NEEDS ASSESSMENT PLAN Project SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone) Ending Violence Against Women with Disabilities In Suffolk County A Collaborative Project between VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center & United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc. Table of Contents SUBJECT Introduction 4 - 7 VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center 4 United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk Inc. 4 Vision Statement 5 Mission Statement 5 Goals 6 Information Sources 7 Existing Information 7 New Information 7 Overview of Methods 7 - 32 Introduction 7 - 9 Focus Groups 9 - 19 Purpose 9 Audience 9 - 11 Numbers 11 Facilitation 12 Facilitator 13 Recorder 13 Counselor 14 Recruitment Strategies 14 - 19 Survivors of domestic and sexual violence and Individuals with disabilities 14 - 17 Supervisors, direct service delivery staff, volunteers 17 - 19 Interview 19 - 27 Purpose 19 Audience20 - 21 Numbers 21 Facilitation.22 Facilitator 22 Recorder23 Counselor24 Recruitment Strategies.24 - 27 Leadership 24 - 25 Survivors of Elder Abuse 25 - 27 Surveys 27 -32 Purpose 27 Audience 28 - 29 Numbers 29 Facilitation 29 Facilitator 30 Recruitment Strategies 31 - 33 Board of Directors 31 - 32 Direct service delivery staff - 33 Consents 33 - 34 Confidentiality 34 - 37 Mandatory reporting 35 - 37 Data Storage 37 Safety Considerations 38 - 39 Access Considerations 39 - 40 Work Plan 40 - 41 Appendix Table of Contents 42 Appendix A: Recruitment Training 43 - 47 Appendix B1: Recruitment Script for Individual Interviews of Leadership 48 - 50 Appendix B2: Recruitment Scrip for Focus Group of Direct Service Delivery Staff, Supervisors, and Volunteers.51 - 56 Appendix B3: Recruitment Script for Focus Groups of Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities 57 – 61 Appendix C: Needs Assessment Informational Fact Sheet for Leadership, Supervisors, Direct Service Delivery Staff, Volunteers and Boards of Directors 62 - 64 Appendix C1: Needs Assessment Informational Fact Sheet for Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities 65 - 67 Appendix D: Registration Form for Survivors and Individuals With Disabilities 68 - 69 Appendix D1: Registration Form for Leadership, Supervisors, Boards of Directors, Direct Service Delivery Staff, and VIBS Volunteers 70 - 71 Appendix F: Memorandum 72 - 73 Appendix G: Script for Focus Group for Supervisors, Direct Service Delivery Staff, and VIBS volunteers & for Survey For UCP-Suffolk Direct Service Delivery Staff 74 - 78 Appendix G1: Script for Focus Group for Survivor and Individuals with Disabilities 79 – 83 Appendix H: Survey Questions for Board of Directors 84 - 85 Appendix H1: Survey Questions for Direct Service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk 86 - 89 Appendix H2: Interview Questions for Leadership 90 - 92 Appendix H3: Focus Group Questions for Supervisors 93 - 96 Appendix H4: Focus Group Questions for Direct Service Delivery Staff 97 - 99 Appendix H5: Focus Group Questions for Volunteers 100 – 101 Appendix H6: Focus Group Questions for Individuals with Physical and developmental disabilities 102 Appendix H7: Focus Group Questions for Survivors 103 Appendix I: Resource and Referral List 104 - 105 Needs Assessment Plan Introduction Project SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone) is a local collaboration between two Suffolk County agencies, VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk Inc. (UCP-Suffolk). This partnership began in October 2008 as part of the United States Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Education, Training and Enhanced Services to End Violence Against the Abuse of Women with Disabilities Grant; commonly known as the Disability Grant Program. OVW established this grant program as an initiative to build bridges and fill the gaps in the service delivery system for survivors of domestic and sexual violence with disabilities. Project SAFE was developed to enhance and create a more sustainable, accessible, and safer service delivery system within both of our organizations for survivors of domestic and sexual violence who have a physical and/or developmental disability (will also be referred to as survivors with disabilities throughout this document). VIBS (Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk) Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center VIBS (Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk) Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center is a not-for-profit agency established in 1976 offering free and confidential counseling and advocacy services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence who reside in Suffolk County. VIBS offers individual and group counseling to adult and child survivors of domestic and sexual violence to assist them to heal and recover from the effects of their trauma. The advocacy program accompanies survivors to court, provides legal options, and assists in obtaining Orders of Protection. VIBS has a 24 hour hotline, volunteer Emergency Room Companions (ERC), the SANE Program (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner), Community Education Program, and the Batterer Intervention Program. VIBS employs approximately 50 staff members and has one office location for survivor’s services and one office location for batterer services. VIBS is the lead agency awarded the funds from the Office on Violence Against Women due to their vested interest in providing and offering a service delivery system that will benefit survivors with disabilities. UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) Association of Greater Suffolk Inc. also known as UCP-Suffolk United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc., also known as UCP-Suffolk, is a not-for-profit organization providing a wide range of programs and services to more than four thousand children and adults with disabilities throughout Suffolk County. Although UCP-Suffolk serves people with a wide variety of disabilities, their primary focus is those with a physical and/or developmental disability. UCP-Suffolk operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. It has 35 service locations covering a 50 – 60 mile range in Western and Central Suffolk County. Of these 35 locations, 29 of them are staffed around the clock in three shifts. UCP-Suffolk employs approximately 1,000 staff at various professional and paraprofessional levels. UCP-Suffolk’s mission is ?to advance the independence, productivity, and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities?. UCP-Suffolk is a strong advocate for people with disabilities, partnering with other organizations to ensure that individuals with disabilities enjoy life without limits. UCP-Suffolk was selected as the partner agency because of their disability expertise and their strong belief in the need for systemic change of this nature. Vision Project SAFE believes the ideal vision for women with disabilities in Suffolk County who are survivors of domestic and sexual violence is to have universal access to a network of organizations that promote a culture of dignity, respect, and acceptance. Service providers will work in a seamless and timely manner as partners with these individuals on their journey towards safety, empowerment, and economic justice. Mission Project SAFE believes our mission towards this service ideal is to work together to promote a safe, accessible, and responsive service environment for women in Suffolk County who are survivors with disabilities. We will accomplish this by creating sustainable changes in our organizational cultures through: fostering collaboration sharing resources and knowledge enhancing the service delivery system implementing policy and procedures that reflect best practices of professional ethics, trust, open communication, and true understanding of the challenges and needs of survivors with disabilities. While our agencies are pioneers in their fields and are exceptionally well versed in their respective disciplines, together we can improve and enhance our responsiveness at the intersection of disability and domestic and sexual violence. There are barriers and gaps in our policies and procedures, including the lack of sufficient training of staff, which could inhibit survivors with disabilities in attempting to access safe, responsive, and accommodating services at both organizations. This document contains our needs assessment plan, which is the second stage in the planning and development phase of the Disability Grant Program. Project SAFE has completed our charter, which was the first stage in the planning and development phase. Our collaboration charter describes how our collaboration will work together as a team. The needs assessment phase will enable us to explore and obtain information regarding what services exist, what services do not exist, and what VIBS / UCP-Suffolk can do better in assisting survivors of domestic/ sexual violence with disabilities. Input will be obtained from agency leadership, supervisors, direct service delivery staff, boards of directors, volunteers at VIBS, individuals with disabilities at UCP-Suffolk, and survivors at VIBS through focus groups, individual interviews, and surveys. As a result of the needs assessment findings, we will develop initiatives that will be incorporated in our strategic plan. Our strategic plan will be utilized in implementing organizational change at both agencies in order to provide a safer, more responsive, and more accessible service delivery system for survivors of domestic / sexual violence with disabilities. VIBS and UCP-Suffolk are committed to improving already existing services in their organizations, and to bringing about organizational change dedicated to better serve survivors with disabilities. Currently neither organization is fully prepared to meet the needs of survivors with disabilities, and we have joined forces to make our services more accessible, more responsive, more user-friendly, safer, and delivered by a better informed staff. Goals The goals of Project SAFE for this needs assessment phase are as follows: Identify current policies/procedures/practices that exist, those that don’t exist, and those that need to be improved upon at both organizations in order to serve, support, and respond to survivors with disabilities. Identify service aspects experienced by our staff that facilitate or hinder our ability to provide a safe, accessible, and responsive service delivery system for survivors with disabilities. Identify the service aspects experienced by survivors and individuals with disabilities that support or inhibit a more accessible, safe, and responsive service delivery system. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the existing relationship between our two organizations and ways to enhance our partnership to provide seamless services for survivors with disabilities. Identify opportunities for change and strategies for improvement within our organizations to enhance services for survivors with disabilities. Information Sources Existing Information Our research of existing relevant studies in the Suffolk County, New York area on the intersection of domestic and sexual violence and physical and developmental disabilities was unfruitful. Therefore, we will rely solely on the findings of this needs assessment to inform organizational changes at our respective agencies. New Information Our needs assessment will help to generate new ideas and insight regarding what works and does not work in our current service delivery system within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk for survivors with disabilities. We will gather this information through focus groups, interviews, and surveys. We plan on using this information to assist in the development of our strategic plan and for the implementation of new services and in modifying current policies that will offer a more responsive, accessible, and safe service delivery system. Overview of Methods Introduction Project SAFE’s purpose is to collect information from our agency leadership, agency supervisors, agency direct service delivery staff, volunteers, survivors, and individuals with disabilities who have knowledge of and experience with our agencies’ current service delivery system for survivors with disabilities. We are interested in learning what services are available; what services are safe, accessible, and responsive; what services are lacking; and what services are in need of improvement in both organizations. Feedback and input from the above audiences will guide Project SAFE in creating a safer, more accessible, and more responsive plan for our future endeavors for organizational change within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk. The various methodologies we plan to use to gather information and substantive feedback, and to construct our needs assessment, are focus groups, interviews, and surveys. We will analyze the information we gather from these methods and use the results to guide us in developing our strategic plan and constructing our initiatives for organizational change to better enable survivors with disabilities to obtain services. FOCUS GROUPS Agency Audience Number of Participants Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence VIBS Survivors of Domestic Violence #1 6-8 VIBS Survivors of Domestic Violence #2 6-8 VIBS Survivors of Sexual Violence 8-10 Individuals with a Physical and/or Developmental Disability UCP Acquired Physical Disabilities 6-8 UCP People with Developmental Disabilities in Residential Care 6-8 UCP People with Developmental Disabilities Living in Community 6-8 Supervisors VIBS Supervisors 5-7 UCP Supervisors 12-15 Direct Service Delivery Staff VIBS Direct Service Delivery Staff #1 6-8 VIBS Direct Service Delivery Staff #2 6-8 UCP Direct Service Delivery Staff # 1 6-10 UCP Direct Service Delivery Staff #2 6-10 UCP Direct Service Delivery Staff #3 6-10 Volunteers VIBS Volunteers 8-10 INTERVIEWS Agency Audience Number of Participants Survivors of Elder Abuse VIBS Survivors of Elder Abuse 3 Executive Directors/Leadership VIBS Executive Director 1 VIBS Associate Director 1 UCP Executive Director 1 UCP Chief Operating Officer 1 UCP Director of Adult Day Services 1 Optional Interviews – individuals who would prefer to participant in an interview rather than a focus group VIBS Survivors or Domestic and Sexual Violence Unknown UCP Individuals with a Physical and/or Developmental Disability Unknown VIBS and UCP Supervisors Unknown VIBS and UCP Direct Service Delivery Staff Unknown VIBS Volunteers Unknown SURVEYS Agency Audience Number of Participants Board of Directors VIBS Board of Directors 10-12 UCP Board of Directors 17 Direct Service Delivery Staff UCP Direct Service Delivery Staff Distribute 500 – 600 Expected responses 80 - 120 Focus Groups Purpose Project SAFE will conduct focus groups for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, individuals with disabilities, supervisors at both agencies, direct service delivery staff at both agencies, and volunteers at VIBS. We feel that by offering focus groups to various audiences, we will be able to obtain information needed in an efficient manner. Focus groups allow for a diversity of ideas to be shared, and carefully constructed questions will be asked to encourage a wide variety of opinions and perspectives to add to the group process. A series of prompts will be developed for each question to aid in receiving additional information and as a way to avoid closed ended answers. Through these focus groups, Project SAFE hopes to gain information about: what policies and procedures exist and don’t exist regarding services for survivors with disabilities; what policies and procedures work and do not work in providing services to survivors with disabilities; how well informed our respective staffs are about the policies and procedures of their agency regarding services to survivors with disabilities; what factors enable / impede the provision of safe, accessible, and responsive services and support for survivors with disabilities; what are some suggestions for improvement in developing and enhancing a safe, accessible, and responsive service delivery system how well informed our respective staffs are about each other’s organizations and opportunities that may exist to establish additional partnerships Audience Project SAFE will be seeking input through focus groups from survivors of domestic and sexual violence, individuals with disabilities, supervisors at both organizations, direct service delivery staff at both organizations, and volunteers at VIBS. We believe that each of these audiences will provide us with the information regarding what services are being offered and not being offered in both organizations for survivors with disabilities, as well as what services seem to work well and don’t work well for them. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence are an essential audience to include in the needs assessment process as they are the service recipients exploring guidance and support for domestic and sexual violence. As such, they have first hand knowledge as to which service aspects benefit them and which ones do not. Their experience and feedback will provide us with the essential information about what is specifically needed to make the current service delivery system safer and more responsive to their needs. They are the true experts on what works and does not work regarding service provisions for domestic / sexual violence issues and will inform the way in which UCP-Suffolk will strategize future change. Individuals with a physical and/or developmental disability are an essential audience to include in the needs assessment process as they are the service recipients exploring guidance and support for physical and/or developmental disabilities. As such, they have first hand knowledge as to what service aspects benefit them and which ones do not. Their experience and feedback will provide us with the essential information about what is specifically needed to make the current service delivery system more accessible, accommodating, and more responsive to their needs. They are the true experts on what works and does not work regarding service provisions for physical and developmental disability issues and will inform the way in which VIBS will strategize future change. Supervisors are critical to include in the needs assessment process as they have insight into fiscal and budgetary concerns, have a significant impact on policy and procedure changes and implementation, and provide supervision and training to their staff. We feel that their buy-in of our project, their support, and feedback are essential to the success of Project SAFE. We anticipate that they will inform us as to what works and does not work regarding services to individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence, and that they will share with us the positive and negative impacts of the current system on their staffs. Supervisors at VIBS consist of supervisors and administrators. Supervisors at UCP-Suffolk include members of their Senior Leadership Team. Direct Service Delivery Staff at both organizations would be extremely helpful in the needs assessment process. They will inform us of what does and does not work well within our agencies’ current service delivery systems, either through their own experience or through the experience of the individuals they work with. Direct service delivery staff at VIBS consists of counselors, hotline counselors, community educators, advocates, and receptionists. Direct service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk includes direct care professionals and direct care aides who work with adults receiving day services and other services at UCP-Suffolk. Volunteers at VIBS are a helpful audience to include in the needs assessment process as they may maintain an unbiased view of how certain policies, procedures, and practices affect staff, survivors receiving services, and the organization as a whole. Volunteers also might want to be given the opportunity for input into Project SAFE, as this may be one of the few avenues they have to make a difference. UCP-Suffolk does not utilize a volunteer corps. Each potential focus group participant will be offered the option of an individual interview if they would feel more comfortable and safe in a one-on-one environment. Numbers We will conduct 4 separate and distinct focus groups for a fair overall representation of staff at VIBS, consisting of 1 focus group for supervisors, 2 focus groups for direct service delivery staff, and 1 focus group for volunteers. We will conduct 3 separate and distinct focus groups for a fair representation of survivors, consisting of 2 focus groups for survivors of domestic violence and 1 focus group for survivors of sexual violence. Each group will range from 5 to 10 people with the total projected participation of 44 to 59 individuals in all. Project SAFE will conduct 4 separate and distinct focus groups for a fair overall representation of staff at UCP-Suffolk who provide day services to adults, consisting of 1 focus group for supervisors and 3 focus groups for direct service delivery staff. We will conduct 3 separate and distinct focus groups for a fair cross-section of people with disabilities, consisting of 1 focus group for individuals with acquired disabilities, 1 focus group for individuals with developmental disabilities living in residential programs, and 1 focus group for individuals with developmental disabilities living in the community. Each group will range from 6 to 15 people with the anticipated participation of 48 to 69 individuals at UCP-Suffolk in all. The total anticipated number of focus groups is 14, while the projected participation range is 99 to 128 individuals. The following chart signifies the number of individuals that are anticipated to participate in focus groups. FOCUS GROUPS Agency Audience Number of Participants Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence VIBS Survivors of Domestic Violence #1 6-8 VIBS Survivors of Domestic Violence #2 6-8 VIBS Survivors of Sexual Violence 8-10 Individuals with a Physical and/or Developmental Disability UCP Acquired Physical Disabilities 6-8 UCP People with Developmental Disabilities in Residential Care UCP People with Developmental Disabilities Living in Community Supervisors 6-8 6-8 VIBS Supervisors 5-7 UCP Supervisors 12-15 Direct Service Delivery Staff VIBS Direct Service Delivery Staff #1 6-8 VIBS Direct Service Delivery Staff #2 6-8 UCP Direct Service Delivery Staff #1 6-10 UCP Direct Service Delivery Staff #2 6-10 UCP Direct Service Delivery Staff #3 6-10 Volunteers VIBS Volunteers 8-10 VIBS projected focus groups 7 UCP projected focus groups 7 VIBS projected group participants are 45 – 59 UCP projected group participants are 48 - 69 Total projected focus groups are 14 Total projected focus group participants are 93 - 128 Facilitation The purpose of conducting focus groups is to obtain information and data which will help to develop the initiatives for our strategic plan. These focus groups will be offered at the UCP-Suffolk and VIBS facilities. The VIBS facility will host VIBS staff and survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and the UCP-Suffolk facility will host UCP staff and individuals with a physical and/or developmental disability. Each focus group will be conducted for about an hour and a half by a facilitation team. We have decided to utilize a facilitation team in order to ease the group process and maximize the acquisition of desired information. The facilitation team of each focus group will consist of three individuals: the group facilitator, a recorder, and a counselor. Facilitator After considerable deliberation, it was decided that Project SAFE will use a VIBS collaboration representative to be the facilitator for all focus groups at UCP-Suffolk. A UCP-Suffolk collaboration representative will be the facilitator for all focus groups at VIBS. Our collaboration feels that this arrangement will provide a balance for objectivity in interpreting the information gathered in the focus groups and will limit any potential agency bias. We feel that collaboration members are the most appropriate individuals to facilitate these focus groups as they are directly involved in this project, have more flexibility regarding their time and resources towards this project, and have experience in group conduct and process. The facilitator of all focus groups will: verify that the location is accessible and that requests for accommodations have been met; create a safe and comfortable atmosphere for the participants; establish the parameters for participation, including passive consent; ask questions that are relevant to this needs assessment; prompt the group when necessary in order to gain more in-depth information; ensure that the group does not stray off the topic; gather the recorded information after each group session and secure it in a locked file cabinet at VIBS for the duration of this grant period. At the end of the grant period, all recorded notes and registration forms will be destroyed. (See Data Storage section of this document pg. 37); distribute Target $20 gift card to survivors and individuals with disabilities in accordance with any identified safety concerns Recorder Project SAFE will use a UCP-Suffolk collaboration representative to be the recorder for all focus groups at UCP-Suffolk. A VIBS collaboration representative will be the recorder for all focus groups at VIBS. Here again, we are looking for team balance and objectivity, and limitation of any potential agency bias. She will: contribute to the provision of a safe and comfortable group atmosphere; write down all responses to the focus group questions and prompts; ask for clarification immediately if a response has not been fully understood for recording purposes; maintain an accurate record of the discussion at each group; maintain the confidentiality of all written notes; deliver the written record of each focus group to the facilitator, immediately after each group, for secure storage. Counselor Project SAFE will use a VIBS collaboration representative or VIBS qualified staff member to be the counselor for all focus groups at VIBS and UCP-Suffolk. She will: contribute to the provision of a safe and comfortable needs assessment process; be available in a separate room outside the focus group; provide emotional support to focus group participants who might find the nature of the discussion upsetting; provide referrals and offer a list of resources, previously prepared by the collaboration, if needed and/or requested (see Appendix I – Resource and Referral List). Recruitment Strategies The recruitment process of our needs assessment plan allows all parties involved to be well informed and aware of our purpose in conducting the needs assessment and what their role will be in this process. In regards to recruiting potential participants for our focus groups, we plan to engage all six collaboration members as well as other respective staff members at each organization. All staff members and volunteers at VIBS, as well as adult survivors currently receiving counseling services at VIBS, will be invited to participate in separate and distinct focus groups. All direct service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk who provide a variety of day services to adults will be invited to participate. In addition, individuals with a physical and /or developmental disability currently receiving adult day services at UCP-Suffolk will be invited to participate in separate and distinct focus groups. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence and Individuals with a physical and/or developmental disability recruitment process: 1. Project SAFE has identified the Director of Counseling Services at VIBS, the Director of Advocacy Services at VIBS, the Director of Adult Day Services at UCP-Suffolk, and key managers at UCP-Suffolk as the staff members who would be the most helpful in coordinating the recruitment of survivors of domestic and sexual violence and individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities. 2. VIBS: The VIBS collaboration team and the Director of Counseling Services at VIBS will meet to determine together the specific details relating to the date, time, and location of each focus group prior to the recruitment process of survivors of domestic and sexual violence. UCP- Suffolk: The UCP-Suffolk collaboration team will do the same prior to the recruitment process of individuals with disabilities. 3. Recruitment training of staff members outside of our collaboration involved in recruiting staff, survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and individuals with disabilities will be provided by Project SAFE. This training will involve the specifics of what Project SAFE is, why Project Safe was created, the purpose of conducting the needs assessment, and what we plan to do with the information gained from this process. VIBS: All VIBS staff members who have contact with and will be assisting in the recruitment of survivors of domestic and sexual violence will receive training from the collaboration team, the Director of Counseling Services, and the Director of Advocacy. UCP-Suffolk: All UCP-Suffolk staff members who have contact with and will be assisting in the recruitment of individuals with disabilities will receive training from two collaboration team members, the Director of Adult Day Services and the Project Director. This training will explain the logistics of the focus group recruitment process (see Appendix A – Recruitment Training). 4. A thorough and comprehensive assessment of safety risks for all potential participants will be made by all recruitment personnel prior to participation. This process will help to ensure that those potential participants whose safety could be jeopardized as a result of participating in our needs assessment do not participate. However, potential participants whose safety could be jeopardized by a focus group but not by an individual interview will be offered that option. A safety plan and referrals will be given to those not permitted to participate based on safety concerns. 5. All survivors will be recruited face-to-face during a group or individual counseling session at VIBS and individuals with disabilities will be recruited face-to-face during a group or individual service appointment at UCP-Suffolk. During this face-to-face recruitment, potential participants will be given a verbal overview of Project SAFE and the needs assessment process. Any questions that may arise can be addressed during the face- to-face contact with collaboration members. VIBS: All survivors of domestic and sexual violence at VIBS will be approached face-to-face, either during an individual counseling session at VIBS, during a group counseling session at VIBS, or during an individual advocacy appointment at Court or at VIBS, to be provided a face-to-face verbal overview of the needs assessment process. The person who will provide this verbal overview will either be the Project Director of Project SAFE or staff recruitment personnel trained by the collaboration to present this information. UCP-Suffolk: A face-to-face verbal overview of Project SAFE needs assessment focus group will be given to all present in the target population (participants in the Adult Day Services Day Habilitation and Vocational Rehabilitation Programs) on a specific day during two group face-to-face meetings given by the Director of Adult Day Services and the Project Director. Individuals who have the cognitive capacity and are their own legal representative will be invited to participate in a focus group. 6. Along with a face-to-face verbal overview, an informational fact sheet will be given, providing a brief description of Project SAFE, the purpose of the needs assessment, the reasons why we are asking them to participate, confidentiality, safety risks/concerns, and the option of an individual interview if one should feel more comfortable and safe in a one-to-one environment (please see Appendix C1 – Informational Fact Sheet). This informational fact sheet will be used as a visual tool and will not be kept or taken home by the potential participant for safety reasons. The written informational fact sheet will be distributed and shown by overhead projector to individuals with disabilities at UCP-Suffolk. Potential participants who have a personal care aide will be informed that their PCAs will not be able to attend the focus group or individual interview; however, they can be closely available if needed. UCP-Suffolk staff will be available for personal care assistance during the needs assessment activity. 7. All interested participants will need to complete and submit a registration form. The registration form will include a section indicating interest in participating; the type of event; specifics such as date, time, and location; an opportunity to request accommodations, and a very brief description of confidentiality and safety risks / concerns (please see Appendix D – Registration Form). VIBS: After all the information about Project SAFE’s purpose and needs assessment process is given and potential participants are offered an opportunity to ask questions, a registration form will be provided to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. All survivors will be provided a registration form to fill out immediately and will fill out the appropriate sections pertaining to their interest in participating or their desire not to participate. If anyone requires assistance, the recruiter can provide it or the recruiter can set up an individual session with the survivor at a later date. For those who feel they need additional information, a private one-to-one conversation can be arranged with the Project Director. UCP-Suffolk: All UCP-Suffolk individuals with disabilities who are interested in participating will be directed to see one of two designated recruitment personnel to complete the registration form by the end of that program day. The one-to-one UCP-Suffolk registration meeting with interested UCP-Suffolk individuals will be to answer any additional questions about the needs assessment focus group and provide assistance in completing the registration form. 8. Project SAFE will arrange and coordinate all aspects of each focus group based on the registration forms completed by participants. Any accommodations requested will be put in place prior to the scheduled focus group or optional interview. 9. All potential participants will be informed that a $20 gift card to Target will be given as a token of our appreciation for their time and participation on the day of their scheduled focus group or interview. For anyone who feels their safety could be jeopardized by bringing home the gift card on the day of their needs assessment activity, Project SAFE will offer to hold it for them until a later date. For those that feel that option is not feasible and/or safe, an alternate arrangement will be explored. 10. All potential participants will be informed that refreshments and light snacks will be offered on the day of their focus group or interview. Food allergies and any other dietary concerns will be explored, prior to their participation (please see Accessibility Section of this plan, pg.39). 11. Optional interviews will be offered for those who feel it will be uncomfortable and not safe to attend a focus group. Individuals who request optional personal interviews will not also participate in a focus group. Those individuals who opt for an interview rather than participating in their assigned focus group will be interviewed by the same facilitation team of that pre-selected focus group. Supervisors, Direct Service Delivery Staff, and Volunteer recruitment process for UCP and VIBS: 1. Project SAFE has decided to invite all supervisors, direct service delivery staff, and volunteers at VIBS to participate in a focus group. All supervisors and direct service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk who provide a variety of day services to adults will be invited. 2. VIBS: Project SAFE has identified all collaboration members, leadership, the Director of Counseling Services and the Volunteer Coordinator at VIBS as the most helpful in coordinating potential participants for focus groups. UCP-Suffolk: Collaboration members, leadership, the Director of Adult Day Services, and key managers at UCP- Suffolk have been identified as staff that would be most helpful in coordinating potential participants for focus groups. 3. The collaboration members of Project SAFE will decide on the time, date, and location of each focus group. It will be encouraged and highly recommended that all supervisors, direct service delivery staff, and volunteers be able to participate during their regularly scheduled work hours. Potential participants will be assured that no reprisals will occur as a result of their participation. 4. A collaboration member of Project SAFE or recruitment personnel will provide the supervisors and direct service delivery staff at each agency and the volunteers at VIBS with a verbal face-to-face overview of Project SAFE and the needs assessment process during one of their regularly scheduled staff / volunteer meetings. 5. Along with this face-to-face verbal overview, an informational fact sheet will be given providing a brief description of Project SAFE, the purpose of the needs assessment, the reasons why we are asking staff to participate, confidentiality, safety risks/concerns, and the option of an individual interview if they feel more comfortable and safe in a one-to- one environment (please see Appendix C – Informational Fact Sheet). The informational fact sheet can be used as a visual tool and may be kept for future reference. 6. After all the information about Project SAFE’s purpose and needs assessment process is presented and everyone has been offered an opportunity to ask questions, the recruitment personnel from each agency who provided the face-to-face verbal overview will distribute a registration form. 7. The registration form will include the type of event; specifics such as date, time, and location; and an opportunity to request accommodations (please see Appendix D1 – Registration Form). All potential participants at each meeting will be encouraged to fill out the sections of the form applicable to their desire to participate and to their need for accommodations. They will return the registration form immediately, for the sake of convenience and closure, to the recruitment personnel attending the meeting. These recruitment personnel will in turn submit all registration forms to the Project Director in a timely manner. 8. VIBS: Since VIBS is considerably smaller than UCP-Suffolk and employs fewer staff, VIBS will be contacting those supervisors and direct service delivery staff not present at each meeting to invite them to participate in our needs assessment. An informational fact sheet and registration form will be placed in their VIBS internal work mailbox for review. In addition, an internal email of the informational fact sheet and registration form will be forwarded to those supervisors and direct service delivery staff not present at the meetings. A response regarding their interest in participating will be expected within one week’s time to the Project Director. UCP-Suffolk: A reminder will be distributed through Outlook via email to all supervisors and direct service delivery staff regarding the times and dates of each focus group. 9. Project SAFE will arrange and coordinate all aspects of these focus groups based on the registration forms completed by potential participants. Any accommodations requested will be put in place prior to the scheduled focus group or optional interview. 10. Invitees will be notified that refreshments and light snacks will be provided as a token of appreciation of their time and efforts. Food allergies and any other dietary concerns will be explored, prior to their participation (please see Accessibility Section of this plan, pg.39). 11. Optional interviews will be offered for those who feel it will be uncomfortable and not safe to attend a focus group. Individuals who request optional personal interviews will not also participate in a focus group. Those individuals who opt for an interview rather than participating in their assigned focus group will be interviewed by the same facilitation team of that pre-selected focus group. Interviews Purpose Project SAFE will utilize the method of conducting interviews for leadership at both organizations and survivors of elder abuse. This will include the VIBS Executive Director, the VIBS Associate Director, the UCP- Suffolk Executive Director, the UCP-Suffolk Chief Operating Officer, the UCP-Suffolk Director of Adult Day Services, and survivors of elder abuse. These individuals hold a unique perspective on the issues of interest to Project SAFE and its needs assessment. Through these interviews, we expect to elicit in-depth information from one person at a time in a private forum. It is our opinion that the element of privacy in a one-to- one interview relationship will elicit more open discussion and comprehensive information from key policy officials and elder abuse survivors than would be generated from the same people in a focus group. Questions can be asked that will generate a more thought- provoking process and dialogue. Project SAFE also believes that the leadership interviews will foster better relationship building and buy-in. Through these interviews Project SAFE hopes to gain information about: what policies and procedures exist and don’t exist regarding services to survivors with disabilities; what policies and procedures work and do not work in providing services to survivors with disabilities; how well informed our respective staffs are about the policies and procedures of their agency regarding services to survivors with disabilities; what factors enable / impede the provision of safe, accessible, and responsive services and support for survivors with disabilities; what are some suggestions for improvement in developing and enhancing a safe, accessible, and responsive service delivery system; how well informed our respective staffs are about each other’s organizations and whether there are opportunities to establish additional partnerships Audience Project SAFE will be seeking interview input from the Executive Director at VIBS, the Associate Director at VIBS, the Director of Advocacy Services at VIBS, the Executive Director at UCP-Suffolk, the Chief Operating Officer at UCP-Suffolk, the Director of Adult Day Services at UCP-Suffolk, and survivors of elder abuse. Leadership is believed to have a wealth of knowledge regarding policy and procedures and a direct impact on implementing and changing them; an ability to provide a solid view of fiscal matters; and the authority to make sustainable changes agency-wide. We believe their buy-in to be critical. Survivors of elder abuse are valued for their familiarity with which services are beneficial and which are not. We have chosen the interview method for these individuals because it is our belief that the private, one-to-one nature of this method will elicit open and unrestricted dialogue. Executive Directors of both organizations are the lead change agents at each agency. As such, their support, guidance, and buy-in are essential in developing and implementing the initiatives of Project SAFE. The Executive Directors of both agencies possess a business lens that is essential to the operation of their entire organization. They will be the key to making some fiscal and logistical decisions for our project. The feasibility of systems change within each organization will begin with the Executive Director, and her/his leadership will be needed to advance the goals of Project SAFE and to influence the staff, the boards of directors, and future stakeholders. Associate Director of VIBS and Chief Operating Officer of UCP- Suffolk have a significant influence in the delivery of services by their organization and its staff. As a representative of the Executive Director, their support, guidance, and buy-in are equally important to the goals of our project. Their clinical background, as well as their business sense, is vital in assisting Project SAFE in their development of initiatives for our strategic plan and implementation. They serve as the secondary change agent in the agency and they often are the direct link to staff. Director of Advocacy Services at VIBS and the Director of Adult Day Services of UCP-Suffolk have very important roles in providing insight on what impact the current service delivery has on survivors with disabilities, as well as on the staff who offer direct services to them. Both have the ability to suggest what changes would be beneficial in direct service provisions for survivors with disabilities and what current services hinder them. Survivors of Elder Abuse are an essential audience to include in the needs assessment process as they are the service recipients exploring guidance and support for domestic and sexual violence in their particular age group. As such, they have first hand knowledge as to which service aspects benefit them and which ones do not. Their experience and feedback will provide us with the essential information about what is specifically needed to make the current service delivery system safer and more responsive to their needs. They are the true experts on what works and does not work regarding service provisions for domestic / sexual violence issues in the elder population, and they will inform the way in which UCP-Suffolk will strategize future change. Numbers We will conduct 3 separate and distinct interviews for leadership at VIBS, one with the Executive Director, one with the Associate Director, and one with the Director of Advocacy Services. We will conduct 3 separate and distinct interviews for a fair overall representation of survivors of elder abuse. We will conduct 3 separate and distinct individual interviews for leadership at UCP-Suffolk, one with the Executive Director, one with the Chief Operating Officer, and one with the Director of Adult Day Services. The total anticipated participation for individual interviews from both agencies is 9 individuals. The following chart signifies the number of individuals that are anticipated to participate in separate interviews. INTERVIEWS Agency Audience Number of Participants Survivors of Elder Abuse VIBS Survivors of Elder Abuse 3 Leadership VIBS Executive Director 1 VIBS Associate Director 1 VIBS Director of Advocacy Services 1 UCP Executive Director 1 UCP Chief Operating Officer 1 UCP Director of Adult Day Services 1 Optional Interviews – individuals who would prefer to participate in an interview rather than a focus group VIBS Survivors or Domestic and Sexual Violence Unknown UCP Individuals with a Physical and/or Developmental Disability Unknown VIBS and UCP Supervisors Unknown VIBS and UCP Direct Service Providers Unknown VIBS Volunteers Unknown VIBS total individual interviews are 6 & UCP total individual interviews are 3 VIBS and UCP total number of individual interviews are 9 Facilitation The purpose of conducting individual interviews is to obtain information and data which will help to develop the initiatives for our strategic plan. These individual interviews will be offered at the UCP- Suffolk and VIBS facilities. The VIBS facility will host the interviews for VIBS leadership and survivors of elder abuse. The UCP-Suffolk main administrative site will host the individual interviews for UCP-Suffolk leadership and individuals with a physical and/or developmental disability. Any participant who chooses an optional interview in place of a focus group will attend their optional interview at the same location as the focus group. Each interview will be conducted for about an hour by our facilitation team. We have decided to utilize a facilitation team in order to ease the individual process and maximize the acquisition of desired information. The facilitation team for each leadership interview will consist of two individuals: the group facilitator and a recorder. The facilitation team for each survivor of elder abuse and optional interview will consist of three individuals: the group facilitator, a recorder, and counselor. Facilitator The VIBS Associate Director will interview the Executive Director of UCP-Suffolk and the Chief Operating Officer of UCP-Suffolk. The Director of Advocacy Services at VIBS will interview the Director of Adult Day Services at UCP-Suffolk. The UCP-Suffolk Chief Operating Officer will interview the Executive Director of VIBS and the Associate Director of VIBS. The Director of Adult Day Services at UCP-Suffolk will interview the Director of Advocacy Services at VIBS. A UCP-Suffolk collaboration representative will interview the survivors of elder abuse. We feel that leadership officials from one organization should be interviewed by leadership officials from our partner agency as they share a common perspective on the issues of concern to our project. This will also offer the least restrictive and non-threatening option. All interviewers mentioned are collaboration members who are directly involved in this project and have experience in conducting interviews. The role of each facilitator is to: verify that the location is accessible and that requests for accommodations have been met; create a safe and comfortable atmosphere for the participants; establish the parameters for participation, including passive consent; ask questions relevant to this needs assessment; ensure that the participants do not stray off the topic; collect the recorded information after each interview and secure it in a locked file cabinet at VIBS for the duration of this grant period. At the end of the grant period, all recorded notes and registration forms will be destroyed (please see Data Storage section of this plan, pg. 37). distribute Target $20 gift card to survivors of elder abuse in accordance with any identified safety concerns. Recorder Project SAFE will utilize a collaboration representative from VIBS to be the recorder of each interview being conducted with VIBS leadership officials and survivors of elder abuse. Project SAFE will utilize a collaboration representative from UCP- Suffolk to be the recorder of each individual interview being conducted at UCP-Suffolk of their leadership officials. She will: contribute to the provision of a safe and comfortable interview atmosphere; write down all responses to the interview questions and prompts; ask for clarification immediately if a response has not been fully understood for recording purposes; maintain an accurate record of the discussion during each individual interview; maintain confidentiality of all written notes and deliver the written record of each interview session to the facilitator, immediately after each interview, for secure storage Counselor Project SAFE will use a collaboration representative from VIBS or a qualified staff person at VIBS to be the counselor for each interview with survivors of elder abuse. She will: contribute to the provision of a safe and comfortable needs assessment process; be available in a separate room outside the interview process; provide emotional support to individual interview participants who might find the nature of the discussion upsetting and provide referrals and offer a list of resources, previously prepared by the collaboration, if needed and/or requested. These referrals and resources can be offered to leadership as well (see Appendix I – Resource and Referral List) Recruitment Strategies The recruitment process of our needs assessment plan allows all parties involved to be well informed and aware of our purpose in conducting the needs assessment and what their role will be in this process. In regards to recruiting potential participants for individual interviews, we plan to engage all six collaboration members as well as other respective staff members at each organization. The VIBS Executive Director, the Associate Director, the Director of Advocacy Services, and survivors of elder abuse will be invited to participate in an individual interview. The UCP-Suffolk Executive Director, the Chief Operating Officer, and the Director of Adult Day Services at UCP-Suffolk will be invited to participate in an individual interview. Leadership recruitment process: 1. Project SAFE has decided to invite all Leadership at VIBS and UCP- Suffolk to participate in our needs assessment. 2. The collaboration members of Project SAFE who will facilitate each individual interview will provide dates and times of their availabilities in conducting the interview process prior to recruitment. 3. The Project Director of Project SAFE will personally invite leadership at VIBS to participate in an individual interview, and a UCP-Suffolk collaboration member of Project SAFE will personally invite leadership at UCP-Suffolk to participate in an individual interview. 