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Category: Community Share

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Community Share Mental Health Awareness Month Sexual Assault Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Active Bystander: Empowering Change & Promoting Safety

This month is Bystander Awareness Month! This is a time when we focus on fostering a culture of active bystanders and encouraging individuals to play an essential role in creating safer and more inclusive communities. Let’s explore the concept of an active bystander, delve into the significance of being proactive in various situations, and provide practical steps on what to do when faced with witnessing concerning incidents.

Understanding Active Bystanders:
An active bystander is someone who chooses not to be a passive observer but takes a proactive stance in addressing and preventing harmful situations. Instead of turning a blind eye or assuming someone else will intervene, active bystanders embrace the responsibility of making a positive impact when they see something wrong unfolding before them.

The Importance of Being an Active Bystander:

Promoting Safety: Being an active bystander is crucial for creating a safe environment. By actively intervening or reporting concerning situations, you contribute to the prevention of potential harm to individuals or the community at large.

Fostering Empathy and Compassion: Active bystanders demonstrate empathy and compassion by offering support to those who may be in distress or facing adversity. Your intervention can provide comfort, reassurance, and demonstrate that individuals are not alone in difficult situations.

Challenging Norms and Behaviors: Active bystanders have the power to challenge harmful norms, such as bullying, discrimination, or harassment, by speaking up and standing against such behavior. By doing so, you help establish a new standard of respect, equality, and inclusivity.

What to Do When You See Something:

Assess the Situation: Observe the situation carefully to determine if intervention is necessary or if someone’s safety is at risk. Trust your instincts but be mindful of your personal safety as well.

Call for Help: If immediate danger is present or a crime is being committed, contact emergency services such as the police, fire department, or medical services. Provide them with accurate details about the incident and the location.

Create a Distraction: In non-threatening situations, creating a distraction can divert attention and diffuse tension. This strategy can be effective in preventing a potentially harmful situation from escalating.

Direct Intervention: If it is safe to do so, directly intervene by addressing the situation calmly and assertively. Speak up against inappropriate behavior, offer assistance to someone in distress, or help diffuse a conflict by promoting dialogue and understanding.

Seek Support: If you are unsure about intervening alone, try to involve others nearby. Approach individuals who may be witnessing the same incident and encourage them to join forces with you in addressing the situation. Remember, collective action can be powerful.

Document and Report: If you cannot intervene directly or the situation has already resolved, document what you witnessed. Take note of details such as descriptions of individuals involved, time, and location. Report the incident to relevant authorities or organizations that can take appropriate action.

Becoming an active bystander requires courage, empathy, and a commitment to making a positive impact in our communities. By choosing to step forward and take action, we contribute to the creation of safer, more inclusive environments for everyone. This Bystander Awareness Month, let’s all pledge to be active bystanders and work together to build a society where compassion, respect, and intervention are valued. Remember, your voice and actions matter.

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Community Share Op-eds

Relaxation Day…Yes you can!

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August 15th is National Relaxation Day! What is the first thing that came to your mind when you read that sentence?

  • That is great but there is no way I can relax today, I have too much to do.
  • Relax- who has time for that?
  • Relax- I do not know how.
  • Relaxation is for lazy people.

According to the Oxford Dictionary the definition of relaxation is the state of being free from tension and anxiety. With so much going on in our world, our State and even in our jobs how can we ever be free from tension and anxiety? A lot of us work with people in constant crisis, which just adds to the constant crisis in our own everyday lives. It is often hard to compartmentalize our lives. Our work life bleeds over into our home life and what is going on at home is always in the back of our minds when we are at work. The word boundary gets tossed around a lot but very few of us set them. But you know what- it is okay to set them. There is a reason so many quotes are floating around about taking care of yourself- you cannot pour from an empty cup or put your oxygen mask on first, or you must pour something out before you can refill.

