Fall 2013 Newsletter

Message from KCSDV Executive Director, Joyce Grover

Joyce GroverDear Friends and Colleagues,

For over 30 years, KCSDV has been the leading voice in the statewide effort to end sexual and domestic violence in Kansas. Through the years, the coalition has seen many changes. In the beginning, a small staff charted new ground, developing best practice publications and delivering essential training. KCSDV was able to sustain a steady growth in staff and projects through federal and state grant initiatives, allowing us to focus on specialized areas such as improving services for survivors with disabilities, providing direct legal representation to survivors, delivering targeted training to sexual assault nurse examiners and response teams, providing targeted support to survivors and their children on public assistance, and facilitating training to a wide variety of allied professionals.

KCSDV continues to chart new ground and sustain vital initiatives but change continues, especially in the current economic climate.

Last month, KCSDV laid off three valuable staff when it was forced to eliminate three important positions.

Coalitions, shelters and rape crisis centers all over the nation are grappling with these difficult staffing and budget decisions, even as the work and the expectations increase.

While KCSDV may have fewer staff, this important work to serve survivors of domestic and sexual violence continues. We will continue to train a variety of professionals on responding to survivors and their families. We will continue to meet the increasing need for expert advice, training, and assistance for Kansas shelters and rape crisis centers. And, while funding has been restricted and reduced, this does not mean that incidents of domestic violence have decreased overnight or that rape and sexual assault have ended across the state. It does not mean that primary prevention efforts are not still a priority. These reductions at KCSDV mean that Kansas has fewer resources to address all of these critical priorities.

The State of Kansas has continued to support programs with level funding; we are so grateful for this! But as state funding has remained level, we have all been faced with reductions in federal support, and in some communities, local support. Fewer federal grant programs and fewer funds overall have taken a toll. Unfortunately, many programs live hand-to-mouth, finding it difficult to create reserves. Sequestration and delayed funding decisions have pushed many to the brink.

As I write this article, the federal government is shut down. Our state and federal administrators have worked diligently to try to reduce the impact on Kansas programs. Every day the shutdown continues another layer of uncertainty and instability for programs and, indeed, for survivors who rely on these programs, is added.

I certainly hope by the time you read this article, Washington will have gotten past its stalemate on the budget and the debt ceiling discussions. If not, we have much to worry about. In the meantime, if you are a supporter of KCSDV or of your local domestic violence/sexual assault program, consider giving a little extra right now, whether that’s money or time. Show your support; stay engaged! We have so much to gain by working together.

Joyce Grover,
Executive Director

Welcome to New Executive Directors of Kansas Programs

Rasmita Patro, Kansas City
Ms. Patro has a Masters in Home Economics and an Associate Degree in Accounting. She started with Friends of Yates Della Gill/Joyce H. Williams Center in Kansas City, Kansas in 2004. Over these 9 years of service she served as Office Manager, Associate Director and Assistant Director/Grants Manager. Ms. Patro has extensive experience in office management, financial administration, grant management, volunteer supervision and etc. Over the past two years Ms. Patro has been shadowing Ms. LaDora Lattimore, Executive Director/CEO to lead the organization upon Ms. Lattimore’s retirement set for December of 2013. The Board of Directors of FOY voted for Ms. Patro to serve as Executive Director/CEO effective January 2014. While she has big shoes to fill, we are thrilled to have Ms. Patro there to continue the work of the FOY program in Kansas City.

Joanna Zimmerman, Dodge City
Ms. Zimmerman started as the Executive Director of the Crisis Center of Dodge City in March of this year. Ms. Zimmerman, a lawyer and former prosecutor, came to Kansas most recently from New Mexico. She has worked at other domestic violence programs and brings that experience with her to the Dodge City program. She filled the executive director position there that had been open for a year.

Janene Radke, Garden City
Ms. Radke started at Family Crisis Services in Garden City as a hotline volunteer in 2008 and then transitioned to advocacy positions over the next several years. Prior to becoming executive director, Ms. Radke was the assistant director of FCS. Ms. Radke began her tenure as the Executive Director in January of this year, and brings a great deal of compassion, commitment and enthusiasm to her new role.

Lori Hensley, Liberal
Ms. Hensley started as the Executive Director of Liberal Area Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Services in September 2013. She has extensive experience in grant writing, compliance, and management in both the government and education systems. Ms. Hensley looks forward to being a voice for survivors who are not able to talk publicly about the impact of domestic violence and sexual assault. She’s bringing great skills and determination to her new job.

Angela Lampe, Wichita
Ms. Lampe worked as an advocate at the YWCA Women’s Crisis Center in Wichita from 2002-2004. After leaving that position, Ms. Lampe served as the Director of Operations for the Workforce Alliance of Southcentral Kansas for several years. Ms. Lampe came back to the YWCA as the executive director in December of 2012. We are sure she brings with her a great understanding of advocacy as well as the knowledge of how critical economic security is for survivors of domestic violence.

Chrissy Heikkila, Lawrence
Ms. Heikkila has worked at the GaDuGi SafeCenter for the last 4 years, holding the positions of Regional Outreach Coordinator, Director of Community Education and Associate Director. This past summer, she took on another big role with GaDuGi as she agreed to be the interim executive director. Ms Heikkila’s prior experience includes work on child literacy, life skills for at risk youth, and administrative work at a domestic violence program. She replaces the prior long-time executive director of the Lawrence rape crisis center.

Join us in giving all of the new executive directors a big welcome!

KCSDV Outreach Guide

Outreach efforts and services are a critical part of providing effective advocacy to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking (survivors) in Kansas communities. In spring of 2013 KCSDV released its newest resource, “Developing Plans for Outreach to Underserved Communities.” The purpose of this guide is to assist sexual assault and domestic violence advocacy programs in identifying underserved communities and creating, implementing, and sustaining successful outreach efforts to the diverse populations and communities they serve.

