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Children Community DVAF

Update on the Domestic Violence Assistance Fund

Domestic Violence Assistance Fund-Update

By: Shannon Falk,
Project Manager

As an agency that convenes the community to discover opportunities to improve services, Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council convened a very special meeting of community stakeholders and survivors in 2016 to look at opportunities to expand the menu of services offered for families affected by domestic violence, and to increase victims’ access to services and safety. This discussion was a collective opportunity for our community to think about innovative ways to go beyond the way services were currently being offered. It was also an opportunity to hear directly from survivors about the needs and challenges they faced in the pursuit of safety.

The work of the community stakeholders led to the idea of developing a flexible funding project that could prevent families who experience domestic violence from entering homelessness and reduce the amount of time families need emergency shelter services. This in turn could prioritize increased access to services, meeting basic needs, increased economic stability, and increased safety.

Harris County Commissioners and their staff began meeting with the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council in the Spring of 2020 to address the increasing challenges for those fleeing domestic violence. Leadership at Harris County recognized that the pandemic would increase the needs of victims of domestic violence, so the Domestic Violence Assistance Fund (DVAF) was established first with CARES ACT funding and later with ARPA funding. Administered by the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (HCDVCC), the Domestic Violence Assistance Fund provided flexible financial relief to domestic violence survivors through community-based organizations. The goal of the Fund is to rapidly and thoughtfully aid victims of domestic violence and their families with increasing access to services and improving safety. Organizations can do so by providing basic needs assistance (e.g., food) to reduce food insecurity, flexible emergency assistance to ensure safety from domestic violence, housing emergency financial assistance to limit homelessness, childcare assistance to facilitate continued employment, and daily living supplies and other needs (e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies). Funding for evaluation of the project was included. The first round of funding was evaluated in 2021 and showed that victims who were fleeing had increased access to safety due to the funding that was provided through the Fund.

In 2022, Harris County Commissioners awarded HCDVCC an additional DVAF grant for approximately $4.7 million from ARPA funding to continue the work of the flexible funding project. Building on the success of the ARPA funded project, Harris County Commissioners created a line-item in the general county budget to award HCDVCC $1.5 million to continue the flexible funding DVAF project for all of Harris County. This marked a historic victory for victims of domestic violence to have an intentionally targeted and funded item within the County’s budget. HCDVCC continues to partner with 19 organizations to disperse throughout the County. Many of the organizations that participated in the fund focused specifically and solely on serving domestic violence survivors; however, there is a mix of grass roots organizations helping underserved communities as well as an agency serving human trafficking survivors.
Flexible funding has proven to be a low barrier, quick response approach to helping families with financial assistance that could prevent them from entering the homeless system as well as serving as a tool to help a family become safer. The concept of flexible funding support is being used across the nation by other domestic violence service providers, and it has been evaluated as a proven strategy to improve safety for survivors.

Harris County survivors have been able to use the funds for needs related to childcare, transportation (car repairs, car payments, and gas), utilities (electricity, gas, and phone bills), moving (deposits, furniture, and other moving expenses), and safety (security cameras and ring doorbell systems). In the past, some of these expenses would not have been regarded by participating agencies as “basic needs.” However, the significance of some of those items (security systems) to the well-being and mental health of survivors can be life changing. The top category of assistance provided was for food assistance which accounted for 20% of all disbursements, followed by daily living expenses and rental assistance, with 17% of total disbursements each. It is also worth noting that the research study being conducted by UTHealth has found that many clients receiving DVAF assistance are reporting a greater level of trust in the advocates that they are working with. This is a critical finding that demonstrates this flexible funding is not only helping stabilize the survivors with their immediate needs but also building stronger relationships with the staff and agencies who are assisting them which strengthens their support system and in turn their long-term stability.

In 2024, the Fund served 1,207 households with a total of 3,331 individuals within those households. A total of 2,558 households and 7,317 individuals have been served in 2023-2024. By partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) throughout the county, the Fund was able to reach a wide range of diverse and marginalized communities.

