Wisconsin’s Violence Against Women with Disabilities & Deaf Women Project STRATEGIC PLAN July 2008 Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV) Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA) Acknowledgements Throughout the 18-month planning phase, thoughtful and responsive involvement was consistently provided by: * Disability Rights Wisconsin: o Dianne Greenley, Supervising Attorney; o Jodi Hanna, Supervising Attorney; o Amy Judy, Project Coordinator; o Joan Karan, Project Director & Assistant Director; o Karen Lane, Advocacy Specialist; and o Mark Sweet, Trainer & Consultant. * Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault: o Tiffany Lodholz, Disabilities, Aging and Rural Program Coordinator; o Armintie Moore-Hammonds, Associate Director; and o Linda Morrison, Executive Director. * Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence: o C.J. Doxtater, Aging & Disability Specialist; o Patti Seger, Executive Director; and o Diane Wolff, Director of Member Services. Special thanks: * Sandra Harrell, Associate Director, and Nancy Smith, Director, Accessing Safety Initiative, Vera Institute of Justice for their skillful facilitation of our strategic planning process. * Amy Loder, Program Specialist, Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice for her continued support and direction in achieving systems change in Wisconsin for victims/survivors with disabilities and Deaf victims/survivors. Dedication: This Strategic Plan is dedicated in gratitude to the individuals with disabilities and their allies in Ashland, Bayfield and Brown Counties, Deaf Unity, UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Sovereign Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. This Project was supported by Grant No. 2006-FW-AX-K003 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. STRATEGIC PLAN Wisconsin’s Violence Against Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women Project Collaboration Overview Wisconsin’s collaborative strategic plan involves the three original Project partner organizations: * Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) * Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV) and * Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA). As a long-standing collaborative, our vision throughout this strategic planning process guides our work. Our vision is: Women with disabilities and deaf/Deaf women who experience sexual assault and/or domestic violence will be supported by people who have actively prepared for access and who think about the meaning of respect one woman at a time. As you read through this document, it will become clear that the initiatives selected and operating principles devised to carry out these initiatives deliberately have been framed by and directed toward achieving this vision. Overview of Planning Phases For the last 18 months, the OVW Disabilities Grant provided a unique opportunity to implement a planning process to focus our collaborative energies for systems change in selected Wisconsin communities. This planning process involved four phases: Phase I: developing and implementing a charter reflecting our collaborative’s vision, operation and values; Phase II: devising and executing a targeted needs assessment to gauge interest in and capacity for systems change to address the situations and needs of people with disabilities and Deaf who have experienced or currently are experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; Phase III: analyzing data from the needs assessment to narrow our focus substantively and geographically to have a feasible and sustainable project; and, Phase IV: organizing findings to embark on the development of a road map (strategic plan) by which our collaborative will plot a course of strategies and activities for systems change work in our selected communities during the implementation phase and beyond. Each planning phase sets the stage for the next so that the current phase reflected in this document, the strategic planning phase, is derived directly from the collaboration charter and needs assessment. Phases II and III, which focused on the development of, implementation of, and findings from our needs assessment frame the geographical, cultural and substantive foundation upon which this strategic plan is built. Therefore, understanding the needs assessment and its key findings is the starting point for the implementation road map. Through the development and implementation of our needs assessment, we sought to expand our knowledge about the interest in, enthusiasm for and identification of the service and knowledge gaps in and among geographical, cultural and service delivery systems and communities. We sought to ascertain community and cultural strengths, skills, accessibility barriers and resources from diverse cross-disability, domestic violence (DV), sexual assault (SA), Deaf organizations, communities of color and individuals in five selected Wisconsin communities. The objectives we sought to realize from the needs assessment process involved six areas: 1. Identify the strengths and apprehensions of domestic violence and sexual assault advocates and programs; 2. Explore the breadth of strengths and barriers to access experienced by victims/survivors with disabilities and Deaf/deaf victims/survivors; 3. Gauge the strengths and apprehensions that disability service and advocacy organizations experience; 4. Harvest the tangible and intangible dynamics that contribute to the success of community-based, multi-disciplinary efforts; 5. Identify the unique strengths and barriers that victims/survivors with disabilities and Deaf/deaf victims/survivors from communities of color experience; and 6. Determine how best to serve as authentic allies and promote relationship building with UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence and Deaf Unity. The implications from the needs assessment findings summarized below help illustrate what we discovered about these six information areas. Brief Summary of Implications from Needs Assessment Findings Needs Assessment Plan Implementation: Overview The needs assessment was conducted in five selected communities in February, March and April 2008. The information gathered and analyzed from this needs assessment provided the basis for the Collaborative’s final selection of the two geographical pilot sites in which to focus during the implementation phase: Brown County and the Ashland/Bayfield area. Described below is a summary of the overall implications gleaned from the relevant needs assessment findings. Assessment Implications for Individuals o There are disparate perceptions of power and control that exist in the relationships between those providing services and those receiving services. o The impact of stigma related to having a disability or being a victim/survivor is significant. o Individual life circumstances (poverty, unemployment, affordable housing) impact organizational and systems responses to violence in the lives of people with disabilities. Assessment Implications for Organizations o Additional time is needed and a more measured pace is required to effectively support a victim/survivor with a disability or a Deaf victim/survivor. o Implementation of a trauma-informed framework within organizations (disability and anti-violence alike) could