Through a collective voice, the WCADVSA is committed to provide leadership, education, and systems advocacy to advance social change and end violence.

July 18, 2022

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, email Celeste at ccollingwood@wyomingdvsa.org 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:  

Our Work

• National Sexual Assault Conference: Embracing Intersectionality (Aug. 17-19) - Travel Funds available for Programs
• Allstate Barrier Reduction Funds Renewed!
• Save the Date: October Membership Meeting and Silent Witness Initiative (Oct. 5-7)
• ERAP Reminder: Gap in Accessibility to Funding
• Advocate Learning and Support Collaborative (Jul. 28)
• Coordinated Community Response and/or Sexual Assault Response Team Intensive Technical Assistance Available
• Program Support Calls (Next: Aug. 2)
• WCADVSA Laramie Office Hours and Program, Board, Staff and DVS List
• NNEDV Independence Project Available

Abortion Access in Wyoming

• A Word from WCADVSA
• Reproductive Health Resources
• Post-Roe Resources for Advocates: Supporting Reproductive Freedom and Choice
• Core Principles of Survivor-centered, Voluntary Services Inform Our Work, still. A message from the Confidentiality Institute

Policy Updates

National

• New Proposed Title IX Rules - Review by NWLC
• NNEDV Applauds the House Passage of Abortion Access Bills

Trainings, Webinars, and Events

In Wyoming

• 2022 SAFE Men's Summit (Jul. 19) - Travel Funds available for Programs
• National Sexual Assault Conference: Embracing Intersectionality (Aug. 17-19) - Travel Funds available for Programs
• Silent Witness Initiative Ceremony (Oct. 7)
• Transitional Housing Voluntary Services Training E-Learning

Across the Nation

• July Virtual CAAN Discussion with the BWJP (Jul. 22)
• Futures Without Violence Seeking Survivors for Listening Session on Jul. 22
• DV Counts Informational Webinar (Aug. 16)
• Proposals Open for the Collaborative Responses to Domestic Violence in Rural Communities Conference

Resources

• Financial Resource Guide for Survivors
• Applying for OVW Funding

Allstate Barrier Reduction Funds Renewed!

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.

We have approximately $9,750.00 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

Save the Date: Fall Membership Meeting and Silent Witness Ceremony

Board Meeting: October 4

Membership Meeting: October 4 - 6

Silent Witness Ceremony: October 7

Save the day for our in-person Fall Membership Meeting on October 4-6, 2022 and the 2022 Silent Witness Initiative Ceremony on October 7th at the Blue Community Events Center in Cheyenne, WY (2401 East Pershing Blvd).

Agenda and registration information coming soon.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Celeste at ccollingwood@wyomingdvsa.org

ERAP Update: Gap in Accessibility to Funding

Due to the extension of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds in Wyoming, WCADVSA is transitioning our ERAP grant. We anticipate a 30 - 60 day gap in accessibility to funding until we receive a new contract from the WY Department of Family Services. We will be sure to notify everyone immediately when we have a new contract in place and are able to access funds.

During the transition, we want to do what we can to help your programs ensure that the survivors' needs are still met. If you anticipate incurring any expenses during the transition, please talk to Angie and come up with the best way to handle it. The process may be delayed, but if you are able to hold off on submitting vouchers for reimbursement, we may still be able to reimburse.  

If you have any questions, please contact Angie or Kristen,

Advocate Learning and Support Collaborative

Thursday, July 28, 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 be held every other Thursday, from 1:00pm to 2:30pm over Zoom. All membership program advocates are invited to connect in this space, 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.

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. 

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), and in person workshops during our  October Membership Meeting.

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 August 2, 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.

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.

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.

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.

Reproductive Health Resources

While the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has reversed Roe v. Wade, we can still help survivors seeking an abortion. We've compiled a list of reproductive health resources.