  • Most survivors had children; 59% of all individuals served were children under 18 years old. This equates to 1,965 children served in 2024 and total of 4,398 children served in 2023-2024.
  • Most clients served were renters (64%) and another 32% were living in a shelter or other/unknown situation, while the minority (4%) were homeowners.
  • The clients served were all low income and below 60% AMI with 50% of survivors having no reported income. Other vulnerabilities included 47% of households considered uninsured, and 20% experiencing homelessness.
  • Most of the survivors served were female (96%); with 3% male survivors served and a remaining 1% who identified their gender as other.

While some of the survivors that were served lived near the DVAF organizations that served them, there were clients who came from almost every zip code in Harris County. Zip codes 77036, 77449 and 77077 were the areas where the greatest number of DVAF distributions occurred. There are a number of partner organizations that are located in the 77036-zip code or in the near vicinity and zip code 77077 is close to this zip code as well. 77449 is located north of I-10 and may be a result of trying to reach clients from the northern part of the county despite having minimal partner agencies there.

HCDVCC believes in the power of evaluation to give us the evidence and information necessary to make good decisions for future program investment. It is the best way to ensure that clients are being served effectively as well as ensure that these program dollars are put to good use. Briefly mentioned earlier, HCDVCC has employed Dr. Leila Wood, Professor and Director of Research and Evaluation, Center for Violence Prevention with the McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston to design and implement a full evaluation of the DVAF funding. Work has included securing IRB approval, designing of survey instruments and tools, and interviews with participating agencies. Connections with all participating agencies of the Fund were made in August 2024 and the survey link was provided to those agencies to distribute to new clients receiving DVAF assistance. Some preliminary findings include:

Improving Survivor Safety

  • Addressing security concerns (Ring cameras, door locks, other safety technology)
  •  Gain access to housing and transportation that allows survivors to leave harm-doing partners
  • Giving survivors their own financial resources
  • Stabilizing transportation access to criminal justice and safety remedies
  • Pay for legal fees for divorce, custody, or other civil remedies

Increasing Survivor Economic Stability

  •  Increasing housing stability (paying rent, deposits, application fees)
  • Facilitating economic empowerment and stability (job training, education, computers for work at home jobs). Having seed funds to start small business
  • Paying for childcare
  • Transportation (fixing or getting a car) to go to work or school

Improving Survivor Physical and Mental Health

  • Reducing stress
  • Empowering survivors to meet their needs
  • Having resources for food
  • Having funds for appointments, testing, and other medical and MH procedures
  • Funding for medications while awaiting insurance coverage

Stabilizing the Needs of Children

  • Pays for child supplies and basic needs
  • Allows for funds for child mental and physical health needs while insurance is pending

Facilitating Greater Connection and Trust

  • Which means engagement in other helpful services (counseling, legal aid, economic empowerment support)
  • Can reduce feelings of isolation and depression

Reducing Occupational Stress of Advocates

  • Advocates can better meet survivor needs
  • Advocates have more avenues to help people improve their own safety
  • There is a clear process for the program, but it is flexible to both survivor and advocate use

The Harris County DVAF project is serving as a national model for how flexible funding can increase and expand avenues and pathways to safety that are victim-defined and survivor-focused. A recent case study highlighting this work was developed and presented by the National Safe Housing Alliance. This study has been shared with the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, in collaboration with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. It is a beautiful example of how a community can be creative and focused on meeting the needs of those who have experienced trauma and amplifying how a community can intentionally focus efforts for meeting the needs of BIPOC communities.

Thank you to the Harris County Commissioners and staff members who worked to ensure that this project gained the support and confidence to meet critical needs of our most vulnerable community members. Thank you to the partners who work diligently to find ways to support families in our community. And most importantly, thank you to victims and survivors who show great courage in stepping out to seek assistance, increase safety, and find pathways for healing and hope. We are inspired by your courage and persistence.

Click here to learn more about the Domestic Violence Assistance Fund
Categories
Children Community Share Op-eds

The St Jerome Emiliani Foster Care Program

St Jerome

The St Jerome Emiliani Foster Care Program

Imagine having an abusive parent in a third world country with no viable option for kinship adoption. Now imagine a hostile government takeover swept your city and violently ended the lives of your entire family. This is the reality for thousands of people around the world, many of which are children who are forced to escape to the US.

