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Missourinet

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You are here: Home / Archives for Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Shelters still waiting for replacement of lost grant

March 5, 2014 By Mike Lear

Workers at 15 domestic violence shelters are anxiously awaiting word on whether funding will be available for those shelters after learning that they had been turned down for a grant.

The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) is in its second year of being administered by the Missouri Housing Development Commission. The Commission’s staff rejected the applications of those 15 shelters, most of them in rural parts of the state, and has not yet released explanations of the rejections. The Commission has not yet voted on the awarding of those grants.

The shelters whose applications had been rejected are in Cape Girardeau, Clinton, Harrisonville, Lebanon, Moberly, Bolivar, Doniphan, Sedalia, Sikeston, Lexington, Nevada, Parkville, Portageville and one each in St. Louis and Kansas City.   A shelter in Springfield had an application for shelter funds rejected, but was approved for other ESG grant money.

When the administration of Governor Jay Nixon (D) was informed of the situation by state lawmakers whose districts included those shelters, it began looking for ways to make sure they would be funded. The Office of Administration says several options are being considered but a mechanism hasn’t been decided on.

That’s encouraging news to Kelly Pedigo, Co-Director at Safe Passage in Moberly, but it’s still a long way from a solution.

“This is far from over,” she tells Missourinet.

The ESG reimburses recipients for expenses already paid. The grant coverage cycle begins April 1. Pedigo says her shelter can’t go very long paying bills without confidence that money is coming for that reimbursement.

“Locating replacement funding is a have-to thing. There’s nowhere else in (our) budget to cut,” says Pedigo.

Safe Passage applied for more than $28,000 dollars, but like most shelters, didn’t anticipate receiving the full amount. Getting cut completely was a shock.

“When your entire annual budget is around $250,000 and you just took out $20,000 of your essential expenses, that hits pretty hard,” says Pedigo.

She says the loss of that funding at Safe Passage would cause employees to be laid off, but it could also result in the loss of matching federal funds.

“Once you start having to lay people off because you can’t afford the general revenue portion of their salary,” Pedigo says, “then you have to start turning down government funding as well, so it’s a really slippery slope.”

See our earlier story on these shelters’ loss of the ESG

Ann Gosnell with House of Hope, Inc. in Lexington says local fundraising efforts are an option, but can only go so far in rural areas.

“It becomes burdensome on our community, which is very supportive of House of Hope,” says Gosnell. “We have a lot of supporters, but … going to the same people over and over again to ask them for money to help run our program can sometimes put a barrier up between us and our community, and we absolutely don’t want that.”

She says it also puts the shelters at a disadvantage to not yet know why they lost the grant.

“It’s frustrating, then, to go into our community and say, ‘We need your help, but I can’t tell you why our funding was cut. I can’t tell you why other shelters are funded at 100-percent and we’re funded at zero.'”

Both Gosnell and Pedigo hope members of their communities will work to raise attention about the issue.

“Please go to your legislators and ask them what their plan is,” says Gosnell. “Ask what’s going on and ask what the solution is.”

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Cape Girardeau, Clinton, Domestic Violence, Doniphan, Lebanon, Lexington, Moberly, Nevada, Parkville, Portageville, Sedalia, Sikeston

Study finds many survivors of domestic violence not getting mental health care

June 19, 2013 By Mike Lear

A University of Missouri researcher says a significant number of women who are in or have been in abusive relationships are not getting mental health care.

Assistant processor of social work in the University of Missouri's College of Human Environmental Services Mansoo Yu (photo courtesy; MU News Bureau)

Assistant processor of social work in the University of Missouri’s College of Human Environmental Services Mansoo Yu (photo courtesy; MU News Bureau)

The study involved 50 women who had been the victims of violence brought by intimate partners. It found that more than 70 percent of them did not receive mental health care, even though they regularly see a primary care physician. 54 percent of them were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), clinical depression or both.

Assistant Professor Mansoo Yu says that could be due to factors including social stigma, shame, concerns about privacy, healthcare costs or a lack of information. He says many of the women in the study also said they do not utilize housing, legal services or crisis lines.

Yu says screenings for domestic violence by primary care providers could help turn up more cases that go unreported, and get more help to victims.

“Though most of the survivors did not use services they reported using regularly their family doctors. So, based on our study, medical primary care doctors are uniquely positioned to screen for mental health problems and then they can refer these survivors to other services.”