We are in the process of creating a reproductive health resources page on our website to help us all keep track of and understand reproductive rights and resources for Wyoming residents. If you have any information to share or questions you would like addressed in our webpage please reach out to either Tara Muir or Celeste Collingwood 

Post-Roe Resources for Advocates: Supporting Reproductive Freedom and Choice

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the looming certification of Wyoming's trigger law, HB 92, by Governor Gordon, we know there are a lot of questions about where reproductive freedoms stand, especially for survivors who seek assistance. and there is a need for communicating the very real and immediate threat that this decision poses to survivor freedom and choice. 

In response to this need, the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance has created a reproductive freedom and choice for survivors resource for advocates. While this may not answer all our questions with the ongoing uncertainty of it all, it's a start.

Click here to see the full Reproductive Freedom & Choice for Survivors of Sexual and Domestic Violence Resources for Advocates

Values Messaging: Reproductive Freedom & Choice for Sexual and Domestic Violence Survivors.

Reach out to your representatives and let them know that sexual and domestic violence survivors deserve reproductive freedom! 

Use this this link to find out who your elected representatives are, including their contact info, if you aren’t sure. 

Do you have more questions about HB92? Reach out to Tara, the WCADVSA Public Policy Director.

Core Principles of Survivor-centered, Voluntary Services Inform Our Work, still. 

Alicia Aiken JD, principal consult for the Confidentiality Institute, shares this important reminder.

In the wake of the Dobbs decision, when many long-held norms about privacy and self-determination feel completely upended, it is a good time to remember how the core principles of survivor-centered, voluntary services inform our work and have not changed.

Best practice means that community-based programs…

• record the minimum amount of information necessary to serve the survivor’s needs, as determined by the survivor
• only collect the information that survivors think is related to the help they want from the program
• not ask for unnecessary information about survivor’s past trauma or other aspects of their lives
• purge records when they are no longer needed to serve survivor’s needs
• vigorously protect records from inappropriate or unlawful demands for disclosure, and
• never position themselves as an extension of law enforcement or as rescuers of survivors and their children
• help survivors to make informed decisions about how they share their information with other providers or services, and how they use location-based and internet searches to find reproductive and other health care.

Programs should be assisting survivors to safety plan and collect any documentation that survivors find helpful.

• Programs should not be providing long-term storage for survivor documentation (for evidence or other purposes).
• Programs should be strategizing with survivors and community partners (including law firms and banks) so that survivors can safely store their documentation in highly protective locations that survivors control (like safe deposit boxes or zero knowledge on-line storage sites).

As always, Safety Net and the Confidentiality Institute are available via safetynet@nnedv.org to help answer questions, assess practices and policies, and navigate the complexities of survivor privacy, confidentiality, and technology.

Here are some useful links:

• Written resources
• Record Retention and Deletion
• How to Respond to a Subpoena
• Why Privacy and Confidentiality Matters for Victims of Domestic & Sexual Violence
• Webinar recordings
• Survivor Data: Collection, Retention & Deletion Best Practices
• Official Demands for Information: Subpoenas, Warrants, Court Orders, Auditors & Monitors

National Policy Updates

New Proposed Title IX Rules

NWLC Explains

The Department of Education recently issued new proposed Title IX rules -- see Federal Register version (7/12/22) and unofficial version (6/23/22). The proposed Title IX rules would restore and enhance many of Title IX’s protections against sex-based harassment and other sex discrimination, and would formalize greater protections against discrimination for LGBTQI+ students and for pregnant and parenting students. 

At the same time, the Department did not explicitly address transgender inclusion in athletics in this proposal, opting instead to issue a separate proposal in the undefined future (likely fall 2022 or later, given it’s not mentioned in the Spring 2022 Unified Agenda).

The National Women’s Law Center’s new resource, The Biden Administration’s Proposed Department of Education Title IX Rules, Explained explains how Biden’s proposed Title IX rules and the current Trump Title IX rules address:

• Sex-based harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, gender-based harassment, harassment based on LGBTQI+ status, and harassment based on pregnancy/parenting status)
• LGBTQI+ students
• Pregnant and parenting students
• Other sex discrimination
• Religious exemptions from Title IX

For a shorter summary of Biden’s proposed Title IX rules, check out the NWLC's blog: Four Ways Biden’s Proposed Title IX Regulations Would Protect Students From Sex Discrimination.

