their capacity building needs to their supervisor? b. How is staff informed of resources that are available to them to be successful? c. What kind capacity building assistance, resources and support would you need from the Idaho Coalition to prepare your staff to address the intersection of gender-based violence and disability? What would be the best delivery method? d. How do you assess if your staff capacity building needs are being met? e. What are some day-to-day challenges that you experience while balancing the high demand of intervention services while meeting the capacity building needs of your staff? How can the Idaho Coalition support you? 5. How does your program access capacity building from the Idaho Coalition? a. How does the Idaho Coalition keep you informed of upcoming opportunities, best practices and trends in the field? b. Does that/those process(es) work well? c. What are strengths and gaps with that process? d. How can those processes be improved? e. What is the best vehicle to provide your center staff with new information, best practices? f. What is the most effective capacity building method that the Idaho Coalition offers? 6. Does your program have a relationship with the local organization that provides services to people with disabilities? Tell us about that relationship. a. Tell us about cross-training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is the relationship formal or informal? c. Is it working well? d. What challenges have you experienced? e. How can it be improved? f. If no, what support would you need to initiate and maintain that relationship? FACILITATORS SCRIPT FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE INTERVIEWS: Thank you for your participation. Executive Directors of Center for Independent Living Facilitator’s Script My name is _______________________________________, and I work for the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (or the State Independent Living Council). Thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this interview today. Your expertise on the subject area is very important for the success of this project. The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council have collaborated on the Idaho Change Initiative, a project working to improve services in Idaho. Your participation in this interview is voluntary and you can end your participation at any point. You can also choose not to answer a question that is asked. The notes we take will not have any identifying information. The notes from the interviews, focus groups, and surveys done around the state will be summarized in a report that will be forwarded to the Idaho Change Initiative members, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All information gathered from this interview will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the Idaho Change Initiative, and for no other purpose. As a reminder, the ICI staff have all signed assurances that information gathered will not be used for future litigation on ADA Act, Fair Housing Act, or 504 Act. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information about the technical assistance provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to better assist your organization in serving individuals with disabilities who may or have experienced domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. There is one other individual that will be helping me with the interview today as a note-taker, and their name is_____. (Note-taker states name and again thanks the person for participating). The interview will last approximately one hour. Feel free to take your breaks as needed. We thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in this interview. Your contribution is invaluable to us. Do you have any questions? Let’s begin!! 1. What does your CIL do well in responding to and meeting the needs of people with disabilities who have experienced gender-based violence? Some examples: staffing, policies and procedures, training, budget, and other resources. 2. What challenges do you anticipate your CIL facing in serving people living with a disability who have experienced domestic violence? a. Are there challenges within the culture of the organization that impact serving individuals living with a disability who have experienced domestic violence? b. Is there anything you wish SILC had to better support people living with a disability who have experienced domestic violence? 3. How does your CIL address the safety concerns of staff members? Are there policies and procedures that guide the response to the safety needs of staff members? a. How is the process designed to allow staff to feel safe expressing their safety needs? b. How new staff is made aware of these policies and procedures? c. Who handles these requests? d. How would their request be documented and stored to maintain their confidentiality? e. What are challenges that you have experienced when responding to the safety concerns or staff? Organizational challenges? f. How were these challenges handled? g. Are your policies and procedures reviewed regularly? Tell us about the review process? What is working well about the review process? What can be improved? 4. How would CIL staff know if someone they are working with has a safety need due to domestic violence? Does your organization have policies and procedures that guide their response if someone has a personal safety concern due to domestic violence? a. How would staff respond to that request/ personal safety need? b. How would they know if the person needed a safety plan? c. How would they ensure that services are safe and non-victim blaming? d. How would their confidentiality be maintained? e. What resources would they need to assess someone’s personal safety need? f. What are challenges that CIL staff face when responding to the safety concerns of a program participants? g. How are these challenges handled? h. How would a program participants safety concerns be documented and stored, to maintain their confidentiality? 