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Coalition Connection
Your Weekly Source of News, Training Opportunities, and Events
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Through a collective voice, the WCADVSA is committed to provide leadership, education, and systems advocacy to advance social change and end violence. | |
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Welcome to your weekly edition of the Coalition Connection!
Are you having difficulty viewing this e-mail or do you feel like you are missing some of the information in the Connection? If so, click here for help.
We will highlight important information in this section each week in red that requires your action or attention. This week's highlights include:
Opportunity
Our Work
- Advocate Learning and Support Collaborative -- Begins May 19
- Coordinated Community Response and/or Sexual Assault Response Team Intensive Technical Assistance Available
- Register for the Spring WCADVSA Membership Meeting, May 11- 13, 2022.
- Program Support Calls
- WCADVSA Laramie Office Hours and Program, Board, Staff and DVS List
- ERAP Updates
- Funds to Reduce Education, Employment, and Job Training Barriers for Survivors
- NNEDV Independence Project Available
Policy Updates
In Wyoming
- Wyoming Legislature Update
- Feedback of our Action Alerts Requested
Across the Nation
- NNEDV Congressional Briefing to launch the #DVCounts Report (May 10)
- NNEDV Advocacy Days (June 1-2, June 7-8)
Trainings, Webinars, and Events
In Wyoming
- Sexual Assault Healing Services Learning Collaborative Monthly Gathering
- Transitional Housing Voluntary Services Training E-Learning
Across the Nation
- Conceptual Clarity 3-Day Training: A Model for Intervening with Men Who Batter and Abuse (April 20, 21, 22)
- Organizing Transformative Justice Responses to Campus Sexual Violence (April 26)
- Providing Accessible and Effective Services to Survivors of Sexual Assault with Disabilities (April 26)
- How to Tell Visually Impactful Stories with Data (April 27)
- Lessons Learned About Survivor-Centered Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic (April 27)
- National Mental Health Awareness Month Webinar Series - Begins May 4
- Q&A On Privacy Planning Challenges When Survivors Enter Shelter or Relocate (May 9)
Resources
- VALOR SAAM Toolkit (English and Spanish)
- SAAM Social Media Resources
- Applying for OVW Funding
Spotlight: Building Safe Online Spaces During Sexual Assault Awareness Month
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Legal Secretary
WCADVSA Legal Program
The Wyoming Coalition's Legal Program is hiring for a full-time Legal Secretary in our Laramie Office. WCADVSA Legal Program provides holistic legal representation statewide, emphasizing safety and self-empowerment for survivors and involved children of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking.
The ideal candidate has:
- Legal Secretary program certificate, Paralegal degree or equivalent work experience.
- Demonstrated ability to work with people from varied backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, and abilities. Individuals with lived experiences will be given preference.
- Understanding causes of violence rooted in racism and oppression as connected to domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking with a strong commitment to ending violence and oppression of all peoples.
- Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, including maintaining a good working relationship with the public.
A complete job description highlighting qualifications and job responsibilities can be found here.
Please provide a cover letter, resume, and contact information of three professional references to Lindsey Hunt, lhunt@wyomingdvsa.org (preferred), mail to PO Box 236, Laramie, WY, 82073 or hand deliver to 710 Garfield, Suite 218 East, Laramie, WY 82073.
Application will be reviewed beginning April 22, 2022. Position will remain open until filled.
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Advocate Learning and Support Collaborative
Thursday, May 19, 2022, 1:00 - 2:30 pm MST
Program Advocates are invited to join an opportunity to meet, connect with, and learn alongside fellow advocates!
The Advocate Learning and Support Collaborative will begin on Thursday, May 19, 2022, from 1:00pm to 2:30pm over Zoom. All membership program advocates are invited to connect in this space every other week, to meet and provide support to one another, and to engage in a learning community together as we explore and discuss resources provided by national domestic violence and sexual assault organizations.