systemically change how those individual organizations respond to consumers/victims/survivors and positively influence the service experiences of consumers/victims/ survivors. o Physical, programmatic and attitudinal accessibility issues remain significant barriers for Deaf and individuals with disabilities in accessing and receiving effective and appropriate services and support. o Enhanced skill building & the capacity to effectively serve women/victims/survivors with any form of disability and Deaf is needed and wanted. Assessment Implications for Systems o Relationship building among tribal and non-tribal disability-related and anti-violence programs means having an ongoing presence and mutual respect in building relationships. o There is a need to develop and sustain a meaningful understanding of and support for Deaf-run services for Deaf victims. o It is imperative to recognize that many culturally-specific populations remain underserved (e.g., Latina and Native American victims/survivors with disabilities) among mainstream human services and anti-violence systems. o The organization-to-organization and system-to-system coordination opportunities that already exist within communities could be strengthened and deepened through efforts to move from service coordination to meaningful collaboration. o There is a need to change service delivery models to diminish the impact that victims/survivors/consumers experience when services are compartmentalized. Assessment Implications for Learning Areas Overall Combined, all of the above-referenced individual, organizational and systemic implications offer eight overarching “learning areas” to infuse throughout the Project’s implementation phase. (These learning areas are listed randomly and not in order of importance.) 1. The ways in which the systems and agencies work within and between Ashland and Bayfield Counties; two contiguous, rural communities in northern Wisconsin whose major population center, Ashland, straddles the two counties. 2. The historic separation that exists between tribal and non-tribal governments, programs and services. 3. The interest among domestic violence and sexual assault programs to enhance their accessibility through modifications to policies, procedures and physical space. 4. The desire among domestic violence and sexual assault programs to better understand and more effectively serve individuals with mental health, substance abuse and intellectual/developmental issues. 5. The detrimental effects experienced by victims/survivors with disabilities and Deaf victims/survivors when varied services and support are compartmentalized. 6. The necessity for disability services and advocacy organizations to better understand abuse and trauma, and integrate this understanding into their day-to-day work with Deaf and people with disabilities. 7. The paramount importance of Deaf victims/survivors and victims/survivors with disabilities having a greater voice that is listened and responded to within and among organizations and systems affecting them. 8. The opportunities for building relationships among and between culturally specific organizations (e.g., UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence and Deaf Unity) and mainstream domestic violence, sexual assault, human services and consumer-run organizations. Review and consideration of these overarching implications and the key findings relative to each pilot community directed our site-specific approach to strategic planning. Each of our pilot communities requires tailored strategies to build upon the strengths and challenges of each community to foster systems change with and for victims/survivors with disabilities and Deaf victims/survivors. Therefore, the initiatives and activities we intend to undertake throughout the remainder of this grant period detail site-specific strategies for each pilot community: Ashland/Bayfield area, Brown County, Deaf Unity and UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence. Statement of Key Short-Term Initiatives Criteria/Guiding Principles for Selecting Initiatives With the assistance and facilitation of the Accessing Safety Initiative staff from the Vera Institute of Justice, Wisconsin’s collaborative first defined criteria to guide our strategic planning. Taking into account our needs assessment findings, grant timeframes, resources, and vision, we identified the following guiding principles for devising our strategic plan: * Consumers/survivors voices should drive our efforts. * Initiatives should be doable: o Should match resources available including money, staff time, etc.; o Should be feasible given our time frame; and o Feasibility of initiatives will be determined in collaboration with pilot communities, UNIDOS, and Deaf Unity. * Changes that we foster must be sustainable and steps toward sustainability will be developed. * Initiatives will meet the needs of service providers, allowing them to provide safe, accessible, and responsive services to their client base: o Better relationships with survivors; o Inform a better “pace” for the client-provider relationship; o Individualized services tailored to clients’ needs, wants, and priorities; and o Tailored measures of success. * Initiatives will address mental health issues that have been raised in the needs assessment, but not to the exclusion of other issues. * Initiatives will ensure that the Red Cliff and Bad River Tribal communities in Ashland/Bayfield will drive these efforts. * Initiatives will deliberately engage communities of color from the beginning. * Initiatives will deliberately engage Deaf from the beginning in Brown County. * Initiatives must account for state-level changes to disability service delivery. * Initiatives will foster changes at individual, organizational, and systems levels, thereby impacting the larger community. * There will be a variety of initiatives, balancing change at various levels. Feasibility Consideration Feasibility is one of the most important considerations we considered in devising our initiatives. Our goal is to ensure that the initiatives we undertake throughout the implementation phase are realistic and practicable. A key feature of feasibility during this implementation phase involves geography: please note the locations of the pilot communities in the image below. The star represents Madison, the location of all three primary partner organizations. The geographical expanse of the Ashland/Bayfield area1 and Brown County2 pilot communities impacts directly the initiatives and accompanying activities we plan to undertake. Our approach relies heavily on face-to-face and consistent on-site presence in these communities. The pilot community locations will require substantial travel to ensure a consistent, ongoing presence. Summary of Short-Term Initiatives The following four charts are designed to illustrate how each initiative links directly to the implications from our needs assessment findings from that respective community. A more detailed pilot-by-pilot action plan follows these summary charts. Summary Chart: Ashland /Bayfield Area Implications from Needs Assessment Key Findings Implementation Initiatives For Individuals: * Stated power imbalance between individuals receiving services and those providing services * Life circumstances affect access to needed services