5. What training and support is provided to CIL staff to handle disclosures of domestic violence? a. How does CIL staff communicate their training needs to their supervisor? b. How are they made aware of the resources that are available to them to support their work? c. What policies and procedures are in place to determine how CIL staff document their work? 6. Does the CIL staff have a relationship with their local domestic and sexual violence programs? If yes, tell us about that relationship? a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is your relationship formal? Informal? c. What has worked well? d. What has been challenging? e. How can the relationship be improved? f. If no, what resources and support would they need to initiate and maintain those relationships? Appendix H: Facilitator’s Script for Focus Groups Idaho Coalition Program Managers: FACILITATOR’S SCRIPT My name is _______________________________________, and I work for __________________________. The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council have contracted with me to do interviews and focus groups of the staff at the Idaho Coalition and SILC as part of a collaborative project they are working on called the Idaho Change Initiative. The Idaho Change Initiative is a project working to improve services for individuals in Idaho. Thank you for taking your time to participate in the focus group today. We encourage your full participation as your expertise on the subject area is very important for the success of this project. You may choose not to answer any question as well and if you would be more comfortable doing an interview as opposed to participating in focus group that can be arranged. The notes we take during the group will not have any identifying information. The notes from the 2-3 focus groups with Idaho Coalition and SILC staff, focus groups with staff from Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs, interviews, and surveys will be summarized in a report that will be forwarded to the Idaho Change Initiative members, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All information gathered from this focus group will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the Idaho Change Initiative, and for no other purpose. As a reminder, the ICI executive directors have each signed assurances that information gathered will not be used for future litigation on ADA Act, Fair Housing Act, or 504 Act. All information obtained in the focus groups will be kept confidential, by the collaborative partners, however if a participant shares their personal information with other participants, the confidentiality of their personal information cannot be guaranteed. The only exception to confidentiality is that Idaho is a mandatory child abuse reporting state. If anyone discloses abuse of a child under the age of 18 then we will be required to make a report to child protection. (If a licensed and mandated reporter of abuse of vulnerable adults or threat to harm self or others is participating as a facilitator, note-taker or support person read the following: ____________ is required under Idaho law to report information disclosed regarding the abuse of vulnerable adults and/or the serious threat of imminent harm to self or others to law enforcement). We ask that all participants respect the privacy of everyone here today by not discussing what was talked about and who participated. We would like everyone to be able to freely share their thoughts, ideas and comments. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information about the capacity building efforts provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to better assist the Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living in serving individuals with disabilities who may or have experienced domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. The focus group will last approximately one-two hours. The rest rooms are located___________________________________________________. Feel free to take a break as needed. There are two other individuals who will be helping with the focus group today, a note-taker and a support person. [EACH SHOULD INTRODUCE THEMSELVES] ______________________________is here to provide you with any support that you might need during the session. At any point, if you need to speak with the support person, ________________ will be outside the room, please feel free to leave and go speak with them. We thank you very much for your time and participation in the focus group. Your contribution is invaluable to us. Are there any questions? Let’s begin!! 1. How does Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence build the capacity of domestic violence and sexual assault programs and allied professionals? a. What are the preferred methods of providing capacity building assistance to the domestic violence and sexual assault programs? How is the preferred method determined to meet the unique needs of the programs? b. How is capacity building assistance initiated? c. How is specialized assistance provided to domestic violence and sexual assault programs? d. How you do evaluate the effectiveness of your engagements? 2. In your work at the coalition, how frequently do your receive capacity building requests around the topic of working with survivors living with a disability? a. How are these request handled? b. How prepared is staff to provide specialized technical assistance on this topic? What are the most effective methods used to address these topics? c. How do determine if you are meeting the need of the intended audience? d. What additional training and resources would you –and staff-need to enhance your capacity to provide assistance on this topic? e. What additional support would you-or staff-need to provide extensive, specialized assistance on this topic? 3. How does your organization ensure that your capacity building strategies are safe, accessible and welcoming? a. How do you know if someone has an accommodation need? Do you ask? If yes, when do you ask? b. Does your organization have policies and procedures that guide staff’s response to accommodation request? How are accommodation request handled? Who is responsible for handling these requests? c. How do you ensure that the environment is safe for participants? 4. How does your organization demonstrate the idea of active accommodations? a. How is the process articulated to new staff? b. How is the process designed to welcome disclosures? c. Who handles these requests? d. How are these requests documented and stored to protect the confidentiality of the person making the request? e. Are these policies and procedures reviewed regularly? Tell us about the review process? 5. How does the coalition actively recruit people with disability or disability expertise? a. How are potential applicant made to feel welcome to apply? b. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy? c. What are areas for improvement? 6. How does your organization actively recruit individuals who are qualified and prepared to provide capacity building assistance and training? a. In specific expertise areas? b. In a culturally sensitive manner? c. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy? d. What are areas for improvement? e. Tell us about additional training and resources that are provided to staff to make them successful? f. How is staff performance evaluated? Idaho Coalition Program Specialists, Program Assistant, SILC Program Managers: FACILITATOR’S SCRIPT My name is _______________________________________, and I work for __________________________. The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and the State Independent Living Council have contracted with me to do interviews and focus groups of the staff at the Idaho Coalition and SILC as part of a collaborative project they are working on called the Idaho Change Initiative. The Idaho Change Initiative is a project working to improve services for individuals in Idaho. Thank you for taking your time to participate in the focus group today. We encourage your full participation as your expertise on the subject area is very important for the success of this project. You may choose not to answer any question as well and if you would be more comfortable doing an interview as opposed to participating in focus group that can be arranged. The notes we take during the group will not have any identifying information. The notes from the 2-3 focus groups with Idaho Coalition and SILC staff, focus groups with staff from Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and CILs, interviews, and surveys will be summarized in a report that will be forwarded to the Idaho Change Initiative members, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All information gathered from this focus group will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the Idaho Change Initiative, and for no other purpose. As a reminder, the ICI executive directors have each signed assurances that information gathered will not be used for future litigation on ADA Act, Fair Housing Act, or 504 Act. All information obtained in the focus groups will be kept confidential, by the collaborative partners, however if a participant shares their personal information with other participants, the confidentiality of their personal information cannot be guaranteed. The only exception to confidentiality is that Idaho is a mandatory child abuse reporting state. If anyone discloses abuse of a child under the age of 18 then we will be required to make a report to child protection. (If a licensed and mandated reporter of abuse of vulnerable adults or threat to harm self or others is participating as a facilitator, note-taker or support person read the following: ____________ is required under Idaho law to report information disclosed regarding the abuse of vulnerable adults and/or the serious threat of imminent harm to self or others to law enforcement). We ask that all participants respect the privacy of everyone here today by not discussing what was talked about and who participated. We would like everyone to be able to freely share their thoughts, ideas and comments. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information about the capacity building efforts provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to better assist the Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs and Centers for Independent Living in serving individuals with disabilities who may or have experienced domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. The focus group will last approximately one-two hours. The rest rooms are located___________________________________________________. Feel free to take a break as needed. There are two other individuals who will be helping with the focus group today, a note-taker and a support person. [EACH SHOULD INTRODUCE THEMSELVES] ______________________________is here to provide you with any support that you might need during the session. At any point, if you need to speak with the support person, ________________ will be outside the room, please feel free to leave and go speak with them. We thank you very much for your time and participation in the focus group. Your contribution is invaluable to us. Are there any questions? Let’s begin!! 1. How do you provide capacity building assistance? a. How are capacity building topics determined? How is the appropriate method determined? How are the recipients engaged in this process? b. How is capacity building assistance designed to meet the unique needs of the domestic violence and sexual assault program/CIL? How do the recipients participate in this process? c. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your capacity building engagements? d. What are the most effective capacity building strategies that you offer? What makes them the most effective strategies? e. What are suggested areas for improvement of these strategies that are currently being used? 2. What kind of capacity building requests are you receiving related the topic of the intersection of domestic violence and disability? a. How are you receiving these requests? b. How do you handle these requests? c. Are you prepared to provide specialized capacity building assistance in this topic area? For example: policy and procedure development, curriculum development, etc… d. What additional training and resources would you need to increase your capacity to provide programs/CILS with capacity building assistance on this topic? 3. How does the Idaho Coalition/SILC prepare you to provide safe, accessible and welcoming capacity building assistance? a. How is this expectation communicated to new staff? b. How do you ensure that your capacity building engagements are safe, welcoming and accessible? c. Does staff receive regular trainings to enhance their capacity to assess someone’s accommodation needs? Safety needs? Tell us about those trainings. d. How do you know if someone has an accommodation need? Do you ask? If so, when? e. Does your organization have policies and procedures that guide staff to respond when someone needs an accommodation? What happens when someone request an accommodation? How is it handled? f. How do you ensure that an environment is safe for participants? 