Domestic Violence Crisis Center
Report date
February 2022
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
The objectives of this project included training, multi-disciplinary meetings, using a team approach to holding offenders accountable, and providing support to empower victims of domestic violence. We surveyed team members and using a team approach was found as the most impactful aspect to holding offenders accountable. This meant leveraging each member's strengths, skills, and experience. Advocacy could offer safety planning, counseling, support in the courtroom, and security cameras for victims' housing. Law enforcement would collaborate across jurisdictions to get warrants served and work with advocacy in staying in touch with the victim along the way. Probation could leverage revocation with ongoing violations of a protection order or no-contact order. The prosecution team had a stronger case as a result of the assessments. Finally, victims reported feeling more supported during this process.
The next activity that led to progress is implementing monthly meetings to staff cases. The group had a caseload of 10-15 cases to review each time at various phases in the criminal justice process. These are the highest-risk offenders in the community. According to assessment scores, 70% of offenders had used strangulation as a control tactic on their victims, 35% of offenders threatened to use a lethal weapon, 75% of offenders threatened to kill the victim, and not surprisingly, 90% of victims served during this project believed their offender will or might kill them. Monthly meetings to staff cases included a quick 10-15 minute training video, updates from all partners, and staffing of the current roster of cases. The agencies at the table included but were not limited to law enforcement, advocacy, prosecution, probation, EMS, firefighters, and domestic violence offender treatment.
The next objective that helped to make progress was implementing danger assessments for advocacy and law enforcement that could be used by prosecutors in court and co-training. Our cross-training approach meant that everyone understood the severity of a case based on the scores given. We all were using standard measurements that were evidence-based and could illustrate the case and be used in the courtroom. These approaches led to our progress in a short time. This was also a useful tool that helped convey concern and ongoing risk to the victim for their safety from all parties. The first training provided by this grant was the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment. The team elected to train a group to become trainers so that it was something that could carry on for several years. Advocacy had four people, Minot PD had three, Ward County Sheriff's Department had two. This has allowed all new law enforcement officers at each agency to receive this training over the past three years. Next was strangulation training since it was so commonly used against victims, then the batterer's playbook, and finally access to the Conference on Crimes Against Women was provided to all members.
Key lessons learned
Overall, a team approach to working toward a common goal was listed again and again as a reason this project was valuable. It assisted in holding the offender accountable and supporting the victim throughout a lengthy court process. This can be years in the making from the first response on the scene to a verdict in a courtroom. That is a long time for a victim to choose to engage with a system that often puts her in the limelight and questions her credibility over and over despite the fact that she is not the one accused of criminal behavior.
One challenge or failure that was unexpected was the lack of impact for stronger sentencing with assessment scores. The team was astounded that although evidence-based, it did not resonate with local judges. We have work to do in order for our system to be successful in victimless prosecution. One of the trainers for strangulation asserted, 'The victim trusts her abuser's ability to kill her more than your ability to keep her safe.' She cannot safely help in holding him accountable in most cases. The pandemic amplified the risk, isolation was encouraged and victims were isolated at home with someone who continued to harm them. It made it harder to reach out and the team members worked diligently to ensure services continued to be available. This meant pivoting to virtual crisis hotlines, support groups, and adding access to advocacy services in new places that people were able to go to like pharmacies and grocery stores.
The third lesson brought forward through this process was this group does really difficult work that has a high burnout rate across all disciplines. Members felt this process continuously lifted one another up when there were setbacks. The team works and trains well together and each partner is willing to have difficult conversations in order to better services and safety for victims of domestic violence.
Reflections on the community innovation process
We needed the resources to allow for the generation of solutions. The funding for training was a true gift to bring national trainers to our rural area and train so many folks collectively. Often we can send a handful of people who can grow, but this increased the collective capacity of five or six agencies in our region throughout this grant. Additionally, this project impacted service providers across the state of North Dakota. Seventy-two people from 22 agencies across North Dakota attended our virtual training on The Offender's Playbook, demystifying offenders' behavior.
Progress toward an innovation
The DVHRT team feels we have made a lot of progress toward innovation. We are set up to be launching the first in ND and one of only a handful of adult forensic interviewing programs. We are collaborating with a group in Houston that has been using this model in sexual assaults and human trafficking cases, we will be piloting the domestic violence interviews. This came as a result of collaboration in this grant. We recognized a disconnect in keeping victims engaged throughout the lengthy criminal justice process. We found that often they disengage immediately with law enforcement. This interview process using a member of the Domestic Violence Crisis Center High-Risk staff who has a Masters in Forensic Psychology as well as this cross-training will provide a trauma-informed interview process similar to that of the children's advocacy centers.
Three years ago, DVCC also would not have taken the initiative to oversee domestic violence offender treatment. The agency was focused solely on victim services. After this process, it became apparent that having a piece of the offender accountability was crucial to have a survivor's voice at the heart of offender treatment.
Three years ago, DVCC also would not have taken the initiative to oversee domestic violence offender treatment. The agency was focused solely on victim services. After this process, it became apparent that having a piece of the offender accountability was crucial to have a survivor's voice at the heart of offender treatment.
What it will take to reach an innovation?
NA
What's next?
As stated earlier next steps include launching forensic interviewing, a continuation of monthly meetings, and dedication of collaborative multidisciplinary training.
If you could do it all over again...
We felt that using evidence-based assessments would be enough to garner the attention of the courts and they would be more readily accepted and utilized. There were many communities across the nation already using them, despite them being new to our region. In hindsight we would have been more prepared for the resistance or dismissiveness of the court. It also would be interesting to know ahead of time that we would have to pivot all of our training to virtual after the first year due to a global pandemic!
One last thought
This has been a transformational experience for our community. We appreciate the trust in our program from the Bush Foundation to implement a change process. Our efforts have led us to so many more ideas for the DVHRT to explore and implement in order to create a community with less interpersonal violence.