The St. Jerome Emiliani Foster Care Program provides a nurturing home environment for unaccompanied refugee children and teenagers, many of whom have escaped devastating situations in their native lands. They may have been trafficked here, escorted by a coyote, or traveled overseas, enduring a long journey to make it to a place of refuge. Due to these adverse experiences, the youth may have trauma, be grieving, and exhibit complex behaviors. Our program is the only International Foster Care available in the greater Houston area, so we offer a niche way to help youth in need that differs from domestic foster care, who works with CPS.

Our youth are temporarily held in shelters or refugee camps while they wait to be referred to us by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Once accepted into the St Jerome program, we pick them up from the airport and place them in licensed foster homes. Foster parents play a critical role in providing a stable family: issuing food, clothing, shelter, love, protection, and guidance to the youth in their care to help them become self-sufficient young adults. The end goal is to ensure the foster youth have their needs met in a safe, therapeutic, and caring way.

The St. Jerome Program, with assistance from other programs at Catholic Charities, provides financial support, case management services, independent living skills training, education/English as a Second Language (ESL, mentoring, job skills training, legal assistance, cultural activities, clinical services, and ongoing family tracing). We work as a well-rounded team to offer full support to all our families and take great pride in how we advocate for both the youth and the foster parents when issues arise. We ensure all sides are heard so we can come up with a proper solution.

Every year we see youth from different countries depending on the current political climate. This year, we anticipate the bulk of our referrals to come from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan. Due to these stats, we are hoping to bring on some Spanish speaking foster families, particularly from Central America, and African foster parents, to provide a good cultural match for these youth.

Potential foster parents go through many steps to become licensed with our program, including an orientation, trainings, documentation, home study, and observation hours in other foster homes. We work with our potentials to help guide them through the process and make sure our program is a good fit. If you are interested in making a difference in the lives of these youth, please scan the QR code to fill out our questionnaire and sign up for an orientation to learn more today!

Categories
Community Share Crime Victims Op-eds

Honoring Crime Victims’ Rights Week

This is a header from the https://www.tdcj.texas.gov website The words on it are Information for Victims

Honoring Crime Victims Rights’ Week

The 1970’s were a volatile time in America. The Vietnam War was still raging with constant protests and the Equal Rights Amendment was struggling to get ratified (and is still not ratified to date). In the meantime, victims of crime had very few if any rights. In 1972, the first three victim assistance programs were created in St. Louis, San Francisco and Washington, DC to begin to address the unique needs of crime victims. In 1976, Harris County District Attorney Carol S. Vance was serving as President of the National District Attorneys Association when he heard about a program in California to help victims through the difficult experience of the criminal justice process. He decided that Harris County needed a similar program, so he tasked Suzanne McDaniel to establish the first such program in Texas. In 1977 the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Division was created to provide information, assistance, and support for victims of crime in Harris County.