Please register HERE or contact Susie Markus, Rural Capacity Specialist, at 307-222-3352 or smarkus@wyomingdvsa.org.
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Coordinated Community Response and/or Sexual Assault Response Team Intensive Technical Assistance is Available from the WCADVSA!
This assistance is available for existing teams that may be seeking resources and technical assistance, or communities interested in starting up, revising, or reviving your teams!
Please contact Susie Markus at smarkus@wyomingdvsa.org or 307-222-3352 for more information.
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Register for our Spring Membership Meeting
Please join us for an in-person Spring Membership Meeting May 11-13, 2022 at the Tate Pumphouse Platte River Trails in Casper, WY (1775 W 1st St).
Click here to register.
Tentative Agenda
May 11 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
May 12 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
May 13 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Reserve your room!
We've blocked out hotel rooms at the Ramkoda Hotel- please mention the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault when making your reservation.
Funding for Travel Expenses Available
Through the WCADVSA's Rural Grant we are able to provide funds for program staff to attend the May membership meeting. If your program need assistance before the meeting, please fill out a WCADVSA Travel Pre-Approved Request Form. To request reimbursement after the meeting, please complete the Travel Voucher Form.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Celeste at ccollingwood@wyomingdvsa.org
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Program Support Calls
Held first Tuesday of every month
at 1:00 pm via Zoom
Alina from Zenit Journaling will be joining us this year to work on self care and healing with Program Directors and designated advocates. This will consist of mini journaling sessions the first Tuesday of each month at noon (before our program support call) beginning April 5, 2022 and ending January 3rd, 2023 (excluding May and October 2022), and in person workshops during our May and October Membership Meetings.
Here is the Zoom Link for Mini Journaling Sessions.
Program Support Calls are an opportunity for DVSA program directors (or their designee) to connect with other programs and WCADVSA staff about the work being done around Wyoming. Coalition staff will invite others to join the support calls at the request of membership.
Our next Program Support Call is May 3, 2022. Join us by clicking this Zoom link (it will be emailed directly to member program directors). Contact Kristen at kschwartz@wyomingdvsa.org with any questions or problems connecting.
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WCADVSA Office Hours and Program, Board, Staff and DVS List Reminder
WCASVSA Laramie Office is open Monday - Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you are unable to reach WCADVSA staff at (307) 755-5481, please let Kristen at kschwartz@wyomingdvsa.org or Tiffany at te-m@wyomingdvsa.org know. The majority of staff are in office full time, and some work a hybrid schedule splitting time between home and office to reduce the risk of full office exposure, quarantine and/or closure.
We've updated our Program, Board, Staff, and DVS List!
Click here to access our full contact list.
Please email Celeste at ccollingwood@wyomingdvsa.org with any updates or corrections.
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Emergency Rental Assistance Funding (ERAP) Updates
The Coalition is ordering phones and phone cards, doorbell cameras, and security kits to be handed out at membership meeting in May. These will be for your program to give out to ERAP eligible survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking. We want programs to have them available in case someone comes in who needs them. Right now we are planning on two of each for every program.
If you need more or need them sooner, please contact Angie to make arrangements.
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Flexible Funds to Reduce Education, Employment, and Job Training Barriers for Survivors
With support from The Allstate Foundation, the WCADVSA has funds to support education, employment, and job training barriers for survivors. These funds can be used to help support survivors in obtaining G.E.D.s, job skills training, certifications, licenses, continuing education, education/job-related supplies such as uniforms, tools, and/or other equipment, transportation-related support, etc.
If your program is offering training on the Allstate Moving Ahead Curriculum or other economic empowerment training, you may request funds to support and encourage survivor participation such as offering food and/or childcare during economic empowerment events or gas gift cards for survivors to get to the training.
Member programs may also inquire about offering scholarships to help support survivor participation in job training programs such as CLIMB Wyoming.