Advocacy programs’ outreach efforts vary from community to community and may be in various stages of development and implementation. This guide was developed to assist advocacy programs in outreach assessment and outreach plan development and implementation, regardless the level of existing outreach services.

This guide was created to assist advocacy programs with:

  • Identifying the underserved communities in their program service areas;
  • Assessing the needs of survivors who belong to rural or underserved communities;
  • Assessing program capacity to provide relevant services to survivors of specific rural or underserved communities;
  • Developing an Outreach Plan that addresses the unique and diverse needs of survivors of rural or underserved communities; and
  • Implementing and sustaining effective outreach services to survivors who belong to rural or underserved communities.

For more information on this guide, contact KCSDV’s Rural Outreach Project Manager/Special Immigrant Legal Advocate Jessica Vanderweide at jvanderweide@kcsdv.org or call 785-232-9784.

National Leaders Recommend Anti-HIV Medication for Sexual Assault Survivors

The Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC), International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV), and National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) released a policy statement in August recommending that systems be established to ensure that survivors of sexual assault have universal access to medications to prevent HIV following rape.

These national organizations, along with the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and many states, recommend anti-HIV medications –also known as non-occupational post exposure prophylaxis, or “nPEP”-to prevent HIV following rape.

“We recommend that advocates, health care providers, and policy makers work together to ensure that all people—regardless of income, geographical location, cooperation with law enforcement, or other criteria—have access to nPEP when medically indicated,” said Monika Hostler, president of NAESV.

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Announcements

Laurie Harrison joins KCSDV as our new Statewide SANE/SART Coordinator. Previously she worked with nurses and other hospital staff during her employment as a marketing and communications specialist at St. Francis Health Center in Topeka. She also served as KCSDV’s communications coordinator from 2004-2008. She brings years of experience in public relations, writing and editing, coordinating and project management and is excited to return to KCSDV.

Shawna Springstead joined KCSDV in June 2013 in the position of Director of Finance and Administration. She worked with the City of Topeka for the last several years and prior to that had experience with a small nonprofit. Shawna brings great experience and dedication to this complicated and important position at KCSDV.

Elaine Sherrick, former Director of Finance and Administration, retired on June 30th, 2013. She has long been a familiar face to local programs and collaborative partners, dedicating 15 years to KCSDV. We would like to thank her for her tireless and often late night work managing the very important but often overlooked administrative aspects of our work. KCSDV will miss Elaine, but we wish her the best in her retirement.

Creating a Workplace Response to Sexual and Domestic Violence

KCSDV hosted a one-day seminar for business owners and human resources professionals on addressing sexual and domestic violence in the workplace, including: sexual and domestic violence and stalking in the workplace, recognizing signs of abuse in the workplace, incident management and response, workplace safety plans, and responding to Orders for Protection. The seminar was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas and the Society for Human Resource Management, Topeka Chapter #0428.

MANY THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS

Your time, talents and treasures are deeply appreciated.

Time & Talents

  • Creating a Workplace Response to Sexual and Domestic Violence task force members:
    Marlou Wegener, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas
    Noel Neyman, Hills Pet Nutrition
    Connie Fulton, Westar Energy
    Jeri Hansen, Capital Federal
    Office volunteers:
    Jennifer Ouellette
    Danielle Packer
    Terra Tecchio
  • Office volunteers:
    Jennifer Ouellette
    Danielle Packer
    Terra Tecchio

Thank You

Treasures

  • Dawn & Larry DeArmond: A $25,000 donation has been made in support of our Prevention efforts
  • The Shumaker Family Foundation: A $15,000 challenge grant has been awarded for our Reweaving the Social Fabric project which allows KCSDV to continue the important work of prevention efforts and will culminate in a Sexual and Domestic Violence Primary Prevention Conference in the Fall of 2014, bringing together individuals and organizations that will work collectively to improve the safety, health and quality of life for Kansans.
  • Diane Fry and Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation: Thank you for donating 25 cents for every test taken through the KCSDV Test Kansas campaign.
Volunteer Positions

KCSDV is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist us in furthering our mission. Specifically, we are looking for volunteers in the following work areas:

Event Planning Volunteer
Assist in planning and organizing KCSDV’s fundraisers, public awareness events and conferences/trainings

Public Relations & Communications Volunteer
Assist with quarterly newsletter production and social media platforms; assist with Website design and monitoring/updating of web pages

Assist with media research; monitor media coverage of sexual & domestic violence, track reporting of sexual & domestic violence homicide cases and research additional information

Resource Library Volunteer
Assist with organizing resource library, cull old material, scan resources into database, label and organize shelving.

Graphic Design Volunteer
Assist with creation of agency invitations, brochures, flyers, publication layout and graphics for social media use.

Landscape and Building Maintenance Volunteer
Assist with interior and exterior building maintenance and landscaping duties.

Grant Support Volunteer
Assist with research on potential foundations and funders with a priority on sexual or domestic violence as well as assistance with grant proposals

Clerical Volunteer
Assist in the organization and management of office space, data entry, filing.

Thank you for considering volunteering. We know that volunteers don’t necessarily have the time, but they certainly have the heart!

If you are interested in volunteering at KCSDV, contact Becky Price, KCSDV Development Director
bprice@kcsdv.org or 785-232-9784.

For more information about KCSDV, visit www.kcsdv.org or www.facebook.com/KCSDV


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Please let us know if your trash may be our treasure!
785-232-9784

KANSAS CRISIS HOTLINE: 888-END-ABUSE | 888-363-2287