Resources Library: Community Coordination & Collaboration
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Legal Advocacy Manual 2013
The Legal Advocacy Manual provides victim advocates (as well as victims) with a comprehensive guide to help domestic and sexual violence victims in Virginia through some of the legal processes in which they may become involved. It provides both basic and intermediate levels of information about legal advocacy--what it is, the difference between civil and criminal justice systems, definitions of commonly used legal terms, and how to avoid the unauthorized practice of law, among other topics. The manual offers context for the emotional, logistical, and legal hurdles involved in protective orders, criminal prosecutions, visa applications, and divorces. It is 76 pages long and is in PDF form. Susheela Varky of Virginia Poverty Law Center updated it in June 2013 for recent changes in the law. Ms. Varky has used the manual as a resource for in-person trainings geared to victim advocates, and is available to tailor such trainings for your local Virginia domestic or sexual violence program.
Maternal Mortality Review – Each Death Matters
Virginia’s multidisciplinary Maternal Mortality Review Team reviewed nearly 400 cases of pregnancy-associated death occurring between 1999 and 2007. This brief article was published by the National Women's Health Network and authored by Victoria M. Kavanaugh, RN, PhD, Maternal Mortality Review Team Coordinator with the Virginia Department of Health, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In the article, Dr. Kavanaugh summaries Virginia data and emphasizes the need for maternal mortality reviews as a means to develop recommendations for interventions and prevention strategies to prevent future deaths. These recommendations apply to a wide array of fields, including prenatal health care, social work, psychiatry, emergency care, dietary services, health care, and advocacy.
Preventing Sexual Violence in Latin@ Communities: A National Needs Assessment
A significant proportion of people living in the United States are of Latin@ origin – about 16%, or 50.5 million, as of 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). But the few existing studies on sexual violence against Latin@s have shown a lack of culturally relevant services for Latin@ survivors to be a substantial need. One in six Latina women report sexual victimization in their lifetime (Cuevas & Sabina, 2010). Latin@s encounter more barriers to seeking services than non-Latin@s, especially if they are immigrants (Ingram, 2007). Latin@s are also less likely to report rape victimization (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000).
Therefore, the purpose of this needs assessment was to guage the following:
1. Who are the key groups/organizations engaging in and/or supporting sexual violence prevention and intervention in Latin@ and/or Spanish-speaking communities?
2. What are the resource needs of advocates, counselors, and other professionals in the field engaging in sexual violence prevention and intervention in Latin@ and/or Spanish-speaking communities?
3. What is the cultural competency and Spanish-language capacity of programs and organizations to serve Latin@ and/or Spanish-speaking communities?
4. What is the most effective role of the NSVRC in supporting advocates working with Latin@ and/or Spanish-speaking communities?
Prevention Recipe Card
A lighthearted way to explain the necessary ingredients for cooking up successful prevention efforts.
Promoting Collaboration Between Victim Advocates and Sex Offender Management Professionals: A Resource Package
This document was developed collaboratiely by the Center for Sex Offender Management, National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Resource Sharing Project, Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, Office of Violence Against Women, Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (S.M.A.R.T.) This resource can be used for cross-training, self-learning, fostering dialogue among new or developing teams, public education, or otherwise supporting multidisciplinary collaboration to respond to sexual violence.
