Spring 2016 Newsletter
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It is hard to believe that 2015 has come to a close. For KCSDV, 2015 was filled with new projects, new partners, and new possibilities for ending sexual and domestic violence.
This past year, KCSDV strengthened its relationship with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment by partnering on its Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) project. Our staff will work closely with KDHE and home visitation programs in their efforts to assess for domestic violence while doing home visits and, most critically, making appropriate referrals to programs. We know this project will have a long-term positive impact on families.
In 2015, KCSDV also strengthened its relationship with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, joining a multi-disciplinary work group looking at the issue of unsubmitted sexual assault kits. This project will not only address the needs of prior victims of sexual assault who may just be learning about unsubmitted kits, but it will also change procedures going forward, building better protocols and responses for the future.
In February 2015, together with the Westar Energy Foundation, The Shumaker Family Foundation, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, KCSDV sponsored its first statewide conference on primary prevention of sexual and domestic violence. KCSDV and the programs across the state have been involved in primary prevention work for many years and this conference took the work to another level. A few weeks ago, together with the Westar Energy Foundation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, KCSDV sponsored the second statewide event focused solely on primary prevention of sexual and domestic violence. We want to stop the violence before it starts by changing attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs.
All this, and more, has rounded out our work in 2015 and 2016 has gotten off to a great start! KCSDV has great, dedicated staff providing nearly 100 training events every year and touching thousands of lives through its technical assistance.
Thank you to all who supported our work through donations, foundation support, and volunteering. And, thank you to the many tireless advocates out across Kansas who never stop caring and never stop reaching out to survivors and their families.
Joyce Grover,
Executive Director
Safe Homes, Safe Streets is an annual event hosted by KCSDV that bridges public awareness, training and education focused on sexual and domestic violence. KCSDV hosts member sexual assault and domestic violence advocacy programs from across Kansas in these various events.
KCSDV, together with the Westar Energy Foundation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, sponsored the Kansas Prevention Summit, “Engaging Communities to Prevent Sexual and Domestic Violence,” on February 8 and 9, 2016. This interactive Summit built on the momentum and successes of the KCSDV Prevention Conference held in February 2015 and provided attendees an opportunity to learn about and strategize on engaging communities to prevent sexual and domestic violence.
Featured presenters included Jeffrey Bucholtz, Director of We End Violence; Tyler Osterhaus, Anti-Violence Educator/ Prevention Consultant; Juliana Carlson, Assistant Professor, School of Social Welfare University of Kansas; Ghazala Perveen, Health Officer/Director of Science and Surveillance Bureau of Health Promotion, Kansas Department of Health and Environment; and the Wyandotte County Sexual Assault Prevention Coalition and Cowley County Prevention Team.
Over 100 advocates and allied professionals from across Kansas attended the summit, networked, and learned about the prevention of sexual and domestic violence.
SUNFLOWER SAFETY LUNCHEON & AWARDS CEREMONY: February 8
KCSDV held its Sunflower Safety Luncheon and Awards Ceremony on February 8, 2016. Since 1995, KCSDV has been recognizing outstanding advocates and allies who are working to enhance victim safety; increase perpetrator accountability; and prevent and eliminate sexual and domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in Kansas. This year’s awardees were:
- Frenanda “Sadie” Madden for the Juliene Maska Advocate of the Year Award, nominated by LARC DVS (formerly the Liberal Area Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Services, Inc.)
- Twila Wollenberg, MDCV Elementary School Principal, for a Community Ally of the Year Award, nominated by SOS, Inc. (sexual and domestic violence program in Emporia)
- Safehouse Crisis Center of Southeast Kansas, Inc. and Pittsburg State University’s Students for Violence Prevention for a Project of the Year Award, nominated by the Safehouse Crisis Center (sexual and domestic violence program in Pittsburg)
- Officer Lori A. Kimrey and Officer Darrin R. Williams with the Wichita Police Department West Patrol Station for a Community Ally of the Year Award, nominated by Catholic Charities Harbor House (domestic violence program in Wichita)
- Dung and Paul Kimble for a Project of the Year Award for their training of law enforcement statewide, nominated by StepStone, Inc. (domestic violence program in Wichita)
Jeffrey Bucholtz, Director of We End Violence, provided the keynote at the luncheon and other speakers and presenters included Joyce Grover, KCSDV executive director and Marlou Wegener, Chief Operating Officer, BCBSKS Foundation Manager, Community Relations, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas.