Initiative 1: Foster informal & formal organizational relationships among organizations & groups while simultaneously integrating knowledge of & capacity to respond to issues of disability, trauma, violence, abuse & safety Initiative 2: Increase consumer/ victim/survivor access to services & support that defines success through reframing perspectives of & about people with disabilities & Deaf For Organizations: * Relationships among organizations vary in strength & depth depending on the individuals involved * Agency understanding and implementation of trauma-informed services varies * Organizations learning about & employing a cultural context For Systems: * Relationships between tribal & non-tribal systems are minimal * Informal relationships among domestic violence/sexual assault & disability-related organizations could be enhanced Summary Chart: Brown County Implications from Needs Assessment Key Findings Implementation Initiatives For Individuals: * Opportunities for people with disabilities & Deaf to learn about & be involved in responding to violence of their peers and within the broader community * Individual relationships provide a firm foundation for building connections among a broader spectrum of people with disabilities & service agencies that support them Initiative 1: Ensure consumer/survivor involvement and diversify existing multi-disciplinary collaborative in terms of ethnicity, race & disability, and encourage & support the development of sustainable and diverse collaborations Initiative 2: Increase accessibility among domestic violence, sexual assault and disability-related organizations involved in the multi-disciplinary collaborative For Organizations: * Relationships among organizations vary in strength & depth depending on the individuals involved * Trauma-informed services vary among disability-related agencies & victims with disabilities & Deaf victims could benefit from guided instruction to modify organizational approaches accordingly * Organizations learn about & employ a cultural context in their work For Systems: * Relations between tribal & non-tribal systems are minimal * Multi-disciplinary team’s membership & activities could be enhanced by a focus on diversity of cultures & disabilities * A need to consider co-advocacy models that integrate systemic responses & diminish individual compartmentalization of needs Summary Chart: Deaf Unity Implications from Needs Assessment Key Findings Implementation Initiative Relationships between Deaf & hearing * Hearing agencies & staff must learn about Deaf culture & experiences * Face-to-face contact better than email or other; it involves building relationships * Stated commitment & ongoing presence matters Initiative: Explore and undertake mutually beneficial steps to become a meaningful ally to Deaf Unity Deaf community education * Community needs to learn basics about domestic violence & sexual assault * Hearing agencies & staff should team up with Deaf to provide mutually beneficial training & co-advocacy General community education * First responders (police, doctors) have to learn not to defer to hearing * Announce & promote the existence of Deaf Unity & Deaf advocates as resources * Hearing attend Deaf events Summary Chart: UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence Implications from Needs Assessment Key Findings Implementation Initiative Access * Knowledge about physical, attitudinal & programmatic access * Interest in learning what additional questions to ask women with disabilities * Belief that women with disabilities are even more hidden within the Latino community * Broader community & service providers need to understand differences among groups that make up the Latino populations in Wisconsin Initiative: Explore and undertake mutually beneficial steps to become a meaningful ally to UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence People with mental illness * Stigma & need to learn the stigmas that women are coming with when accessing services (e.g., mental health, PTSD, etc.) Deaf * Interest in learning how to provide more effective communication to Deaf Latina women In-Depth Review: Pilot Communities and Short-Term Initiatives The next several pages detail the short-term initiatives that will be implemented throughout the remainder of this grant Project. The time period in which these activities will be implemented extends from September 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Longer-term initiatives (October 2009 through 2012) are outlined on pages 31-32 of this plan. The in-depth review of the short-term initiatives begins with an overarching initiative that applies to all four pilot communities: Consumer/Victim/Survivor inclusion. Following this overarching initiative, the in-depth review is organized pilot community by pilot community. For each pilot community, the detailed strategic plan describes the initiative that will be undertaken, the principles our Project intends to operate by as it implements the initiative, the work plan to put the plan into action and the outcomes we anticipate that will promote a longer-term impact. Therefore, the in-depth pilot by pilot review for each initiative contains five elements: 1. Description (narrative basis for implementing the initiative), 2. Initiative (succinct statement of action focus), 3. Operating Principles (considerations to keep in mind as we implement the initiatives), 4. Key Tasks (work plan chart of primary actions, timelines, lead responsibilities and ongoing outcome measures devised to achieve the initiatives), and 5. Outcomes to Foster Sustainability (strategies that promote longer-term impact and change). Overarching Initiative: Consumer/Victim/Survivor Inclusion Description: Our collaborative recognized that consumer/victim/survivor inclusion is an important concept that will inform our work in all pilot communities. We have learned and believe that having consumers/victims/survivors “at the table” changes the dynamics of group interaction, conversation, understanding, and relationships in positive ways. As a result of its importance, we have highlighted consumer/victim/survivor inclusion as a separate, overarching initiative that will be implemented concurrently with all other initiatives and is applicable to all planning and action we undertake throughout the remainder of this Project. Initiative: Model, encourage and support the inclusion of individuals with disabilities and Deaf in all initiatives undertaken throughout the grant-funded implementation phase of this Project.3 Operating Principles: * Inclusion of individuals with disabilities and Deaf directly into the planning and building of systems change efforts benefits both those receiving and those providing services. * Acknowledgement that meaningful inclusion of consumers/victims/survivors in pilot site and Project implementation involves relationships– not just representation (i.e., tokenism). * Involvement of consumers/victims/survivors in key tasks undertaken in each pilot community. Key Tasks: All Pilot Communities: August 1, 2008 – September 30, 2009 INITIATIVE: Model, encourage and support the inclusion of individuals with disabilities and Deaf in all initiatives undertaken throughout the grant-funded implementation phase of this Project Key Task Lead Responsibility Start Date-End Date Outcome