4. During this face-to-face invitation, a verbal overview of Project SAFE and the needs assessment process will be given. Any questions that may arise can be addressed during the face-to-face contact. 5. Along with this face-to-face verbal overview, an informational fact sheet will be given containing a brief description of Project SAFE, the purpose of the needs assessment, the reasons why we are asking them to participate, confidentiality, and safety risks/concerns (please see Appendix C – Informational Fact Sheet). This informational fact sheet will be used as a visual tool and may be kept for future reference. 6. When all the information about Project SAFE’s purpose and needs assessment process has been given a registration form will be presented for completion. The registration form includes the type of event; the selection of date and time; and an opportunity to request accommodations (see Appendix D1— Registration Form). Each person being recruited for an individual interview will be encouraged to fill out the registration form immediately for the sake of convenience and closure. 7. Project SAFE will arrange and coordinate all aspects of the individual interview based on the registration form and face-to-face conversation with each leadership official. Any accommodations requested will be put in place prior to the scheduled interview. 8. Invitees will be informed that light refreshments will be provided as a token of appreciation of their time and efforts. 9. In concluding the recruitment process with leadership, we will encourage them to ensure that the needs assessment process for all staff participants is one that will provide comfort and ease in participation, will be conducted during their regularly scheduled work hours, and will be safe from reprisal. Survivors of Elder Abuse recruitment process: 1. Project SAFE has decided to invite survivors in the elder abuse program at VIBS to participate in our needs assessment. 2. Project SAFE has identified the Director of Counseling Services at VIBS as the staff member who would be most helpful in coordinating the recruitment process for the survivors of elder abuse. 3. All staff members who have contact with and will be assisting in the recruitment of survivors of elder abuse will receive training from the collaboration team and the Director of Counseling Services. This training will explain the recruitment process for survivors. 4. The collaboration team and the Director of Counseling Services will meet to determine together the specific details relating to the date, time, and location of each interview prior to the recruitment process. 5. A thorough and comprehensive assessment of safety risks for all potential participants will be made, prior to participation, by all recruitment personnel. This process will help to ensure that those potential participants whose safety could be jeopardized as a result of participating in our needs assessment do not participate. A safety plan and referrals will be given to those not permitted to participate based on safety concerns. 6. All survivors of elder abuse at VIBS will be approached face-to-face, either during an individual counseling session or during a group counseling session, to be provided with a verbal overview of the needs assessment process. The person who will provide this face-to-face verbal overview will either be the Project Director of Project SAFE or staff recruitment personnel trained by the collaboration to present this information. 7. Along with a face-to-face verbal overview, the survivor will be shown an informational fact sheet giving a brief description of Project SAFE, the purpose of the needs assessment, the reasons why we are asking them to participate, confidentiality, and safety risks/concerns (please see Appendix C1 – Informational Fact Sheet). This informational fact sheet will be used as a visual tool and will not kept or taken home by the survivor for safety reasons. 8. After the survivors are given all the information about Project SAFE’s purpose and needs assessment process, and have been offered an opportunity to ask questions, the Project Director or trained recruitment personnel who provided the verbal overview will give each individual a registration form. 9. The registration form will include the type of event; specifics such as date, time, and location; an opportunity to request accommodations; and a brief overview of confidentiality and safety risks / concerns (see Appendix D - Registration Form). Each elder abuse survivor will be required to fill out and submit the registration form immediately for the sake of convenience and closure. For those participants who need assistance in filling out the registration form, the recruiter will provide it at that time or can make arrangements do so at a later date. For those in the group recruitment process who feel they need additional information, a private one-to-one conversation can be arranged with the Project Director. 10. Project SAFE and the elder abuse counselor will arrange and coordinate all aspects of each interview based on the registration forms completed by participants. Any accommodations requested will be put in place prior to the scheduled interview. 11. Potential participants will be offered an individual interview during their regularly scheduled group counseling session or individual counseling session. If they are unable to come to VIBS for the needs assessment activity, the individual interview will be offered at the location where they generally meet their VIBS counselor. 12. Personal care aides are welcome to accompany any participant to the site of the needs assessment activity but they will not be allowed to participate and/or sit in on the interview. 13. All potential participants will be informed that a $20 gift card to Target will be given as a token of our appreciation for their time and participation on the day of their scheduled interview. For anyone who feels their safety could be jeopardized by taking home the gift card on the day of their interview, Project SAFE will hold it until a later date. If that option is not feasible or safe, other reasonable arrangements will be made. 14. All potential participants will be informed that refreshments and light snacks will be offered on the day of their interview. Food allergies and other dietary concerns will be explored prior to the interview (please see Accessibility Section of this plan, pg.39). Surveys Purpose Project SAFE chooses the survey method for the boards of directors at both agencies, as well as for those direct service delivery staff at UCP- Suffolk not providing adult day services and have not been invited to participate in a focus group. Surveys were chosen to capture a representation from large numbers, as in the case of UCP-Suffolk direct service delivery staff, and to inform and promote buy-in, as in the case of boards of directors. Surveys provide a way of collecting data as a representation of a whole group and are an easy way to generate a lot of information in a relatively small amount of time. They can be cost effective, require the least amount of resources, and can be offered anonymously, which should encourage people to participate without their identity being revealed. Through these surveys, Project SAFE hopes to gain information about: (For direct service delivery staff) what policies and procedures exist and don’t exist regarding services to survivors with disabilities; (For direct service delivery staff) what policies and procedures work and do not work in providing services to survivors with disabilities; (For direct service delivery staff) how well informed our respective staffs are about the policies and procedures of their agency regarding services to survivors with disabilities; (For direct service delivery staff) what factors enable / impede the provision of safe, accessible, and responsive services and support for survivors with disabilities; (Both groups) suggestions for improvement in developing and enhancing a safe, accessible, and responsive service delivery system; (Both groups) the opportunity for change and the willingness to implement newly enhanced services for survivors with disabilities at both organizations; (For direct service delivery staff) how well informed our respective staffs are about each other’s organizations and (Both groups) opportunities to establish additional partnerships Audience Project SAFE will be providing surveys to the boards of directors at both organizations and to the direct service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk. Each of these audiences is believed to have critical insight and knowledge of what changes need to be considered in adopting a safer, more accessible, and more responsive service delivery system within both organizations. Boards of Directors at both agencies are critical audiences to include in the needs assessment process as they are responsible for supporting services and programs that reflect our organizational missions. Also, they have considerable authority over policy and procedure implementation and over fiscal matters. We feel they should not only be aware of Project SAFE’s initiatives, goals, and accomplishments, but their input might also inform our project’s direction in valuable ways, and their buy-in is essential for the future work of this project. Direct Service Delivery Staff at UCP-Suffolk consists of professionals and direct care aides. They are a vital audience to include in the needs assessment process as they have direct experience in planning,developing, and delivering services to individuals with disabilities. They also know first hand what does and does not work well within the current service delivery systems, either through their own experience as service providers or through the experiences of the individuals they work with. UCP-Suffolk is a large organization employing approximately 1,000 staff on 3 shifts at 35 separate locations across a 50 – 60 mile range in Suffolk County, which is far too many staff to include in focus groups. In addition, the logistics of staff coverage and travel to a focus group location would make full participation impossible. However, our collaboration did not wish to lose their input altogether, and it was felt that an online survey would be the most efficient way to include staff at more remote locations and to capture a cross-section of agency staff. Numbers We will administer the same survey for all boards of director members, at VIBS totaling 10 – 12 people, and at UCP-Suffolk totaling 17 people. We will administer an electronic survey for the 500 – 600 direct service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk not at a location enabling them to participate in a focus group. These staff members are employed at remote locations across a 50 – 60 mile range of Suffolk County, and logistically would be unable to participate in a focus group. These direct service delivery staff provide a variety of services to adults at UCP- Suffolk across 3 shifts. We anticipate a total of 80 – 120 responses from 500 – 600 surveys to be distributed. The total anticipated participation for surveys from both agencies is 149. The following chart signifies the number of individuals that are anticipated to participate in completing surveys. SURVEYS Agency Audience Number of Participants Board of Directors VIBS Board of Directors 10-12 UCP Board of Directors 17 Direct Service Delivery Staff UCP Direct Service Delivery Staff Distribute 500 – 600 Expected responses 80 - 120 VIBS total number of surveys is 12 UCP total number of surveys 500 – 617 distributed, 80- 137 expected responses VIBS and UCP total number of surveys is 500 – 629 distributed, 80 – 157 expected responses Facilitation Surveys presented to VIBS and UCP-Suffolk boards of directors and UCP-Suffolk direct service delivery staff will be utilized to obtain information and data to help develop the initiatives in our strategic plan. Surveys for both VIBS and UCP-Suffolk boards of directors will be presented face-to-face in written form during a regularly scheduled board meeting at each facility. These surveys will consist of 7 questions and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Project SAFE has decided to utilize one collaboration member as the facilitator to provide a brief introduction of Project SAFE, to review the purpose of the needs assessment, and to administer and collect completed surveys. Surveys for UCP-Suffolk direct service delivery staff will be administered electronically via Surveymonkey.com, which can be accessed from any computer. These surveys will consist of 6 questions and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. The participants will be informed of the exact dates the survey will be available. These dates will be posted in a written recruitment memo that will be attached to paychecks. For participants who need to provide their input through an alternate means, the option of an individual meeting for assistance in completing the survey online or to complete a written survey in person will be offered. Facilitator Project SAFE will use a collaboration representative to be the facilitator for the in-person written survey distributed at the board meetings at both agencies. We feel that collaboration members are the most appropriate individuals to facilitate surveys as they are directly involved in this project. She will: verify that the survey is accessible and that requests for accommodations have been met; encourage a safe and comfortable survey experience for all participants. For Boards of directors only: Provide a brief overview of Project SAFE prior to administering the survey; answer any questions and concerns participants may have regarding the survey; collect the surveys at the close of the session and forward them to the Project Director who will secure them in a locked file cabinet at VIBS for the duration of this grant period (see Data Storage section of this document pg. 37). For Direct service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk only: Provide a brief overview via written recruitment memo; set up the survey on Surveymonkey.com; make interview arrangements for those staff members who may request an individual interview, may need assistance taking the survey by computer, or may just have questions regarding the survey; and the facilitator will retrieve online survey results from surveymonkey.com to comply in needs assessment report. Recruitment Strategies The recruitment process of our needs assessment plan allows all parties involved to be well informed and aware of our purpose in conducting the needs assessment and what their role will be in this process. In regards to recruiting potential participants to complete written surveys, we plan to engage all six collaboration members as well as other respective staff members at each organization. All boards of director members at both organizations will be invited to participate in completing an in-person written survey at a regularly scheduled board meeting. All direct service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk not participating in focus groups will be invited to participate in completing an online survey through Surveymonkey.com. Board of Directors recruitment process (in person written surveys only): 1. Project SAFE has identified the Executive Director at VIBS and the Chief Operating Officer at UCP-Suffolk as the individuals who would be most helpful in the recruitment process. 2. The collaboration members of Project SAFE and respective agency leadership will decide on the time, date, and location of survey distribution and completion. It will be encouraged and highly recommended that board members participate in completing surveys during a regularly scheduled board meeting. 3. The recruitment training of leadership outside of our collaboration involved in recruiting board members will be provided by Project SAFE. This training will involve the specifics of what Project SAFE is, why Project SAFE was created, the purpose of conducting the needs assessment, and what we plan to do with the information gained from this process (see Appendix A – Recruitment Training). 4. All board members will have been verbally invited to participate in our needs assessment by leadership at both agencies at a previous board meeting. A brief face-to-face overview of Project SAFE will be given including a brief description of Project SAFE, its purpose, the reasons why we are asking them to participate, confidentiality, and safety risks/concerns. 5. Along with the face-to-face verbal overview, an informational fact sheet will be given (please see Appendix C – Informational Fact Sheet). The informational fact sheet will provide the same information as the verbal overview as referenced above and will be utilized as a visual guide and may be retained by board members as a reference if they so desire. 6. Registration forms will be distributed for those members interested in participating in our needs assessment. The registration form will include the type of event; specifics such as date, time, and location; an opportunity to request accommodations; and a brief description of confidentiality and safety concerns (see Appendix D1 - Registration Form). All members in attendance will be encouraged to fill out and submit the registration form immediately for the sake of convenience and closure. 7. Any questions and/or concerns regarding the up-coming survey can be addressed during this recruitment overview. 8. On the day of the actual survey, the Executive Director of VIBS and the Chief Operating Officer of UCP-Suffolk, along with the Project Director, will provide a brief synopsis of Project SAFE and the needs assessment process as a refresher prior to distributing surveys. 9. Questions regarding the survey can be asked of the collaboration representative or leadership present at the meeting on the day the survey will be administered. Direct Service Delivery Staff at UCP-Suffolk (online surveys only): 1. UCP-Suffolk collaboration members will set up the account through Surveymonkey.com. Surveymonkey.com is an online website that enables the creation of online surveys for people to access via the computer. Surveymonkey.com provides the format and tabulates the responses. Surveymonkey.com is in full internet accessibility compliance. 2. Project SAFE has decided to invite all direct service delivery staff who provide a variety of services to adults at UCP-Suffolk across 3 shifts at remote locations, and who are not participating in a focus group, to participate in our online survey. 3. Project SAFE has identified UCP-Suffolk collaboration members as the individuals who would be most helpful in the recruitment process. 4. The collaboration members of Project SAFE will decide on the date and time that this survey will be available online for completion. For their safety and convenience, it will be encouraged and highly recommended that direct service delivery staff be able to participate in completing online surveys at work during a time that is compatible with their work schedule. However, the survey can also be taken from a remote location. 5. A written memo will be distributed to UCP-Suffolk’s direct service delivery staff by paycheck attachment. This written memo will contain a brief description of Project SAFE, dates and times the survey can be accessed and completed, options for alternative accommodations, and possible safety risks and concerns (see Appendix F – for Memo). Consents It is extremely important to Project SAFE that we receive consent from all potential participants prior to their participation in the needs assessment process. Consent refers to one’s willingness to participate in our needs assessment activities, as well as granting Project SAFE the permission to utilize any and all information gained from them during this process. It also includes the understanding of their confidentiality rights as it pertains to the information being sought during the needs assessment process. All participants will be made aware of how the information they share with Project SAFE will be utilized and who will have access to this information. The information that is shared will be used in our needs assessment report and will help us to develop initiatives for our strategic plan. The needs assessment report and strategic plan will be reviewed by staff at VIBS and UCP-Suffolk, the Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), the Office on Violence Against Women (our funder for this disability grant), and other possible stakeholders. Project SAFE has decided to utilize passive consent with all participants. Passive consent does not entail the participant signing a written consent form; rather, it involves the verbal and/or non-verbal permission given face-to-face on the day of their involvement in any and all activities. We have agreed that passive consent is appropriate to use with all participants in the needs assessment as we are not looking to gain personal identifying details. We are also not offering direct counseling services, which relieves our obligation to provide and receive a written consent form. The purpose of our focus group is to gather input and information about one’s experience with the current service delivery system. It is based on experience and opinion, and does not require the same legal permissions as does counseling. In addition, we would like to diminish the possibility of generating a mandated report by minimizing the chance of a disclosure of domestic and/or sexual violence (please see Mandatory Reporting section of this plan on page 35). During the recruitment phase and on the day of the needs assessment activities, all participants will be apprised of the nature and purpose of the needs assessment process. During the recruitment process, the participant will be filling out a registration form which inquires about essential information regarding their need for personal accommodations, but no identifying details will be asked and/or required. The completed registration form gives us a written indication of how many people are willing to participate in this voluntary process, but it does not give us names as to who will be present. The registration form cannot be a source of consent; however, it can convey one’s willingness to participate on a voluntary basis. Passive verbal consent will be given on the actual day of the focus group or individual interview, during the introduction (please see Appendix G and G1 - Facilitator’s Script for more details). At any point in our needs assessment process, one may freely choose to withdraw from any activity without pressure or consequences. Confidentiality Project SAFE believes that confidentiality is of the utmost importance in providing a safe and comfortable environment during the needs assessment, for survivors and individuals with disabilities as well as for our respective agencies. We strongly feel that a sense of safety and ease needs to be established in order to provide a secure needs assessment process. We will inform all participants of their confidentiality rights prior to participating in any activities relating to Project SAFE. Their confidentiality rights will be verbally explained to them by the collaboration team and recruitment personnel prior to any involvement in this process. Most information provided to Project SAFE will be held confidential except for the disclosure of child abuse, homicidal / suicidal intent, and reports of domestic / sexual violence of an adult individual who has a developmental disability and receives services through OMRDD at UCP- Suffolk. Potential participants will be made aware that although their personal identifying information will be kept confidential, the opinions and perspectives they share with Project SAFE will be utilized in a needs assessment report that will be reviewed by VIBS and UCP-Suffolk staff, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), and Office on Violence Against Women (our funder for this disability grant), and other possible stakeholders. No names or personal identity will be used which will prevent any information shared with the above from being linked back to any one particular person involved in our needs assessment. It will be highly encouraged that all participants respect each other’s confidentiality, but Project SAFE is not responsible for the actions of others, either inside or outside of the focus group process. Based on Project SAFE not being able to fully guarantee confidentiality, we encourage all participants not to reveal personal information they wish not to have shared with others. Services to survivors and services to individuals with disabilities will not be affected as a result of their involvement in this needs assessment. Likewise, employee positions, board of director membership, and volunteer status at either organization will also not be affected. To further safeguard confidentiality, no names and/or personal identifying information will be exchanged in the recruitment process, either by way of the registration form or in any verbal face-to-face discussions. This holds true for participation in any focus group, interview, or survey. During each focus group, all participants will be given a sticker with a symbol on it to wear on their person. This symbol will be used to identify each participant instead of using their real name. Project SAFE will not only encourage this practice but require it as part of the confidentiality process. The facilitator, recorder, and counselor will make up the facilitation team for most needs assessment activities. The facilitator takes on the role of providing information to all participants and asks the questions. The recorder takes on the role of writing down all the information shared during the needs assessment activity. The counselor provides emotional support outside of the needs assessment process to any participant who may be in need of it. The facilitator and recorder will be the only members of the facilitation team present in the needs assessment activity with participants. The only exception to this will be staff members skilled in assisting participants who utilize alternative communication methods. All participants will be informed of the recorder’s role in this process as she will be writing down information shared during focus groups or interviews. The information that is shared will be used in our needs assessment report and will help us to develop initiatives for our strategic plan. The needs assessment report and strategic