KCSDV, in partnership with the 29 Kansas sexual and domestic violence advocacy programs, hosted an Advocacy Day at the Kansas Statehouse on February 10, 2016 to increase awareness about the issues of sexual and domestic violence and the life-saving services available across Kansas.
The Advocacy Day featured a Silent Witness Silhouette display on the 2nd floor Statehouse Rotunda. The Silent Witness Silhouettes are the stories of victims who lost their lives to sexual and domestic violence in Kansas. This was one of the rare occasions when all Silent Witness Silhouettes are on display together, resulting in a powerful visual of the true impact of sexual and domestic violence in Kansas. The Kansas sexual and domestic violence advocacy programs also had displays on the 1st floor of the Statehouse.
A program took place on the 2nd floor Rotunda. Speakers at the program included Joyce Grover, KCSDV executive director; Laura Patzner, executive director of the Family Crisis Center, Inc. in Great Bend; and Kansas Senator Greg Smith.
Clockwise from top: The Silent Witness Exhibit at the statehouse; A Silent Witness, representing a victim of domestic violence and/or sexual assault in Kansas who was murdered; Kansas Senator Greg Smith speaking at the Statehouse press conference.
KCSDV Awarded Allstate Grant
Kansas was recently awarded a grant from the Allstate Foundation. The Allstate Foundation and the National Network to End Domestic Violence partnered to create Moving Ahead grant programs to help survivors overcome economic challenges and lead financially independent lives, free from abuse. This grant program is the catalyst by which essential financial tools, information, and strategies can be provided to survivors. Participants receive attention to their immediate needs for safety and financial security. The goal is to positively impact the lives of 30,000 survivors nationwide through the financial empowerment curriculum and asset building initiatives.
KCSDV’s project, KANSAS E3 (Economic Empowerment Enterprise) Project, is being used to expand economic empowerment initiatives statewide. Sub-grantees on the KANSAS E3 project are: Family Crisis Center, Inc. in Great Bend, SAFEHOME, Inc. in Overland Park, and Safe Homes, Inc. in Winfield. These programs will deliver services through financial education, job readiness/job training, and microloans/microenterprise programming.
For more information about this initiative, visit ClickToEmpower.org. For more information about the KANSAS E3 Project, contact Laura Jones at 785-232-9784 or ljones@kcsdv.org.
KCSDV Awarded Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation Grant
To celebrate the Foundation’s 10th anniversary, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation, Inc. awarded ten organizations with special project grants. Grant project applications were voted on by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas employees, and KCSDV was one of the top ten organizations that received the most employee votes in the special recognition campaign. With the award, KCSDV will produce an “Impact of Sexual and Domestic Violence on Your Health” brochure; provide regional trainings on sexual and domestic violence and health for professionals; and will publish its “Know Your Rights: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Assault in Kansas” booklet. KCSDV is honored to be a distinguished award recipient from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation!
In its fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, KCSDV responded to over 2,000 requests for technical assistance and expert advice from advocates and allied professionals.
During that same timeframe, KCSDV provided over 100 training events statewide to advocates and allied professionals.
TOTAL PEOPLE TRAINED: 2,442
January was Stalking Awareness Month!
During January, KCSDV focused on this crime that affects 7.5 million victims a year (According to the Stalking Resource Center’s Fact Sheet)
Did you know the KCSDV website has great information about Stalking? Visit kcsdv.org/learn-more/stalking.html for information and resources about stalking.
February was Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month!
KCSDV has been using social media throughout February to promote the conversation about Teen Dating Violence and the resources available. Visit kcsdv.org/resources/tdvam.html for more information.
Upcoming Awareness Months include Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, and Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.
KANSAS CRISIS HOTLINE: 888-END-ABUSE | 888-363-2287