Measure Within each pilot community recruit & orient C/V/S4 who participated in needs assessment activities and demonstrated an interest in working collaboratively within their community All Project Partners 09/08 – 11/08 List of interested persons with initial group meeting date Contact consumer-run organizations & disability-related organizations for suggested recruits for involvement All Project Partners & C/V/S contacts 09/08 – 11/08 List of interested persons with initial group meeting date Convene an orientation meeting to initiate relationship building among C/V/S and Project staff: * Review assessment findings; * Discuss project purpose, status & strategic plan; * Conduct an “interest inventory” to ensure a mutually beneficial match between each C/V/S & an activity/issue; * Identify strengths, needs & barriers C/V/S anticipate bringing to this effort All Project Partners & C/V/S stakeholders 12/08-01/09 Document C/V/S feedback and action interest; possibly identify actions they would undertake on their own As initiatives unfold, ensure meetings/activities are accessible to C/V/S in location, time of day, transportation, communication and materials Project staff, community-based organizations & activity stakeholders 09/08-09/09 Document locations & access considerations identified in each pilot community Provide meaningful remuneration for C/V/S involvement Disability Rights Wisconsin 12/08-09/09 Written agreement letter, subcontract or stipend document Devise guidelines for pilot site meetings, including ground rules, facilitation expectations, follow-up & mentoring support (where applicable) for C/V/S Project staff in partnership with C/V/S 12/08-01/09 Document suggested guidelines & ideas; distribute to C/V/S & stakeholder organizations & individuals Conduct all training & educational activities in partnership with C/V/S Project staff, community-based organizations 02/09-09/09 C/V/S & local organizations develop history of co-presenting Outcomes to Foster Sustainability: * Inclusion of consumers/victims/survivors with disabilities and Deaf. * Positive impact on attitudes about people with disabilities and victims/survivors among members of collaborations and service systems. * C/V/S perspectives become integrated into systems change work and individual organization service delivery (versus C/V/S perspectives considered as an after-thought or “add-on” to initiative efforts). * Inclusion impacts perceived and experienced imbalance of power between those providing and those receiving services. * C/V/S emphasis reinforces the focus of domestic violence, sexual assault and disability-related agencies on the individual seeking support. * This initiative deliberately embarks on including C/V/S from the beginning to ensure the infrastructure exists within organizations and collaborations to value ongoing inclusion of C/V/S voices. This inclusion relies on structured and supported efforts that infuse C/V/S voices; thus transcending their mere involvement to become integral stakeholders. Pilot Community A: Ashland/Bayfield Initiatives Description: The individuals and organizations assessed in the Ashland/Bayfield area communicated an interest in and need for a cross-disability, multi-disciplinary effort to address violence against women with disabilities and Deaf women. Because relationships between tribal programs and non-tribal programs are minimal in the Ashland/Bayfield area, it will be important to facilitate tribal and non-tribal system relationships to promote the inclusion of tribal culture and issues throughout the community’s collaborative response to victims and survivors. Initiative 1: Foster informal and formal organizational relationships among organizations and groups while simultaneously integrating knowledge of and capacity to respond to issues of disability, trauma, violence, abuse and safety Operating Principles: A. Consumer/victim/survivor inclusion from the beginning. B. An understanding of historical trauma in the context of Native American history and the importance of work to avoid colluding with that trauma. C. Sustainability of efforts within community and mindfulness of the economic context in which many individuals with disabilities in this community live their lives. D. Independent relationships/collaborations within the community will be fostered so that the Project role is one of technical assistance. E. All key tasks involving education and training will be conducted in partnership with locally-based disability, domestic violence, Native American, and sexual assault organizations and individuals. Key Tasks: Ashland and Bayfield Area: August 1, 2008 – September 30, 2009 INITIATIVE ONE: Foster informal and formal organizational relationships among organizations and groups while simultaneously integrating knowledge of and capacity to respond to issues of disability, trauma, violence, abuse and safety Key Task Lead Responsibility Start Date-End Date Outcome Measure Share findings & invite dialogue among organizations/groups that participated in needs assessment Project staff & folks from each group assessed 09/08 – 10/08 Document feedback and action interest; identify actions groups would undertake on their own Identify local leaders from each discipline (disability, domestic violence, sexual assault) Project staff 09/08-10/08 List of interested agencies, groups & individuals with initial group meeting date Invite local leaders to identify & focus on interest areas; involves 3 sequenced steps: * Initiate relationships among invitees via meetings * Educate about each other, issues & opportunities * Activate to form ongoing group within community Project staff in partnership with identified local leaders/ stakeholders 11/08-09/09 Develop relationships among stakeholders; values discussion about working with victims with disabilities & Deaf victims; identification of common issues; include discussion of disabilities as part of new employee orientation Facilitate a discussion to explore possibilities for on-going, local collaboration through a focus on “action/purpose” Project staff & local lead (TBD) 04/09-06/09 Strategic plan for community collaboration Adapt existing Project materials & Brown County resources (mostly DD5 focused) for cross disability applicability specific to pilot community Project staff in consultation with local lead (TBD) & C/V/S from Genesis6 09/08-12/08 OVW-approved materials to be used by community stakeholders Explore strategies to enhance relationships between tribal & non-tribal programs on- & off-reservation; focus on action to initiate relationship building C.J., WCADV & Project staff with Red Cliff and Bad River DV/SA programs 11/08-09/09 Resource guide of tribal and non-tribal services that includes meaningful contact information Explore & implement possible contractual arrangements with individuals re: cultural issues to help build a bridge between the Project and tribal contacts Project staff 09/08-09/09 Identify & subcontract with local contact; plan for enhancing culturally affirmative work Modified strategic plan detailing how community groups will commit to working together Project staff facilitate with community stakeholders 05/09-09/09 Strategic plan for and with community to promote sustainable change Outcomes to Foster Sustainability: * Out of the formal/informal organizational