Colleen Coble, CEO of the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, says the study affirms how battered women often respond to the trauma of domestic violence.

“I think it reflects the experiences of women throughout Missouri and certainly coincides with the reports from all of the service providers in the state, primarily those who are running domestic violence shelters … that they are really facing a crisis in being able to get adequate services for women in terms of mental health treatment and substance abuse treatment for those that they’re serving.”

As for reasons why women might not utilize services, Coble says there is a host of reasons that could be responsible.

“Those services not being available, not knowing what it entails, some of the services may be provided on a residential basis and do not make provisions for your children, it may be that the services are distanced from your home community and that will pose problems with maintaining your employment.”

Insurance coverage as a barrier to mental health care

Another reason could involve insurance coverage. Coble says many victims of domestic violence are among the many Missourians who do not have private health care coverage and make just enough income to not qualify for Medicaid coverage, leaving mental health care unaffordable.

“If you’ve gotten employment, which is the goal … you are separating from an abusive partner, you wish to sustain your family without the violence and support yourself and your children, very often with a job that is just a little bit over minimum wage you’re no longer eligible for the types of public assistance services that would perhaps get you quicker access to mental health treatment.

Yu says the women in the study were also skeptical of law enforcement. Coble says that is often for good reason.

“You can’t deny someone’s experience. If they’ve called for assistance and were told there was nothing that could be done by law enforcement or they went to court and found that it was not a responsive system to their needs in terms of ongoing protection, or things worked at one point but yet nobody enforces, say, an order of protection … it’s a very reasonable opinion to be skeptical that the system is not going to work for you.”

Screenings as a first step toward help

Coble thinks the recommendation that questions related to domestic violence be included in medical screenings is a good one, and adds, that is a requirement included in the federal healthcare reform law. She says the best way to do such a screening is to talk about an individual’s experiences.

She says that includes questions like, “Who makes the financial decisions in your home, what level of interference to you experience in how you are a parent, are you allowed to work, are there constraints on who you can spend time with … your family or friends, are you ever afraid?” Coble adds, “You can’t run down a list of checkboxes and expect someone who is a stranger to you to pour out very personal and traumatic information.”

Yu says his study did not explore any connection between mental health issues resulting from domestic violence in relation to gun violence, but says that is an area that deserves study.

“Some existing studies already found that there are significant relationships between mental health problems including PTSD and depression, and gun violence. In this study we didn’t see that correlation but I think that’s really some important topic that we have to study further.”

Coble says there is no one or easy answer to these issues.

“It’s layers upon layers of complexity.” She adds, “One of the simple solutions is having access to mental health care around the state that is offered clearly as, ‘This is a normal response to trauma of being victimized by your intimate partner repeatedly through violence.'”

The study was co-authored by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Louisville.

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, News Tagged With: Colleen Coble, Domestic Violence, mental health, University of Missouri, Washington University

Budget plan would give biggest boost to domestic violence services in a decade

March 29, 2013 By Mike Lear

The budget proposal passed yesterday by the House includes an increase of $1.9 million dollars in state support for the fight against domestic violence. That would raise the amount that goes to help victims to more than $8.4 million dollars.

CEO Colleen Coble with the Missouri Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Violence says that would be spread between about 90 programs across the state including 70 shelters.

“This increase, $1.9 million more dollars for domestic violence services is the biggest increase we’ve had for more than, gosh, 10 years.”

Coble says that money will go a long way.

“These dollars will directly help battered women and their children … give them a place to stay. It will help operate crisis lines in communities throughout Missouri, it will help women get orders of protection by having service advocates who can help them navigate through the court system, a whole host of services directly for women and their children.”

Programs also provide job training for victims, counseling programs, transportation and medical care.

Coble says the increase helps, but the amount of money it would take to help all victims would be frightening.

“We currently turn away more than 18,000 women and children who are in need of services at the moment they call their local program, so we’re not keeping pace.”

She says local support is needed to help keep shelters open, and it would be key if shelters are to expand to provide room to help more victims.

“We really area at a point where capital needs … building extra bedrooms, building more space … is really an issue, and that is an area where local community involvement and generosity has made all the difference.”

The budget goes now to the Senate which is likely to propose changes that would have to be negotiated in a House-Senate committee.

