Domestic violence lawyers and McDonald’s staff making the same wages?

By Maria DiBari | Like TCCC on Facebook

Domestic violence lawyers are one of the most critical elements in the direct victim service system we have in place for crime victims in America.  Lawyers that dedicate their professional careers to serving victims of violence provide direct support and services to victims throughout the entire victimization cycle.  Whether it’s fighting for child custody or a restraining order in court, these public servants risk their personal safety, sacrifice high paying positions, and handle an overwhelming number of caseloads each year.

Although these dedicated defenders of victims’ rights have incurred high college loan debts and have spent years in academia, domestic violence lawyers are retained by shelters for far less than the average cost of one year of graduate school.  Earning a salary of $30-$45,000 per year is typical for a lawyer employed at a local shelter; three times less than an average attorney in the US.  In fact, domestic violence lawyers have similar salaries to managers at McDonalds.  This is surprising considering the abundance of overpaid directors at domestic violence shelters and non-residential victim service agencies across the US, pulling in six-figure salaries with social work degrees.  For example, all NNEDV directors make $100,000 plus, with the President racking in profits of nearly $300,000 per year (NYSCADV 2009 990 Tax Return), and this agency does not provide direct victim services and has recently closed their victim fund. The NYSCADV CEO is paid fairly well for not providing victim services either, with a salary of $90,000 per year.  In 2010, the California Partnership lead director was compensated nearly $95,000 too. The New Mexico Coalition Executive Director is also paid considerably well at well over $80,000 per year, although below average in comparison to other Coalitions. These are a few examples of out hundreds around the US where there is no victim support provided, yet high compensation for directors of non-profit agencies.

With shelter and national agency directors taking salaries higher than the average household income in the US, and DV lawyers making a salary equivalent to fast food restaurant managers, what message are we sending to direct service providers and public servants around the nation?  Why aren’t those defending victims’ rights in a court of law rewarded with decent wages?  Where is the incentive for lawyers?  With many states struggling to provide adequate legal representation to victims of domestic violence, perhaps victim service providers should rethink their operational budgets.  In Orange County NY, there has been a steady rise in violence yet, there is only one domestic violence lawyer throughout the entire county.  Currently, the Department of Social Services funds one attorney through Safe Homes of Orange County to handle all DV cases.  It is not uncommon for this attorney to have a long waiting list and an overloaded schedule. In fact, due to an overwhelming number of victims reaching out for legal representation in NY and around the US, many victims go without specializing attorneys, and instead, are granted Legal Aid lawyers that are also underpaid and overworked.

Legal representation is the number one need of victims in the 21st Century.  Therefore, funding and operational budgets for non-profit organizations should reflect what the majority of clients need in order to become survivors.

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Radio Rotary interviews Tri-County Crisis Center on Domestic Violence Reform

By Maria DiBari | Like TCCC on Facebook

When Executive Director and Founder of Tri-County Crisis Center (TCCC), Maria DiBari, realized how difficult it was for victims of domestic violence to get all the help they needed, she created TCCC, which supports victims and families of victims of domestic violence. In this moving interview, Ms. DiBari describes the personal journey that led her to create this life-saving organization. Jackie Axt, TCCC Board Member, emphasizes the need for the Center by describing the murder of her sister, which could have been prevented if she had had access to the many services that the Crisis Center provides.

Listen to the Rotary Podcast now!

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Domestic violence victims deserve to have a resource system that puts their needs first

By Maria DiBari | Like TCCC on Facebook

Domestic violence victims deserve to have a resource system that puts their needs first. Tragically funding continues to be allocated to non-residential, national agencies and executives across the US, while direct victim support groups go unfunded.

The current domestic violence resource system is inefficient and victims of domestic violence are being neglected while the national DV organizations prosper and remain unaccountable. We would like to see our efforts in DV reform result in a nationwide resource system that better serves victims. To make that happen, we need to see the following changes:

*There is no reason to fund many, separate national DV organizations that all focus on training and policy change. The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), The National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and others should be merged into one body. This will eliminate a great deal of bureaucratic waste.

