Domestic Violence Crisis Center
Report date
July 2020
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
The multidisciplinary team determined which law enforcement assessment to implement and which advocacy assessment to implement. The advocacy assessment was online so we were able to quickly train all certified advocates on the Danger Assessment by August 2019. We did a slow training and roll out and implemented all cases be assessed unless the client opts out beginning January 2020. Law enforcement opted for the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment and brought a trainer out to facilitate a train the trainer session as well as a large group certification. The certified trainers have been holding sessions to ensure all law enforcement officers are trained. Both Ward County Sheriff's Department as well as Minot Police Department are actively using these assessments that are evidence based. The States Attorney's Office has used these assessments to inform their decisions in how to proceed with cases.
In addition to the ODARA training, the team was able to bring Kelsey McKay, a national trainer to Minot to train on strangulation. We were able to offer this training free of charge to members of law enforcement, advocacy, and prosecution in the region. We were able to get Post Credits for law enforcement, CEU's for social workers, and credits for advocacy certification. The training enhanced law enforcement protocols and included a strangulation supplement for first responders. It has also been used in our community batterers' intervention program (BIP) to identify and hold offenders more accountable when offenders admit to strangling their partners during their sessions at batterers' treatment.
The team has worked to formalize a procedure to refer cases to the High Risk Team. This procedure takes confidentiality and safety into account and is a trauma informed and victim-led approach. Survivor input has been infinitely helpful while creating this procedure and is an invaluable part of the team. We are currently working on a Best Practices Guide for the team to provide future guidance. This multidisciplinary approach with shared input has been crucial in our decision making and creating a space that survivors feel supported throughout the lengthy process of the criminal justice system.
Key lessons learned
The DVHRT learned that the strangulation training presented by Kelsey McKay was found most effective by law enforcement. It has also been helpful for batterer's treatment to identify and discuss strangulation during the batterer's treatment sessions. In community listening sessions for rural needs in another grant funded project this training was touted and requested to be brought in as a statewide opportunity.
An unexpected point has been victims who revoke their release of information for the high risk team. This brings opportunity to further observe how to avoid future occurrences of revoked ROI's. Without an ROI, the we cannot break the client's confidentiality. Law enforcement and prosecution can discuss the offender but advocacy cannot discuss anything the victim may have shared with them.
Reflections on inclusive, collaborative or resourceful problem-solving
Collaboration has been important as after a year and a half, the DVHRT is still coming to the table to discuss issues and have maintained good relationships with one another. Resourcefulness has also been important in having the police department do security checks on houses and offer suggetions (combining resources between advocacy and law enforcement).
Other key elements of Community Innovation
No
If you could do it all over again...
Patience and flexibility in timelines would be one piecce of advice the DVHRT would give themselves.
One last thought
This grant has provided a huge opportunity for our community for systemic change, we are extremely grateful for the funding to provide the space and time to explore what will create lasting change and begin to better inform all of our partners. Given today's funding challenges it seems in many budgets the first thing to get cut is training. This allowed us to provide multiple national level training opportunities where our partners did not need to travel outside of our rural town resulting in over 70 people attending the strangulation training. Additionally, the team had a number of members become ODARA trainers so we have been able to share the assessment training with patrol officers who were unable to attend the original training.