So, let us talk about how we can relax today and how we can incorporate it on a more regular basis. There are the usual activities:

  • Get a massage
  • Get a manicure and or pedicure
  • Talk a walk
  • Watch cute animal videos
  • Read a book
  • Play with a pet
  • Play with a kid
  • Go to a movie

And then there are the things we do not think about:

  • Start a journal
  • Schedule “me” time on your calendar
  • Turn off your phone and step away from your computer for a period of time (and stick to it!)
  • Call a friend or family member you have not talked to in a while
  • Share a meal with a friend or family member
  • Eat by yourself at a restaurant
  • Dance
  • Listen to music and sing along at the top of your lungs
  • List things you are grateful for
  • Smile at strangers
  • Compliment someone
  • Do a random act of kindness
  • Hand write a letter to someone

As Lauren Carter said: “Self-care allows us humans to maintain balance and continue functioning like a well-oiled machine that increases our ability to help care for others. Just as you would not expect your car to run continuously for 5,000 miles without stopping for gas or having its oil changed, you too cannot expect that of yourself! Running on empty eventually leads to a machine that no longer functions”.

Give yourself permission to relax not just today but every day. I challenge you to incorporate relaxation into your daily routine. We all have time to care for ourselves, we just need to realize our needs are just as important as our clients’. We help them get to where they need to be aren’t we significant enough to do the same for ourselves?

About the Author

Pic of Deputy Director Amy Smith
Amy Smith,
Sr. Director of Operations and Communications-HCDVCC
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Community Share Legacies Op-eds

Community Partner Meetings

I was recently asked if our Community Partner Meetings were still relevant. After a brief pause, I replied yes, now more than ever!

The question made me pause for a minute to reflect on the 27-year history of these meetings. The second Thursday afternoon of every month since 1996, has been reserved for a time for those working in the DV domain to get together, network, share and support each other. While we have gone through many variations of our meetings, from education, to networking, to celebrating victories and mourning losses, one thing has remained constant, we met. Contacts were made, friendships were formed, trust was established, and informal relationships became formal. People have ebbed and flowed through the meetings, old friends retired or changed jobs (but still came), new people joined, but some people have been steadfast in their attendance- you knew where to find them on second Thursday afternoons.

I remember the first couple of meetings during COVID and how many people attended. How much we talked about the challenges the movement was facing, what we were experiencing during lockdown and more importantly, how we could continue to help support survivors. While the world shut down, the DV domain did not. However, as the months went by these meetings became more like a support group for those working the frontlines while still managing their daily lives and families. We met each other’s children and pets; we were allowed into each other’s homes, and we were there to pick someone up when they were feeling down. It was an honor to see the trust that allowed people to share their vulnerabilities with those in attendance.

Now that we are back to meeting in person, we have welcomed new folks and had the opportunity to hug those we have missed. We have gotten to know people outside of their ZOOM squares and learned how tall some people are while realizing others, not so much. It has been interesting to watch as we have slowly emerged from our hibernation to embrace our new “normal”. Our last several meetings have been so impactful, and it has been beautiful to be able to participate in them. The March meeting focused on Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), because of the discussion at the meeting, HCDVCC changed our social media campaign that month to talk about the things we learned and how prevalent TBI and domestic violence really are. We also included signs and symptoms of TBI so everyone could be aware of them. The April meeting was a “Walk in Her Shoes”. We had two young survivors who found us on Eventbrite and came to see what we were about and how we could help them. Observing them participate in the exercise with seasoned advocates was refreshing, watching connections and immediate advocacy happening was amazing. The support they received from the advocates was just as important as their sharing their experiences with us. The May meeting centered around a Healthy Relationship presentation that was a direct result of a recommendation from the Adult Violent Death Review Team to include education on Healthy Relationships in every DV talk because how can you talk about DV if you don’t know what a Healthy Relationship even is?

Our June meeting will focus on the Domestic Violence High Risk Team and a new program we have established with our DVHRT Coach. Our July meeting will be an introduction to Neurofeedback and the benefits to DV survivors. August will bring our summer break and Fall is packed with exciting offerings as well.

Come join our meetings. Stop in and get reacquainted with old friends, meet new ones. See beyond the ZOOM squares to the actual people.