4. Tell us about capacity building assistance that your staff receives from allied professionals? a. How frequently do you participate in cross-training opportunities with allied professionals? b. How are these training opportunities typically initiated? c. In your experience, tell us about the benefits and challenges of these training engagements? FACILITATORS SCRIPT FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE FOCUS GROUP: Thank you for your participation. Domestic and Sexual Violence Program Staff FACILITATOR’S SCRIPT My name is _______________________________________, and I work for the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (or the State Independent Living Council). Thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this focus group today. Your experiences are a very important part of the success of this project. As you already know, the name of the project is Idaho Change Initiative and it is collaboration between the Idaho Coalition and SILC to improve services in Idaho. Your participation in this focus group is voluntary and you can end your participation at any point. We encourage your full participation however, you may choose not to answer any question and if you would be more comfortable doing an interview as opposed to participating in focus group that can be arranged. The notes we take during the group will not have any identifying information. The notes from the focus groups, interviews, and surveys being held around the state will be summarized in a report that will be forwarded to the Idaho Change Initiative members, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All information gathered from this focus group will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the Idaho Change Initiative, and for no other purpose. As a reminder, the ICI executive directors have each signed assurances that information gathered will not be used for future litigation on ADA Act, Fair Housing Act, or 504 Act. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information about the efforts provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to better assist your organization in serving individuals with disabilities who may or have experienced domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. All information obtained in the focus groups will be kept confidential, by the collaborative partners, however if a participant shares their personal information with other participants, the confidentiality of their personal information cannot be guaranteed. The only exception to confidentiality is that Idaho is a mandatory child abuse reporting state. If anyone discloses abuse of a child under the age of 18 then we will be required to make a report to child protection. (If a licensed and mandated reporter of abuse of vulnerable adults or threat to harm self or others is participating as a facilitator, note-taker or support person read the following: ____________ is required under Idaho law to report information disclosed regarding the abuse of vulnerable adults and/or the serious threat of imminent harm to self or others to law enforcement). We ask that all participants respect the privacy of everyone here today by not discussing what was talked about and who participated. We would like everyone to be able to freely share their thoughts, ideas and comments. The focus group will last approximately one-two hours located. Feel free to take your breaks as needed. There are two other individuals who will be helping with the focus group today, a note-taker and a support person. [EACH SHOULD INTRODUCE THEMSELVES] ______________________________is here to provide you with any support that you might need during the session. At any point, if you need to speak with the support person, ________________ will be outside the room, please feel free to leave and go speak with them. We thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in the focus group. Your contribution is invaluable to us. Are there any questions? Let’s begin!! 1. Tell us about a time when things went well when you were working with someone who had a disability? a. How did you know the person had a disability? Did you ask? When did you ask? Did the person tell you? b. What things are in place at your organization that made that individuals feel welcomed to disclose their disability to you? c. What made you feel comfortable and competent in working with this person? d. What questions did you ask to learn more about the disability? e. How comfortable were you asking about accommodation needs? f. What made you determine that the individual had an accommodation need? 2. Tell us about challenges you may experience in providing services to someone that may have a disability? a. What impacted the experience? 3. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide your response to a survivor who is living with a disability? a. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff? b. How is the survivors needs documented? c. What has been the most effective way that staff has handled the accommodation needs of a survivor with a disability? d. What are challenges you may face in working with a survivor with a disability? e. What could be organizational challenges? f. How would these challenges handled? 4. Does your organization have a relationship with the organization in your community that serves people with disabilities? a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is it informal or formal? c. What is working well? d. What challenges have you experienced? e. How could the relationship be improved? f. If no, what resources and support would you need to initiate and maintain a relationship with the organization? 5. What do you want disability service providers to know about providing services to individuals who have experienced gender based violence? a. What are stigmas associated with people who have experienced gender based violence? FACILITATORS SCRIPT FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE FOCUS GROUP: Thank you for your participation. Center for Independent Living Staff FACILITATOR’S SCRIPT My name is _______________________________________, and I work for the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (or the State Independent Living Council). Thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this focus group today. Your experiences are a very important part of the success of this project. As you already know, the name of the project is Idaho Change Initiative and it is collaboration between the Idaho Coalition and SILC to improve services in Idaho. Your participation in this focus group is voluntary and you can end your participation at any point. We encourage your full participation however, you may choose not to answer any question and if you would be more comfortable doing an interview as opposed to participating in focus group that can be arranged. The notes we take during the group will not have any identifying information. The notes from the focus groups, interviews, and surveys being held around the state will be summarized in a report that will be forwarded to the Idaho Change Initiative members, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All information gathered from this focus group will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the Idaho Change Initiative, and for no other purpose. As a reminder, the ICI executive directors have each signed assurances that information gathered will not be used for future litigation on ADA Act, Fair Housing Act, or 504 Act. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information about the efforts provided by the Idaho Coalition and SILC to better assist your organization in serving individuals with disabilities who may or have experienced domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. All information obtained in the focus groups will be kept confidential, by the collaborative partners, however if a participant shares their personal information with other participants, the confidentiality of their personal information cannot be guaranteed. The only exception to confidentiality is that Idaho is a mandatory child abuse reporting state. If anyone discloses abuse of a child under the age of 18 then we will be required to make a report to child protection. (If a licensed and mandated reporter of abuse of vulnerable adults or threat to harm self or others is participating as a facilitator, note-taker or support person read the following: ____________ is required under Idaho law to report information disclosed regarding the abuse of vulnerable adults and/or the serious threat of imminent harm to self or others to law enforcement). We ask that all participants respect the privacy of everyone here today by not discussing what was talked about and who participated. We would like everyone to be able to freely share their thoughts, ideas and comments. The focus group will last approximately one-two hours located. Feel free to take your breaks as needed. There are two other individuals who will be helping with the focus group today, a note-taker and a support person. [EACH SHOULD INTRODUCE THEMSELVES] ______________________________is here to provide you with any support that you might need during the session. At any point, if you need to speak with the support person, ________________ will be outside the room, please feel free to leave and go speak with them. We thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in the focus group. Your contribution is invaluable to us. Are there any questions? Let’s begin!! 1. Tell us about a time when things went well when you were working with someone who disclosed they are experiencing or has experienced gender-based violence? a. What prepared you to respond to this disclosure? b. What made the person feeling comfortable disclosing to you? c. What prior capacity building assistance did you receive that prepared you to work effectively with someone who discloses exposure to gender-based violence? d. How did you determine if they had immediate safety concerns? e. What questions did you ask to determine their safety concerns? f. What made you feel comfortable and competent in working with this person? g. How comfortable were you asking about their safety needs? 2. Tell us about a time when things did not go well for you when providing services to someone that you feel may have been exposed to domestic violence? a. What impacted this experience? b. At the time did you feel like you had the necessary training and tools to respond to the needs of this individual? Please explain? 3. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide CILs staffs’ responses to a survivor of domestic violence who is living with a disability? a. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff? b. How are the survivors needs/request documented? c. What has been the most effective way that staff has handled the safety needs of a survivor of domestic violence living with a disability? d. What are challenges with working with a program participants who have experience (or is experiencing) domestic violence? e. What are organizational challenges? f. How are these challenges handled? 4. Does your organization have a relationship with the organization in your community that serves survivors of gender-based violence? If so, tell us about that relationship. a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is your relationship informal or formal? c. What is working well? d. What challenges have your experienced? e. How could the relationship be improved? f. If no, what resources and support would you need to initiate and maintain a relationship with the organization? 5. What do you want domestic violence and sexual assault service providers to know about providing services to individuals living with a disability? a. What are stigmas associated with people living with a disability? Survivors and Individuals With Disabilities Focus Groups FACILITATOR’S SCRIPT My name is _______________________________________, and I work for the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (or the State Independent Living Council). Thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this focus group today. Your experiences are a very important part of the success of this project. As you already know, the name of the project is Idaho Change Initiative and it is collaboration between the Idaho Coalition and SILC to improve services in Idaho. Your presence in the room indicates that you are freely consenting to participate in the focus group. Your participation in this focus group is voluntary and you can end your participation at any point during the session. You can also choose not to answer a question that is asked and if you would prefer, it can be arranged for you to participate in an interview instead of the focus group. The notes we take will not have any identifying information. The notes from the focus group will be combined with other focus groups, interviews, and surveys being held around the state and will be summarized in a report that will be forwarded to the Idaho Change Initiative members, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. All information gathered from this focus group will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the Idaho Change Initiative, and for no other purpose. All information obtained in the focus groups will be kept confidential, by the collaborative partners, however if a participant shares their personal information with other participants, the confidentiality of their personal information cannot be guaranteed. The only exception to confidentiality is that Idaho is a mandatory child abuse reporting state. If anyone discloses abuse of a child under the age of 18 then we will be required to make a report to child protection. (If a licensed and mandated reporter of abuse of vulnerable adults or threat to harm self or others is participating as a facilitator, note-taker or support person read the following: ____________ is required under Idaho law to report information disclosed regarding the abuse of vulnerable adults and/or the serious threat of imminent harm to self or others to law enforcement). We ask that all participants respect the privacy of everyone here today by not discussing what was talked about and who participated. We would like everyone to be able to freely share their thoughts, ideas and comments. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are design to gather information to better serve individuals who seek services from domestic violence and sexual assault programs or Centers for Independent Living. There are two other individuals who will be helping with the focus group today, a note-taker and an advocate. [EACH SHOULD INTRODUCE THEMSELVES] ______________________________is here to provide you with any support that you might need during the session. At any point, if you need to speak with the advocate, ________________ will be outside the room, please feel free to leave and go speak with them. The focus group will be between one and two hours. The rest rooms are located___________________________________________________. If you need to take a break at any time throughout the focus group feel free to do so. As a reminder, you will all receive a $20.00 gift card for your participation. Again, we thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in the focus group. Are there any questions? Let’s Begin!! 1. In your experience, which services in your community serve you the best when you need assistance? a. How did you learn about the services that you accessed? b. In your opinion, what did you like best about the services? c. (If discussion hovers around disability service providers) Are there non-disability service providers that serve you well? 2. What would ideal services, advocacy, or programs look like? a. What would you tell service providers and advocates about providing excellent advocacy? b. What does a fully safe, comfortable, and accessible program look and feel like? 3. When someone is working with an advocate or service provider what makes it hard to talk about sensitive topics or try to get help? a. What makes you feel uncomfortable or unwelcome? 4. What is the best way to get information to people with disabilities about available services? a. Where is the best place to access this information? How can we assist in making this information more available to people with disabilities? 5. Is there anything that you feel is important for us to know about the experience individuals with disabilities have when seeking services in your community? FACILITATORS SCRIPT FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE FOCUS GROUP: Thank you for your participation. Appendix I: Focus Group Debriefing Form FOCUS GROUP FACILITATORS: Following each focus group, please allow time to participate in a debriefing session to discuss the group dynamics and your experience facilitating the focus group. Make brief notes and key points. Do not include participant’s names or identifying information. This form can be completed individually and then discussed as a group, or the form can be completed as a group. Location: ___________________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________________________________________________ Start Time: _______________________End Time: ___________________________ Number of Group Members: ___________ Facilitator/Co-facilitator:_________________________________________________ Note Taker: __________________________________________________________ Support Person: _______________________________________________________ Any visible conflicts/tensions? ____________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Any surprises? ________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Themes in this session? _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ What went well? _______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Suggested changes for future focus groups? _________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Overall impression of the session? _________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Any memorable quotes? ________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Other comments: _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Initials of facilitators/note taker/support staff: __________________________________ Appendix J: Definitions Accessibility: A general term used to describe the degree to which a system is usable by as many people as possible. In other words, it is the degree of ease with which it is possible to reach a certain location from other locations. Accessibility can also be viewed as the "ability to access" the functionality, and possible benefit, of some system or entity; such a definition brings in access-based individual rights laws and regulations that are discussed below. One meaning of accessibility specifically focuses on people with disabilities and their right of access to entities, often through use of assistive devices such as screen-reading web browsers or wheelchairs. Accessibility is strongly related to universal design when the approach involves "direct access." This is about making things accessible to all people (whether they have a disability or not). An alternative is to provide "indirect access" by having the entity support the use of a person's assistive technology to achieve access (e.g., screen reader). Attitudinal Change: Focuses on changing perceptions about individuals or groups. Barrier: A tangible or intangible obstacle that impedes progress or achievement of an objective. There are four categories of barriers: physical, communication, attitudinal, and systemic. Physical barriers interfere or impede a person from accessing the particular location or service. Communication barriers deter a person from accessing information in a usable format. Attitudinal barriers are inaccurate beliefs or perceptions about a person’s ability. Systemic barriers occur when practices of an organization discriminate individuals by “screening them out” from participation. Capacity Building: A conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governmental, non-governmental, and international organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing their abilities that will allow them to achieve measureable and sustainable results. Caregiver Abuse: Some persons with disabilities require the assistance of others with activities of daily living. For that purpose, caregivers may take many forms (i.e. family members, intimate partners, paid staff, friends, etc.). We