Funds must be spent by June 30, 2022. We have approximately $2,853.00 remaining. Remaining funds will be pledged on a first come first serve basis. To request funds, please submit an Allstate Barrier Reduction Request Form. Once your request has been approved, your program will pay expenses upfront and then you can request reimbursement by submitting an Allstate Barrier Reduction Reimbursement Form.
While it is not required for participants to utilize the Allstate Moving Ahead curriculum to access these funds, financial planning and management is a life-long process and this online curriculum is designed for domestic violence survivors and can help provide the guidance and tools needed to make important financial decisions and work toward gaining long-term financial security.
If you have any questions, please connect with Trish Worley
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NNEDV Independence Project Available
Credit Building through Micro-Lending
Just a reminder that NNEDV is able to provide $00 credit-building, micro-loans to survivors.
Through the Independence Project, advocates and local domestic violence programs across the nation can support survivors of domestic violence in improving their credit scores through micro-lending. Through the Independence Project, a survivor can apply for a credit building micro-loan of $100 and to repay this loan over the subsequent 10 months with no interest.
To apply please register at the following link: Independence Project Application Sign Up.
Thanks to the generous and continued support of The Allstate Foundation, which makes many of these loans possible!
Click here to learn more.
If you have any questions, please connect with Trish Worley or contact the NNEDV team.
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)
Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining"!
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Wyoming Legislature Update
April 14, 2022
Governor Gordon delayed the signing on SF0100 Stalking Amendments from March 11th and signed it March 21st when Sen. Landen could be there. We joined in! Please extend all the thank yous you can to Sen. Landen. He understands the work we do inside and out.
By now you may know Governor Gordon did not veto HB0092 Abortion Prohibition but signed it on March 15th. In upcoming WCADVSA membership meetings we'll discuss what's next.
For a simple summary of the bills we followed, see this document.
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Please provide your feedback today!
It is important we know what will help you understand our work and the public policy we do. Please take a few minutes to answer 5 super easy questions so we can improve our work for you!
Here’s the survey link:
https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_823tVr0K0dPV8tU
Or scan the QR code.
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NNEDV Congressional Briefing to Launch the #DVCounts Report
May 10, at 12:00 pm MST
Facebook Live
Join the NNEDV on Facebook Live on Tuesday, May 10, at 2:00 PM ET for a bipartisan Congressional briefing to launch the #DVCounts Report! They will be joined by Members of Congress and those impacted by domestic violence to share why the report is such a critical tool in our work to create change for survivors, advocates, and programs across the country.
For the sixteenth consecutive year, on September 9, 2021, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) conducted our Domestic Violence Counts Survey: a one-day, unduplicated count of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the United States. This annual survey documents the number of people who sought services in a single 24-hour period, as well as the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet due to a lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs face as they strive to provide services to victims of domestic violence.
The NNEDV Domestic Violence Counts Report summarizes the results of this survey and includes policy recommendations based on these results. This annual report is instrumental in raising awareness about domestic violence and the incredible work that local domestic violence programs do every day. Year after year, state and local advocates, national experts, journalists and reporters, and policymakers from both sides of the aisle rely on the report to understand the realities faced by advocates and survivors.
Click here to download the Wyoming Summary.
For more the full report, National Summary, and additional resources, please visit the NNEDV webpage here.
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NNEDV Advocacy Days 2022
June 7 – June 8, 2022
Trainings: June 1 – June 2, 2022
WCADVSA invites any program staff or Coalition staff with Supervisor's permission to join us!
Please review the schedule below. For those who have never joined a NNEDV Advocacy Day, attending the June 1 & 2 pre-conference webinars are very helpful. The critical day is June 7 to strategize and prepare for June 8 meetings with our U.S. Congressional representatives: Rep. Cheney and Senators Barrasso and Lummis. We are scheduling those meetings now.
The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) invites you to their virtual Advocacy Days 2022. They have an exciting few days planned and hope to see as many of you as possible on Zoom! Registration is now open and our goal is to have as many states and territories represented as possible.