“But even with the inspiration of others, it’s understandable that we sometimes think the world’s problems are so big that we can do little to help. On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine”.
-Queen Elizabeth II

About the Author

Pic of Deputy Director Amy Smith
Amy Smith,
Sr. Director of Operations and Communications-HCDVCC
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Community Share Mental Health Awareness Month Op-eds

Understanding and Promoting Black Mental Health

Understanding and Promoting Black Mental Health blog header
Understanding and Promoting Black Mental Health blog header

Racism has been embedded within American culture for centuries and in turn the U.S. healthcare system. This has led to mental health inequities in the African American community over time. Despite the current popularization of addressing individual mental well-being, the African American population continues to suffer. Mental health remains less researched, resourced, and advocated for equitably within the African American community.

The healthcare system in the United States of America has often engaged with members of the African American community as experimental subjects rather than as patients deserving of respect and quality care. US history is littered with examples of this racist-driven treatment. From the utilization of involuntary institutionalization as a form of punishment to the Tuskegee experiment in 1932, the healthcare system has been another avenue through which African Americans have been oppressed. During slavery, mental health as an aspect of the African American population’s health was often denied or misused to justify further subjugation (“The Historical Roots of Racial Disparities in the Mental Health System.” Counseling Today, 2020.) Following the abolition of slavery, the provision of equitable health services (including mental health) for African Americans was not deemed a priority. This led to less research, advocacy, overall investment, and corresponding healthcare policies being enacted. All these factors could have helped address pre-existing and emerging mental health inequities. Today, we can observe the results of that neglect when peering at the lack of quality healthcare providers/facilities situated in communities with many African American residents, insufficient cultural competency training for future health care providers, etc.

Inaction and apathy rooted in racism have permitted this inattention to the mental health of African Americans to be observable on all socio-ecological levels. Although rates of mental illnesses in African Americans are similar to those of the general population, disparities exist regarding mental health care services (Primm A, 2010). According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Facts for African Americans guide, “African Americans are less likely to receive guideline-consistent care, less frequently included in the research, and more likely to use emergency rooms or primary care (rather than mental health specialists)”. “Which has led to only one-in-three African Americans who need mental health care receives it” (Dalencour M, 2017). Many studies have highlighted how factors like health care provider bias, inequality in healthcare services have driven this health inequity.

Currently, we are experiencing a massive shift in our collective regard for mental well-being. The pandemic and social unrest have thrust our nation into a discourse about our nation’s values. This has included mental health. Many have had to recognize the past and resulting compound, vicarious, historical and, racial trauma experienced by many, particularly the African American populace. Healthcare is a social determinant of health and addressing the widespread health-related inequities plaguing the African American community is imperative. This is inclusive of mental health. To properly address the preexisting and growing psychological needs of African Americans, we must explore current research into innovative and culturally competent therapeutic frameworks and interventions.

One way to support black mental health is promoting access to culturally competent mental health services. This means providing care that is sensitive to the cultural and racial experiences of black individuals and ensuring that black individuals have access to therapists and other mental health professionals who understand and can address their specific needs.

Resources:
• Therapy for Black Girls
• Therapy for Black Men
• Black Men’s Health
• Find a Black Provider

Another way to support black mental health is by fostering safe spaces where individuals can openly discuss their experiences and emotions. This can be achieved through community-based initiatives, support groups, and online forums.

Resources:
• National Alliance of Mental Health
• Black Mental Health Alliance
• Black Millennial Mental Health

It is also important to invest in education and awareness programs that promote mental health literacy and encourage early intervention and treatment. This can include workshops, seminars, and community events that educate individuals on the signs and symptoms of mental illness, and how to access resources and support.

Resources:
• Black Mental Health, 988
• Mental Health First Aid
• Mental Health in the Black Community
• MHA of Greater Houston
• Take a free, confidential mental health screening

By working together, to amplify these spaces and resources we can break down the barriers to mental health care and create a brighter future for black individuals and families.

About the Authors

Sharifa Charles
Nicole Milton

Sharifa Charles, Professional Development Specialist

Nicole Milton, Training Manager

Mental Health America of Greater Houston

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Community Share domesticviolenceshelters DVAM Op-eds Sexual Assault

Houston Area Domestic Violence Providers Study – The Article

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To download a copy of this study, please click the button below.

About the Author

headshot of Dr. Elizabeth Gregory

Professor of English and Director of Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies

Elizabeth Gregory, Taylor Professor of Gender & Sexuality Studies and Professor of English, directs the WGSS Program and the UH Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality. She writes on Marianne Moore’s poetry and women’s work and fertility. Read more about her here.