plan will be reviewed by staff at VIBS and UCP-Suffolk, the Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), the Office on Violence Against Women, (our funder for this disability project), and other possible stakeholders. Although all opinions and perspectives shared by participants in focus groups, interviews, and surveys will be utilized in the needs assessment report and the strategic plan, no one’s personal identifying information will be revealed, and no one’s information will be specifically linked back to them. Mandatory Reporting Mandatory reporting pertains to the legal requirement of a professional and/or an organization in reporting incidents of child abuse, suicidal intent, homicidal intent, and the abuse of an adult with disabilities. The legal requirements of the above vary from state to state. Any private citizen has the right to make a report upon witnessing or having knowledge of suicidal or homicidal intent; or upon witnessing or having knowledge of physical abuse, sexual abuse, maltreatment, and/or neglect of a child or an adult individual with a disability. There are only a select few professionals who have the legal mandatory obligation to make a report. In New York State, all disclosures of child abuse, suicidal intent, and homicidal intent to a professional and/or organization in the field of mental health, healthcare, social work, law enforcement, psychology, psychiatry, daycare providers, and teachers must be reported to the appropriate State agency. Those agencies that are funded by or provide services to adult individuals through the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), Office of Mental Health (OMH), or Office on Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) have a reporting mandate to these NYS entities when abuse is witnessed or alleged against a sponsored individual. The Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) and Adult Protective Services (APS) are the two entities that are responsible for investigating the report of alleged abuse and/or neglect of individuals with a physical and/or developmental disability. As a certified OMRDD service provider, collaboration partner UCP-Suffolk has an organizational mandate to report all allegations of abuse/neglect of individuals with a developmental disability receiving services at their organization under OMRDD auspices. Although confidentiality is regarded as fundamental and necessary in any working relationship, there are times when regulatory agencies require the reporting of alleged abuse as described above. UCP-Suffolk and its staff are legally identified as mandatory reporters of domestic and sexual violence of adult individuals with a developmental disability who receives services at their agency through OMRDD. They are not legally required to report knowledge of physical abuse, sexual abuse, maltreatment, and/or neglect of an adult individual with a physical and/or developmental disability who does not receive services at their agency through OMRDD. However, UCP-Suffolk will support, and may even encourage, making a report based on staff and agency discretion. VIBS and its staff are not legally identified as mandatory reporters of domestic and sexual violence of adult individuals with a physical and/or developmental disability. However, they will support it, and may even encourage it, based on staff and agency discretion. VIBS follows the concept of self-determination, whereby adults are presumed to be competent unless shown otherwise, and therefore have the right to exercise free choice in making decisions. Services, interventions and assistance can be refused. While VIBS staff is not mandatory reporters to OMRDD or APS, they may make an APS report on behalf of an individual with a physical and / or developmental disability if they feel that individual warranted additional assistance. VIBS may also act in consultation with other agencies involved with these individuals, if known. UCP-Suffolk collaboration members are identified as mandatory reporters. If any UCP-Suffolk collaboration member gains knowledge that an individual with a developmental disability who receives services at UCP-Suffolk through OMRDD sponsorship has experienced domestic and/or sexual violence, UCP-Suffolk would have to make a report to OMRDD and possibly APS. In view of this, Project SAFE has agreed to the following guidelines: During the recruitment process, all potential participants will be informed of Project SAFE’s mandatory reporting requirements in a clear and distinctive fashion, both verbally and in the informational fact sheet (see appendix C / C1 - Informational Fact Sheet and Appendix A - Recruitment Training). During the introduction of each needs assessment activity, all participants will be verbally informed of Project SAFE’s mandatory reporting requirements in a clear and distinctive fashion (see Appendix C / C1 - Script for Focus Group/Interview/Survey). Any potential participant who has concerns about the mandatory reporting requirement will be given the option of either not participating in the needs assessment process at all, or opting to have an individual interview with a VIBS non-mandatory reporter as their facilitator and recorder. Data Storage Project SAFE will make every effort to secure the safe keeping of all documents and written notes containing participants’ information throughout the duration of this grant period, starting in October 2008 and ending on September 30, 2011. All collaboration members will ensure that all registration forms, written notes taken during all needs assessment activities, and all completed surveys will be given to the Project Director. The Project Director will secure all of these documents and written notes in a locked file cabinet located at the VIBS facility. The only staff members who will have access to these documents and written notes will be all collaboration members and trained recruitment personnel, all of whom are bound by Project SAFE’s confidentiality guidelines. At the end of the grant period, all of these documents and written notes will be destroyed. All other written documents including our collaboration charter, needs assessment plan, needs assessment report, and strategic plan will be shared with individuals and entities outside of Project SAFE. Although some of these documents will include participant’s feedback; they will not contain personal reference to any one particular participant. These documents will be shared with staff members at VIBS and UCP-Suffolk, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistant provider), Office on Violence Against Women (the funder of this disability project), and other possible stakeholders. Safety Considerations Project SAFE is mindful of the well-being of all participants in this project and is committed to not compromising anyone’s safety. The following are our primary considerations in offering a safe needs assessment process: VIBS and UCP-Suffolk will be the two locations at which our needs assessment will be conducted. The VIBS facility will be the location of all needs assessment activities for VIBS leadership, supervisors, direct service delivery staff, volunteers, board of directors, and survivors. The exception will be for survivors of elder abuse, who may prefer to be interviewed at home or at another safe location. The VIBS building is equipped to create a safe and welcoming environment for survivors. UCP-Suffolk will be the location of all needs assessment activities for UCP-Suffolk leadership, supervisors, direct service delivery staff, board of directors, and individuals with disabilities. Each participant will be contacted through their respective service organization face-to-face during one of their regularly scheduled counseling and/or service appointments. This will eliminate the need to contact the potential participant outside of their counseling or service environment. No material will be mailed to their residences and no survivors or individual with disabilities will be given any material to keep in their possession. The confidentiality of all participants is of the utmost importance to Project SAFE. Names and other identifying personal information will not be utilized during the needs assessment process. Instead of using the participant’s name, a symbol will be assigned to each participant in each focus group. We will also request that participants not speak about each other’s involvement in a focus group or speak about the content of the group outside of it (see Confidentiality section of this plan pg. 34). Mandatory reporting of Project SAFE pertains to the legal requirement of reporting incidents of child abuse, suicidal intent, homicidal intent, and the abuse of an adult with a developmental disability who receives services at UCP-Suffolk under OMRDD sponsorship. The choice of withdrawing from participation or the option of an individual interview with a VIBS non-mandatory reporter will be offered in the event of concerns about one’s confidentiality or about the risks of mandatory reporting. Mandatory reporting and confidentiality concerns will be emphasized on multiple levels to all participants throughout the recruitment process and on the day of the actual needs assessment activity to ensure that they thoroughly understand this process. Outside observers who are not directly involved in the needs assessment process will not be allowed to participate and/or be present during focus groups, interviews, or surveys. Personal care aides may accompany participants to focus groups and/or interviews, but will be asked to wait in an adjacent room until needed. Personal care assistance, including interpreters, will be available by Project SAFE during any needs assessment activity as previously requested during the recruitment process. Each participant is free to withdraw from any and all activities at any time during the needs assessment process. Any reason is sufficient and will not be questioned. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence and individuals with disabilities will still be entitled to their $20 Target gift card regardless of whether or not they complete the needs assessment activity. If the survivor or the individual with a disability makes the determination that their safety could be jeopardized by taking home a gift card given as a token of our appreciation, Project SAFE will retain the gift card for them until a later date. If this option is not feasible or safe, then other reasonable arrangements with the survivor or individual with a disability will be made. A counselor will be available for those participants who may need to excuse themselves from the needs assessment process due to feeling emotional discomfort. This counselor will be present in an adjacent room to provide emotional support and guidance. A referral / resource list will be provided for those individuals who may be in need of one (see Appendix I – Resource and Referral List). Access Considerations Project SAFE is mindful of accessibility for all participants in this project. We want to ensure that all facilities, arrangements, materials, communication, and dietary concerns are accommodating and accessible to all participants’ needs. The following are our primary considerations in offering the most accommodating needs assessment process: VIBS site and UCP-Suffolk main administrative site will be the two locations at which our needs assessment will be conducted. The VIBS facility will be the location of all needs assessment activities for VIBS leadership, supervisors, direct service delivery staff, board of directors, volunteers, and survivors. The exception will be for survivors of elder abuse, who may prefer to be interviewed at home or at another safe location. The UCP-Suffolk main administrative site will be the location of all needs assessment activities for UCP- Suffolk leadership, supervisors, direct service delivery staff, board of directors, and individuals with disabilities. UCP-Suffolk main administrative site is a fully accessible building which enables individuals with disabilities to navigate the facility with ease and with limited assistance. The room arrangement and physical components in conducting the needs assessment will be of a particular concern to Project SAFE. Project SAFE will ensure that all physical accommodation requests specified on the registration form and requests obtained through the written memo regarding online surveys are provided prior to the needs assessment activity. All written materials will be offered in such a way that all participants will have little to no need for assistance in understanding and reading written material. Project SAFE will ensure that all accommodations specified on the registration forms and requests obtained through the written memo regarding online surveys will be arranged prior to the needs assessment activity. Project SAFE is aware that some alternative communication methods may be warranted. Project SAFE will inquire through the registration form and written memo regarding online surveys, what accommodations will be needed in order to facilitate the needs assessment process more efficiently. These accommodations will be arranged prior to the needs assessment activity by the collaboration and provided to any participant who may be in need of them. There may be some participants who utilize and rely on personal care aides for assistance. Personal care aides are always welcome to accompany any participant to the site of the needs assessment activity, but they will not be allowed to participate in or sit in on focus groups or interviews. Project SAFE plans to have UCP-Suffolk staff available to provide personal care assistance during the time of our focus groups and interviews. Prior to scheduling the needs assessment activity, each participant will be asked about any food allergies and/or special dietary concerns. Project SAFE and all needs assessment participants will be asked to use people first language. All participants will be asked to refrain from using language containing reference to one’s disability in a derogatory way. Work Plan Project SAFE was awarded funding through the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) to plan and implement a systems change approach in enhancing services offered to survivors of domestic and sexual violence who have a physical and/or developmental disability. The main objective of Project SAFE is for our two organizations to carefully explore the needs of survivors with disabilities in relation to service delivery, and to discover the conditions that are essential to create systemic change within our agencies. We were given a 3 year time frame in accomplishing specific activities, beginning October 1, 2008 and ending September 30, 2011. The following work plan outlines the different phases of Project SAFE and highlights the time frame in which they are anticipated to be accomplished: Collaboration Charter (December 2008 –April 2009) Submission of Collaboration Charter: April 2009 Approved: April 23, 2009 Needs Assessment Plan and Tool Development (April –October 2009) Submission of Needs Assessment Plan and Tools: October 2009 Conduct Needs Assessment (December 2009 – February 2010) Submission of Needs Assessment Report: March 2010 Strategic Planning (April 2010 – May 2010) Submission of Strategic Plan: May 2010 Implementation Phase (June 2010 – September 30, 2011) We recognize that the above timeline is only a projection, but we intend to follow it to the best of our ability. We also acknowledge that each product must be approved by OVW before we are able to advance to our next initiative and that OVW has a 45 day grace period in reviewing and approving each submission. Appendix Table of Contents Appendix A: Recruitment Training ………………………………43 – 47 Appendix B1: Recruitment Script for Individual Interviews of Leadership…………………………………………………………48 – 50 Appendix B2: Recruitment Scrip for Focus Group of Direct Service Delivery Staff, Supervisors, and Volunteers …………………..51 – 56 Appendix B3: Recruitment Script for Focus Groups of Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities ……………………………….57 – 61 Appendix C: Needs Assessment Informational Fact Sheet for Leadership, Supervisors, Direct Service Delivery Staff, Volunteers and Boards of Directors …………………………………………………………..62 – 64 Appendix C1: Needs Assessment Informational Fact Sheet for Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities ………………………………65 – 67 Appendix D: Registration Form for Survivors and Individuals With Disabilities ………………………………………………………...68 - 69 Appendix D1: Registration Form for Leadership, Supervisors, Boards of Directors, Direct Service Delivery Staff, and VIBS Volunteers ……………………………………………………….......................70 - 71 Appendix F: Memorandum ………………………………………72 – 73 Appendix G: Script for Focus Group for Supervisors, Direct Service Delivery Staff, and VIBS volunteers & for Survey for UCP-Suffolk Direct Service Delivery Staff ……………………………………74 – 78 Appendix G1: Script for Focus Group for Survivor and Individuals with Disabilities ………………………………………………….79 – 83 Appendix H: Survey Questions for Board of Directors ……… 84 – 85 Appendix H1: Survey Questions for Direct Service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk ……………………………………………………..86 – 89 Appendix H2: Interview Questions for Leadership …………….90 – 92 Appendix H3: Focus Group Questions for Supervisors ………..93 – 96 Appendix H4: Focus Group Questions for Direct Service Delivery Staff ……………………………………………………97 – 99 Appendix H5: Focus Group Questions for Volunteers ………….100 – 101 Appendix H6: Focus Group Questions for Individuals with Physical and Developmental Disabilities ……………………102 Appendix H7: Focus Group Questions for Survivors ……………103 Appendix I: Resource and Referral List ………………………..104 - 105 RECRUITMENT TRAINING Introduction: Good morning / Good afternoon. Thank you so much for being here today and for agreeing to be a part of our recruitment personnel. All identified staff members who will be involved in the recruitment process will undergo a training offered by Project SAFE. This training will provide specific details about Project SAFE, the purpose of the needs assessment, confidentiality, safety risks / concerns, and the reasons why we are recruiting select audiences for the needs assessment process. The task of recruiting individuals for our needs assessment is a very important element to Project SAFE in the recruitment process. It is crucial that we include all audiences that would be beneficial to our needs assessment. This will enable us to obtain wide and diverse responses on how we can enhance services at VIBS and UCP-Suffolk for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. Project SAFE consists of 6 collaboration members, three representatives from VIBS and three representatives from UCP-Suffolk. In addition to the six of us, we are looking for other staff members who can help us in the recruitment process of our needs assessment. The reason why we are asking you to be a part of the recruitment process is based on your expertise and the role you fulfill in the agency. So thank you again for being here today and being a part of our recruitment training. First off I would like to give you a brief synopsis of Project SAFE: Project SAFE synopsis: Project SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone) was formed in October 2008 as a partnership between VIBS Family Violence & Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc. VIBS and UCP-Suffolk received funding from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ); Office on Violence Against Women (OVW); Education, Training and Enhanced Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women with Disabilities Grant, commonly known as the Disability Grant Program. The disability grant program was established as an initiative to build bridges and fill the gaps in the service delivery system for survivors of domestic and sexual violence with disabilities. Various organizations nationwide applied for this grant and have been working towards improving services for survivors with disabilities in their agencies and communities. Project SAFE was developed to enhance and create a more sustainable, accessible, and safer service delivery system within both of our organizations for survivors of domestic and sexual violence who have a physical and/or developmental disability. Secondly, I would like to inform you of the purpose for conducting this needs assessment and the reason why we have chosen the following audiences. Purpose: The purpose of Project SAFE in conducting this needs assessment is to gather information regarding the identified needs of survivors with disabilities for a safer, more accessible, and more responsive service delivery system within both VIBS and UCP-Suffolk. The people we plan to engage in our needs assessment are leadership, boards of directors, supervisors, direct service delivery staff at both VIBS and UCP-Suffolk; volunteers at VIBS; survivors of domestic and sexual violence; and individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities. The methods we plan to use in gathering information from the above are focus groups, interviews, and surveys. Focus groups will be conducted with supervisors, direct service delivery staff, volunteers at VIBS, survivors of domestic / sexual violence, and individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities. Individual interviews will be conducted with leadership, survivors of elder abuse, and any other individual who opts for an interview in place of their focus group. Surveys will be administered to boards of directors and direct service delivery staff at UCP-Suffolk. Reasons for the recruitment of select audiences: Project SAFE has identified these seven different audiences to engage in our needs assessment as we feel that each of the participants in these select audiences will help us to identify the needs of survivors with disabilities. This in turn will help us to enhance the current service delivery system at both organizations to create a safer, more accessible, and more responsive one for survivors with disabilities. Leadership will be able to provide us with the knowledge of how organizational change occurs, what constitutes sustainable changes to an organization, the feasibility of that change occurring, and the commitment level for change. Boards of directors will be able to inform us of the way in which they are willing to support our project, as well as the areas in which they could institute change and commitment. Supervisors will be able to provide us with the knowledge of what works well, what can be better, and what is lacking for staff in their efforts to assist survivors with disabilities. Direct service delivery staff will be able to inform us of what works well, what could be better, and what is lacking in their efforts to assist survivors with disabilities. Survivors and individuals with disabilities will be able to provide us with the first hand knowledge of what services are beneficial, what services need improvement, and what services are lacking altogether in providing a safer, more accessible, and more responsive service delivery system. The actual recruitment process is as follows: We will recruit all potential participants face-to-face, either on an individual basis or during a group session or meeting. We will recruit survivors and individuals with disabilities during a regularly scheduled counseling or service appointment or during a regularly scheduled group meeting or activity. We will recruit all other audiences during their regular work or meeting schedules. Project SAFE will not be contacting any potential participants outside of the time that they would be attending VIBS or UCP-Suffolk for services or during all other audiences’ regularly scheduled work time. We feel this will help us minimize safety risks and concerns. Since we are not asking potential participants for any identifying or contact information, it is imperative that they receive all the details about the needs assessment during the recruitment process. All potential participants will be recruited on a voluntary basis. There will not be any consequences as a result of participating or choosing not to participate. They will be given all the necessary information about the needs assessment process through the verbal overview that will be given face-to-face, the informational fact sheet, and registration form. In addition to these tools, all potential participants who have questions or concerns are encouraged to contact either the Project Director and/or another collaboration member to speak with them directly about Project SAFE. Next I would like to review the different tools that we will be using in the recruitment process. The following tools will provide a point of reference for you in recruiting identified staff, supervisors, volunteers at VIBS, survivors, and individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities. These tools are: Recruitment script Informational Fact Sheet Registration Form The first tool is this recruitment script, which I will be giving out right now. This script contains all the information you will need to say during the recruitment process and highlights all the steps involved. We request that you read this script word for word, as this will help us to standardize the information given to all potential participants. Please keep this in a safe and secure place and familiarize yourself with it prior to recruiting potential participants. The second tool is the informational fact sheet, which I will be giving out now. This informational fact sheet will be given to all potential participants as an aide to understanding the verbal face-to-face overview. This sheet must be collected back from survivors and individuals with disabilities, as Project SAFE does not wish to have them keep possession of this material and/or take any forms home. This is a best practice in keeping survivors and individuals with disabilities safe and in keeping our information secure. Other audiences may make their own decision about whether or not to keep the informational fact sheet. Please keep this in a safe and secure place and familiarize yourself with it prior to recruiting potential participants. The third tool is the registration form, which I will be giving out now. This registration form includes a section indicating one’s interest in participating; the type of event; specifics such as date, time, and location; an opportunity to request accommodations, a very brief description of