Please share the both of these resources with your advocates, families, students, educators, and anyone else in your network!

NNEDV Applauds the House Passage of Abortion Access Bills

A message from NNEDV President and CEO

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which stripped away the constitutional right to abortion secured under Roe v. Wade, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two critical abortion access bills on Friday, July 15: the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 8296) and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 (H.R. 8297). 

NNEDV applauds the House for passing two urgently needed bills that would protect the right to abortion access across the country even in a world without Roe. 

Abortion services are essential healthcare and having equal access—for all people, everywhere—is vital to their social and economic participation, reproductive autonomy, and right to determine their own lives. For domestic violence survivors, abortion access is a matter of safety and without it, survivors are at risk of reproductive coercion. All people, including domestic violence survivors, deserve full control over their lives and decisions, including the ability to safely and freely decide whether or not to become, or stay, pregnant.

Without constitutional protections, congressional action is necessary to protect every person’s right to make their own decisions about their bodies. The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) protects the ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and a healthcare provider’s ability to provide abortion services. WHPA works toward a future where everyone is free to make the personal decisions that shape their lives, their futures, and their families without political interference. 

The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act prohibits anyone acting under state law from interfering with a person's ability to access out-of-state abortion services. The Supreme Court’s decision leaves millions struggling to access the essential health care they need, forcing those who have the means to travel thousands of miles to access abortion care or forcing others to carry pregnancies against their will. This bill would protect individuals seeking help, individuals assisting others, and healthcare providers providing services to out-of-state patients. No individual should fear helping those in need of care or those suffering from reproductive coercion.

In passing these bills, House members have demonstrated their commitment to abortion access and equal rights for all. We urge the Senate to do the same by passing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 without delay.

For peace and safety,

 Deborah J. Vagins

 NNEDV President and CEO

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.

Wyoming Webinars, Training and Events

2022 SAFE Men's Summit

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

9:00 am - 5:00 pm MST

The 2022 SAFE Men conference is a one-day gathering to focus on engaging men and boys in gender-based violence prevention in Albany County, Wyoming. Workshops will focus on work being done locally on subjects including using storytelling as a catalyst for social change and violence prevention, the Albany County SAFE Men project, campus-specific prevention strategies, the roles of the faith community and the media in prevention. Featured speakers include prevention specialists from across the country, artists, and activists presenting on their personal journeys to safer communities. 

SAFE Men's Summit will be held at the University of Wyoming Conference Center at the Hilton Garden Inn 2221 Grand Ave, Laramie, WY 82070 on July 19 from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. To register for the SAFE Men's Summit click here.

Funds available for program members to attend the 2022 SAFE Men's Summit. Please contact Bob at bvines@wyomingdvsa.org if your program is interested in attending or if you have any questions.

Save the Date: 2022 Silent Witness Ceremony

When: October 7, 2022

Where: Blue Community Events Center (2401 East Pershing Blvd. Cheyenne, WY 82001)

We are excited to share that the 2022 Silent Witness Initiative will be hosted by the Laramie County Safehouse Services and will be held at the Blue Community Events Center in Cheyenne.

Agenda and lodging info coming soon!

For questions, suggestions on new inductees, or to learn more contact Celeste at ccollingwood@wyomingdvsa.org. To be a part of the planning committee, contact Carla at help@wyomingsafehouse.org or call 307-634-8655.

Transitional Housing Voluntary Services Training E-Learning

The NNEDV Voluntary Services Training 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

National Webinars, Training and Events

July Virtual CAAN Discussion with the Battered Women's Justice Project

July 22 at 12:00 PM MST

This month's Coalition Advocates and Attorneys Network (CAAN) Meeting with the Battered Women's Justice Project (BWJP) will be held Friday, July 22 at 2PM EST/12PM MST

Please remember that everyone is always welcome to suggest topics for discussion – don’t be shy!