relationships will come: o evolving awareness within and among organizations; o discussions about values, philosophies, organizational landscape and system operations; and o the benefits and value of consumer/victim/survivor inclusion within and among service delivery organizations. * Newly-formed group with a well-defined and feasible strategic plan that promotes a collaboration approach to addressing violence against people with disabilities and Deaf. * The tribal/non-tribal resource guide is designed to provide the impetus for initiating and/or enhancing relationships between tribal and non-tribal organizations & resources. This outcome is designed to initiate relationship and trust building. Pilot Community A: Ashland/Bayfield Initiatives Description: Meaningful access to service and support differs for each individual victim or survivor with disabilities or Deaf victim/survivor; accessibility, therefore, is never static. The intrinsic flexibility associated with meaningful access requires knowledge & commitment by agency directors, board members, staff and volunteers about what is required under the applicable laws, what constitutes good practice beyond mere compliance, and connections to support and technical assistance to implement ongoing change. Our Project’s vision underscores the relevance of accessibility for each consumer/victim/ survivor. Initiative 2: Increase consumer/victim/survivor access to services and support that defines success through reframing services for and perspectives of and about people with disabilities & Deaf Operating Principles: A. Consumer/victim/survivor inclusion from the beginning. B. An understanding of historical trauma in the context of Native American history and the importance of work to avoid colluding with that trauma. C. All key tasks involving education and training will be conducted in partnership with locally-based disability, domestic violence, Native American, and sexual assault organizations and individuals. D. Establishment of a culture of person-centered values and responses to people with disabilities and Deaf through demonstrated leadership commitment to achieve long-term, organizational and systems change. Key Tasks: Ashland and Bayfield Area: August 1, 2008 – September 30, 2009 INITIATIVE TWO: Increase consumer/victim/survivor access to services and support that defines success through reframing perspectives of and about people with disabilities & Deaf Task Lead Responsibility Start Date-End Date Outcome Measure Determine tribal application of ADA, 1973 Rehab. Act & state access laws in the context of a Public Law 280 state Project staff; Red Cliff & Bad River program staff 09/08-11/08 Document statutory access issues applicable to federally recognized tribes within Wisconsin’s P.L. 280 status Review Project’s existing access tools & on-site review process: * Modify process & tools * Incorporate strategies for assessing cultural competency Project staff in partnership with consumers/victims/ survivors 09/08-12/08 Assessment process & tools tailored to the pilot area & tribal program Conduct assessments of services/ organizations to ensure increased responsiveness to people with disabilities and Deaf Project Staff, local ILC staff & assessed program Executive Director & staff 01/09-06/09 Learn about areas for improvements & focus for enhancements Facilitate development of plan for improvements Project staff in partnership with agency staff 01/09-06/09 Written plan of access improvements; integrate values into policies & practices through assessment process & improvement planning Provide training on prevalence & signs of abuse, & skill building on responding effectively to victims with disabilities & Deaf Project staff, C/V/S & local agency staff (disability & SA/DV) 01/09-08-09 Substantive foundation from which direct service staff & leadership build to increase capacity to more effectively serve C/V/S Implement consultation model of training7: * Leadership * Direct services staff Project staff/ C/V/S & local contacts 11/08-09/09 Document issues & anticipated longer-term changes resulting from consultative training Initiate & foster intra-organizational discussion about attitudinal change through organizational culture shifts Project staff; agency leaders, C/V/S 12/08-07/09 Values statements & guiding principles incorporated into existing agency mission & policy documents Reframe perspectives to include information & education to build capacity for effective & responsive day-to-day support (internal organizational policy and/or procedural modifications) Project staff, C/V/S , program staff & leadership 01/09-09/09 Increased capacity to more effectively respond Outcomes to Foster Sustainability: * Access assessments of New Day Domestic & Sexual Violence, Red Cliff Tribe Domestic Violence and Bad River Tribe Domestic Violence will identify and facilitate response to needed enhancements resulting in attitudinal, procedural, physical and systems change. * Existing policies, procedures & practices will be reviewed and modified to guide each agency’s future work from a person-centered, victim- and values-based perspective. * Understanding and documentation of access related laws pertaining to federally recognized Native American tribes, especially in the context of Public Law 280 application. * Awareness of the broad spectrum of accessibility and the importance of ongoing assessment and modification. Pilot Community B: Brown County Initiatives Description: The existing Brown County multi-disciplinary team focusing on violence against people with disabilities and Deaf has been in operation as a viable and active collaborative since 2005. Its membership and action primarily is directed toward violence and response of people with intellectual disabilities from majority-dominated service systems. Expansion of this Team to include a more culturally, ethnically and racially diverse and cross-disability representation and focus will impact people with disabilities and Deaf generally and as victims/survivors directly. The geographic location of the Oneida Tribe’s reservation impacts the need to facilitate tribal and Team relationships to promote the inclusion of tribal culture and issues within the existing Brown County collaborative. Initiative 1: Encourage and support expansion of the existing multi-disciplinary collaborative8 in terms of ethnicity, race & disability, and encourage greater involvement of consumers/victims/ survivors Operating Principles: A. Consumer/victim/survivor inclusion from the beginning. B. An understanding of historical trauma in the context of Native American history and the importance of work to avoid colluding with that trauma. C. Sustainability of efforts within community and mindfulness of the economic context in which many individuals with disabilities in this community live their lives. D. Independent relationships/collaborations within community will be fostered so that the Project role is one of technical assistance Key Tasks: Brown County: August 1, 2008 – September 30, 2009 INITIATIVE ONE: Encourage the expansion of the existing multi-disciplinary collaborative in terms of ethnicity, race & disability, and encourage greater involvement of consumers/victims/ survivors Task Lead Responsibility Start Date-End Date Outcome Measure Share findings & invite conversation among