*Non-essential services should be cut, putting the focus on funding shelters and crime victim services that assist victims directly.

*Increased emphasis needs to be put on the recruiting, screening, and training of more volunteers who can work with victims one-on-one. Having more volunteer support means that fewer paid staffers will be necessary, thus freeing up more funds to help victims directly.

*Every state must have shelters with adequate funding so that they can house men, women, and children who are in need of these services.

*We should have lawyers and advocates (both volunteer and paid) specializing in domestic violence available in every county of every state to assist domestic abuse victims through the legal process.

*The government needs to audit the federal grants and other funds that domestic violence organizations receive to determine how these funds are being used and to ensure accountability.

*We are in need of a Domestic Violence Oversight Committee to oversee victim resource providers that receive funding and will also act as a clearinghouse for victims left behind to file formal complaints against agencies that fail to serve them.

Taking these steps would bring us all closer to having the best possible resource system in place to aid victims of domestic violence.

 

 

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NNEDV funds high executive salaries but no victim assistance

By Maria DiBari | Like TCCC on Facebook

NNEDV Tax Return 2009

After 3 consecutive weeks of unsuccessfully trying to obtain Identity Change assistance for an out of state victim of violence from the NNEDV executives, Cindy Southworth, and Technical Assistance Provider, Valenda Applegarth,Tri-CountyCrisis Centeris out of options.  Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to access and obtain direct services from the most profitable non-profits in our nation, and this problem is only escalating.  Our national leaders in domestic violence continue to endlessly refer clients to a hotline and then fail to return client calls. President of TCCC, Ms. DiBari, was also referred to the hotline after following up about a high-risk case.

“Being referred to a hotline as a Director of a crisis center raises red flags for me.  The NNEDV is not a volunteer, grassroots organization; it is a large organization that is heavily funded by federal grants and private donations from major corporations.  Deferring victims and advocates is a poor excuse for assistance, and those funneling money into these businesses should think twice.” Maria DiBari, President of Tri-County Crisis Center, Inc.

Communications between DiBari and Southworth:
From: Maria Dibari [mailto:maria@tricountycrisiscenter.org]
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 5:54 PM
To: Cindy Southworth
Cc: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: response requested immediately/follow up request XX victim
 
Cindy,
I have written to you a number of times requesting Valenda Applegarth’s title and position/scope of work.  I have received no response regarding this. She has not responded to our client, a high-risk domestic violence and stalking victim, who has recently had an identity change, after our client followed Valenda’s procedures and left a message on a hotline number.  Our client has followed your referral, and has reached out to Valenda through the hotline and has been waiting patiently for more than a week.  I am uncomfortable with referring my clients to this person if this is not clarified at once.  I am aware that the usual procedure is to refer victims to this individual and I would like some clarification. 
Thank you,
Maria DiBari
 
Cindy Southworth cs@nnedv.org
Feb 7 (6 days ago)
 
Maria,
The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) have a joint initiative where we provide targeted training and technical assistance on survivor relocation and identity protection for multiple grantees of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) at the Department of Justice. With less than 1 full-time position funded at each organization, our project tries to meet the immense demand from OVW grantees for training and technical assistance surrounding victims’ desires to relocate and remain safe from perpetrators of violence. This project helps OVW grantees understand the complexities facing victims trying to remain safe from their abusers, who often use a continuum of options to enhance their security – from opening a post office box, to sealing court records, and, in rare cases, to legally changing their identities.
 
Since 2007, our joint project has provided tailored technical assistance to almost 4,000 OVW grantees, hosted two national conferences, and provided training through webinars, statewide and national workshops to another 5,000 grantees.  Since each survivor’s case is unique, providing tailored assistance to front-line advocates and local attorneys who are working directly with a survivor takes extensive time and care.
 
