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News, Upcoming Trainings, Other Resources
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March is...
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and a look at social justice for disabled people
"Nothing about us without us."
Thjis quote is the heart of the disability justice movement and the need for equal rights. And it's a reminder that policy creation and systemic support can't be effective without including the people who will be impacted by it.
Disability justice is about ensuring people with disabilities are heard and respected, and given equitable access to the resources needed to fully thrive in our society.
Recent headlines about the COVID-19 virus have pushed flexible accomodations to the forefront as businesses and communities grapple with issues around paid sick time, remote work and video conferencing for meetings -- even as individuals with disabilities have requested such accessible work accommodations for decades.
Even with protections like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accommodations aren't guaranteed, and have often been considered too difficult or inconvenient to implement for people with disabilities. Hashtags such as #AccessibilityForAbleds demonstrate the frustration felt by disabled individuals whose needs have been repeatedly minimized until those needs impact the greater public.
The additional stress of navigating systems that inherently maintain harmful perceptions, attitudes and practices against individuals with disabilities is just as prevalent - and dangerous. Considering the high incidence of violence against people with disabilities, we must make time to prioritize, listen to and amplify disabled voices in our work every day.
In addition to this month's resources, be sure to check out our Language Access Planning Lab pre-conference event on June 9, 2020 to learn about language access strategies to make your organization's services more inclusive!
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Resources
The Initiative: a Denver-based organization that advocates for persons with disabilities who have experienced abuse with a vision of creating an abuse-free culture for all
Deaf Overcoming Violence through Empowerment (DOVE): a organization dedicated to providing advocacy services for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled or Hard of Hearing victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of abuse in Colorado
End Abuse of People with Disabilities: a website managed by the Center on Victimization and Safety at the Vera Institute of Justice that connects organizations and individuals to resources and research around the prevention of violence against disabled people
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 | Lydia Waligorski,
Public Policy Director
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Public Policy Team Update
On Feb. 3, the Colorado state legislature introduced HB20-1278 ,a bill to close loopholes in the existing law around how a criminal defendent or respondent to a qualifying permanent protection order may relinquish firearms while legally prohibited and how they can reclaim firearms once they are no longer subject to federal and state law prohibitions. Uneven implementation of existing federal and state firearm laws across jurisdictions has had dire consequences for survivors of domestic violence, who were harmed by abusers who were not legally permitted to have firearms.
The bill was heard by the House Judiciary on Feb. 25. You can view the Hearing Summary and listen to a recording of the session here.
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Tamika Matthews, Community Impact Manager
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Community Impact Team Update
Our 2020 membership drive continues through the end of March! You can return your Violence Free Colorado dues invoice with your payment, or pay by credit card on our membership site, Coalition Manager.
Your renewal gives you access to all of our incredible member benefits, including our Online Learning Center, discounted annual conference rates, and Coalition training and technical assistance at your fingertips.
Already renewed? Thank you! We value you as a member and look forward to work with you this year! Please update your organization's profile on Coalition Manager to make sure we have the most current information on file for you.
If you need access to Coalition Manager, contact Hannah Colter, Community Impact Specialist, at hcolter@violencefreeco.org for assistance.
Remember: your Community Impact Team is here and available for any questions you may have around media relations, social media development and strategic communications for your organization. Contact Tamika Matthews at tmatthews@violencefreeco.org or 720-728-8368 to learn more!
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 | Liz Stuewe,
Training and TA Manager
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Training and TA UpdateMarch Brown Bag webinar: noon, March 10
Topic: DV Advocates Interacting with the Child Welfare System
Register today!
Community-based DV advocates may interact with child welfare staff, who are also working with survivors accessing your advocacy services. These interactions may be challenging, given the differences in how both fields conceptualize domestic violence, and the child welfare system’s impact on survivor safety and self-determination.
This webinar discusses one model for co-located DV advocacy with child welfare, which has been implemented in many counties nationwide to improve child welfare’s response to domestic violence cases. Advocates will also learn about foundational consulting skills to interact with county child welfare staff, and the Colorado Domestic Violence Practice Guide for Child Protective Services.
Presenters:
Hannah Colter, Community Impact Specialist at Violence Free Colorado.
Brandy Walega, Technical Assistance and Training Specialist at Violence Free Colorado.
Foundational Advocacy Skills Training: Best Practices for Training Staff and Volunteers in Community-Based Domestic Violence Programs
Details:
April 15-17, Rose Andom Center Denver, CO
Who should attend:
Violence Free Colorado members and/or programs funded by the Domestic Violence Program (DVP); and community-based advocates who train and/or supervise other advocates.
This three-day interactive exploration of foundational advocacy skills provides attendees with best practices to support survivors and build strong community-based domestic violence programs. Attendees will also receive physical and digital copies of Violence Free Colorado's new Core Advocacy Training Manual.
ASL interpretation is available by request, and the building is wheelchair-accessible. Register today!
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Webinars and Web-Based Trainings
March 12, 1 p.m.: Human Trafficking. Presented by the Alliance of Local Service Organizations.
Do you have an upcoming training or event that you'd like to share with the Violence Free Colorado community? Post an event on our website calendar!
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In-Person Events and Trainings
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Register now for Colorado Advocacy in Action conference!
This year, we've added our first ever pre-conference Language Access Planning Lab, featuring Ana Paula Noguez Mercado of the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence to provide the tools you need to successfully integrate language access strategies into your organization's work.
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University of Louisville seeks advocates for paid study on gender-based violence
Violence Free Colorado is seeking advocates to participate in a research study entitled, “Study: Gender-Based Violence Agencies use of Digital Technologies to Reduce Disparities in Dating Abuse Outcomes among Socially Underrepresented Adolescents” with the University of Louisville School of Social Work.
Paid staff of DV and/or SA programs over age 18 are eligible to participate for a one-time interview via video conference or phone. Each person interviewed receives a $20 honorarium. Data collected during the interview will only be reported on a statewide level if there are more than five Colorado programs who participate. If there are less than five participants, Colorado responses will be included in the national level report. Email Liz at LStuewe@violencefreeco.org for more information.
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From the Roots of Trauma to the Flowering of Trauma-Informed Care
"From the Roots of Trauma to the Flowering of Trauma-Informed Care" is a collaborative report from the Texas Muslim Women's Foundation and the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence.
It charts TMWF's process of becoming a trauma-informed agency by learning about types of trauma and trauma-informed care, assessing existing and potential culturally sensitive practices, training staff, and working with researchers to document and build evidence-based practices while staying survivor-centered.
Download the report here.
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