Agency Dynamics & Culture

1. Agency Dynamics & Culture Implementing Voluntary Services

2. Voluntary Services

3. Why Voluntary Services? • Provides survivors with a “real” voice in their services • Advocates do not want to recreate the abusive relationship dynamics • Supports corner stone beliefs of domestic violence that survivors: • Are the experts on their own lives • Can make their own decisions

4. Giving Voice • Survivors wishes are often ignored by their partner, their children, their families and service providers • For advocates to provide survivors with a voice in what services they choose to access they have to know that the work they do is not about social services and they are not billing in units of services, the value of their work is not measured by how many referrals are given • Quality of service is more important than showing quantity – concern is that we will not meet grant objectives

5. Grant Objectives • Review how we write grant objectives – is the measure increasing safety, providing information on community resources, safety planning • Or the objectives will assist # of survivors with obtaining a protection order; support group attendance will increase or maintain to # of survivors; • How agencies write objectives often determine how advocates see their job and how they define success at their work because it is the measurement that is used

6. Job Titles • It matters what the title of a job is.. • House monitors will monitor • Case managers will manage • Advocates will advocate • Think about what you call a job and how that influence how staff see their role with survivors

7. Making it work • Advocates should understand enough about all services that are provided by the agency to give a general description. • When suggesting a service advocates should be able to articulate why this service would be of benefit to the survivor • Service plans should not be the focal point of advocates work with survivor’s • Each plan should look a little different to meet the specific needs of each survivor – NO COOKIE CUTTER plans

8. What if survivors don’t want services • This is a frustration but to be expected • Staff need training trauma and how it manifests • Staff need training on traumatic brain injury • For some survivors they will need a place to sleep and physically heal before being willing to engage • Most survivors are not going to trust anyone – advocates should not expect survivors to trust them because they are “good people” or are here to help

9. Survivors not engaging in services • Survivors may choose to not engage in services if there are excessive rules and the only place they can exercise autonomy is in denying services; • Those who choose to not engage should not be ignored • Staff should re-evaluate what they offering and what the response is • Has staff taken into consideration other case plans that survivor has? Does that prevent the survivor from engaging with shelter/program services?

10. Addressing Organizational Trauma

11. Organizational Trauma • Organizational trauma is a collective experience that overwhelms the organization’s defensive and protective structures and leaves the entity temporarily vulnerable and helpless or permanently damaged. (Vivian & Hormann, 2014) • Organizational trauma can be sudden or it can be cumulative • Organizational trauma can impact advocates ability to provide voluntary services

12. Agency Response • Create an environment where advocates feel empowered – they cannot give what has not given to them • Empowerment means that advocates have: • A real voice in determining how agency functions within reason – ASKED for their opinion and can see suggestions being implemented. • Supported to care for themselves and families • Paid a living wage for their work so that they feel valued

13. Agency Response • Invest in continual education and training for staff • Provide regular supervision using reflective supervision practices • Do daily check in with staff to see how they are doing • Recognize signs of burn out, vicarious trauma and quickly address with employees and provide support • Provide grief counselors or EAP for advocates that need additional support

14. Agency Response • Recognize advocates hard work and the situations they are handling by: • Doing shout outs at staff meetings so that they get recognized by fellow staff • Holding a staff retreat/Staff Fun Day • Impromptu ice cream social/staff get together for lunch where supervisors cover hotline

15. Resources • Reflective Supervision http://multiplyingconnections.org/become-trauma-informed/what-reflective-supervision • Responding to DV, Trauma & Mental Health http://www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org/trainingta/resources-for-advocates-trauma-informed-dv-advocacy/ • Collection on DV & Traumatic Brain Injury https://vawnet.org/sc/understanding-intersection-tbi-and-dv • Organizational Trauma and Healing (2014). Vivian, P. and Hormann, S.

16. Thank You! Tonia Moultry, MS Deputy Director, CTA Team National Network to End Domestic Violence 202.543.5566 ext. 127 tmoultry@nnedv.org