acknowledge that there are instances where caregivers become perpetrators of different forms of abuse. Their actions may include the withholding of medications and/or assistive devices, battering, sexual violence, emotional abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, coercion, rights violations, etc. Center for Independent Living (CIL): A consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential private nonprofit agency that is designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities and provides an array of independent living services. Collaboration: A mutually beneficial and well-defined relationship entered into by two or more organizations to achieve results they are more likely to achieve together than alone. Consumer: A term that may be used by an individual to self-describe who does could or has received health care or services. This term also includes more specialized terms, such as beneficiary, client, customer, eligible member, recipient or patient. A consumer might refer to someone who has been diagnosed with a particular disability and has received treatment and/or services in some manner as a result of that diagnosis. Disability: As defined by the ADA and implementing regulations, disability means, with respect to an individual, a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; a record of having such an impairment; or being regarding as having such an impairment. (28 CFR Part 36). Domestic Violence: Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in a relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over the other partner. Domestic violence can be actions or threats of actions that influence or control another person’s behavior and decisions and are meant to intimidate, manipulate humiliate, isolate, frighten, coerce, threaten, blame, or injure. Gender-based Violence: Gender-based violence refers to harm perpetrated against a person and result of power inequalities that are based on gender roles. It includes care-giver abuse, domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual violence, and stalking. Informed Consent: The requirements of informed consent are: a clear understanding of the facts, implications, and future consequences. This information must be provided in a format that the individual understands. Organizational Change: A process in which an organization changes its working methods to improve effectiveness based on new research, policies and procedures, societal changes, etc. Power Based Violence: Power-based personal violence happens when someone commits some kind of violence or abuse against someone who is in a less powerful position that they are. The difference in power could be related to age, physical strength, popularity, positions of authority, or even mental capacity. This can include sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, or bullying. This kind of violence can happen to anyone. Program: Used within the domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking community to refer to an organization that shelters and/or provides crisis services for individuals and/or families who have experienced violence. Also, these organizations may provide information on counseling, treatment programs, education, support groups, intervention, and referral services. Relationship Abuse: A relationship in which one or both partners feel unequal, unsafe, and unsupported, typically demonstrated by a pattern of destructive behaviors such as the use of emotional, sexual and/or physical abuse by a person to harm, threaten, intimidate, or control another person in a relationship of a romantic or intimate nature, regardless of whether that relationship is continuing or has concluded or the number of interactions between the individuals involved. Safety Plan: A safety plan is ongoing and flexible strategy developed between an advocate/ counselor and an individual who has experienced abuse that contains specific activities and /or safety strategies. Safety planning is an essential step to be completed with all individuals who have experienced abuse. Sexual Assault/Abuse: Sexual assault is any behavior or contact of a sexual nature that is unwanted or makes a person uncomfortable. Sexual assault occurs any time a person is forced, coerced, and/or manipulated into any unwanted sexual activity. People of all ages, all economic classes, all races, and all levels of educations can be victims of sexual assault. Sexual assault includes a range of behaviors which may take the form of degrading verbal comments, unwanted touches, or invasions of space. Some forms of sexual assault are against the law (for example, rape) and others are not (for example, cat calling). However, even noncriminal forms of sexual assault are unacceptable and can have an impact on the people the behavior is directed towards. With any type of sexual assault, there is a lack of respect for the individual who was or is being abused. Social and Emotional Well-being: The concept of social and emotional well-being is a holistic view which recognizes the importance of culture, spirituality, family and community on a person. Social and Emotional Learning emerges through supportive relationships that help individuals develop competencies in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. For more information visit http://casel.org Stalking: Stalking is any behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a person to feel fear. Stalking behaviors may include repeated unwanted phone calls, unwanted gifts or letters, damage to a home, car, or property, monitoring phone calls or computer use and other actions that control, track, or frighten. Most victims are stalked by someone they know. Stalking is serious, often violent, and can escalate over time. Technical Assistance: The provision of training, expertise, and problem-solving strategies they need to meet the challenges of addressing sexual assault, domestic violence, relationship violence, and stalking. Trauma Informed: Exploring all aspects of services through a trauma lens, constantly keeping in mind how traumatic experiences impact individuals neurologically, biologically, psychologically, and socially. Programs and organizations that are trauma-informed respond to those who have experienced trauma by addressing their needs and avoid engaging in re-traumatizing practices. Appendix K: Resources * National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY line for deaf/hearing impaired) 24 hr., free, confidential assistance * National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-646-HOPE (4673) or Visit Rape Abuse and Incest National Network