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, News Tagged With: budget, Colleen Coble, Domestic Violence, Missouri House of Representatives

Advocate: Belcher murder-suicide draws attention to Missouri issues

December 5, 2012 By Mike Lear

An activist against domestic and sexual violence in Missouri says the murder-suicide involving a Kansas City Chiefs player over the weekend has drawn attention to those issues in Missouri.

Colleen Coble, Director of the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, says when Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins on Saturday morning then killed himself, that was the 14th murder-suicide in the Jackson County area this year.

“On average 40 women are killed (annually) in Missouri by a spouse, an ex spouse, an intimate partner. Missouri remains in the top 10 around the country in the number of women killed annually by their intimate partner.”

Coble told the committee in Missouri each year more than 25,000 women and children in the state seek help dealing with domestic or sexual abuse and are turned away. She thanked the Committee for the funding the state has provided to her program in recent years, but urged its members to find more.

“When it’s 2-to-1 in terms of your odds to have a safe place to stay for you and your kids on any given day in the state of Missouri, we have a really serious need that’s not being addressed. In this case, people die sometimes. People die every day if they don’t have a safe place to go, and I know that you agree with me that that’s wrong and that together we can do more about it.”

More than a dozen agencies were represented at the hearing, all asking the legislators to continue, restore or increase funding to their programs.

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, Legislature, News Tagged With: Colleen Coble, Domestic Violence, Jovan Belcher, Kansas City Chiefs, sexual abuse

Kids Count report: child abuse down, high school dropouts up

May 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

The annual KidsCount report is out. It provides county-by-county data on the health and wellbeing of Missouri’schildren.

While child abuseand neglect cases in Missouriare down from last year, high school dropout rates are higher.

The Kids Countreport compares information and statistical trends on the conditions of ourstate’s children and families in all 114 counties and the City of Saint Louis.

St. Charles County,just outside of St. Louis,did the best this year. Not the case just a few miles away. St. Louis City scored lowest "across the board," says Scott Gee, director of Citizens for Missouri’sChildren. He says the areas that ranked the lowest are also the state’spoorest.

However, St. Louis did improve its numbers in all categories — save high school dropout rates — over last year.

The report breaksdown the rates for infant mortality, low birth weight, teen pregnancy, students on free or reduced lunches, babies born to mothers without a high school diploma, child deaths, children removed from homes, and violent deaths to teens.

The study also provides a breakout for various economic factors, demographics, family support systems, health and mental health.

For example, St. Louis had 1,226 high school dropouts, or 11.6 percent. St. Charles County had 449 dropouts, or 2.8 percent.

The report states that every day in Missouri:
18 babies are born with a low birth weight
41 children are born to mothers who lack high school diplomas
2 babies die before their ?rst birthday
15 children are removed from their homes
127 children receive attention from the Mo. Department of Social Services
   due to reports of child abuse and neglect
1 child or teen dies
29 teens drop out of school
25 teens between the ages of 15 and 19 give birth
212,369 children live in poverty

Gee says the reportserves local and state policymakers, as well as not-for-profits at the locallevel in identifying needs and boosting certain programs.

To see how your county ranks and individual breakdowns, visit the Citizens for Missouri’s Children Web site.


 

Jessica Machetta reports [Download/listen MP3]

Filed Under: Health / Medicine Tagged With: Child Abuse, Children & Families, Department of Social Services, Domestic Violence, Drugs, Drunk Driving, Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Medicaid, Methamphetamiine, St. Louis

Victims of Sexual Abuse Encourage to Apply for Discreet Mailing Address

October 28, 2007 By admin Leave a Comment

Victims of domestic abuse have another avenue to escape their attackers, if only they know about it.

It’s called the Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program , a way to provide a substitute mailing address to victims of domestic violence, rape or stalking. Their mail can be forwarded to the Secretary of State’s office which then sends it on to a discreet mailing address, keeping abusers from easily finding their home.

Jim Clardy, executive director of the Jefferson City Rape and Abuse Crisis Center says the key is raising awareness about the program. Clardy says that if victims of sexual abuse know about the program they will be more likely to step forward and accept services.

Representative Judy Baker (D-Columbia) sponsored the bill during the legislative session. She says the statistics speak loudly. The State Highway Patrol documented more than 40-Thousand complaints of domestic violence in 2006.