Schedule Overview:
Wednesday, June 1
3:00pm - 4:30pm EST Pre-Conference Webinar I: Lobbying 101 (optional)
Thursday, June 2
3:00pm - 4:30pm EST Pre-Conference Webinar II: Legislative Asks & Current Politics (optional)
Tuesday, June 7
11:45am - 3:00pm EST Public Policy Forum
3:00pm - 6:00pm EST Optional Strategy Session With NNEDV Policy Staff
Wednesday June 8
9:00am - 5:00pm EST Individual Congressional Meetings - exact times TBD
5:00pm - 6:00pm EST Informal Debrief Happy Hour (optional)
To attend, please RSVP to Tara Muir at tmuir@wyomingdvsa.org.
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All year long, you can visit our website to review the most recent legislative sessions and what we have worked on, as well as archived previous years.
Follow this link, or you can always get to that page in the "Get Involved" drop-down menu and then "Public Policy". Please share with staff and board members. We'll work on getting our regular public policy zoom calls on that webpage, too.
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Wyoming Webinars, Training and Events | |
Transitional Housing Voluntary Services Training E-Learning
The NNEDV Voluntary Services Training in 2021 will be completed through an e-learning module. WCADVSA member programs are encouraged to participate in the e-learning module if they are providing direct services. There is no limit on the number of staff who can take this e-learning course. But at least one person needs to complete the courses for the agency.
There are 8 lessons available. In total, you'll need to view 6 lessons to complete the training requirement. There are 5 mandatory lessons in Track A and 3 elective lessons in Track B. At least 1 lesson from Track B must be completed to meet the minimum lesson requirement.
Click this link to find the registration page. When you register, you will automatically be registered for both Tracks A and B and you will have access to all eight lessons. When you register, you'll be asked to create a username and password that is unique for you. Each person, who wants to take the course, should enroll separately.
Please email a copy of your certificate to Trish Worley, Economic Justice Specialist
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National Webinars, Training and Events | |
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Three-Day Training: A Model for Intervening with Men Who Batter and Abuse
April 20, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm MST
April 21, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm MST
April 22, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm MST
Around the country there is increasing interest in creating meaningful change in men who batter, abuse, and cause harm. This training will help you create or refine a BIP that is comprehensive, clear, and customized to your organization and community. This training is what you need to enhance your credibility in your community.
This training will explore the latest stages model of intervention programs for men who batter, abuse, and cause harm as either an integrated model or a module program. Throughout the training, we will include discussion on building specific tools, strategic use of technology, documentation strategies, and building strong community partnerships. A portion of the training will be on identifying and building community partnerships, infrastructure and framework for administrative program design and function. This training will also focus on staff development, reporting, community relationships, and fiscal viability.
Training topics will include:
- Conceptual Clarity Curriculum Model and Accountability Workbook.
- From Theory to Practice, effective methods of intervening with those who batter, abuse, and cause harm.
- Extensive tools for use in any BIP.
- Effective program design, development, groupwork methodology and practice.
- Seeking and developing support within the community
This training is being provided intentionally on a virtual platform
to make it accessible and affordable
to individuals and programs everywhere.
This course is approved by the NASW-Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative. Approval # 022422-03
# CE Hours approved: 18
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Organizing Transformative Justice Responses to Campus Sexual Violence
April 26 from 5:00 - 6:30 pm MST
As university campuses struggle to meet the call to address sexual violence, significant questions about what actually causes and could actually end this harm continue to surface. Movement organizing against policing and criminalization have highlighted that prosecution of individuals is a problematic and insufficient way to address sexual violence over the long-haul, and often leaves survivors without support or resolution. Abolitionist organizers have cultivated Transformative Justice approaches to harm and violence, arguing that we must approach this work looking at root causes and collective transformation.
Xhercis Méndez, founder of The University TJ Project, will be in conversation with Dean Spade, Professor at Seattle University School of Law and collaborator with BCRW and Project NIA on the Building Accountable Communities video series, among others.