participants from the needs assessment Project staff & folks from each group assessed 09/08 – 10/08 Document feedback & action interest; identify actions to undertake on their own Clarify with existing Brown County Team how they envision enhancing disability & cultural diversity Project Staff; existing Brown County Team members 09/08-10/08 Document of identified strategies & potential contacts Explore strategies to enhance relationships between Oneida Tribal DV program & non-tribal programs on- & off-reservation; focus on action to initiate relationship building C.J., WCADV & Project staff with Oneida Tribe programs 11/08-09/09 Resource guide of tribal and non-tribal services that includes meaningful contact information Consider identified strategies for infusing existing culturally-based, cross-disciplinary, and consumer-run organizational collaborations into existing Brown County Team OR infusing a disability component in partnership with Brown County’s Team into the work of these other collaborations Project Staff, Brown County Team, contacts through Deaf Unity, UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence; TBI Association of WI; Grassroots Empowerment Project & American Indians Against Abuse 09/08-01/09 Document potential & identified contacts for invitational meeting Invite identified leaders to meetings from disability organizations & tribal contacts Project staff, Brown County Team & Oneida Nation programs9 01/09-04/09 Initiate new relationships among stakeholders Explore possible contractual arrangements with individuals re: cultural issues to help build a bridge between the Project and racial & cultural contacts Project staff 09/08-09/09 Identify & subcontract with local contact; plan for enhancing culturally affirmative work Facilitate among the expanded Brown County Team a strategic planning process that encompasses the cultural & cross-disability perspective Project staff facilitate with Brown County Team members 05/09-09/09 Strategic plan for and with Team members to promote inclusive & sustainable change Outcomes to Foster Sustainability: * Out of the expanded collaborative Team and the formal/informal organizational relationships will come: o evolving awareness within and among organizations; o discussions about values, philosophies, organizational landscape and system operations; o the benefits and value of consumer/victim/survivor inclusion within and among service delivery organizations; and o the benefits and values of a more cross disability and culturally inclusive multi-disciplinary Team. * Expanded and more diverse Brown County Team with a well-defined and feasible strategic plan that promotes a collaboration approach to addressing violence against people with disabilities and Deaf. * The tribal/non-tribal resource guide is designed to provide the impetus for initiating and/or enhancing relationships between Oneida tribal and non-tribal organizations & resources. This outcome is designed to initiate relationship and trust building. Pilot Community B: Brown County Initiatives Description: Meaningful access to service and support differs for each individual victim or survivor with disabilities or Deaf victim/survivor; accessibility, therefore, is never static. The intrinsic flexibility associated with meaningful access requires knowledge & commitment by agency directors, board members, staff and volunteers about what is required under the applicable laws, what constitutes good practice beyond mere compliance, and connections to support and technical assistance to implement ongoing change. Our Project’s vision underscores the relevance of accessibility for each consumer/victim/ survivor. Initiative 2: Increase accessibility among domestic violence, sexual assault and disability-related organizations involved in the multi-disciplinary collaborative Operating Principles: A. All key tasks involving education and training will be conducted in partnership with locally-based disability, domestic violence, Native American, and sexual assault organizations and individuals. B. Embracing diverse person-centered values and responses to people with disabilities and Deaf through demonstrated leadership commitment to achieve long-term, organizational and systems change. Key Tasks: Brown County: August 1, 2008 – September 30, 2009 INITIATIVE TWO: Increase accessibility among domestic violence, sexual assault and disability-related organizations involved in the multi-disciplinary collaborative Task Lead Responsibility Start Date-End Date Outcome Measure Determine tribal application of ADA, 1973 Rehab. Act & state access laws in the context of a Public Law 280 state Project staff; Oneida program staff 09/08-11/08 Document clarifying access laws applicable to federally recognized tribes within Wisconsin’s P.L. 280 status Review existing access tools & on-site review process * Modify review process & tools * Incorporate strategies for assessing cultural competency Project staff in partnership with consumers/victims/ survivors 09/08-12/08 Assessment process & tools tailored to the pilot area & tribal programs Conduct assessments of services/ organizations to ensure increased responsiveness to people with disabilities and Deaf Project Staff, local ILC staff & assessed program Executive Director & staff 01/09-06/09 Learn about areas for improvements & focus for enhancements Facilitate development of plan for improvements Project staff in partnership with agency staff 01/09-06/09 Written plan of access improvements; integrate values into policies & practices Provide training on prevalence & signs of abuse, & skill building on responding effectively to victims with disabilities & Deaf Project staff, C/V/S & local agency staff (disability & SA/DV) 01/09-08-09 Substantive foundation from which direct service staff & leadership build to increase capacity to more effectively serve people with disabilities & Deaf Implement consultation model of training10: * Leadership * Direct services staff Project staff/ C/V/S & local contacts 11/08-09/09 Document issues & anticipated longer-term changes resulting from consultative training Initiate & foster intra-organizational discussion about attitudinal change through organizational culture shifts Project staff; agency leaders, C/V/S 12/08-07/09 Values statements & guiding principles incorporated into existing agency mission or vision statements Reframe perspectives with inclusion of information & education on capacity building around effective & responsive day-to-day support (internal organizational policy and/or procedural modifications) Project staff, C/V/S , program staff & leadership 01/09-09/09 Build capacity to more effectively respond Outcomes to Foster Sustainability: * Access assessments of Sexual Assault Center and Oneida Tribal Domestic Violence will identify and facilitate response to needed enhancements resulting in attitudinal, procedural, physical and systems change.11 * Existing policies, procedures & practices will be reviewed and modified to guide each agency’s future work from a person-centered, victim- and values-based perspective. * Understanding and documentation of access related laws pertaining to federally recognized Native American tribes, especially in the context of Public Law 280 application. * Awareness of the broad spectrum of accessibility and the importance of ongoing