Building Assets for Survivors of Domestic Violence · Cindy Gruman, The Lewin Group...

transcript

Building Assets for Survivors of Domestic Violence

CFED Assets Learning Conference September 2012

Office of Community Services, DHHS

• Al Fleming, Program Manager, Assets for Independence (AFI)

• Edwin Patout, AFI Resource Coordinator

Family Violence Prevention Services Administration, DHHS

• Marylouise Kelley, Director

• Shawndell Dawson, Senior Program Specialist

Project is a Partnership

• Expand asset-building services to DV survivors and hone strategies for how best to help them achieve greater financial strength. Project staff will work to increase the number of partnerships between DV and asset-building agencies and train both communities in the financial needs of this population, and how best to tailor asset-building services to meet those needs.

• Develop training and informational materials for those who work in domestic violence organizations, AFI and other asset-building agencies, and for survivors themselves. Papers and memos will also be developed for OCS related to what is learned about serving this unique population, and recommendations for future action.

• Raise the visibility of this initiative in both the DV and asset-building communities. Project staff will organize presentations and trainings at key domestic violence and asset building conferences.

Purpose of the Project

• Primary funding in support of emergency shelter and related assistance for victims of domestic violence and their dependents and the national DV hotline.

• FVPSA’s role in the initiative

• Partnering with OCS

• Supporting DV advocates and economic empowerment

• Developing resources for DV survivors

Family Violence Prevention Services Administration

Statewide DV Coalitions

www.nnedv.org/resources/coalitions.html

National DV Hotline -1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

www.thehotline.org

Domestic Violence Resource Network Info

http://www.vawnet.org/links/networks.php

Domestic Violence Resource Network

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) – www.nrcdv.org and www.vawnet.org

National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center – www.niwrc.org

Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence (APIIDV) – www.apiahf.org/apidvinstitute

Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community (IDVACC) – www.dvinstitute.org

National Latina Network for Healthy Families and Communities - Casa de Esperanza www.casadeesperanza.org

Domestic Violence Resource Network

• Project Director; Responsible for project oversight

• Subcontractor, National Resource Center on Domestic

Violence

• Subcontractor, Kentucky Domestic Violence Association

• Subcontractor, National Network to End Domestic Violence

• Research Analyst, assist with coordination of project tasks

and research for training materials

Cindy Gruman Anne Menard Mary O’Doherty Rene Renick Anu Samarajiva

The Team: The Lewin Group, NRCDV, NNEDV, KDVA

• Mary O’Doherty, Kentucky Domestic Violence Association

• Krista Del Gallo, Texas Council on Family Violence

• Delia Chavez, El Paso Collaborative for Community and Economic Development

Speakers

• Economic dependence is the main reason that victims stay with or return to an abusive partner.

• Asset-building agencies offer financial education, other financial guidance, and matched savings accounts.

• Partnerships between asset-building and DV agencies can and are enabling survivors to live independently and violence-free through help with buying a house, starting a business and going to school.

Why do Asset Building with Survivors?

Asset Building

Gainful Employment/Supportive

Networks

Personal/Skills Development

Trauma Recovery

Basic Needs

Safety

Pathways to Cross–Generational Economic Stability

Pathway to Asset Building

• Kentucky’s statewide domestic violence coalition

• 15 member programs across the state

• Has administered three AFI grants and just received a fourth award

• Sub-grantees include member programs and community agencies that work specifically with lower-income at-risk women

KDVA’s IDA Program

KDVA: 15 Member Programs

KDVA: Only DV Coalition that is an AFI Grantee

• Especially good for rural programs with limited capacity/resources

• Program can be tailored to survivors’ needs: Car IDAs, free tax-prep, micro loans

• Relationships between partners already exist

Results to Date

• There are currently 82 individuals enrolled in KDVA’s Classic (AFI-funded) IDA Program.

• In the 7 years KDVA has operated the Classic IDA, 266 savers have made asset purchases.

Education 121

Businesses

• KDVA wrote grant and raised match, provides financial management, sends monthly statements

• Provides financial education and program trainings and facilitates external training opportunities for advocates and other staff

• Recruits community partners for homeownership counseling and small business counseling

KDVA’s Responsibilities

• Manages relationships with 6 banks

• Administers IDA Emergency Fund

• Provides credit reports

• Approves applications

• Facilitates purchases

• Coordinates complementary self-sufficiency programs such as Car-IDA, Microloan, VITA

KDVA’s Responsibilities, Cont.

Most programs have an advocate who specializes in economic empowerment (at least part-time).

That advocate’s role is to:

•Recruit participants

•Provide case management

•Provide financial education classes

•Facilitate opening of bank accounts

Member Programs’ Responsibilities

• Request credit reports

• Develop beneficial relationships with local partners (i.e.: financial planners, real estate professionals, etc.)

• Initiate asset purchases on behalf of IDA savers

Member Programs’ Responsibilities, Cont.

“One of the best things about this program is that my girls have learned with me and will grow up knowing how to make good financial decisions.”

Christa McMichael

• Identify a strong DV service provider in same community as the AFI grantee, preferably a DV provider that is already involved in economic empowerment issues such as assistance with job search.

• Ensure that both the DV service provider and AFI grantee have champions within their organizations to advocate for the partnership in their community.

Texas Two Step

2002 2006 2007 2007 2001 2008

El Paso Collaborative

receives AFI grant

Survivors at Work Partnership between CAFV and Upper Rio

Grande Works begins

RAISE Texas, statewide asset building coaltion,

incorporates

Texas IDA Network founded

TCFV hosts first Economic Justice

Summit in Austin, TX

Texas Summit includes an Economic

Empowerment Panel

Texas Community Partner Model

2009 2009 2010 2011 2008 2012

TCFV Proposal to Allstate Foundation to redirect national funds towards asset

building

(Fall)

Discussion between TCFV / El Paso Collaborative / CAFV on submitting a joint AFI grant

RAISE Texas chosen as a lead state organization, along with RAISE

Kentucky, as part of CFED’s Assets and Opportunities Initiative

(Late Summer)

City of San Antonio and Family Violence Prevention Services

enter into contract to guarantee survivors slots in the Vehicle IDA

Program

(Spring)

TCFV awarded State Discretionary CSBG grant by

the Texas Department of Housing and Urban Affairs to further support asset building

(Summer)

El Paso Collaborative / CAFV awarded AFI grant

TCFV hosts 4th Economic Justice Summit in El

Paso, Texas

Partners

• El Paso Collaborative for Community and Economic Development

• Center against Family Violence (CAFV), El Paso

How it works

• Collaborative staff trained CAFV advocates

• CAFV advocates identify and refer potential candidates / Collaborative staff presents at support groups

• Eligibility appointment at the Collaborative (applicants are screened and given program details)

• Interagency communication to trouble shoot

Participants

• Three started saving while in shelter

• Remainder began the program while receiving services from the Family Resource Center (non-residential)

• Several are participants have also received immigration legal services

• Average monthly savings between $50-$100

Making it work

• Collaborative provides upfront, comprehensive information to the survivors about what participation entails / expectations

• CAFV addresses tech safety and the importance of privacy with survivors

• CAFV offers complimentary supportive services while Collaborative offers additional resources / referrals to relevant programs

Project Impact

• Enhances Center’s mission of helping survivors mover forward

• Provides hope and a sense of accomplishment for survivors

• Agencies are have increased their connections in the community

• Bolsters cohesive, positive community values of helping those struggling

Toolkit provides step-by-step guidance on how to bring partnerships from concept to reality.

AFI Serving Domestic Violence Survivors Toolkit

• Economic dependence is the main reason that victims stay with or return to an abusive partner.

• Asset-building agencies offer financial education, other financial guidance, and matched savings accounts.

• Partnerships between asset-building and DV agencies can and are enabling survivors to live independently and violence-free through help with buying a house, starting a business and going to school.

• Partnership models are already being tested in the field that can be adapted to your program.

• Toolkit provides step-by-step guidance on how to bring partnerships from concept to reality. 27

Development of the Toolkit

• Chapter 1: Purpose and Background Information

• Chapter 2: Information for DV Service Providers

• Asset-Building for DV Survivors (Addressing safety concerns; Working with survivors who are not IDA ready, etc.)

• Building Partnerships between AFI and DV agencies

• DV Coalition as AFI Grantee (Kentucky Domestic Violence Association)

• Community Partnerships (El Paso case example)

Toolkit Chapters

• Chapter 3: Information for AFI Grantees

• What is Domestic Violence

• Asset-Building for DV Survivors

• Building Partnerships with DV Service Systems

• Chapter 4: Additional Resources

• Financial Education Curricula for Survivors

• Resources for DV Service Providers Interested in Becoming AFI Grantees

• Resources for AFI and DV agencies interested in partnering with each other

Toolkit Chapters

Finding the Toolkit

Scroll to the bottom of the page

Discussion

Federal Partners:

Edwin Patout, OCS edwin.patout@acf.hhs.gov (202) 401-4838

Shawndell Dawson, FVPSA shawndell.dawson@acf.hhs.gov (202) 205-1476

Technical Assistance:

Cindy Gruman, The Lewin Group cindy.gruman@lewin.com 703-269-5506

Anu Samarajiva, The Lewin Group anu.samarajiva@lewin.com 703-269-5563

Practitioners:

Mary O’Doherty, KDVA modoherty@kdva.org (502) 209-5382

Krista Del Gallo, Texas Council on Family Violence kdelgallo@tcfv.org (512) 685-6203

Delia Chavez, El Paso Collaborative delia@ep-collab.org (915) 590-1210

Contacts

For more information about AFI:

www.idaresources.org

info@idaresources.org 1-866-778-6037

For a list of active AFI grantees by state: http://idaresources.org/afigrantees

To find AFI grantees in your community:

http://idaresources.org/Map.

More Information about AFI

Building Assets for Survivors of Domestic Violence · Cindy Gruman, The Lewin Group...

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