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Community Share domesticviolenceshelters DVAM Op-eds Sexual Assault

Houston Area Domestic Violence Providers Study

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UH Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality
Report to the Community

February 2023

Houston Area Domestic Violence Providers Study
+ Initial Local DV Data Aggregation

Study recommends major investment in DV infrastructure as IPV homicides double in 3 years

This report shares the results of UH-IRWGS’s study of regional Domestic Violence [DV] Service Providers, based on interviews and group discussions with leaders of 12 local DV shelters and nonresidential agencies. It recommends significant community investment in expanded DV infrastructure coordination and staffing, to move from the current model of limited response to overwhelming demand to a model that allows the community to not only address DV cases more effectively but to analyze and address causes as well.

In addition, the report contains an initial aggregation of regional DV data – including data from some shelters, law enforcement, and nonresidential service providers (see Supplement). Future reports will provide more detail and include data from more sources.<p/p>

Executive Summary

Houston has a major problem with Domestic Violence assaults and homicides: Calls for Shelter and Calls for Service from the police are high, and IPV homicides doubled between 2019 and 2022, rising from 32 to 64 across the two largest police departments in Harris County (HPD and HCSO).

  • Violence is rampant in this region, across ranks. As was indicated by the recent IPV assault by the (now former) UT basketball coach and January DV cases involving a house set fire with family members within and the decapitation of a young immigrant bride.
  • We need a stronger DV infrastructure to turn the tide.
  • Based on qualitative interviews and group discussions with local DV service providers as well as local data analysis, this report recommends a significant strategic investment in strengthening the currently under-resourced DV service-provider collaborative. A centralized coordination infrastructure, with administrative staff based both centrally and within individual agencies, would enable DV providers across the region (shelters and nonresidential providers in collaboration with law enforcement, courts, and other social services agencies encountering DV) to operate and strategize collaboratively, improve and expand services, and address causes.
  • While funds for direct services are essential, expanded investment in DV infrastructure would be a game changer.
  • Currently, each provider operates on its own, creating inefficiencies at all levels: operational redundancies, inconsistent standards, a lack of unified voice on DV, and, because each is overtaxed with providing service to those at their door, an inability to see much beyond the immediate need
  • The collaborative needs a core administrative team, including an Operations Manager, a Communications Coordinator, a Researcher/Evaluator and a Grant Writer, based in the Harris County DV Coordinating Council. In addition, expanded staffing is needed within provider organizations to carry out collaborative initiatives. An investment for this purpose of $1,000,000 / year for five years from local funders would be transformative
  • A smaller initial infrastructure investment would get change under way, but working by half measures as has long been the case in this region will not enable the real change needed. Over time, grant funding will increase, to cover costs.
  • This significant strategic investment will allow providers to
    • analyze and reframe their services & policies
    • deliver services more effectively
    • work with agencies across the community to address the causes of violence in our region
    • raise more funds and expand services
    • advocate for regional policy change around the issues that give rise to DV

Newly Aggregated DV Data

  • You can’t fix a problem, if you don’t know what it is. Due to costs and complexity, the limited DV data collected to date has not previously been combined to provide a full regional picture. This groundbreaking report begins to aggregate local DV data. Future reports will provide more detail and include data from more shelters, agencies & regional police departments, with a goal to inform response.
  • The Covid emergency raised the level of domestic violence in the Houston area. And per HPD and HCSO data, identified Intimate Partner Violence [IPV] homicides continued to rise after the lockdown ended—doubling in their combined jurisdictions between 2019 and 2022, rising from 32/year to 64/year over that period. That’s a 73% rise in HPD – and 160% in HCSO (a combined 100% rise). [See Figure S-3.]
  • The rise overlaps with the move to permit-less carry which went into effect in Texas in September 2021. Between 2020 and 2022 the number of HPD IPV homicides committed with a gun increased by 61%, while the overall number of IPV homicides increased by 52%. While other factors may play in, the easy availability of guns puts many women at risk for homicide, as well as for terroristic threats of homicide within IPV situations.
  • While overall homicides and non-IPV FV homicides fell in 2022 in HPD data, IPV homicides continued to rise.
  • Calls for shelter have also risen steadily since the lockdown, to rates above what they were prior to March 2020, and callers are regularly turned away for lack of space.
  • Overall DV calls for service have fallen since 2020 in both HPD and HCSO, but numbers remain high: HPD received between 25,000 to 27,000 calls for service around DV for 2019-2021. This data is not sortable by IPV, so we don’t know if there is an effect similar to that in the homicide data differentiating IPV and non-IPV outcomes. We have not received complete 2022 data, but it looks on track to roughly 24,000 in 2022.
  • Many thousands more suffer without reaching out, not believing things would improve if they did or not knowing that help is available.
  • Harris County has 330 shelter beds, while New York City, with twice the population, has more than ten times as many shelter beds, at 3500.
  • Though affordable housing is the best solution for many, it is not widely available; shelters, nonresidential providers and mobile advocates provide alternatives for those in immediate need.
  • A targeted investment in DV administrative infrastructure can turn the tide on DV assaults and homicides.
  • Improved victim service delivery along with a community violence prevention focus will benefit all Houstonians.
  • Though this change will require significant start-up costs, the infrastructure thus created will increase ability to bring in more federal and other external funds down the line.

Additional Findings

  • The high volume of people experiencing IPV in this region links directly to the state’s low level of family support infrastructure, the lack of affordable housing and the low wages earned by Texas women.
  • People dependent on others, especially those with children they don’t want to unhouse, become more vulnerable to violence at the hands of those they depend upon.
  • This is true at any income level but is particularly true for those at low incomes. Since higher-income women may be able to leave when things get grim and still keep their children and themselves housed, they are less likely to utilize shelters than low-income women. Higher-income women more often employ the safety planning resources providers offer.
  • Though Houston’s DV service providers were already strapped before the pandemic, since its onset and in the face of multiplying demand, DV shelters and other providers have stepped up services, helped by Covid Emergency federal funds. Before these funds are gone, the community needs to reorganize its response to DV for the long haul.
  • While DV providers have offered survivors a range of services for some time, the pandemic spurred innovations that have improved service delivery overall: including Bed Availability App, DV High Risk Teams / DART, Mobile Advocacy, Flexible Funding, Text Hotlines, Hotel Stays, Longer Stays, etc.
  • Many in need do not know of, or feel distrustful of, DV service providers, so clearer communications and continued trust building are needed.
  • Transportation is a major issue for those seeking shelter across Harris County.
  • The HCDVCC coordinated housing queue is a great improvement on the past, but it met less than one third of eligible demand in 2022.
  • Staff burnout has been a huge issue for shelters during Covid.
  • Black women in economic precarity are overrepresented in shelter in Harris County.
  • Undocumented Hispanic women suffering DV seem underrepresented in shelters, likely due to threats of deportation from their abusers or lack of information on their rights.
  • Asian and Muslim women generally reach out to culturally specific DV agencies, when they reach out.
  • The leadership of DV agencies is now more inclusive of women of color than it has been historically, enabling wider range of insight and overcoming of survivors’ distrust.
  • All DV leaders need sustained support and engagement from the community as they struggle to address the ongoing DV crisis here.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE STUDY

About the Author

headshot of Dr. Elizabeth Gregory

Professor of English and Director of Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies

Elizabeth Gregory, Taylor Professor of Gender & Sexuality Studies and Professor of English, directs the WGSS Program and the UH Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality. She writes on Marianne Moore’s poetry and women’s work and fertility. Read more about her here.

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Community Share Mental Health Awareness Month Op-eds Sexual Assault

Effects that Domestic Violence has on Survivors’ Mental Health

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Blog Header for article "effects that domestic violence has on survivors’ mental health".
As a Lead Trauma Support Partner (TSP) and License Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I wanted to touch on the effects that domestic violence has on survivors’ mental health, since its Mental Health Awareness Month. We know from research that domestic violence (whether you’ve endured it personally or witnessed it as a child) increases one’s risk of experiencing depression, anxiety, substance use, suicidal behaviors and PTSD. But what do these “labels” actually look like in the day to day? People think depression is “feeling down or hopeless” and while that’s true for a lot of people, depression can also look like irritability, increased or decreased appetite, need for sleep, and /or interest in sex. It can also look like someone no longer doing the things that they used to enjoy like connecting with friends or family, participating in a hobby or pleasurable activities. Similarly, people think anxiety is “intense worrying’ but anxiety can also look like increased irritability, difficulty concentrating or restlessness (feeling like you always have to be doing something) or feeling like something bad is going to happen. Maybe you’re short tempered with your kids or peers. Maybe you’re on edge all the time. These are all symptoms of anxiety. Lastly, people think PTSD is “flashbacks and hypervigilance” and again that is true, but PTSD can also look like difficulty concentrating, memory problems or forgetfulness, impaired functioning at home, school or work, feeling numb, wanting to be alone, engaging in risky behaviors and difficulty falling asleep. Its important to recognize these “other” symptoms so that you can get help (if you’re the trauma survivor) or you can adjust your interventions (if you’re the advocate). If you’re the trauma survivor and you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to someone – a trusted medical or mental health professional, a clergy member, a family elder, a friend or call 988 – the national crisis line if you’re in a mental health crisis. If you’re an advocate, ask the right questions, connect your client to services, be patient and understanding and most importantly, educate your clients about these other less common symptoms because it just might be what they needed to hear to seek out support. With so many service options (in-person, via tele-health and even text messaging), it’s never been more accessible to get the help you need. Join me this month as we work towards bringing awareness to mental health.

About the Author

Profile Picture for Desiré Martinez, LCSW-S Lead Trauma Support Partner

Desiré Martinez, LCSW-S is a Lead Trauma Support Partner for HCDVCC.

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Children Community Share Op-eds

The St Jerome Emiliani Foster Care Program

St Jerome

The St Jerome Emiliani Foster Care Program

Imagine having an abusive parent in a third world country with no viable option for kinship adoption. Now imagine a hostile government takeover swept your city and violently ended the lives of your entire family. This is the reality for thousands of people around the world, many of which are children who are forced to escape to the US.

The St. Jerome Emiliani Foster Care Program provides a nurturing home environment for unaccompanied refugee children and teenagers, many of whom have escaped devastating situations in their native lands. They may have been trafficked here, escorted by a coyote, or traveled overseas, enduring a long journey to make it to a place of refuge. Due to these adverse experiences, the youth may have trauma, be grieving, and exhibit complex behaviors. Our program is the only International Foster Care available in the greater Houston area, so we offer a niche way to help youth in need that differs from domestic foster care, who works with CPS.

Our youth are temporarily held in shelters or refugee camps while they wait to be referred to us by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Once accepted into the St Jerome program, we pick them up from the airport and place them in licensed foster homes. Foster parents play a critical role in providing a stable family: issuing food, clothing, shelter, love, protection, and guidance to the youth in their care to help them become self-sufficient young adults. The end goal is to ensure the foster youth have their needs met in a safe, therapeutic, and caring way.

The St. Jerome Program, with assistance from other programs at Catholic Charities, provides financial support, case management services, independent living skills training, education/English as a Second Language (ESL, mentoring, job skills training, legal assistance, cultural activities, clinical services, and ongoing family tracing). We work as a well-rounded team to offer full support to all our families and take great pride in how we advocate for both the youth and the foster parents when issues arise. We ensure all sides are heard so we can come up with a proper solution.

Every year we see youth from different countries depending on the current political climate. This year, we anticipate the bulk of our referrals to come from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan. Due to these stats, we are hoping to bring on some Spanish speaking foster families, particularly from Central America, and African foster parents, to provide a good cultural match for these youth.

Potential foster parents go through many steps to become licensed with our program, including an orientation, trainings, documentation, home study, and observation hours in other foster homes. We work with our potentials to help guide them through the process and make sure our program is a good fit. If you are interested in making a difference in the lives of these youth, please scan the QR code to fill out our questionnaire and sign up for an orientation to learn more today!

Our Mission:
To improve Harris County’s response to domestic violence, we lead efforts to build collaborative systems and innovative programs that increase access to services and safety.
Our Vision:
We envision a community where all persons have relationships that are safe, healthy, and free from domestic violence.
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