Accessibility
Live transcription and ASL interpretation will be provided. Please email any additional access needs to skreitzb@barnard.edu.
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Providing Accessible and Effective Services to Survivors of Sexual Assault with Disabilities
April 26 from 12:00 - 1:30 pm MST
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and in support of survivors everywhere, this month’s End Abuse of People with Disabilities webinar is dedicated to lifting up promising practices for serving survivors with disabilities.
Sexual violence within the disability community continues to be a “hidden epidemic.” The research makes it clear:
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83% of women with disabilities will be sexually assaulted in their lives.
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50% of girls who are deaf have been sexually abused compared to 25% of girls who are hearing; 54% of boys who are deaf have been sexually abused in comparison to 10% of boys who are hearing.
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Approximately 80% of women and 30% of men with developmental disabilities have been sexually assaulted – half of these women have been assaulted more than 10 times.
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Just 3% of sexual abuse cases involving people with developmental disabilities are ever reported.
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Women with a disability are far more likely to have a history of undesired sex with an intimate partner – 19.7% vs. 8.2%.
Featuring a panel comprised of a survivor with a disability, a national expert, and a local advocate, this webinar will explore the unique barriers that people with disabilities have to navigate when seeking healing and the strategies that advocates can employ to proactively remove those barriers. The panelists will provide practical guidance from their own experience that will help you ensure that survivors with disabilities feel respected and supported within your programs.
American Sign Language interpreting will be provided for the webinar. Closed captioning and other accommodations for the live session are available upon request.
If you need assistance with registering or have any questions email cvs@vera.org.
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How to Tell Visually Impactful Stories with Data
Dates: April 27, 2022 / May 4, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm MST
Learn the basics of using data in maps and infographics to tell visally impactful stories in the unique two-part 180-minute live e-certification series. This SSIR Live! webinar-workshop is developed, facilitated, and presented by Carissa Carter, the academic director at the Stanford d.school, the Hasso Plattner Institute for Design at Stanford University. By the end of the course, you’ll be more confident at reading, responding to, and critiquing maps and infographics, as well as building them for your organization. Come ready to think and participate actively!
Part I: Finding a Compelling Agenda
Date: Wednesday, April 27, 2022
- Explore the landscape of data and design and introduce a framework for examining maps and infographics.
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Probe the elements that make infographics work (or not) using real-world examples
- Introduce techniques you can use to find the story you'd like to tell for your own organization or project
- Examine bias and agendas in infographics and maps
Part II: Visually Crafting Your Data Story
Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2022
- Explore the elements of craft and talk about why visual literacy matters no matter your role or domain of expertise
- Practice abstracting and representing different types of data
- Design and interpret our own maps and infographics
- Examine the overall practice of telling visual stories with data
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Lessons Learned About Survivor-Centered Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dates: April 27, 2022 / May 25, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00pm MST
We are excited to announce a webinar series highlighting best practices and innovative strategies that IPV advocates, healthcare providers, and child welfare advocates can implement to form stronger support networks for survivors of violence and abuse in emergency conditions, such as COVID-19. Leaders in the field will share important practice and organizational policy changes made during the pandemic to ensure continuity of quality services for children and families, particularly those belonging to communities that are marginalized.
Based on three issue briefs developed through a collaborative effort of the Improving Services for Violence Against Children and Women project (by Futures Without Violence, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and from research by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh), each webinar will offer recommendations to specific audiences related to prevention strategies, systems and practice change, and staff/organizational support to better serve adult and child survivors during a public health crisis.
Click here to register!
Questions? Please email health@futureswithoutviolence.org
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National Mental Health Awareness Month Webinar Series
Wednesdays in May (May 4, 11, 18, and 25)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Public and Indian Housing and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are teaming up to present a series of free webinars this May to celebrate National Mental Health Awareness Month!