Given the large numbers of abusers who misuse surveillance technologies, including SpyWare, to monitor their victim’s computer and email use, we prefer to speak on the phone with practitioners and survivors. Given our limited staff time and the immense demand, we rely on the 24 hour national domestic violence hotline and local hotlines and programs to provide immediate support to survivors. We offer technical assistance and training to local advocates and attorneys to help them provide nuanced support to survivors navigating complex relocation and identity protection issues.
 
We appreciate your patience as we juggle assisting multiple local practitioners working with survivors. We ask survivors and advocates to provide a phone number where we can safely reach them and then try to get back to them as quickly as possible.
If you’d like more information about technology monitoring to share with survivors, we have a piece on SpyWare posted at www.nnedv.org/SafetyNetDocs
Thank you for understanding,
 
Cindy
 

Alexis Moore an experienced high-tech investigator, renowned victim advocate and proven agency leader has repeatedly requested to be placed in a leadership position at a national or state level domestic violence and stalking agency, and Cindy Southworth’s position at NNEDV would be a perfect match. It today’s tough economy, there are many highly talented, skilled, and motivated leaders waiting for a seat in an influential position that are willing to devote their time and talents to ensure no victim is left behind.

“I am ready, willing and able to take a pposition at the NNEDV or any other national or state agency.  As a leader of a grassroots, national volunteer agency, juggling unfinished client cases from the NNEDV and other national, state and local organizations has been taxing and nearly impossible to do on a volunteer basis, and I know of hundreds of other capable, competent and dedicated individuals from across the nation that are ready to do the same.” Alexis Moore, Risk Management Consultant and founder Survivors In Action, Inc.

The fact that funding continues to be allocated to agencies like NNEDV and others without any accountability or oversight should not be acceptable in 2012. The lack of accountability and oversight coupled with the fact that victims continue to reach out for help only to find that they are provided  with “auto-pilot referrals” to a hotline or that they are completed ignored all together should not be acceptable to agency executives, the tax payer or to any donor who is generously donating their time, treasure or talents to an agency.

Victims of domestic violence and stalking should not be left behind especially when there are fiscal resources that could be allocated to agencies and victim service providers who are ready, willing and able to assist.

The evidence is clear, there are many agencies funded and executives being paid well above the average median income in the United States, yet victims continue to be left behind. Now more than ever, it is time to enact reform measures to ensure that funding is allocated only to agenices and individuals that provide direct support to victims.

Victims’ lives depend upon it.

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Warnings to teens and women in abusive relationships to prevent pregnancy

By Maria DiBari | Like TCCC on Facebook

Warnings to teens and women in abusive relationships to prevent pregnancy

An issue rarely discussed is domestic violence and pregnancy prevention.  Although many women believe that having a baby with an abuser may change the relationship and reform a violent partner, pregnancy is actually more likely to have the opposite effect on an abusive spouse or boyfriend.  In fact, 1 in 6 abused women report abuse during pregnancy according to the Centers for Disease Control, and 4-8% of women report domestic violence during pregnancy.

Many women have few options while living in a violent household. However, pregnancy can be prevented.  If abstinence or taking birth control pills are not viable options, there are other methods of birth control that can be used while living in a volatile environment.  Pregnancy is a choice, and prevention is possible while living with a batterer.

While batterers continue to gain custody and unsupervised visitation of minor children born into abusive relationships, women in violent relationships have a choice to protect themselves and future generations from the cycle of violence and abusive partners.  Pregnancy prevention in an abusive relationship can eliminate the cycle of violence, child abuse, trauma, and future ties to a batterer.  Domestic violence creates a home environment of constant fear for children and can have life long lasting effects on all family members.  With over 3 million children witnessing violence each year, pregnancy prevention in abusive relationships can be practiced to prevent future tragedies.

If you are a victim of violence interested in preventing pregnancy, please see a Planned Parenthood professional and schedule a confidential appointment to discuss your options.

Discrete birth control methods are:

  1. Spermicidal suppositories
  2. IUD
  3. birth control injections
  4. morning after pill

For more information go to http://americanpregnancy.org/preventingpregnancy/

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