The Secretary of State’s office is training assistants throughout the state to help participants enroll in the program.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Domestic Violence, Jefferson City, Secretary of State

Accused Killer Fights Extradition to Illinois

June 27, 2007 By admin Leave a Comment

A man accused of killing his wife and three children near Chicago has decided to fight extradition to Illinois and will remain in Missouri until at least the end of July.

Attorney David Waltrip represents Christopher Vaughn in the extradition proceedings filed to move Vaughn from the St. Charles County jail to the Will County, Illinois jail. Waltrip is using all the time provided him by law to review the extradition order and prepare a case against it. The governors of Missouri and Illinois worked quickly to expedite the move across the state line, but the legal process has kept that from happening. An extradition hearing will be held July 25 th . Vaughn will remain in the St. Charles County jail until the hearing. He is being held without bond.

Vaughn, 32, faces eight counts of first-degree murder in Illinois. He is accused of killing his wife, 34-year-old Kimberly Vaughn, and their three children, Abigayle, 12; Cassandra, 11; and Blake, 8. They were found dead June 14 inside the family’s SUV near Chicago. Christopher Vaughn had been shot in the leg.

The family is originally from St. Charles. Authorities arrested Vaughn before a memorial services for his family in St. Charles.

 

 

Filed Under: Crime / Courts Tagged With: Death Penalty, Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Victims Might Get Added Protections

June 7, 2007 By admin Leave a Comment

 A new protection for victims of domestic abuse has been approved by the legislature.  It’s called the "Safe at Home" act and was a top priority of Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.

 

Safe at Home keeps the addresses of domestic violence victims confidential. Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking can forward all mail, personal, business and legal, to the Secretary of State’s office which will forward the mail to a confidential address.

Carnahan says that keeps abusers from using a mailing address to track down their victim. Carnahan says she has heard of several stories from abuse victims that they have been harassed or abused again, because the abuser found out their address.

The act is contained within a larger bill, HB 583 , which enhances the rights of the victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

To learn more about the "Safe at Home" program visit: http://www.sos.mo.gov/

 

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Filed Under: Legislature Tagged With: Children & Families, Domestic Violence, Robin Carnahan, Sex Offenders, sexual harassment

Keeping victims from being victimized again

April 11, 2007 By admin Leave a Comment

The state senate is prepared to pass a bill that keeps victims of sexual or domestic assault from being victimized again when they report the crime.

The numbers reported by Senate leader Michael Gibbons are staggering to him—In 2005, Missouri had 15-hundred reported rapes and 40-thousand cases of domestic violence.  But, he says, for every rape reported, it’s thought nine go unreported.  For each domestic violence case reported, there’s another one that is not.

He says some things happen to victims after they file reports that discourage them from going forward…or others from reporting at all.  He says some women are forced to take lie detector tests.

He says some victims are asked to have a psychological stress evaluation…and women often have to pay for the physical examinations that are part of the evidence gathering process—because it’s considered a medical procedure, not part of  a crime investigation.

Gibbons’ bill bans investigators from demanding lie detector tests…or psychological evaluations…or charging women for the examinations. 

The bill also increases confidentiality requirements for those involved in the investigation of the crime or in providing services to the victims.

The bill goes to the House with one more round of voting from the Senate.

 

The bill is SS/SCS/SB429

Download Bob Priddy’s story (:62 mp3)

Filed Under: Crime / Courts Tagged With: Domestic Violence

PSC Moves to Protect Victims of Abuse

September 29, 2003 By admin Leave a Comment

The Public Service Commission says secrecy is one way to protect domestic abuse victims. Consider this scenario: an abused wife calls a domestic abuse hotline. Later, somebody from the domestic abuse shelter calls back but the abused woman is not at home. Later, her husband checks the caller I-D machine and learns she has called for help and has probably turned him in. What do you think could happen when the wife comes back home? The Public Service Commission has imposed an emergency rule letting some agencies keep their numbers and names from showing up on caller ID machines. The PSC’s Bill Voight says it’s a matter of health, safety and welfare. The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence took the issue to the Commission several days ago. The rule is in response to that effort. The shelters and law enforcement agencies have to ask the telephone companies to install blocking systems so their numbers don’t show up on home phones. The phone companies cannot charge those agencies for those services. The emergency rule goes into effect October 6th. The Commission expects to make it permanent next spring.

Filed Under: Crime / Courts Tagged With: Domestic Violence, Public Service Commission, Telecommunications, Utilities

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