for 24 hr., free, confidential live support, via chat at www.rain.org * Northwest ADA Center 1-800-949-4232 www.dbtacnorthwest.org * Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance 1-800-291-0463 www.icdv.idaho.gov/ * Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities 1-800-544-2433 www.icdd.idaho.gov * Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 1-208-334-0879 or 1-208-473-2122 VP/V www.cdhh.idaho.gov * Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence 1-208-384-0419 www.engagingvoices.org * Idaho State Independent Living Council 1-800-487-4866 www.silc.idaho.gov * National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) www.nami.org * Idaho Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (7255) www.suicide.orgal Appendix L: Participant Charts Method Audience Purpose Two Interviews Executive Director of SILC and Executive Director of Idaho Coalition Interviews conducted with the leadership of both organizations will provide information on: * The effectiveness of our work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability including safety, social emotional well-being, accessibility, and trauma-informed practices Six-to-17 Phone or in-person Interviews Leadership of Local Domestic & Sexual Violence Programs and Executive Directors of Centers for Independent Living (CILs) Interviews conducted with the leadership of the two domestic & sexual violence programs and leadership of the CILs will provide information about: * Perspectives on current organizational cultures, policies, training, and services as well as ideas on how we might make improvements to help build your organizational capacity to work at the intersection * Gaps, strengths and needs in serving individuals impacted by violence and/or disability in the area of capacity building assistance (technical assistance and training) * Staff knowledge, skills, attitude, behaviors related to gender-based violence and disability One Focus Group with three participants Idaho Coalition Program Managers Focus group conducted with Idaho Coalition Program Managers will provide information about: * The effectiveness of our work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability including safety, social emotional well-being, accessibility, and trauma-informed practices * Gaps, strengths and needs in the provision of capacity building assistance (technical assistance and training) Two Focus Groups with five-ten participants in each group Idaho Coalition Program Specialists, Program Assistant, and SILC Program Managers Focus groups conducted with Idaho Coalition staff and SILC staff will provide information about: * The effectiveness of our work at the intersection of gender-based violence and disability including safety, social emotional well-being, accessibility, and trauma-informed practices * Gaps, strengths and needs in the provision of capacity building assistance (technical assistance and training) Likert Survey Idaho Coalition Program Specialists, Program Assistant, and SILC Program Managers Additionally, all will be asked to complete surveys (based on Likert scales, to assist with measuring: * Impact of the grant pre-implementation and post-implementation Five-Six Focus Groups with Six-ten participants in each group Direct services staff from 21 local domestic & sexual violence programs and Staff from local CILs Focus groups conducted with staff from the local domestic & sexual violence programs and CILs will provide information about: * The strengths and needs in the area of capacity building assistance (technical assistance and training) provided by the Idaho Coalition an SILC to provide lasting behavior change within their organizations * Perspectives on current organizational cultures, policies, training, and services as well as ideas on how we might make improvements to help build your organizational capacity to work at the intersection * Strengths and needs in program policies and procedures related to disability and gender-based violence Four-five Focus Groups with Eight-ten participants in each group Survivors and Individuals living with a disability Focus groups conducted with survivors of domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and individuals with disabilities who have experienced care-giver abuse, domestic violence, relationship abuse, sexual assault, or stalking will provide information about: * Personal experience with accessing services that are safe and welcoming * Challenges to accessing safe, welcoming and accessible services Assault Hotline 1-800-646-HOPE (4673) or visit National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-646-HOPE (4673) or visit 1 Capacity building refers to mission-driven efforts intended to strengthen an organization’s performance and impact. These efforts include organizational development activities, such as training and technical assistance, leadership development, strategic planning, program design and evaluation. 2 Capacity building refers to mission-driven efforts intended to strengthen an organization’s performance and impact. These efforts include organizational development activities, such as training and technical assistance, leadership development, strategic planning, program design and evaluation. 3 Capacity building refers to mission-driven efforts intended to strengthen an organization’s performance and impact. These efforts include organizational development activities, such as training and technical assistance, leadership development, strategic planning, program design and evaluation. 4 Capacity building refers to mission-driven efforts intended to strengthen an organization’s performance and impact. These efforts include organizational development activities, such as training and technical assistance, leadership development, strategic planning, program design and evaluation. 5 Capacity building refers to mission-driven efforts intended to strengthen an organization’s performance and impact. These efforts include organizational development activities, such as training and technical assistance, leadership development, strategic planning, program design and evaluation. 6 Capacity building refers to mission-driven efforts intended to strengthen an organization’s performance and impact. These efforts include organizational development activities, such as training and technical assistance, leadership development, strategic planning, program design and evaluation. 7 Active accommodation is the process of proactively ensuring all interactions are safe, accessible, and trauma-informed --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ 1 of 96 ICI Needs Assessment Plan