September 20th, 2016 To: Sylvia Pauling From: McNeffÕs Open Doors for Survivors with Disabilities Re: Statement of Focus McNeffÕs Open Doors for Survivors with Disabilities (ÒOpen DoorsÓ) reflects the commitment of five organizations who have come together to identify and address system gaps present for women with disabilities who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and/or stalking in Multnomah County. While our agencies have relevant expertise and a rich history of working together, no previous efforts have included the development of such a comprehensive team focused exclusively on women with physical disabilities who experience domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking. We propose a focus primarily on women age 18 to 64 years old with physical disabilities, including women with physical disabilities and cooccurring mental health conditions. We will include violence of all types and all survivors within Multnomah County. We are as interested in those who donÕt access our services as those who do, because our preliminary research found this population significantly underrepresented in those currently receiving services through our system. Our partner agencies include: Multnomah County Department of County Human Services (DCHS) is the grantee organization for this project. DCHS houses three project partners: Adult Protective Services, VeteranÕs Services, and the Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordination Office. Adult Protective Services Adult Protective Services (APS) will bring their expertise investigating abuse against people with disabilities. APS is responsible for improving the quality of life of the countyÕs 220,000 older adults and people with disabilities by protecting them from abuse, financial exploitation, neglect and self neglect. APS conducts abuse investigations, provides risk management, and educates the community about abuse. APS strives to prevent further harm by linking victims of abuse to critical health, legal and human services. Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordination Office The Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordination Office (DSVCO) will bring their expertise with systems level coordination of domestic violence services. Established in 1994, DSVCO provides leadership, consultation and technical assistance on domestic and sexual violence intervention and prevention for Multnomah County and the City of Portland. DSVCO manages county, state and federal funds for victim services including other Office on Violence Against Women grants; leads and facilitates multidisciplinary and collaborative projects; assesses needs and gaps in local interventions; and provides extensive training and capacity building throughout the County. VeteranÕs Services Office The VeteranÕs Services Office (VSO) will bring expertise working with veterans and their families. The VSO assists veterans and their families in accessing all state and federal benefits available to them. Because Oregon has no active duty military base, VSO plays a crucial role in serving veterans directly and through collaboration with other programs such as the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Department of Veterans Affairs and its local Center for Women Veterans Health. Recently VSO has increased its staffing as well as its focus on the needs of women veterans, including training and outreach on trauma, military sexual trauma and domestic violence issues. Disability Awareness Resources Team The Disability Awareness Resource Team (DART) will bring their expertise working with people with disabilities who have been victims of crime. DART, a program under HASL Center for Independent Living, provides disability specific domestic violence services to crime survivors with disabilities in Multnomah county, bring many resources and skills to the collaborative. Formed in 2005 by a group of women with disabilities, DART is a grassroots, consumer led effort focused on ending violence against women with disabilities by promoting women with disabilities to assume leadership positions. ALL of DART’S services are peer based, best practice/evidence based and in alignment with the philosophical tenets of the independent living movement: supporting peer mentoring, advocacy/co-advocacy, self-determination, sufficiency, empowerment, stewardship, and person centered supports as means to end violence against women with disabilities. Independent Living Resources Independent Living Resources (ILR) will bring their expertise working with people with disabilities to the project. ILR is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting people with diverse disabilities in Multnomah County. Established locally in 1957, the agency provides services using both staff and volunteers. ILR serves as the countyÕs Center for Independent Living, dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities to maintain independent living and to maintain control over decisions and choices in their own lives. ILRÕs approach emphasizes consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access, and individual and systems advocacy. ILR serves more than 3,000 people annually with its core services of advocacy, information and referral, peer counseling, and skills training. Native American Youth and Family Services Native American Youth and Family Services (NAYA) will bring their expertise working with survivors of domestic violence in a culturally specific context. For forty years, the Native American Youth and Family Center in Portland, Oregon, has worked to enrich the lives of Native youth and families through education, community involvement, and culturally specific programming. With a mission to enhance the diverse strengths of Native youth and families in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education, NAYA Family Center offers a holistic set of wraparound services designed to create stability in the lives of Native youth and families. Within its suite of services, NAYA offers the Healing Circle, a culturally specific domestic violence and sexual assault victim services program. Raphael House Raphael House will bring their expertise working with survivors of domestic violence, as well as those with cooccurring mental health conditions, to the project. Raphael House of Portland is a multifaceted domestic violence agency serving Multnomah County dedicated to fighting the causes and effects of intimate partner violence in a variety of ways. The mission of Raphael House is to engage the entire community in nonviolent living through advocacy, education, and community outreach, and by providing a safe haven from domestic violence. Raphael House has been offering survivors the tools they need to build violence free lives since 1977. The agencies that make up Open Doors have a rich history of serving the people of Multnomah County and are well positioned to create and sustain a collaborative dedicated to improving the accessibility and safety of our services for survivors with physical disabilities. This project is supported by Grant No. 2015KWAXKO11 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflectthe views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.