Harris County was ahead of the times because it was not until 1982, that President Ronald Reagan created the President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime. The report from the Task Forces had sixty-eight recommendations in five different areas including proposed Executive and Legislative action at both the Federal and State levels, proposed Federal action, proposed action for criminal justice system agencies, proposed actions for organizations and a proposed amendment to the Federal Constitution. As a result, the United States Congress passed the Federal Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982. This act changed the status of a crime victim from a person who merely identifies the perpetrator and testifies in court to the role of an active participant in the criminal justice process. Victims were allowed to provide victim impact statements to the court describing their experiences and costs of being a crime victim and guaranteeing the right to claim restitution. Two years later the US Congress enacted the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) that created a matching grant program to encourage states to create victim compensation funds and local programs to assist crime victims. Even though the Victim Witness Division had been established in 1977, it was not until the 69th Texas Legislature in 1985 passed HB 235 adding Chapter 56 to the Code of Criminal Procedure, Rights of Crime Victims. And in 1989 Texans voted to add the Victims Bill of Rights to the Texas Constitution (Article 1, Section 30). Over the years the Division has grown and changed its name to the Victim Services Division. In 2017, the Division applied for and received a grant to go from six Victim Assistance Coordinators to twenty-one! Their expansion continued and they now have twenty-five Victim Assistance Coordinators who reach out to over 20,000 victims of crime each year! How the Victim Services Division helps crime victims in Harris County: Basic Services
  • Orientation to the criminal justice system and process;
  • Assistance to victims who must testify;
  • Crisis Intervention
  •  Information about the individual case status and outcome;
  • Assistance with compensation;
  • Facilitating victim participation in the criminal justice system;
  • Information about and referral to community services;
  • Education and training for the general public, justice system personnel, and local service providers; and
  • Post disposition/conviction services
During Prosecution
  • Ensure that victims are afforded their rights.
  • Provide a victim impact statement, as well as assistance completing forms.
  • Provide notification of prosecution case status.
  • Provide court accompaniment
  • Prepare victims for the courtroom
  • Provide referrals to social services, counseling, and other criminal justice agencies.
  • Provide follow-up services, including reassurance, supportive listening, and options for solving problems related to the crime’s impact.
  • Provide a secure waiting area for victims now known as the Suzanne McDaniel Victim Waiting Room.
  • Assist with questions and concerns about the Crime Victims’ Compensation program.
  • Provide assistance with victim appearance coordination.
Post-Conviction
  • Provide victims with information about their right to address the court after sentencing.
  • Assist with the timely delivery of victim input to institutional corrections and paroling authorities.
  • Assist with parole notification of an inmate’s change of status within the Department of Criminal Justice.
  • Arrange for advocacy for victims at parole hearings.
  • Provide appellate notification to victims.
For a complete list of Victims’ Rights in Texas you can click on this link from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

About the Authors

Written by:

Amy Smith, Senior Director of Communications and Operations for HCDVCC

and

Colleen Jordan, Assistant Director for the HCDA Victim Services Division

Categories
Community Share Op-eds Sexual Assault

Shining a Light on Sexual Assault: – TX FNE

child with a nurse and the text: The Forensic Center of Excellence (TXFNE) offers caring and compassionate crisis services for all survivors of violence. 24/7 Free and Confidential. Our team of nurses and advocates provide medical forensic exams, adult forensic interviews, counseling & advocacy, and legal support for survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, child abuse and elder maltreatment.
child with a nurse and the text: The Forensic Center of Excellence (TXFNE) offers caring and compassionate crisis services for all survivors of violence. 24/7 Free and Confidential. Our team of nurses and advocates provide medical forensic exams, adult forensic interviews, counseling & advocacy, and legal support for survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, child abuse and elder maltreatment.

Shining a Light on Sexual Assault: Empowering Survivors and Promoting Healing
with Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners: Forensic Center of Excellence (TXFNE)

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a time to unite as a community to raise awareness about sexual assault, advocate for survivors, and talk about prevention.

One organization working on the frontlines to support survivors of sexual assault are the forensic nurses, advocates, and staff at Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners: Forensic Center of Excellence (TXFNE).

TXFNE opened its doors in Houston 2019, challenged to aid in closing the gap in medical forensic services for victims of sexual violence. The issue? Sexual assault victims sometimes had to go from hospital to hospital to receive an exam, or wait for hours, or find out they could not be treated at all.

Now in its fourth year, TXFNE operates as a 24/7 community-based victim service center that provides medical forensic exams, dispatching specially trained forensic nurses to 55 partner hospitals and clinics throughout the Houston area. Nurses arrive within 90 minutes of receiving a call a victim is in need of a medical forensic exam.

TXFNE has also expanded services to include adult forensic interviews, counseling and advocacy, and legal support to all survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, child abuse and elder maltreatment. All services are confidential and free of charge.

For more information, visit TXFNE’s website.

Understanding Sexual Assault

Sexual assault refers to any unwanted sexual act, including rape, attempted rape, and other non-consensual sexual contacts (RAINN, 2021). It is a pervasive problem affecting millions worldwide, regardless of age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), one in five women and one in 71 men will experience sexual assault at some point in their lives (NSVRC, 2021).