confidentiality and safety risks / concerns, and dates for optional interviews. Please keep this in a safe and secure place and familiarize yourself with it prior to recruiting potential participants. Now that I have given you a brief overview of Project SAFE, its purpose, and the a description of the different tools that will assist you in the recruitment of direct service delivery staff, supervisors, volunteers, survivors, and individuals with disabilities, I would like to go over some other very important details. Confidentiality: Confidentiality pertains to what information will not be shared outside of the recruitment process and what information will be shared, with whom and to what degree. All participants will be informed of their confidentiality rights prior to their commitment to participate in the needs assessment process. Confidentiality provides safeguards in preserving personal identifying information, to the fullest extent possible, of the individuals who agree to participate in any needs assessment activities. Names will not be used and all participants will be asked not to divulge any identifying details about themselves or any other participants attending focus groups. All participants will be informed that the opinions and perspectives they share will be utilized in the needs assessment report, but will not be linked back to them, nor will their presence in the group be revealed by Project SAFE. We have agreed to utilize passive consent, which allows Project SAFE to verbally inform each participant of their confidentiality rights and responsibilities, and to gain their permission to voluntarily participate verbally rather than in written form. As a part of the confidentiality issue, mandatory reporting is very important to highlight in order to ensure that all potential participants are fully knowledgeable about their rights and responsibilities. Mandatory reporting: Mandatory reporting pertains to the legal requirement of reporting the disclosure of abuse and/or neglect for certain individuals. Project SAFE is legally responsible for reporting disclosures of and/or the knowledge of suspected child abuse or of suicidal / homicidal intent to the appropriate state agencies. Project SAFE’s UCP-Suffolk collaboration members are legally responsible for reporting to the NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) disclosures of abuse or suspected abuse or neglect of an adult individual with a developmental disability receiving services at UCP-Suffolk under OMRDD sponsorship. Participants with concerns regarding the mandatory reporting requirements may choose not to participate in the needs assessment process, or they can choose to be interviewed individually by a VIBS non-mandatory collaboration member. Safety risks and concerns is another very crucial component in recruiting individuals for our needs assessment. Safety risks / concerns: The safety risks and/or concerns of each potential participant will be determined either before or during the recruitment process. Those participants whose involvement in a focus group would pose a serious risk to their safety can opt to participate in an individual interview instead. Any potential participant whose involvement in a focus group or individual interview would pose a serious risk to their safety will not be able to participate at all. This safety assessment will be made with all potential participants to determine who is safely appropriate to participate in our needs assessment. Individuals who are their own legal representative and have the cognitive capacity to determine what is safe for them are most appropriate to recruit for this needs assessment, as they pose a lesser safety risk than those who have a legal guardian and limited cognitive capacity. Potential participants who require only financial oversight, but otherwise have the cognitive capacity to make safety decisions for themselves, can be included. RECRUITMENT Script for Individual Interviews of Leadership Introduction: Hi . How are you today? I was hoping I could speak with you for a few minutes to cordially invite you to participate in Project SAFE’s needs assessment. Before I give you the specifics regarding dates and times, I wanted to take this opportunity to give you an overview of Project SAFE, and present some updates about the project. Over the past few months, my collaboration partners and I have been busy writing up an extensive plan in preparation for our needs assessment. In previous staff meetings, collaboration members have spoken a little bit about our needs assessment and our desire to have staff become potential participants. In the past few months we have finalized our plans and we would like to share with you all the details. First off, I would like to begin with a brief overview of Project SAFE. Overview: Project SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone) is a local collaboration that was created in October 2008 between two Suffolk County organizations, VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc. (UCP-Suffolk). Project SAFE is funded through a grant provided by the Department of Justice, OVW (Office on Violence Against Women). The main objectives of Project SAFE are to: explore the current service delivery systems of our two organizations regarding individuals with disabilities who experience domestic and/or sexual violence identify those areas of service delivery that are working well, those that need improvement, and those that may be non-existent but necessary in order to provide a safer, more accessible, and more responsive approach to survivors with disabilities create initiatives and implement changes that will support and encourage survivors with disabilities in their quest for safe, accessible, and responsive services create and enhance partnerships that will enable better services at the intersection of disability and domestic and/or sexual violence. Purpose of our Needs Assessment: We are conducting this needs assessment in order to gain insight on how to enhance our current service delivery systems within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk to better reflect the needs of survivors with disabilities. The purpose of this needs assessment is to gather knowledge regarding the current policies and procedures at each organization as they relate to individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. We also seek to learn what service aspects facilitate and/or hinder survivors with disabilities in disclosing abuse and in receiving safe, accessible, and responsive services. We wish to determine how we can enhance the relationship between our two agencies in providing a safer and more accommodating service delivery system. We are inviting survivors of domestic and sexual violence, individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities, agency supervisors, agency direct service delivery staff, and VIBS volunteers to participate in focus groups; agency leadership and survivors of elder abuse to participate in individual interviews; and boards of directors and UCP-Suffolk direct service delivery staff to participate in a survey. Your input is extremely valuable to Project SAFE in exploring the opportunities for change in your organization to provide a safer, more accessible, and more responsive service delivery system for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. We are also interested in learning how we can go about achieving these changes and what partnerships may need to be established to support our future endeavors. Our goal is to utilize your feedback for the development of initiatives for our strategic plan, which will be the foundation for instituting future change. With that, I hope you will be interested in participating in our needs assessment. At this point I would like to formally invite you to take part in an individual interview with us. The person who will be interviewing you is , one of our collaboration partners who is also [title here]. We have selected a few dates that she is available to meet with you. For your convenience, we can set up the interview here at the [VIBS / UCP-Suffolk] office. Registration: We will be asking you to fill out a registration form for this interview. A completed registration form, required for your participation, will include information such as time, date, and location, and will inquire about any accommodation requests. If we can take a moment now to look over this form, that would be great. [Give time to have potential participant fill it out or have recruiter fill it out by asking them the information]. An important detail about this interview concerns confidentiality. Confidentiality: Participation is strictly voluntary. Confidentiality will be respected and honored to the fullest extent possible in this process. However, we want you to know that the information you provide will be shared with our collaboration members utilized in our needs assessment report. Eventually this report will be shared with Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), Office on Violence Against Women (our funder), staff at both agencies, and other selected stakeholders. Before we conclude, if you should have any questions or concerns prior to your participation in our needs assessment process, I would be happy to answer them now, or you can contact [me or] Kathleen Cammarata, Project Director of Project SAFE at (631) 360 – 3730 or kcammarata@vibs.org. Thank you for your time and for your willingness to participate in our needs assessment. RECRUITMENT Script for Focus Groups for Direct Service Delivery Staff, Supervisors, & VIBS Volunteers AND for Surveys for Boards of Directors Introduction: Good Morning / Good Afternoon. Hi, my name is [ ]. [Insert: I am the Project Director of Project SAFE or I am a collaboration member of Project SAFE]. I wanted to take a few moments today to talk to you all about Project SAFE. I think you are all aware of Project SAFE, but just to make sure, is there anyone here who does not know anything about Project SAFE? [Give time to scan room for a show of hands or questions]. Okay, for those of you who have never heard of Project SAFE – you will get a little Project SAFE 101, and for those of you who do know us, you will gain some more information today. Before we get started this morning/afternoon, I would like to hand out an informational fact sheet that you may use as a guide during our discussion today and you may keep it for future reference. Our only request is regarding safety: please keep it in a safe and secure location and do not leave it lying out on a desk or table where survivors or individuals with disabilities can have access to it. I wanted to take this opportunity to give you an overview of Project SAFE, present some updates about the project, and to formally invite you all to take part in our needs assessment. Over the past few months, my collaboration partners and I have been busy developing a comprehensive plan in preparation for our needs assessment. In previous staff meetings, we have spoken a little bit about our needs assessment and our desire to have staff become potential participants. In the past few months we have finalized our plans and we would like to share with you all the details. Overview: Project SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone) is a local collaboration that was created in October 2008 between two Suffolk County organizations, VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc. (UCP-Suffolk). Project SAFE is funded through a grant provided by the Department of Justice, OVW (Office on Violence Against Women). The main objectives of Project SAFE are to: explore the current service delivery systems of our two organizations regarding individuals with disabilities who experience domestic and/or sexual violence identify those areas of service delivery that are working well, those that need improvement, and those that may be non-existent but necessary in order to provide a safer, more accessible, and more responsive approach to survivors with disabilities create initiatives and implement changes that will support and encourage survivors with disabilities in their quest for safe, accessible, and responsive services create and enhance partnerships that will enable better services at the intersection of disability and domestic and/or sexual violence. Purpose of our Needs Assessment: We are conducting this needs assessment in order to gain insight on how to enhance our current service delivery systems within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk to better reflect the needs of survivors with disabilities. The purpose of this needs assessment is to gather knowledge regarding the current policies and procedures at each organization as they relate to individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. We also seek to learn what service aspects facilitate and/or hinder survivors with disabilities in disclosing abuse and in receiving safe, accessible, and responsive services. We wish to determine how we can enhance the relationship between our two agencies in providing a safer and more accommodating service delivery system. We are inviting survivors of domestic and sexual violence, individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities, agency supervisors, agency direct service delivery staff, and VIBS volunteers to participate in focus groups; agency leadership and survivors of elder abuse to participate in individual interviews; and boards of directors and UCP-Suffolk direct service delivery staff to participate in a survey. Your input is extremely valuable to Project SAFE in determining what modifications need to be made in at your organization in order to provide a safer, more accessible, and more responsive service delivery system. [For Supervisors Only: As a group who holds significant responsibility for supporting and overseeing direct service delivery staff in their efforts to assist survivors / individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence, you hold a unique perspective on this issue and we are eager to hear from you]. [For Direct service delivery staff and VIBS volunteers Only: As a group who are the first point of contact and primary agents of assistance for survivors and individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence, you hold a unique perspective on this issue and we are eager to hear from you]. [For Board of Directors Only: As a group who holds significant responsibility for supporting change that is in line with the organizational mission, and for helping to set the future course of the agency, you hold a unique perspective on this issue and we are eager to hear from you]. Our goal is to utilize your feedback for the development of initiatives for our strategic plan, which will be the foundation for instituting future change at both organizations. With that, I hope that you will strongly consider participating in our needs assessment. ***Focus Group Invite: Now that you all know what Project SAFE is and why we are conducting this needs assessment, we would like to cordially invite you all to participate in a focus group that will be offered on a later date. All focus groups will take place during your regularly scheduled work hours and the duration of the group will be approximately an hour in a half. [For VIBS only: We are offering one group during the day to accommodate staff that work strictly day hours and one group in the evening to accommodate night staff. You have the choice of which group would be most conducive to your schedule]. Your participation is very much encouraged and supported by agency administration and there will be no negative consequences to you as a result. The information we gain from you during this process will be shared in our needs assessment report that will be reviewed by staff at both VIBS and UCP-Suffolk, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), and Office on Violence Against Women (our funder). Our needs assessment findings will help us to develop the goals for our strategic plan. Our strategic plan will provide a foundation for those changes we propose to implement in both of our agencies. ***Survey Invite: Now that you all know what Project SAFE is and why we are conducting this needs assessment, we would like to cordially invite you all to participate in a survey that will be offered on a later date. This survey will be offered in written form during a regularly scheduled Board meeting. Your participation is very much encouraged and supported by agency administration. The information we gain from you will be shared in our needs assessment report that will be reviewed by staff at both VIBS and UCP- Suffolk, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), and Office on Violence Against Women (our funder). Our needs assessment findings will help us to develop the goals for our strategic plan. Our strategic plan will provide a foundation for those changes we propose to implement in both of our agencies. There are some other very important elements you should be aware of regarding your participation. The first one is confidentiality. (For Focus Groups Only) Confidentiality: Participation is strictly voluntary. Most information provided to Project SAFE will be held confidential except for the disclosure of child abuse, homicidal / suicidal intent, and reports of domestic / sexual violence of an adult individual who has a developmental disability and receives services through OMRDD at UCP-Suffolk. Although your personal identifying information will be kept confidential, the opinions and perspectives you share with Project SAFE will be utilized in a needs assessment report that will be reviewed by VIBS and UCP-Suffolk staff, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), and Office on violence against women (our funder for this disability grant). It is highly encouraged that you all respect each other’s confidentiality, but Project SAFE is not responsible for the actions of others, either inside or outside of the focus group process. Based on Project SAFE not being able to fully guarantee confidentiality, we encourage you all not to reveal personal information you wish not to have shared with others. Your status as an [employee or volunteer] will not be affected as a result of your involvement in this needs assessment. No names or other identifying information will be used. You will not be required to sign any consent forms, as all consent will be verbal. You may withdraw from participation at any time during this process. [UCP- Suffolk: For those participants, who have a Personal Care Aide, your PCA’s can accompany you to the focus group location but they will not be permitted to be in attendance during the group. They can wait for you outside of the focus group in an adjacent room and can be available for you at any time outside of the group process]. A note taker will be present during the focus group to write down all the information that is shared during the group. This information will be utilized in our needs assessment report and shared with VIBS / UCP-Suffolk staff, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), and Office on Violence Against Women (our funder). Your identity will not be linked to any information in the report. The written notes will only be seen by Project SAFE members and each of us follows strict confidentiality guidelines. All written notes will be secured in a locked file cabinet at VIBS facility and will be destroyed at the end of this grant period – by September 30, 2011. (For Surveys) Confidentiality: [In person written surveys only] One very important issue that needs particular attention is confidentiality. Participation is strictly voluntary. No names or other identifying information will be used so please do not write your name on the survey. We ask that all participants respect each other’s confidentiality and please refrain from using names and sharing answers. You will not be required to sign any consent forms. You may withdraw from participation at any time during this process. The information you provided will only be used for the purpose of this needs assessment. The results of these surveys will be complied in a needs assessment report which will be shared with VIBS / UCP-Suffolk staff, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), the Office on Violence Against Women (our funder for this grant program), and other possible stakeholders. The next important issue to discuss is safety risks and concerns. (For Focus Groups Only): Safety Risks / Concerns: Project SAFE views safety as a top priority. We want to ensure that everyone not only feels safe but is safe throughout this process. Participation in this focus group will be strictly voluntary. We advise you not to participate if you feel your involvement could jeopardize your safety. If you feel that the group atmosphere will offer an unsafe environment for you, the option of an individual interview can be arranged. Project SAFE will be working in conjunction with other staff during this recruitment period to ensure that all potential participants are not put at any additional risk by participating. Please note that you may withdraw from the group process or optional interview at any point if you start to experience uncomfortable feelings or you feel unsafe. Even though the nature of our conversation is not meant to cause uncomfortable feelings, we realize that it may happen unintentionally. A counselor will be available outside of the group process for anyone who should need her for emotional support. We will also have personal care assistance available in the event that it is needed. Now I would like to discuss how you can register for this [focus group / survey]. Registration: A completed registration form is required for participation. The form includes information such as time, date, and location and will inquire about accommodation requests. At the end of this discussion, I will ask that everyone take a registration form and fill it out as it applies to you. We ask that everyone fill out this form regardless of your interest in participating. There is a specific section in which to indicate whether you are interested or not. Having everyone fill out this form will help to protect everyone’s confidentiality by not identifying those of you who are interested versus those of you who are not. It will also provide our collaboration team with a way to keep track of how many people are expected to [attend each group or to complete surveys]. Project SAFE will arrange and coordinate all aspects [of our focus groups or surveys] based on the registration forms completed. Any accommodations requested will be put in place prior to the [scheduled focus group or optional interview or survey]. If you need assistance in filling out this form and/or you have any questions you might like to ask privately, we can set up a time to meet at a later date. (For Focus Groups Only) As a token of our appreciation of your time and effort, light refreshments and snacks will be offered during all focus groups. Does anyone have any questions they would like to ask now before we hand out the registration forms? [Allow time for questions and answers} [Give time for registration forms to be completed and collected back by collaboration member(s).] Lastly, if you have any questions or concerns prior to your participation in our needs assessment process, please contact Kathleen Cammarata, Project Director of Project SAFE at (631) 360 – 3730 or kcammarata@vibs.org. Thank you for your time and I hope to see you all during one of our focus groups. RECRUITMENT Script for Focus Groups of Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities Introduction: Good Morning / Good Afternoon. My name is [Kathleen or Pat]. [Kathleen: I am the Project Director of Project SAFE / Pat: I work closely with Kathleen on a special grant called Project SAFE]. I wanted to take a few moments today to talk to you all about Project SAFE and invite you to voluntarily participate in a focus group. Before we get started this morning/afternoon, I would like to hand out an informational fact sheet that you may use as a guide during our discussion today. This fact sheet will be collected back from you at the end of our time together today. (For individuals with disabilities only – We will also be projecting this informational fact sheet on this overhead projector for your convenience.) First I would like to tell you a little about Project SAFE. Project SAFE stands for Safe Access For Everyone. This project consists of some other staff members here at [UCP-Suffolk / VIBS] and with another organization named [VIBS / UCP-Suffolk]. We started working with this other organization last year in October. This project is funded through a grant provided by the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. The main objectives of Project SAFE are to: explore the current service delivery systems of our two organizations regarding individuals with disabilities who experience domestic and/or sexual violence identify those areas of service delivery that are working well, those that need improvement, and those that may be non-existent but necessary in order to provide a safer, more accessible, and more responsive approach to survivors with disabilities create initiatives and implement changes that will support and encourage individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence in their quest for safe, accessible, and responsive services What is the purpose of our Needs Assessment: We are conducting this needs assessment in order to gain insight on how to improve the services we offer here at [VIBS and UCP-Suffolk] to better reflect the needs of [individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence or survivors with disabilities]. Our focus for this needs assessment is on your experience in receiving services in different organizations in the community. We are not looking to explore or hear about your experiences regarding [domestic / sexual violence or disabilities] but rather what conditions are helpful for you in receiving services. The purpose of this needs assessment is to gain your opinions and perspectives regarding what helps or does not help you in receiving safe, accessible, and responsive services. We are also interested in any suggestions you might have about how we can make services better. Your input is extremely valuable to Project SAFE in exploring the needs of [individuals with disabilities or survivors]. You hold a unique perceptive on what is helpful and not helpful when