The webinars will take place each Wednesday in May and will feature leading mental health and housing professionals from SAMHSA and HUD, as well as practitioners from their respective communities. This collaboration will focus on mental health issues that our nation is facing in the post-pandemic world, plus issues specific to HUD’s communities
Upcoming webinars include:
Please send your questions, comments, and suggestions to the SAMHSA Headlines Team. You can call 1-877-SAMHSA-7, or email at SAMHSAHeadlines@samhsa.hhs.gov.
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Q&A On Privacy Planning Challenges When Survivors Enter Shelter or Relocate
May 9, 2022 from 12:00 - 1:00 pm MST
You are invited to a virtual Q&A session focusing on Privacy Planning Challenges When Survivors Enter Shelter or Relocate, May 9 from 2-3 pm Eastern. This session will focus on key questions and concerns for survivors about their phones, accounts, and other technology when they are coming into shelter or relocating elsewhere.
When survivors relocate or go into shelter, privacy planning is essential to reduce the risks that they might be found by the abusive person. Survivors’ information and location are connected to phones and other devices and to accounts and apps. What questions and challenges come up as you work with survivors? The Safety Net team will answer your questions and help think through the challenges that come up in those first crucial days and weeks when a survivor leaves an abusive person.
Closed captioning will be provided, and additional accessibility requests can be made at registration. The session will be recorded.
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Click here to view a variety of upcoming webinars, national training, and conferences. | | | |
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VALOR Released a Sexual Assault Awareness Month Toolkit
ValorUS (VALOR) leads with prevention of sexual violence. For 2022 Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), VALOR released a free toolkit in both English and Spanish to empower you to lead your own community. With the theme of “Collective Action for Equity,” these resources support you to spread the message of prevention of sexual violence.
VALOR has provided a facilitator guide and accompanying customizable slides for a workshop “It Impacts All of Us” that you can provide in your community during SAAM or any other time of the year.
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Applying for Office on Violence Against Women Funding
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) invites organizations and communities working to end gender-based violence to apply for funding. This section provides general information about how to apply for OVW grants and cooperative agreements.
You can also stay updated on OVW Open Solicitations and their ongoing Solicitation Release Plan.
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Building Safe Online Space Together During Sexual Assault Awareness Month
For too long harassment, cyberbullying, and sexual abuse and exploitation have come to be expected as typical and unavoidable behaviors online. With so much of our business, educational and social lives online, adults, teens, and children have been at increased risk for or have experienced sexual assault and harassment online.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes..” “Sexual violence can occur in person, online, or through technology, such as posting or sharing sexual pictures of someone without their consent, or non-consensual sexting.”
Building Safe Online Spaces Together is possible when we practice digital consent, intervene when we see harmful content and behaviors, and promote online communities that value respect, inclusion, and safety.
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Online harassment is no less harmful because it happens online. Virtual harassment can leave lasting harm, as the content is often public, unerasable, and just as emotionally damaging as in-person harassment.
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Online harassment and bullying are extremely common. Forty-one percent of Americans have been personally subjected to harassing behavior online, and an even larger share (66%) have witnessed these behaviors directed at others.
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People from historically oppressed groups are more likely to be harassed online, and that harassment is likely to be more severe. Online harassment mirrors the inequalities we see elsewhere in society, often including racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, ableist, or other hate speech based on aspects of someone's identity.
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Victims of online harassment often have little recourse. Due to the anonymity of the internet, many victims have no idea who is behind the harassment and have few avenues to make it stop even if they do know the person causing harm.
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“Just log off” isn’t always an effective solution. Pushing the victim to no longer participate in online spaces to avoid being harassed is victim-blaming. Rather than expecting victims to change their behavior and limit their online presence, we must address the root causes of online harassment by taking the issue seriously and holding people who commit online harassment accountable. Many people rely on virtual spaces to stay connected with loved ones and have social interactions. Access to online spaces can be a healing resource for those who have experienced harassment.
For more information visit the Wyoming Health Council or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
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