This month they will be discussing some promising court-based equity work in Minnesota and to briefly share a couple new products BWJP has developed that they hope are useful to you!

Join the Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83610067641

Meeting ID: 836 1006 7641

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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kejZBS9MjJ

Seeking Survivors For Listening Sessions!

Listening Session: Friday, July 22

Futures Without Violence’s National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence is currently conducting a needs assessment about the training and resource needs of providers caring for survivors of domestic violence. 

They are holding a listening session with survivors of domestic violence to learn about their experiences with healthcare providers to inform our resources for providers. 

Please circulate this interest form to any survivors who you think may be interested in participating. The listening session will take place virtually (Zoom) on Friday, July 22nd and will last approximately 90 minutes. Futures Without Violence will compensate participants with a $50 gift card.

SURVIVOR INTEREST FORM

DV Counts Informational Webinar

August 16, 2022 at 1:30 MST 

The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is gearing up for their 17^th Annual Domestic Violence Counts survey and report. #DVCounts is an annual noninvasive, unduplicated count of adults and children who seek services from U.S. domestic violence shelter programs during a single 24-hour survey period. Conducted annually by NNEDV since 2006, DV Counts takes into account the dangerous nature of domestic violence by using a survey designed to protect the confidentiality and safety of victims.

We are excited for your program to participate in this year’s #DVCounts on Wednesday, September 7, and invite you to join an informational webinar on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 3:30 PM ET. 

Please click here to register!

Attendees will receive a preview of this year’s survey, hear frequently asked questions, and learn more about collecting data for this year's count. As they roll out some new features this year, we recommend that at least one person from each participating program attend. (If you cannot attend live, English and Spanish recordings will be shared afterwards.)

Please reach out to the NNEDV DV Counts Team at DVCounts@NNEDV.org with any questions.

Proposals Open for the Collaborative Responses to Domestic Violence in Rural Communities Conference

October 3 - 4, 2022 at 8:30 AM - 4:15 PM MST 

Topics of Interest are:

• Mobile Advocacy Options
• Lack of Public Transportation
• Limited Housing for Survivors
• Telehealth Options for Rural Hospitals
• Limited Staff, Volunteers, and Men’s Auxiliaries
• Lack of Community Awareness Surrounding Domestic Violence

Coordinated Community Responses (CCRs) have been recognized as a best practice in reducing domestic violence since the Violence Against Women Act was enacted over 20 years ago and can be particularly effective in rural communities, where close-knit relationships and highly engaged community members provide an ideal jumping off point for collaborative efforts. However, with limited resources that must stretch further than their urban counterparts’, it can often be a struggle to implement and sustain this approach.

Recognizing this, ICCR and the Conference on Crimes Against Women are coming together to provide critical training and resources for implementing collaborative, systemic responses to domestic violence in rural communities nationwide.

Submit a Proposal HERE

Visit instituteccr.org/rural-conference/ to learn more.

Financial Resource Guide for Survivors

FinAbility, a new 501(c)3 building digital tools that financially empower survivors of domestic abuse, has created a new resource guide which directs survivors to trauma-informed resources and action-oriented information to build financial security.

Written by survivors and finance experts, this free, survivor-specific guide empowers readers to:

• Reclaim independence by taking control of their finances
• Improve financial health and security
• Learn personal finance at their own pace when they feel ready

Click here to to access the financial resources guide. 

This guide is the result of ideas and feedback from 100+ survivors, advocates, and nonprofit professionals. If you find the resource guide useful or have any feedback on how to make this guide impactful for the communities you serve, contact Stacy Sawin at opportunities@finabilityus.org.

Learn more about FinAbility in the video below.

Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

     ccollingwood@wyomingdvsa.org  | www.wyomingdvsa.org 

     710 Garfield St | Suite 218 | Laramie, WY | 82070

Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved.