PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release - 2/9/06
Contacts:
Susan Moran, SOS, Inc. (Emporia) 620-343-8799
Laurie Harrison, KCSDV (Topeka) 785-232-9784
Award honors Emporia mental health professional
Coalition awards its Outstanding Ally of the Year Award
Topeka, Kan. - An Emporia man has received the Juliene Maska Outstanding Ally of the Year Award by the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV).
Tom Myers, a professional with the Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas, was awarded the honor during KCSDV's 3rd Annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets Awareness Day and Reception in Topeka in February.
"Tom has tirelessly waged a battle to change attitudes, policies and practices related to issues of domestic violence," said Susan Moran, executive director at SOS, Inc., an agency serving domestic violence and sexual assault victims in Emporia and the surrounding area. SOS, Inc. nominated Myers for the award.
In 1995 KCSDV began recognizing Kansans for their outstanding advocacy in working to end sexual and domestic violence. The award is named after its first recipient and long-time advocate, Juliene Maska, who now is an administrator in the Office of the Kansas Governor. Past recipients include former Kansas legislators Rocky Nichols and David Adkins; former Kansas Secretary of Social and Rehabilitation Services Janet Schalansky; Dorthy Stucky-Halley, Delma Rourk, Sandy Barnett, Katie Evans, Kathy Williams, and Jack Cooley.
Myers has been an ally to SOS, Inc. for 20 years. He provided training to its employees on mental health issues and has spoken at two recent domestic violence summits in Emporia. He has urged the community focus on safety for victims and accountability for offenders.
Myers recently initiated an ordinance prohibiting municipal court defendants from being eligible for diversion agreements on domestic battery if they have previous diversions or convictions for such offenses. He is also pushing for legislation that would mandate all municipal and district courts report domestic battery diversions to a KBI database.
"We are grateful to have Tom as an ally in the community and proud to work with him at SOS," Moran said. "He is a public advocate in all things and all places. His dedication to this work extends beyond the borders of his job and into our community."
The Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence is the only statewide network of domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy programs in Kansas. SOS, Inc. is a member of KCSDV and provides services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Chase, Coffey, Greenwood, Lyon, Morris, and Osage counties.
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