accessing services and we are eager to hear about your experiences in using the different services in your community. Our goal is to utilize your feedback for the development of initiatives for our strategic plan, which will be the foundation for making future change at [VIBS or UCP-Suffolk]. I hope that you all will strongly consider taking part in our needs assessment. Focus Group Invite: Now that you all know what Project SAFE is and why we are conducting this needs assessment, we would like to cordially invite you all to voluntarily participate in a focus group that will be offered on a later date. All focus groups will take place during your regularly scheduled counseling and/or service program. The duration of the group will be approximately an hour and a half. Your participation is very much encouraged and supported by your agency and there will be absolutely no disruption to your services and there will be no negative consequences to you as a result of your participation. The information we gain from you during this process will be shared in our needs assessment report. This report will be reviewed by staff at VIBS / UCP-Suffolk, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), and the Office on Violence Against Women (our funder of this grant program). Our needs assessment findings will help us to develop goals for our strategic plan. Our strategic plan will provide a foundation for those changes we propose to implement in each agency. There are some other very important elements you should be aware of regarding your participation in our focus groups. The first one is confidentiality. Confidentiality: Participation is strictly voluntary. Although your personal identifying information will be kept confidential, the opinions and perspectives you share with Project SAFE will be utilized in a needs assessment report that will be reviewed by VIBS and UCP-Suffolk staff, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), and Office on violence against women (our funder for this disability grant). It is highly encouraged that you all respect each other’s confidentiality, but Project SAFE is not responsible for the actions of others, either inside or outside of the focus group process. Based on Project SAFE not being able to fully guarantee confidentiality, we encourage you all not to reveal personal information you wish not to have shared with others. No names or other identifying information will be used. You will not be required to sign any consent forms, as all consent will be given verbally. You may withdraw from participation at any time during this process. [UCP- Suffolk: For those participants, who have a Personal Care Aide, your PCA’s can accompany you to the focus group location but they will not be permitted to be in attendance during the group. They can wait for you outside of the focus group in an adjacent room and can be available for you at any time outside of the group process]. A note taker will be present during the focus group to write down all the information that is shared by participants. This information will be utilized in our needs assessment report and shared with staff at VIBS / UCP-Suffolk, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), and the Office on Violence Against Women (our funder for this disability grant). Your name, however, will not be linked to any specific information. The written notes will only be seen by Project SAFE members and they follow strict confidentiality guidelines. All written notes will be secured in a locked file cabinet at VIBS facility and will be destroyed at the end of this grant period – by September 30, 2011. Mandatory reporting requirements: This focus group is not looking for any individual experiences you may have had with abuse. Most information provided to Project SAFE will be held confidential except for the disclosure of child abuse, intent to harm oneself or someone else, and reports of domestic / sexual violence of an adult individual who has a developmental disability and receives services through OMRDD at UCP- Suffolk. If anyone should disclose any of these situations during the focus group, a report will have to be made to the State, as all members of Project SAFE are mandatory reporters of these situations. If you have concerns about your confidentiality or risks of mandatory reporting, please feel free in choosing not to participate in our focus group or you may request an individual interview with a VIBS non-mandatory reporter. The next important issue to discuss is safety risks and concerns. Safety Risks / Concerns: Project SAFE views safety as a top priority. We want to ensure that everyone not only feels safe but is safe throughout this process. We advise you not to participate if you feel your involvement could jeopardize your safety. If you feel that the group atmosphere will be an unsafe environment for you, the option of an individual interview can be arranged. Project SAFE will also be working in conjunction with your counselor or service provider during this recruitment period to ensure that you are not put at any additional risk by participating. Please note that you may withdraw from the group process or optional interview at any point if you start to experience uncomfortable feelings or you feel unsafe. Even though the nature of our conversation is not meant to cause uncomfortable feelings, we realize that it may happen unintentionally. A counselor will be available outside of the group process for anyone who should need her for emotional support. We will also have personal care assistance available in the event that it is needed. Now I would like to discuss how you can register for this focus group. Registration: A completed registration form is required for participation. This form includes information such as time, date, and location and will inquire about accommodation requests. ***(For Survivors Only): At the end of this discussion, I will ask that everyone take a registration form and fill it out as it applies to you. We ask that everyone fill out this form regardless of your interest in participating. There is a specific section in which to indicate whether you are interested or not. Having everyone fill out this form will help to protect everyone’s confidentiality by not identifying those of you who are interested versus those of you who are not. It will also provide our collaboration team with a way to keep track of how many people are expected to attend each group. Project SAFE will arrange and coordinate all aspects of our focus groups based on the registration forms completed. Any accommodations requested will be put in place prior to the [scheduled focus group or optional interview]. If you need assistance in filling out this form and/or you have any questions you might like to ask privately, we can set up a time to meet at a later date. ***(For Individuals with Disabilities Only): At the end of this discussion, I am requesting that anyone who is interested in participating speak with one of these other UCP-Suffolk staff members, either or , who will provide you with a registration form and answer any questions you might have about the focus group. You must contact one of these staff members by the end of today to fill out a registration form, as we will not be allowing anyone to take it home to fill out. The staff members will then submit the completed forms to the Project Director. Project SAFE will arrange and coordinate all aspects of our focus groups based on the registration forms completed. Any accommodations requested will be put in place prior to the scheduled focus group or optional interview. As a token of our appreciation for your time and effort, a $20 gift card to Target will be given to you on the date of your scheduled focus group. If you feel that your safety could be jeopardized by taking home a gift card, Project SAFE will retain the gift card for you until a later date. If this option is not feasible or safe, then other reasonable arrangements will be made for you. Light refreshments and snacks will also be offered during all focus groups. Does anyone have any questions they would like to ask now before [VIBS: we hand out the registration forms? UCP: end?] [Allow time for questions and answers} [For VIBS Only: After registration forms are completed and collected back by collaboration member(s)] During this time, we will also be collecting the informational fact sheet back from all attendees. Lastly, if you should have any questions or concerns prior to your participation in our needs assessment process, please contact Kathleen Cammarata, Project Director of Project SAFE at (631) 360 – 3730 or kcammarata@vibs.org. Thank you for your time and I hope to see you all during one of our focus groups. Informational Fact Sheet (Leadership, Supervisors, Direct Service Delivery Staff, & VIBS Volunteers) What is Project SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone)? Local collaborative created in October 2008 between two Suffolk County organizations, VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk Inc. (UCP- Suffolk). What is the main objective of Project SAFE? Enhance the current service delivery system at VIBS and UCP- Suffolk that embraces safety, accessibility, and responsiveness for individuals with disabilities who experience domestic and/or sexual violence. What is our needs assessment purpose? Gain insight from VIBS and UCP-Suffolk leadership, supervisors, direct service delivery staff, VIBS volunteers, and boards of directors on their knowledge and perspective of the current service delivery system at their agency regarding individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic / sexual violence. Gain insight into what creates a welcoming, responsive, safe, and accessible service atmosphere from survivors of domestic and sexual violence and individuals with disabilities based on their experience and perspective. Who are we asking to participate? VIBS and UCP-Suffolk leadership, supervisors, direct service delivery staff, boards of directors, VIBS volunteers Survivors of domestic and sexual violence and individuals with a physical and/or developmental disability What are we asking you to do? Voluntarily participate in a [focus group, interview, or survey] on a date and time selected by Project SAFE. [Focus group will be an hour and a half in length. Individual interviews and optional interviews will be forty-five minutes in length. Surveys will be ten to fifteen minutes in length]. What do we hope to learn from you? Your knowledge of the current service delivery system within your agency and your professional experience in addressing and responding to the needs of individuals with disabilities who experience domestic and sexual violence. How is this information going to be used? Will be utilized in a needs assessment report, help to develop initiatives for our strategic plan, and will guide us in implementing a safer, more accessible, and more responsive service environment for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. How will confidentiality be protected? Participation is strictly voluntary. No names or other personal identifying information will be used. All participants are encouraged not to provide personal information that they do not wish to have shared with the group or others and all participants are asked to respect each other’s confidentiality. May freely choose to withdraw at any time from any activity without pressure or impact on services. Participation is encouraged and supported by agency administration, no negative reprisals will occur. No signed written consent forms - only passive consent needed. All forms and notes will be secured in a lock file cabinet at VIBS facility and will be destroyed at the end of this grant period. What is mandatory reporting and how does it apply to this [focus group or interview]? Reports / disclosures of child abuse or of suicidal / homicidal intent must be reported by Project SAFE to the appropriate state agencies. Reports / disclosures of abuse / neglect of adult receiving services at UCP-Suffolk under OMRDD sponsorship must be reported by UCP-Suffolk representatives of Project SAFE to OMRDD. You can withdraw from participation now or request an interview with a non-mandatory reporter from Project SAFE if you have concerns about your confidentiality or the risk of mandatory reporting. What are the safety risks and concerns? Safety is our top priority. Participants may withdraw at any time if they are uncomfortable. Counselor immediately available if needed for emotional support. How do you register? All interested participants must complete a registration form prior to their involvement in this needs assessment. Registration will provide the opportunity to request accommodations. Token of our Appreciation Light refreshments and snacks [for all focus group participants] Who do I contact if I have any additional questions / concerns? Kathleen Cammarata, Project Director of Project SAFE at (631) 360 – 3730 or kcammarata@vibs.org. Informational Fact Sheet (Survivors and individuals with disabilities) What is Project SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone)? Local partnership created in October 2008 between two Suffolk County organizations, VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk Inc. (UCP- Suffolk). What are the main objectives of Project SAFE? Enhance the current service delivery system at VIBS and UCP- Suffolk to embrace safety, accessibility, and responsiveness for individuals with disabilities who experience domestic and/or sexual violence. What is our needs assessment purpose? Gain insight from survivors of domestic and sexual violence and individuals with disabilities on what creates a welcoming, responsive, safe, and accessible service atmosphere based on their experience and perspective. Who are we asking to participate? VIBS and UCP-Suffolk leadership, supervisors, direct service delivery staff, boards of directors, VIBS volunteers Survivors of domestic and sexual violence and individuals with a physical and/or developmental disability What are we asking you to do?: Voluntarily participate in a focus group on a date and time selected by Project SAFE. Focus group will be an hour and a half in length. If necessary, an optional individual interview will be offered and will be forty-five minutes in length. What do we hope to learn from you? Your experience in receiving services in the community and your ideas for improving services for [survivors or individuals with disabilities] in making them [safer or more accessible]. **We are not interested in knowing what your personal experience is or has been with domestic or sexual violence. How is this information going to be used? Will be utilized in a needs assessment report, help to develop initiatives for our strategic plan, and will guide us in implementing a safer, more accessible, and more responsive service environment for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. How will confidentiality be protected? Participation is strictly voluntary. No names or other personal identifying information will be used. Participants are encouraged not to provide personal information that they do not wish to have shared with the group or others. May freely choose to withdraw at any time from any activity without pressure or impact on services. No signed written consent forms - only passive consent needed. All registration forms and recorder notes will be secured in a locked file cabinet at VIBS facility and will be destroyed at the end of this grant period. What is mandatory reporting and how does it apply to this [focus group or interview]? Reports / disclosures of child abuse or of suicidal / homicidal intent must be reported by Project SAFE to the appropriate state agencies. Reports / disclosures of abuse / neglect of an adult receiving services at UCP-Suffolk under OMRDD sponsorship must reported by UCP-Suffolk representatives of Project SAFE to OMRDD. You can withdraw from participation now or request an individual interview with a non-mandatory reporter from Project SAFE if you have concerns about confidentiality or the risks of mandatory reporting. What are the safety risks and concerns? Safety is top priority. Participants may withdraw at any time if they are uncomfortable. Counselor immediately available if needed for emotional support. Resources list will be available for those who may need it. How do you register? All interested participants must complete a registration form prior to their involvement in this needs assessment. Registration will provide the opportunity to request accommodations. Token of our Appreciation: Light refreshments and snacks. $20 gift card to Target. If participants cannot bring home gift card for safety concerns, Project SAFE will hold it until later date. Who do I contact if I have any additional questions / concerns? Kathleen Cammarata, Project Director of Project SAFE at (631) 360 – 3730 (kcammarata@vibs.org) Registration Form (Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities) Thank you for your interest in participating in a focus group for Project SAFE. The focus group you will be participating in will be held at [VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center, located at 20 Peachtree Court in Holbrook, or at UCP-Suffolk main administrative site, located at 250 Marcus Blvd in Hauppauge. The anticipated duration of this focus group is one and one-half hours (1.5 hours). All focus groups will start promptly at their designated times as listed below. All participants of these focus groups will be [survivors of domestic violence receiving services at VIBS, survivors of sexual violence receiving services at VIBS, or individuals with disabilities receiving services at UCP-Suffolk]. Light refreshments will be served and a $20 gift card to Target will be given as a token of our appreciation for your time and participation in our needs assessment. Every effort will be made to provide a safe and accommodating group environment. Your participation is strictly voluntary and there will be no negative consequences to your status as a service recipient as a result of your involvement. No personal identifying information will be requested from you. Please fill out the appropriate sections below as they pertain to you. Please reserve the following date and time for your focus group: Please reserve the following date and time for your optional interview: (*****Optional interviews are only given to those that request it in place of a focus group) Thank you and we look forward to meeting with you. If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact Kathleen Cammarata, Project Director of Project SAFE at (631) 360 – 3730 or kcammarata@vibs.org. Registration Form (Leadership, Board of Directors, Direct Service Delivery Staff, Supervisor, or Volunteer at VIBS) Thank you for your interest in participating in a [focus group, interview, or survey] for Project SAFE. The [focus group, interview or survey] you will be participating in will be held at [VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center, located at 20 Peachtree Court in Holbrook, or UCP-Suffolk main administrative site, located at 250 Marcus Blvd in Hauppauge]. The anticipated duration of this [focus group is approximately one and one-half hours (1.5 hours), interview is approximately forty-five minutes, or survey is approximately ten minutes. All [focus groups or interviews] will start promptly at their designated times as listed below. [For Focus Group Participants: Separate focus groups will be conducted for direct service delivery staff/ supervisors / volunteers at VIBS]. Light refreshments will be served as a token of our appreciation of your time and effort. Every effort will be made to provide a safe and accommodating [group/interview/survey] environment. Your participation is strictly voluntary and will occur during your regularly scheduled work time. Your participation is very much encouraged and supported by agency administration and there will be no negative consequences to you as a result. No personal identifying information will be requested from you. Please fill out the appropriate sections below they pertain to you. Please reserve the following date and time for your focus group: Please reserve the following date and time for your optional interview: (*****Optional interviews are only given to those that request it in place of a focus group) Thank you and we look forward to meeting with you. If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact Kathleen Cammarata, Project Director of Project SAFE at (631) 360 – 3730 or kcammarata@vibs.org. MEMORANDUM Our MISSION is To advance the independence, productivity, and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities To: All Direct Service Delivery Staff From: Kim Kubasek, Chief Operating Officer Pat Caso, Director of Adult Day Services Date: Subject: Project SAFE In 2008, United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc. began a three-year project with VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center to improve services to individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. This collaboration is named Project SAFE (Safe Access for Everyone) and this project is a grant funded by the United States Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Currently, Project SAFE is conducting a needs assessment to gather information from leadership, supervisors, direct service delivery staff, VIBS volunteers, survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and individuals with disabilities regarding the current service delivery system at both VIBS and UCP-Suffolk, and how it responds to individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. A limited number of focus groups will be held at the UCP-Suffolk main administrative site for supervisors, some direct service delivery staff, and individuals with disabilities. In order to gather a fair overall representation of all direct service delivery staff, we have created a survey on Surveymonkey.com that is available for you to take. You can access this survey through any UCP-Suffolk computer that has internet capabilities. The survey should take only 10 minutes to complete and you are encouraged to do it during your work time. Your participation is totally voluntary and your identity will not be revealed. We will not be receiving individual responses, but rather surveymonkey.com will assemble the responses into a report for us. Your name will not be linked to any responses. However, your responses will be shared in our needs assessment report with VIBS and UCP-Suffolk staff, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), the Office of Violence Against Women (our funder for this grant project), and other possible stakeholders. We value your input and experience working with individuals with disabilities. If you would like to participate in this survey, please visit www.Surveymonkey.com. If you need assistance in accessing and/or completing this survey or if you prefer to provide your input through an alternate means, appropriate arrangements can be made for you by contacting Kathleen Cammarata, Project SAFE’s Project Director at (631) 360 – 3730 or kcammarata@vibs.org. Thank you for considering this opportunity. We will continue to update you on the work of Project SAFE in our employee newsletter Access. Script for Focus Group for Direct Service Delivery Staff, Supervisors, and VIBS Volunteers AND Survey for the Board of Directors Good morning / Good afternoon. My name is [Dana or Kathleen] and I am a representative from Project SAFE. Project SAFE is a collaboration made up of two Suffolk County agencies, VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and UCP-Suffolk. All the members of Project SAFE will be working closely together to make services [safer or more accessible] and more responsive for [individuals with disabilities or survivors of domestic and sexual violence]. We thank you for being here today to take part in this focus group. We genuinely appreciate your time and efforts. Your feedback and opinions are very important to us and we firmly believe it will be quite helpful to our project. (For Focus Groups Only) I would like the opportunity to introduce my colleague, [Kathleen or Dana]. [Kathleen or Dana] is a collaboration representative from [VIBS or UCP-Suffolk] and she will be with us for the entire time this morning / afternoon. She will be the recorder and she will be taking notes on what we discuss today. The purpose of her doing this is to ensure that we capture all of your important opinions, perspectives, and ideas so that they can be included in our needs assessment findings. This information will help Project SAFE in developing our needs assessment report and in creating our initiatives for our strategic plan. So I thank [Kathleen or Dana] for joining us. (For Focus Groups only) To start off, I would like to draw your attention to the light refreshments and snacks located over there on the far right table. Please feel free in helping yourself to these treats as they are offered as a token of our appreciation for your time and efforts. Next, I would like to provide you with a brief summary of Project SAFE and the purpose of us conducting this needs assessment. Project SAFE is a local partnership between two Suffolk County not-for-profit agencies: VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc. (UCP-Suffolk). Project SAFE was established in October 2008 as a result of VIBS receiving a federal grant from the Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women (OVW). This grant was offered as an incentive to create systems change within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk for survivors of domestic / sexual violence and individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. Our mission is to work together to promote a safer, more accessible and more responsive service environment for women in Suffolk County who are survivors with disabilities. We will accomplish this by creating sustainable changes in our organizational cultures through: fostering collaboration sharing resources and knowledge enhancing the service delivery system implementing policy and procedures that reflect best practices of professional ethics, trust, open communication, and true understanding of the challenges and needs of survivors with disabilities. This needs assessment will help to generate new ideas and insight regarding what works, what does not work, and what we can do better in our current service delivery system