Preventing Sexual Assault

Prevention efforts should be multifaceted and involve individuals, communities, and institutions. Here are some strategies to consider:
Education: Comprehensive sex education that includes lessons on consent, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention can help create a culture that discourages sexual violence (CDC, 2019).
Bystander intervention: Encouraging individuals to safely intervene when they witness potential incidents of sexual assault can help prevent violence from occurring (Banyard, 2011).
Social norms change: Promoting healthy, respectful relationships and challenging harmful beliefs about gender and sexuality can create environments where sexual assault is less likely to occur (Heise, 2011).
Institutional policies: Strengthening policies and procedures that protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable is essential in preventing sexual assault (NSVRC, 2015).

Supporting Survivors
Survivors of sexual assault may experience a range of physical, emotional, and psychological effects. It is crucial that they receive appropriate support and resources to facilitate healing. TXFNE plays a vital role in providing this support through its forensic nursing, advocacy, and counseling services.

Ways to help:

  • Believe: The first and most important step is to believe and validate a survivor’s experience.
  • Offer resources: Provide information about TXFNE, local crisis centers, counseling services, and medical providers that specialize in supporting survivors of sexual assault.
  • Encourage autonomy: Support the survivor’s decisions and respect their choices regarding reporting, medical care, and other steps in the healing process.
  • Be patient: Healing from sexual assault can be a long and challenging process. Give the survivor the time and space they need to process their experience.

By educating ourselves and our communities about the impact of sexual assault, by advocating for survivors, and by working together to prevent future incidents, we can make a meaningful difference in combatting sexual violence.

The Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners (TXFNE) plays an essential role in the movement to end sexual violence by providing expert forensic nursing services, advocacy, counseling, and legal support, working toward comprehensive solutions for victim services. Together with organizations like TXFNE, we can empower victims, promote healing and create a safer environment for everyone.

References

  1. Banyard, V. L. (2011). Who will help prevent sexual violence: Creating an ecological model of bystander intervention. Psychology of Violence, 1(3), 216-229.
  2. CDC. (2019). STOP SV: A technical package to prevent sexual violence. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/sv-prevention-technical-package.pdf.
  3. Heise, L. L. (2011). What works to prevent partner violence? An evidence overview. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/derec/49872444.pdf.
  4. National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). (2021).
  5. Statistics about sexual violence. Retrieved from https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics.
  6. National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). (2015). Key components of sexual assault crisis and advocacy programs. Retrieved from https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/publications_nsvrc_guides_key-components-ofsexual-assault-crisis-and-advocacy-programs.pdf.
  7. RAINN. (2021). What is sexual assault? Retrieved from https://www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-assault.
Categories
Children Community Share Op-eds

Harris County Resources for Children and Adults

Screenshot 2023-04-05 101758

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

This month and throughout the year, we all need to take part in protecting children and making Harris County a safer and better place for children to grow and thrive.

Last year, more than 56,000 children in Texas were victims of abuse or neglect. We often see a rise in incidents of child abuse and neglect during stressful times. The loss of employment, isolation, lack of housing, money and resources are just some of the risk factors that can reduce a parent’s ability to cope effectively with the day-to-day stressors of raising a child. The good news is that child abuse is preventable. The best way to prevent child abuse is to support families and provide parents with the skills and resources they need. Families are better able to deal with life stressors when they have the support and the resources they need.

For more than half a century, Harris County Resources for Children and Adults has been providing services to strengthen families and to help vulnerable children and adults in our community. We provide services to abused and neglected children with services such as:

  • Medical, dental, and behavioral health care in one location
  • Transitional services to current and former foster youth to empower them for successful adult living
  • Emergency shelter for abused and at-risk youth
  • Basic necessities, clothes, school supplies and holiday gifts


We provide community and school-based prevention and early intervention services to divert youth from involvement with child protective services and the juvenile justice systems. Some of our services include:

  • 24/7 crisis intervention and hotlines
  • Mental health services
  • School-based counseling
  • Services for truancy, homelessness, parent-child conflict
  • Services for youth involved with the Justice of the Peace Courts
  • Summer and after school programs

In addition, we provide services to vulnerable adults and senior victims of crime. These services include:

  • Guardianship services for indigent and incapacitated adults in Harris County.
  •  Services for senior victims of abuse, neglect or exploitation, age 65 or older.

 

All our services are voluntary and at no cost to families.
For more information visit resources.harriscountytx.gov or call our 24-hour number 713-295-2600.