assessment and modification. Pilot Community C: Deaf Unity Initiative Description: The intensity of Project collaboration activities for Deaf Unity12 will be less than the efforts detailed in the first two geographic pilot communities due to our objective of alliance building with Deaf Unity. Deaf Unity is an emerging organization that seeks to provide Deaf-run services to Deaf victims/survivors. Its volunteer advocates work directly with Deaf victims/survivors and hope to team up with hearing community-based DV/SA programs to provide co-advocacy. Our collaborative is interested in and committed to supporting Deaf Unity through fostering an alliance between our collaborative Project and Deaf Unity. Initiative: Explore and undertake mutually beneficial steps to become a meaningful ally to Deaf Unity Operating Principles: A. Deaf Unity and Deaf advocates drive the alliance. B. Project has a responsibility in building and maintaining this alliance to clearly articulate the parameters of the grant Project and what the Project may offer. C. Effective communication between hearing and Deaf allies requires constant vigilance to prevent miscommunication and misunderstanding within the alliance. D. Open and ongoing relationships based on mutual respect and trust (in it for the long-haul). E. Because Deaf Unity is a newly formed organization, our Project seeks to work with them to build their capacity and sustain it for Deaf victims/survivors. Key Tasks: Deaf Unity: August 1, 2008 – September 30, 2009 INITIATIVE: Explore and undertake mutually beneficial steps to become a meaningful ally to Deaf Unity Tasks Lead Responsibility Start Date-End Date Outcome Measure Share findings from the needs assessment & invite conversations with Deaf Unity advocates & Advisory Committee Project staff & Deaf Unity project coordinator & services coordinator 09/08-10/08 Document feedback & action interest; identify desired technical assistance support Determine viability of co-advocacy strategies of Deaf volunteer & existing hearing program advocates Project staff & Deaf Unity Manager & services coordinator 09/08-11/08 Document strengths, barriers & considerations of co-advocacy strategies Assist Deaf Unity to build alliances with existing hearing DV/SA programs: assist them to develop strategies & implement those strategies Project staff & Deaf Unity project coordinator & services coordinator 01/09-05/09 Host summit of Deaf Unity; affected DV/SA hearing program staff & Project staff; identify action plan for advocacy coordination Provide direct consultation related to building Deaf Unity capacity Project staff 09/08-09/09 Improvement in areas of focus of consultation Whether through co-advocacy or increased coordination, devise a hearing-Deaf action plan for effectively serving Deaf victims Project staff, Deaf Unit & existing hearing DV/SA program directors 05/09-08/09 Strategic plan for Deaf Unity, existing hearing DV/SA programs, and Project collaboration organizations Outcomes to Foster Sustainability: * Solidifying a meaningful alliance with Deaf Unity will achieve several sustainable outcomes: o evolving awareness of Deaf within and among hearing organizations; o discussions about access barriers, values, philosophies, organizational landscape and system operations; o benefits and value of Deaf victim/survivor involvement within and among service delivery organizations; and o meaningful dialogue and action to continue to address the barriers to access experienced by Deaf/deaf victims/survivors. * Relationships between existing hearing DV/SA agencies and Deaf Unity will further impact hearing programs and Deaf Unity’s capacity to effectively serve victims/survivors. Pilot Community D: UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence Initiative Description: The intensity of Project collaboration activities for UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence13 will be less than the efforts detailed in the first two geographic pilot communities due to our objective of alliance building with UNIDOS. UNIDOS is run by and serves Latina victim/survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Its seven advocates work directly with Latina victims/survivors and often team up with community-based DV/SA programs to provide co-advocacy. Our mutual interest in and commitment to addressing the issues specific to victims/survivors with disabilities and Deaf in the Latina community have fostered our desire to explore an alliance between our collaborative Project and UNIDOS. Initiative: Explore and undertake mutually beneficial steps to become a meaningful ally to UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence Operating Principles: A. UNIDOS advocates drive the alliance. B. Project has a responsibility in building and maintaining this alliance to clearly articulate the parameters of the grant Project and what the Project may offer. C. Open and ongoing relationships based on mutual respect and trust (in it for the long-haul). Key Tasks: UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence: August 1, 2008 – September 30, 2009 INITIATIVE: Explore and undertake mutually beneficial steps to become a meaningful ally to UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence Tasks Lead Responsibility Start Date-End Date Outcome Measure Share findings & invite conversations with UNIDOS advocates Project staff & UNIDOS staff 10/08–12/08 Document feedback; identify actions to support through technical assistance Evaluate how DRW, WCADV & WCASA will enhance their relationships with UNIDOS Project staff & UNIDOS 09/08-10/08 Share ideas to identify where & how a stronger alliance can be forged Conduct assessment of services to enhance responsiveness to people with disabilities and Deaf Project Staff, local ILC staff & UNIDOS Director & staff 01/09-06/09 Learn about areas for improvements & focus for enhancements Facilitate development of plan for improvements Project staff & UNIDOS staff 01/09-06/09 Written plan of access improvements Provide training on prevalence & signs of abuse, & skill building on responding effectively to victims with disabilities & Deaf Project staff, C/V/S & local agency staff (disability & SA/DV) 01/09-08-09 Substantive foundation to increase capacity to more effectively serve people with disabilities & Deaf Assist UNIDOS to build alliances with existing disability programs: assist them to develop strategies & implement those strategies Project staff & UNIDOS advocates 01/09-05/09 Host summit involving UNIDOS & leaders from cross disability network to initiate dialogue Outcomes to Foster Sustainability: * Solidifying a meaningful alliance with UNIDOS will achieve several outcomes: o evolving awareness of diverse Latina community within and among organizations; o discussions about access barriers, values, philosophies, organizational landscape and system operations; o benefits and value of Latina consumer/victim/survivor inclusion within and among service delivery organizations; and o meaningful dialogue and action to continue to address the barriers to access experienced by Latina victims/survivors with disabilities. * Relationships between Project organizations and broader disability network will further impact disability organization’s and UNIDOS’ capacity to effectively serve Latina victims/survivors with disabilities. Overview