within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk for survivors with disabilities. We plan on using this information to assist in the development of initiatives for our strategic plan, for the implementation of new services, and in modifying current policies that will offer a more responsive, more accessible, and safer service delivery system. You are one of several groups within both organizations from whom we will be collecting information. We are interested in learning from you what services are safe, welcoming, and responsive for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence; and what services are lacking or are in need of improvement. We are interested in learning about what policies currently exist at your organization addressing the safety needs and accommodations for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence and which ones need to be enhanced, revised, and if new ones need to be created. Your input will guide Project SAFE in creating a safer, more accessible, and more responsive plan for our future endeavors for organizational change within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk. We will analyze the information we gather from you and use the results to guide us in developing our strategic plan and constructing our initiatives for organizational change that will improve services for [survivors with disabilities or individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic / sexual violence]. Does anyone have any questions about Project SAFE and our purpose here today? [Allow time for questions and answers] Okay, lets move on to confidentiality. (For Focus Groups Only) Confidentiality: Participation is strictly voluntary. Most information provided to Project SAFE will be held confidential except for the disclosure of child abuse, homicidal / suicidal intent, and reports of domestic / sexual violence of an adult individual who has a developmental disability and receives services through OMRDD at UCP-Suffolk. Although your personal identity will be kept confidential, the opinions and perspectives you share with Project SAFE will be utilized in a needs assessment report that will be reviewed by VIBS and UCP- Suffolk staff, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), Office on Violence Against Women (our funder for this disability grant), and other possible stakeholders. No names or personal identity will be used which will prevent any information shared with the above from being linked back to any one particular person involved in our needs assessment. It is highly encouraged that you all respect each other’s confidentiality, but Project SAFE is not responsible for the actions of others, either inside or outside of the focus group process. Based on Project SAFE not being able to fully guarantee confidentiality, we encourage you all not to reveal personal information you wish not to have shared with others. Your status as an [employee or volunteer] will not be affected as a result of your involvement in this needs assessment. No names or other identifying information will be used. You will each be given a sticker with a symbol on it. That symbol will represent you today in this group. In referring to or calling upon another group member, please make reference to their symbol. For instance, if you have a blue star printed on your sticker, ?blue star? will be how you will be referred to. You will not be required to sign any consent forms, as all consent will be verbal. You may withdraw from participation at any time during this process. Along with me as the facilitator, [Kathleen or Dana] will be present for the duration of our time together this morning/afternoon to take notes. She will be busy writing down notes on the discussion shared in this focus group and will not otherwise participate. However, she is also a representative of Project SAFE and is bound by the same confidentiality guidelines as myself. All the notes that are taken today will be given to the Project Director immediately after the focus group ends. The Project Director will secure these written notes in a locked cabinet at the VIBS facility. All written notes will be destroyed at the end of this grant period on September 30, 2011. Only those representatives of Project SAFE will have access to these notes in compiling the data and findings for a needs assessment report and in developing initiatives for our strategic plan. (For Survey Only) Confidentiality: One very important issue that needs particular attention is confidentiality. Participation is strictly voluntary. No names or other identifying information will be used so please do not write your name on the survey. We ask that all participants respect each other’s confidentiality and please refrain from using names and sharing answers. You will not be required to sign any consent forms. You may withdraw from participation at any time during this process. The information you provided will only be used for the purpose of this needs assessment. The results of these surveys will be complied in a needs assessment report which will be shared with VIBS / UCP-Suffolk staff, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), the Office on Violence Against Women (our funder for this grant program), and other possible stakeholders. (For Focus Groups Only) Another very important concept of confidentiality to discuss is mandatory reporting: (For Focus Groups Only) Mandatory Reporting: There are a few exceptions to the confidentiality policy here today. One is if you disclose the abuse of a child to us, second is if you disclose suicidal or homicidal intent, and third is if you are a person with a developmental disability who is receiving services at UCP-Suffolk under the auspices of the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and you disclose an allegation of domestic / sexual violence to us. If you have concerns about your confidentiality or about the risks of mandatory reporting, you can withdraw from participation now and request an individual interview with a non-mandatory reporter from Project SAFE. (For Focus Groups Only) Other important aspects to discuss are safety risks and concerns. (For Focus Groups Only) Safety: Project SAFE views safety as a top priority. We want to ensure that everyone not only feels safe but is safe throughout this process. Participation in this focus group will be strictly voluntary. We again advise you not to participate if you feel your involvement could jeopardize your safety. If you feel that the group atmosphere will offer an unsafe environment for you, you are free to exist the room at this point or at any point as we go along. Even though the nature of our conversation is not meant to cause uncomfortable feelings, we realize that it may happen unintentionally. A counselor is available outside of the group process for anyone who should need her for emotional support. We also have personal care assistance available in the event that it is needed. (For Focus Groups Only) Housekeeping and group guidelines: Before we get started with the questions I plan to ask, I thought this might be a good time to briefly review our group guidelines. In keeping in sync with confidentiality, we would like everyone to refrain from using names in this process. Please refer to other group participants by the symbol appearing on their stickers. We ask that what is said in this focus group stays in this focus group. Please do not speak about anyone’s involvement in the group as that would break their confidentiality. When one person is talking, I would like for us all to refrain from interrupting or speaking over others. This will allow for an easy flow of conversation and enables everyone the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts. No one will be pressured to comment on every question but your participation is greatly encouraged and appreciated. We are eager to hear from everyone and full participation is our hope. We will be together for about an hour in a half this morning / afternoon. During this time we will not have any formal breaks so please help yourself to refreshments at your leisure. We ask that you refrain from using your cell phone during this time so as not to distract yourself or others from this important process. Please take a moment now to set your phone on message mode. And lastly, please take note of where our fire exits are in the room (point out the fire exit) and our bathrooms are located near the receptionist desk. I think that just about covers everything I need to say about group guidelines. Are there guidelines that you would like to add or any questions you might have? [Allow time for participants to provide input]. In conclusion, before we begin with the questions, I would like to remind you all that by being here today, you are agreeing to voluntarily participate in this needs assessment process. No signed consent forms are needed for this process and you are free to leave at any time during this [group or interview]. Your willingness to be here today gives me and Project SAFE your permission to record and share your feedback to staff at VIBS and UCP-Suffolk, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), the Office on Violence Against Women (our funder of this disability grant), and possible other stakeholders. Your identity will not be revealed and no information will be linked back to you specifically. Is this clear to everyone? I think this will conclude our introduction and now we will proceed with our questions. (For Surveys Only): If no one has any questions, I would like to hand out the surveys at this time. There are only 7 questions to answer. It should not take you all that long to complete. Thank you again for agreeing to participate in our survey. Script for Focus Group for Survivors and Individuals with Disabilities: Good morning / Good afternoon. My name is [Dana or Kathleen] and I am a collaboration representative from Project SAFE. I work closely with [VIBS or UCP-Suffolk]. All the members of Project SAFE will be working closely together to make services [safer or more accessible] and more responsive for [individuals with disabilities or survivors of domestic and sexual violence]. We thank you for being here today to take part in this focus group. We genuinely appreciate your time and efforts. Your feedback and opinions are very important to us and we firmly believe it will be quite helpful to our project. I would like the opportunity to introduce my colleague, [Kathleen or Dana]. [Kathleen or Dana] is a collaboration representative from [VIBS or UCP-Suffolk] and she will be with us for the entire time this morning / afternoon. She will be the recorder and she will be taking notes on what is discussed today. The purpose of her doing this is to ensure that we capture all of your important opinions, perspectives, and ideas so that they can be included in our needs assessment findings. This information will help Project SAFE in developing our needs assessment report and in creating our initiatives for our strategic plan. So I thank [Kathleen or Dana] for joining us. To start off, I would like to present you with our token of appreciation for your time and efforts. Here is a gift card to Target. If you feel it is unsafe to take the card home with you today, we will keep it until a later date. If this option is not feasible or safe, we will make other reasonable arrangements with you. [Give out gift cards at this time] Next, I would like to provide you with a brief summary of Project SAFE and the purpose of us conducting this needs assessment. Project SAFE is a local partnership between two Suffolk County not-for-profit agencies: VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc. (UCP-Suffolk). Project SAFE was established in October 2008 as a result of VIBS receiving a federal grant from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). This grant was offered as an incentive to create systems change within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk for survivors of domestic / sexual violence and individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. Our mission is to work together to promote a safer, more accessible and more responsive service environment for women in Suffolk County who are survivors with disabilities. We will accomplish this by creating sustainable changes in our organizational cultures through: fostering collaboration sharing resources and knowledge enhancing the service delivery system implementing policy and procedures that reflect best practices of professional ethics, trust, open communication, and true understanding of the challenges and needs of survivors with disabilities. This needs assessment will help to generate new ideas and insight regarding what works, what does not work, and what we can do better in our current service delivery system within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. We plan on using this information to assist in the development of initiatives for our strategic plan, for the implementation of new services, and in modifying current policies that will offer a more responsive, more accessible, and safer service delivery system. You are one of several groups within both organizations from whom we will be collecting information. We are interested in learning from your experience in accessing services that are safe, welcoming, accommodating, and responsive. Your input will guide Project SAFE in creating a safer, more accessible, and more responsive plan for our future endeavors for organizational change within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk. We will analyze the information we gather from you and use the results to guide us in developing our strategic plan and constructing our initiatives for organizational change that will improve services for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. Our focus for this needs assessment is solely based on your experience in receiving services in different organizations in the community. We are not looking to explore or hear about your experiences regarding domestic / sexual violence but rather what service aspects are beneficial for you in receiving services. Does anyone have any questions about Project SAFE and our purpose here today? [Allow time for questions and answers] Okay, lets move on to confidentiality. Confidentiality: Participation is strictly voluntary. Most information provided to Project SAFE will be held confidential except for the disclosure of child abuse, intent to harm oneself or another, and allegations of abuse made by an adult individual who has a developmental disability and receives services through OMRDD at UCP- Suffolk. Although your personal identity will be kept confidential, the opinions and perspectives you share with Project SAFE will be utilized in a needs assessment report that will be reviewed by VIBS and UCP-Suffolk staff, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), the Office on Violence Against Women (our funder for this disability grant) and other possible stakeholders. Your name, however, will not be linked to any specific information. It is highly encouraged that you all respect each other’s confidentiality, as Project SAFE is not responsible for the actions of others, either inside or outside of the focus group process. Based on Project SAFE not being able to fully guarantee confidentiality, we encourage you all not to reveal personal information you wish not to have shared with others. Your status as a service recipient will not be affected as a result of your involvement in this needs assessment. No names or other identifying information will be used. You have each been given a sticker with a symbol on it. That symbol will represent you today in this group. In referring to or calling upon another group member, please make reference to their symbol. For instance, if you have a blue star printed on your sticker, ?blue star? will be how you will be referred to. You will not be required to sign any consent forms; your presence here today is your consent to participate. You may withdraw from participation at any time during this group. Along with me as the facilitator, [Kathleen or Dana] will be present for the duration of our time together this morning/afternoon to take notes. She will be busy writing down notes on the discussion shared in this focus group and will not otherwise participate. However, she is also a representative of Project SAFE and is bound by the same confidentiality guidelines as myself. All the notes that are taken today will be given to the Project Director of Project SAFE immediately after the focus group ends. The Project Director will secure these notes in a locked cabinet at the VIBS facility. All notes will be destroyed at the end of this grant period on September 30, 2011. Only those representatives of Project SAFE will have access to these notes in compiling the data and findings for a needs assessment report and in developing initiatives for our strategic plan. Mandatory Reporting: There are a few exceptions to the confidentiality policy here today. One is if you disclose the abuse of a child to us. Any information given to us about the abuse of a child will be reported to Child Protective Services. The second is if you disclose plans on harming yourself or others. Any information given to us about your intention to harm yourself or another person will be reported to an outside agency that can assist in this matter. The third is if you are a person with a developmental disability who is receiving services at UCP-Suffolk under the auspices of the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and you disclose an allegation of abuse to us. If you have concerns about your confidentiality rights or about the risks of mandatory reporting, you can withdraw from participation now and request an individual interview with a non-mandatory reporter from Project SAFE. Please keep in mind that this focus group is not looking for any individual experiences you may have had with abuse. Safety: Project SAFE views safety as a top priority. We want to ensure that everyone not only feels safe but is safe during this group. Participation in this focus group is strictly voluntary. We again advise you not to participate if you feel your involvement could jeopardize your safety. If you feel that the group atmosphere is an unsafe environment for you, you are free to exit the room at this point or at any point as we go along. Even though the nature of our conversation is not meant to cause uncomfortable feelings, we realize that it may happen unintentionally. A counselor is available outside of the group process for anyone who should need her for emotional support. We also have personal care assistance available in the event that it is needed. Housekeeping and group guidelines: Before we get started with the questions I plan to ask, I thought this might be a good time to briefly review our group guidelines. In keeping in sync with confidentiality, we would like everyone to refrain from using names in this process. Please refer to other group participants by the symbol appearing on their stickers. We ask that what is said in this focus group stays in this focus group. Please do not speak about anyone’s involvement in the group as that would break their confidentiality. When one person is talking, I would like for us all to refrain from interrupting or speaking over others. This will allow for an easy flow of conversation and enables everyone the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts. No one will be pressured to comment on every question but your participation is greatly encouraged and appreciated. We are eager to hear from everyone and full participation is our hope. We will be together for about an hour in a half this morning / afternoon. During this time we will not have any formal breaks so please help yourself to refreshments at your leisure. We ask that you refrain from using your cell phone during this time so as not to distract yourself or others from this important process. Please take a moment now to set your phone on message mode. And lastly, please take note of where our fire exits are in the room (point out the fire exit) and our bathrooms are located near the receptionist desk. I think that just about covers everything I need to say about group guidelines. Are there guidelines that you would like to add or any questions you might have? [Allow time for participants to provide input]. In conclusion, before we begin with the questions, I would like to remind you all that by being here today, you are agreeing to voluntarily participate in this needs assessment process. No signed consent forms are needed for this process and you are free to leave at any time during this [group or interview]. Your willingness to be here today gives me and Project SAFE your permission to record and share your feedback to staff at VIBS and UCP-Suffolk, Vera Institute of Justice (our technical assistance provider), the Office on Violence Against Women (our funder of this disability grant), and possible other stakeholders. Your identity will not be revealed and no information will be linked back to you specifically. Is this clear to everyone? I think this will conclude our introduction and now we will proceed with our questions. Tools Project SAFE Survey for Board of Directors Project SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone) is a local collaborative between two Suffolk County not-for-profit agencies, VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc. (UCP-Suffolk). This collaboration was formed in October 2008 and is funded by the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. The goal of Project SAFE is to bring about organizational change at VIBS and UCP-Suffolk in order to better assist individuals with physical and developmental disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. The purpose of our needs assessment is to collect information from our agency leadership, agency supervisors, agency staff, volunteers, survivors, and individuals with disabilities who have knowledge of and experience with both of our agencies’ current service delivery systems. We are interested in obtaining your input on how this project aligns with your organization’s mission and strategic initiatives, and on how you see your Board of Directors as being able to influence and support this project. Your feedback and input will help to guide Project SAFE in creating organizational changes that will lead to a more accessible, safe, and responsive service system for the future within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk. We would appreciate your assistance in completing the following survey. 1. The goal of Project SAFE is to bring about organizational change at VIBS and UCP-Suffolk in order to better assist individuals with physical and developmental disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. To what degree do you think this project is consistent with UCP/VIBS mission? A. Completely consistent B. Somewhat consistent C. Not consistent at all COMMENT: 2. To what degree do you think this project aligns with UCP’s/VIBS strategic goals? A. Completely aligns B. Somewhat aligns C. Does not align at all Comment: 3. To what degree would you be willing to support new initiatives at UCP/VIBS to address the intersection of domestic/sexual violence and disability? A. Definitely would B. Likely would C. Not sure D. Likely would not E. Definitely would not F. Need more information 4. In what ways would you be willing to support the work at the intersection of domestic / sexual violence and disability? 5. To what extent do you see any challenges for UCP / VIBS in addressing the intersection of domestic / sexual violence and disability? A. Significant B. Moderate C. Minimal D. None 6. What challenges, if any, would you see for UCP/VIBS in supporting the work of Project SAFE, at the intersection of domestic / sexual violence and disability? 7. Would you like to provide any additional feedback? Survey Questions for Direct Service Delivery Staff at UCP Project SAFE (Safe Access For Everyone) is a local collaborative between two Suffolk County not-for-profit agencies, VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk, Inc. (UCP-Suffolk). Your feedback and input will help to guide Project SAFE in creating organizational changes that will lead to a more accessible, safe, and responsive service system for the future within VIBS and UCP-Suffolk. We would appreciate your assistance in completing the following survey. All responses will be anonymous. 1. How do you find out if an individual with a disability to whom you are providing services has experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? (Please select all that apply) A. Ask at intake. B. Ask at an individual service meeting. C. Ask when it is suspected that someone might have been abused. D. Wait until they tell. E. Don’t Know F. Other (Please list): 2. Please indicate how helpful each of the policies listed below are, if they exist, in guiding your response to individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. A. Confidentiality Policy very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful doesn’t exist B. Incident Reporting Policy very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful doesn’t exist C. Personal Safety Policy very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful doesn’t exist D. Intake / Assessment Policy very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful doesn’t exist E. Reporting Abuse to Immediate Supervisor Policy very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful doesn’t exist F. Reasonable Accommodations Policy very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful doesn’t exist G. Zero Tolerance for Abuse Policy very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful doesn’t exist H. Other Policies (please list and indicate level of helpfulness): very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful very helpful somewhat helpful not helpful 3. From the list below, please select the top three barriers at UCP- Suffolk that you believe might make it difficult for individuals with disabilities who experience domestic and/or sexual violence to DISCLOSE the abuse to agency staff. A. Staff lacks adequate knowledge on domestic / sexual violence B. Staff is uncomfortable in addressing domestic /sexual violence C. Staff does not ask direct questions about domestic / sexual violence D. Staff may not be able to fully protect confidentiality in the incident reporting process E. Staff lacks awareness of safety planning measures for individuals who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence F. There are no barriers to disclosure at UCP-Suffolk G. Other (please list): 4. From the list below, please select the top three barriers at UCP- Suffolk that you believe might make it difficult for STAFF TO ASSIST individuals with disabilities who experience domestic and/or sexual violence to safely access appropriate support services. A. Agency does not provide enough training to staff on domestic / sexual violence B. Agency lacks adequate policies on domestic /sexual violence C. Agency lacks specific procedures on how to assist when someone discloses domestic / sexual violence D. Staff may be confused about confidentiality as it applies to domestic / sexual violence E. Agency does not provide adequate resources to staff to help them assist individuals who disclose domestic / sexual violence F. Other (please list): 5. From the list below, please select the top three ways UCP-Suffolk can better respond to individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence. A. Improved policies and procedures regarding domestic and sexual violence B. Provide more staff training on domestic and sexual violence C. Improve staff awareness of resources in the community on domestic and sexual violence D. Building partnerships with domestic / sexual violence service providers E. Provide more supportive supervision to enable staff to become more comfortable in addressing domestic and sexual violence F. Other (please list): 6. From the list below, please select the top three things that domestic and sexual violence agencies should know / do about assisting individuals with disabilities. A. Accessibility and accommodations B. Person first language should be utilized throughout agency and with staff C. Training on disabilities should be offered to all staff D. Have an understanding of the use of alternative means of communication, including sign language E. Knowledge of how to work with people with various degrees of cognitive challenges F. Employ qualified people with disabilities G. Include people with disabilities in brochures, written literature, and posters H. Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act I. Other (please list): Questions for Leadership (Interview) 1. What does your organization do well to support staff in their efforts to assist individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? VIBS: What policies exist in your agency to support your staff in providing accommodations? UCP: What policies exist in your agency to support your staff in addressing domestic / sexual violence]? a. Which of these policies work well for staff? b. Which of these policies do not work well for staff? VIBS: What resources exist in your agency to support staff in providing accommodations UCP: What resources exist in your agency to support staff in encouraging /addressing disclosures?. VIBS: What relationships does your agency have with other disability organizations that support your staff in providing accommodations? a. With who? b. How are they beneficial? UCP: What relationships does your agency have with other domestic / sexual violence organizations that support your staff in addressing domestic / sexual violence? a. With who? b. How are they beneficial? 2. What challenges exist at your organization in supporting staff in their efforts to assist individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? What policies and procedures present obstacles? How might these obstacles be resolved? What resources are lacking? a. Financial? b. Training? c. Staffing? d. Other? 3. What could your organization do better to support staff in their efforts to assist individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? What new policies or policy modifications would help? UCP-Suffolk: What types of training should be available to better support the staff in responding to disclosures of domestic and/sexual violence? * If so, how often and for whom? VIBS: What types of training should be available to better support the staff in providing accommodations? * If so, how often and for whom? UCP-Suffolk: What resources should be available to better support the staff in responding to disclosures of domestic / sexual violence? VIBS: What resources should be available to better support the staff in providing accommodations? UCP-Suffolk: What relationships would you establish to support your staff in responding to disclosures of domestic / sexual violence? a. With whom and why? VIBS: What relationships would you establish to support your staff in providing accommodations? a. With whom and why? 4. What opportunities for change do you see within your organization through this collaboration? What changes might occur regarding policies and procedures? What opportunities might emerge? a. What are the financial opportunities? b. What are the resource opportunities? What challenges do you foresee? 5. How does organizational change occur at UCP / VIBS? What is the process? What is the decision-making hierarchy? What motivates change? How are modifications made in the budget to enable change? 6. Does your organizational culture recognize the issue of domestic and sexual violence against individuals with disabilities? If yes, in what ways? Is your organizational culture receptive to making changes that would better support staff in providing more accessible, safe, and responsive services for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? a. In what ways? What would the ideal organizational culture be like in helping staff identify and respond to disclosures? a. What would the organizational attitudes be like? b. What would the organizational values be like? 7. To what degree do you see this collaboration, Project SAFE, as consistent with your current mission and strategic goals / initiatives? In what ways is it consistent? a. Where, if any, are the inconsistencies? b. How could these inconsistencies be addressed? 8. What relationships exist between [UCP and any other local domestic/sexual violence agencies or VIBS and any other local disability agencies]? What are these other agencies? What is the nature of the relationships? a. What makes these relationships effective? b. How are these relationships different from collaborations? c. How can these relationships be improved? 9. Is there anything else you would like to comment on regarding Project SAFE? Questions for Supervisors (Focus Group) 1. What does your organization do well to support you in supervising staff in their efforts to assist individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? VIBS: What are the current policies and procedures regarding providing accommodations? UCP-Suffolk: What are the current policies and procedures in addressing domestic / sexual violence? a. Which of these policies work well for staff? b. Which of these policies do not work well for staff? VIBS: What resources are available at your agency to support staff in providing accommodations? UCP-Suffolk: What resources are available at your agency to support staff in encouraging /addressing disclosures? VIBS: What training opportunities are available at your agency to support staff in providing accommodations? * How often are they provided? * What staff attends these trainings? * Who provides these trainings? * Internal trainings versus external training? UCP-Suffolk: What training opportunities are available at your agency to support staff in addressing domestic / sexual violence? * How often are they provided? * What staff attends these trainings? * Who provides these trainings? * Internal trainings versus external training? What type of supervision is available to staff who are responding to individuals with disabilities who disclose domestic and/or sexual violence? 2. What obstacles exist at your organization in supporting your staff in [VIBS: providing accommodations or UCP: responding to domestic and/or sexual violence issues]? Does one type of [UCP: disability or VIBS: incident of domestic / sexual violence] pose more of a challenge than others? a. Which ones? b. Why? UCP-Suffolk: Does the relationship between the individual with a disability and the abuser increase the challenge in supporting staff? a. Which relationships are the most challenging? b. In what ways? VIBS: Do the family circumstances of the survivor increase the challenge in supporting staff? a. Which circumstances are the most challenging? * What is the impact when children are involved? * What is the impact of financial circumstances? * What is the impact if the abuser is the caregiver? * What is the impact of the survivor’s living arrangements? 3. Are there barriers at your organization that prevent or discourage disclosures by [VIBS: survivors regarding their disabilities or UCP: individuals with disabilities regarding domestic / sexual violence]? At the organizational level? a. How does the culture of your agency interfere with discouraging disclosures by individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and sexual violence? b. Are the policies and procedures prohibitive in any way? *What is the impact of current procedures on confidentiality? * UCP-Suffolk: What is in place to address safety risks and concerns? * VIBS: What is in place to address reasonable accommodations? At the staff level? a. Is training inadequate? b. Are knowledge and resources inadequate? c. UCP-Suffolk: Is there reluctance on the part of staff to inquire about and respond to disclosures of domestic and/or sexual violence? d. VIBS: Is there reluctance on the part of staff to inquire about accommodations for disabilities? 4. What could your organization do better to support staff in their efforts to assist individuals who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? What new policies or policy modifications would help? UCP-Suffolk: What training should be available to better support the staff in responding to disclosures of domestic and/sexual violence? * If so, how often and for whom? VIBS: What training should be available to better support the staff in responding to disclosures of disabilities and in providing the necessary accommodations? * If so, how often and for whom? UCP-Suffolk: What resources should be available to better support the staff in responding to disclosures of domestic and/sexual violence? VIBS: What resources should be available to better support the staff in responding to disclosures of disabilities and providing the necessary accommodations? Would you establish additional relationships around this issue? a. With whom and why? 5. How can supervisors influence organizational change to enhance services for survivors with disabilities? What tools are available to you for change? a. What resources are available? b. What training is available? c. How do program or service outcomes influence change? How do supervisors directly influence change? What motivates change at your agency? Who initiates it? 6. Does your organizational culture* recognize the issue of domestic and sexual violence against individuals with disabilities? If yes, in what ways? Is your organizational culture receptive to making changes that would better support staff in providing more accessible, safe, and responsive services for individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? a. In what ways? UCP-Suffolk: What would the ideal organizational culture be like in helping staff identify and respond to disclosures of domestic and/or sexual violence? a. What would the organizational attitudes be like? b. What would the organizational values be like? VIBS: What would the ideal organizational culture be like in helping staff identify and respond to disclosures of disability and provide accommodations? a. What would the organizational attitudes be like? b. What would the organizational values be like? *Organizational Culture: The attitudes and values within the organization as a whole regarding work environment / conditions, services provided, and individuals who receive services. 7. What relationships exist between [UCP and any other local domestic/sexual violence agencies OR VIBS and any other local disability agencies? What are these other agencies? What is the nature of these relationships? a. What makes these relationships effective? b. How are these relationships different from collaborations? c. How can these relationships be improved? 8. Is there anything else you would like to comment on regarding Project SAFE? Questions for Direct Service Delivery Staff (Focus Groups) 1. Think about a time when you suspected you might be working with [VIBS: a survivor with a disability or UCP-Suffolk: an individual with disabilities who was experiencing domestic and/or sexual violence]. What skills has your agency given you to help you make that identification? How did you know what to do? a. Did you attend special training? b. Did your supervisor inform you of what to do and support you in doing it ? UCP-Suffolk: What avenues exist at your agency to explore the possibility of an individual with a physical and/or developmental disability experiencing domestic and/or sexual violence? a. Does your agency encourage you to ask directly upon suspicion? b. Is direct inquiry made at intake? c. Is inquiry made at other meetings / sessions? d. Do you wait until the person discloses to you? VIBS: What avenues exist at your agency to explore the possibility that a survivor may have a physical and/or developmental disability and may need accommodations? a. Does your agency encourage you to ask directly upon suspicion? b. Is direct inquiry made at intake or on hotline call? c. Is inquiry made at other meetings / sessions? d. Do you wait until the person discloses to you? 2. What policies and procedures does your organization have, if any, to help guide you in responding to [VIBS: survivors with disabilities or UCP-Suffolk: individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic/sexual violence]? UCP-Suffolk: Which policies and procedures help you to respond to individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? a. How did you learn about these policies / procedures? b. How often do you receive updates on policies / procedures? VIBS: Which policies and procedures help you to respond to survivors with disabilities? a. How did you learn about these policies / procedures? b. How often do you receive updates on policies / procedures? Which policies and procedures do not help you in responding to survivors with disabilities? a. Why are they not helpful? 3. What conditions exist at your agency that encourage disclosures by [VIBS: survivors regarding their disabilities or UCP: individuals with disabilities regarding domestic / sexual violence]? UCP-Suffolk: How does the agency communicate its willingness to receive disclosures of domestic and/or sexual violence by individuals with disabilities? a. What policies and procedures exist that encourage disclosures? b. What safety and confidentiality measures exist that encourage disclosures? VIBS: How does the agency communicate its willingness to receive disclosures disability and requests for accommodations? a. What policies and procedures exist that encourage disclosures? b. What safety and confidentiality measures exist that encourage disclosures? 4. What barriers exist at your agency which discourages disclosures by [VIBS: survivors regarding their disabilities and accommodations or UCP: individuals with disabilities regarding domestic / sexual violence? What are the policies and procedures that hinder disclosures? a. Confidentiality and reporting requirements? b. UCP-Suffolk: How are safety concerns addressed? / VIBS: How are accommodations provided? UCP-Suffolk: What, if any, are the attitudinal barriers about domestic and sexual violence? VIBS: What, if any, are the attitudinal barriers about disabilities? 5. What barriers exist at your agency that makes it difficult for direct service delivery staff to provide safe and accessible support services to [VIBS: survivors with disabilities or UCP: individuals with disabilities who experience domestic / sexual violence]? What barriers exist in resources? What barriers exist in training? a. Awareness / knowledge building? VIBS: What architectural barriers exist? What communication barriers exist? What attitudinal barriers exist? UCP-Suffolk: What safety risks exist at your organization in providing services to individuals with disabilities who disclose domestic and/or sexual violence? What attitudinal barriers exist? What barriers exist in building partnerships with other agencies? a. Lack of knowledge and awareness? Are there any other barriers? 6. What can your agency do better in responding to [VIBS: survivors with disabilities or UCP-Suffolk: individuals with disabilities who have experienced domestic/sexual violence? What new or modified policies and procedures would be helpful? What new opportunities might be available in the areas of: a. Training b. Resources c. Awareness / knowledge building d. Building partnerships 7. What do you think is important for [VIBS to know about assisting survivors with disabilities AND UCP-Suffolk to know about assisting individuals who have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence? What should VIBS know about disabilities in general and about accessibility / accommodations? What should UCP-Suffolk know about domestic and sexual violence in general and about safety concerns / risks? What is most helpful for VIBS / UCP-Suffolk to know? What is the least helpful for VIBS/UCP-Suffolk to know? 8. Is there anything else you would like to comment on regarding this topic? Questions for Volunteers at VIBS 1. Think about a time when you suspected you might be working with a survivor with a disability. What skills has your agency given you to help you make that identification? How did you know what to do? a. Did you attend special training? b. Did your supervisor inform you of what to do and support you in doing it? What avenues exist at your agency to explore the possibility that a survivor may have a physical and/or developmental disability and may need accommodations? a. Direct inquiry during initial contact? b. Does VIBS encourage you to ask directly upon suspicion? c. Do you wait until the person discloses to you? 2 What policies and procedures does VIBS have, if any, to help guide you in responding to survivors with disabilities? Which ones help you to respond to survivors with disabilities? How did you learn about these policies / procedures? a. How often do you receive updates on policies / procedures? What doesn’t help you in responding to survivors with disabilities? 3. What conditions exist at VIBS that encourage disclosures by survivors regarding their disabilities? How does VIBS communicate its willingness to receive disclosures of disabilities and requests for accommodations? a. What policies and procedures exist that encourage disclosures? b. What safety and confidentiality measures exist that encourage disclosures? 4. What barriers exist at VIBS which discourage disclosures by survivors regarding their disabilities? What are the policies and procedures that hinder disclosures? b. Confidentiality and reporting requirements? c. Do policies provide for accommodations? What, if any, are the attitudinal barriers about disabilities? 5. What barriers exist at VIBS that make it difficult for volunteers to provide accessible support services to survivors with disabilities? What barriers exist in resources? What barriers exit in training? a. Awareness / knowledge building? What architectural barriers exist? What communication barriers exist? What attitudinal barriers exist? What barriers exist in building partnerships with other agencies? a. Lack of knowledge and awareness? Are there any other barriers? 6. What can VIBS do better in responding to survivors with disabilities? What new or modified policies and procedures would be helpful? What new opportunities would be available in the areas of: a. Training b. Resources c. Awareness / knowledge building d. Building partnerships 7. What do you think is important for disability organizations to know about assisting survivors of domestic / sexual violence with disabilities? What should disability organizations to know about domestic / sexual violence in general? What should disability organizations to know about safety risks and concerns? What is most helpful for disability organizations to know? What is the least helpful for disability organizations to know? 8. Is there anything else you would like to comment on regarding this topic? Questions for Individuals with Physical and/or Developmental Disabilities 1. How do you get information from service providers about services you may need? Who do you go to? Where do you look for this information? 2. Think about a time when you went somewhere in the community for services and you felt welcome? What made this experience good? What about the place made you feel welcome? How was the building? What did the staff do/not do? Explain how the atmosphere was? 3. Think about a time when you went somewhere in the community for services and you did not feel welcome. What made this experience bad? What about the place made you feel unwelcome? How was the building? What did the staff do/not do? Explain how the atmosphere was? 4. When you go somewhere in the community for services and someone really understands you and your disability, what is that like? What happens? How do you know they understand you? How do you know they understand your disability? What did you like about what the person did to help? 5. When you go somewhere in the community for services and people don’t understand you and your disability, what is that like? What happens? How do you know they do not understand you? How do you know they don’t understand your disability? What didn’t you like about what the person did to help? 6. What suggestions do you have for making things better for people with disabilities when they go somewhere in the community for services? Questions for Survivors of Domestic / Sexual Violence and Sexual Violence 1. How do you get information from service providers about services you may need? Who do you go to? Where do you look for this information? 2. Think about a time when you went somewhere in the community for services and you felt safe. What made this experience feels safe? What about the place made you feel safe? What did the staff do/not do? How was confidentiality addressed? How was privacy addressed? What about the atmosphere made you feel safe? What kind of material was available? 3. Think abut a time when you went somewhere in the community for services and you did not feel safe? What made this experience feel unsafe? What about the place made you feel unsafe? What did the staff do/not do? What about the atmosphere made you feel unsafe? 4. What makes you decide to tell someone that you have/are experiencing domestic / sexual violence? What do they do to make you feel comfortable? What do they do to make you trust them? 5. What makes you decide not to tell someone you are experiencing domestic/sexual violence? What do they do to make you feel not comfortable? What do they do to make you not trust them? 6. What suggestions do you have for making things better for survivors when they go somewhere in the community for services? Resource List Battered Women Shelters Brighter Tomorrows: ……………………………………………….395 – 1800 Support Services Adelante of Suffolk County Hispanic Services …………………434 - 3481 American Red Cross …………………………………………………924 - 6700 Catholics Charities ………………………………………………….. Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped...516 – 564 - 4311 Deaf-Blind Services Association in Suffolk County BOCES….289 - 2381 Family Service League ………………………………………………427 – 3700 HANDS (Handicapped Adults New Direction’s in Suffolk)…..928 - 2977 J.E.E.P. (Joint Emergency Evacuation Program for Persons with Special Needs in Suffolk County)…………………….852 - 4900 Mental Health Association in Suffolk County ………………….226 - 3900 Multiple Sclerosis Society …………………………………………..864– 8337 Muscular Dystrophy Association, Inc. …………………………...582 -7761 Resource and Service Centers on Deafness …………..TTY/V 789 - 5219 S.I.L.O (Suffolk Independent Living Organization) ……………880 - 7929 Social Security Administration ………………………..1 – 800 – 772 - 1213 Suffolk County Dept. of Social Services …………………………854 - 9930 Social Services Emergency Housing…………...854 - 9996 Social Services Emergency Housing after 4:30…854 – 8700 Suffolk County Office of Handicapped Services ………………853 - 8338 Suffolk County Office for Women’s Services …………………..853 - 8285 Office of Handicapped Services ………………………………….853 - 8337 Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Nassau and Suffolk Counties..493 –1700 Community Services …………434 - 6100 UCP-Suffolk Assistive Technology Center ………………………439 - 4315 UCP (United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Suffolk)...232 - 0100 United Spinal Cord Association……………………….1 – 800 – 404 - 2898 VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center ………………….360 - 3730 VIBS - HALT (Batterer’s Intervention Program) ………………...360 - 2270 Hotlines Brighter Tomorrows (Domestic Violence Services)…………….395 - 1800 NYS Office of the Aging Senior Citizens Help Line…….800 – 342 - 9871 RAINN (National Sexual Assault Hotline)………………..800 – 656 – 4673 Response ……………………………………………………………….751 - 7500 Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence..............666 - 8833 The Retreat (Domestic Violence Services)………………………329 – 2200 VIBS Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center ………………….360 - 3606 Women’s Services Helpline …………………………………………853 - 8258 Legal Services Child Support Enforcement ………………………………..888 – 208 - 4485 Cohalan Court Complex in Central Islip ………………..............853 - 5368 Crime Victims Board ………………………………...............800 – 247 - 8035 FOCUS (Children’s Rights and Custody Advocacy Center) ….853 - 4363 Nassau Suffolk Law Services ………………………………………232 - 2400 Police Department Domestic Violence Unit ……………………854 – 7520 Police Headquarters …………………………………………………852 – 6000 Probation Central Islip ……………………………………..............853 – 4024 Probation Riverhead …………………………………………………852 –1939 Suffolk County Bar Association …………………………...............234 -5577 Mandatory Reporting Phone Numbers APS (Adult Protective Services) ……………………………………854 –3395 CPS (Child Protective Services) …………………………….800 – 635 –1522 OMRDD (Office on Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities) ………………………………....866 – 946 – 9733 ………………………… (TYY) 866 – 933 - 4889