of Longer-Term Plans Besides sustainability efforts described for the Project pilot sites, our collaborative has identified three initiatives it agrees to undertake from October 1, 2009 – September 2012. Our intent with these strategies is to promote longer term impact that maintains the collaborative infrastructure developed throughout the last six years that promotes and supports a collaborative technical assistance response to disability, Deaf, domestic violence and sexual assault agencies. In addition to the infrastructure maintenance, we also plan to address more systematically the need for more trauma-informed services, a key area of interest that surfaced from the needs assessment but was not feasible for the Project to undertake during the remainder of the grant period. The three longer-term initiatives are summarized below. Initiative 1: Prior to the end of the grant Project: * Each Project organization will determine for itself and then specify its commitment to ongoing collaborative work through a written memorandum of understanding: o Disability Rights Wisconsin o Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence o Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault. * Together, the collaborative organizations will meet and determine how to maintain a collaborative focus for technical assistance to service systems regarding issues of disability and violence. * Collaborative organizations will devise a quarterly meeting schedule to facilitate ongoing dialogue, planning, action and trends to help sustain our collaborative efforts. Initiative 2: Individually as organizations and collaboratively continue to assess and implement modifications needed to ensure access within our own organizations and the community-based agencies we assist. Accessibility continues to encompass a broad spectrum: attitudes, policies, procedures & practices; physical accessibility; and effective communication. * Prior to the end of the grant period, each organization will review the accessibility improvement plan developed in 2006. * Prior to the end of the grant period, each organization will identify specific strategies to implement continued focus on access among the community-based organizations we assist. * Each organization continues to uphold practices to ensure accessible meetings, conferences, trainings and other events. Initiative 3: Individually as organizations and collaboratively learn about and promote systems of support and service that are based on a trauma-informed model14: * Review existing trauma-informed assessments used throughout the country by service agencies experienced with trauma-informed services. * Modify trauma-informed assessments accordingly for applicability to Wisconsin disability, domestic violence and sexual assault service systems. * Participate actively in the newly-formed Trauma Informed Care Work Group, sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ Bureau of Prevention, Treatment & Recovery. Looking to the Future Through deliberate efforts to forge relationships and collaborations in our pilot communities, DV/SA and disability organizations and systems will grasp the impact of disability organizations having greater knowledge of and access to DV/SA services for clients while DV/SA programs having an understanding of the disability resources available within their communities. These relationships also are devised for disability, domestic violence, sexual assault and Deaf organizations to understand their obligations to ensure, include and create service systems and environments accessible to and effective for victims with disabilities and Deaf victims. This collaborative impact is designed to be felt most importantly by the victims/survivors themselves who receive meaningful support and enhanced safety that is relevant to their life experiences and circumstances. As our vision states: Women with disabilities and deaf/Deaf women who experience sexual assault and/or domestic violence will be supported by people who have actively prepared for access and who think about the meaning of respect one woman at a time. 1 These contiguous, rural communities are located in the far northcentral section of the state. Two Native American tribes and their respective reservations are situated in this area: Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. 2 Brown County, located in the northeast section of the state, is primarily rural in nature, but contains the mid-sized city of Green Bay and borders the Sovereign Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. 3 The details expressed in this initiative were influenced greatly by Laura Prescott’s Consumer/Survivor/ Recovering Women: A Guide for Partnerships in Collaboration, Policy Research Associates (2001). 4 C/V/S = consumers/victims/survivors 5 DD = developmental disabilities 6 Genesis 1990, Inc. is a non-profit, mental health consumer-run organization, and is an organizational member of the Grassroots Empowerment Project. 7 Consultation model of training involves working with people over time to be aware of how language used to describe someone affects the interactions you have with that person. This model does not focus on a “one-time” training, but relies on initial education and ongoing organized consultation might include work on the development of values statements, facilitating discussions among staff regarding expanding their “comfort zone” when working with Deaf or people with disabilities. 8 Since 2005, a multi-disciplinary group has operated in Brown County, Wisconsin to collaboratively address violence against people with disabilities and Deaf in that community. The Brown County Team is entitled “A Disability Abuse Prevention Team;” hereinafter, the Brown County Team. 9 Oneida Nation programs relevant to activity include the domestic violence, community support and elderly programs. 10 Consultation model of training relies on initial education and ongoing organized consultation might include work on the development of values statements, facilitating discussions among staff regarding expanding their “comfort zone” when working with Deaf or people with disabilities. 11 Goldenhouse, Brown County’s domestic violence program, received a comprehensive, on-site access assessment in 2004. 12 A newly created network of Deaf and hearing allies, grassroots and professionals alike, who work to address the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault in the Wisconsin Deaf community. 13 UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence is a statewide membership organization whose mission is to end family violence in the Latino/migrant communities in Wisconsin. 14 According to the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care, “Trauma-informed programs and services represent the “new generation” of transformed mental health and allied human services organizations and programs who serve people with histories of violence and trauma...and trauma-informed organizations, programs, and services are based on an understanding of the vulnerabilities or triggers of trauma survivors that traditional service delivery approaches may exacerbate, so that these services and programs can be more supportive and avoid re-traumatization.” National Center for Trauma-Informed Care, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/nctic/).