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Section One: INT 329 Project Summary
This project details how
the individual community member, the community itself, and the federal
government can work together to address a serious social problem affecting
the community. I choose the work of the Carriage House Coalition
in Harrington, Maine as my project because it is a valid example of the
community and individual cooperation to the end of working for a better
community..
Domestic violence, often referred to as partner abuse, assault, or spouse abuse, is defined as violence between adults who are intimates, regardless of their marital status, living arrangements, or sexual orientations. This includes minor aggressive acts of throwing, shoving, and slapping; as well as major aggressive acts of beatings, forced sex, threats with a deadly weapon, and homicide Females are targets of domestic violence, sexual abuse, elder abuse, and adolescent physical abuse more often than males.
The Role of The Federal Government
The federal government has as one of its responsibilities,
the goal of helping its citizens combat
social problems. The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta is the the branch
of the Federal Government which has been charged with research, education
and prevention in the area of Intimate Partner Violence.
Family and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention
A COORDINATED COMMUNITY RESPONSE
The Maine Ambulatory Care Coalition implemented and evaluates "A Rural Response to Intimate Partner Violence" in the rural communities served by it's community health centers. The objectives of the program include: (1) developing and implementing programs to dispel misconceptions about intimate partner violence and to change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that cause or promote intimate partner violence; (2) to enhance the services for and support to women who are victims of intimate partner violence; (3) to treat victims of intimate partner violence; and (4) to provide training, education and information about intimate partner violence. The target population for this project includes adolescents and women who have experienced, or are at risk of experiencing violence inflicted by persons known to them rather than by strangers.
The four health centers have developed local community coalitions which will involve family violence programs, law enforcement agencies, clergy, business and civic leaders, victims of intimate partner violence, and local education programs. They utilize a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach to develop protocols and programs within the health center to identify women and adolescents experiencing intimate partner violence. These local programs will be supported by a state level structure that will include an advisory group and a comprehensive system for training, technical assistance, and other support.
The subject of this INT 329 project details the activities of the IPV local project in Harrington, Washington County, Maine.
A Community Coalition of People Working Together to End Domestic Violence
In the past 20 years the problem of Domestic Violence has become one of the most researched of all social problems. In the past 10 years communities have responded by forming women's groups, shelters, safe houses and community organizations, all with the aim of combating domestic violence.
One such community organization is The Carriage House Coalition based at the Harrington Health Center, Harrington, Maine. The coalition is comprised of community members from throughout Western Washington County. The members range from clergy, private citizens, college students and domestic violence survivors.
The Coalition has as its mission the education of community members
about the effects and prevention of
domestic violence. Below is the organizations mission statement.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to develop a community devoted to
speaking out
against physical, mental, verbal and sexual violence. Through
public
awareness, education, and community development, we hope to increase
the public's ability to recognize violence in our own lives, in the lives
of
others, and to create nurturing systems of support for victims and batterers.
We recognize the capacity for peace and violence within each of us.
We envision a community in which all members love and value themselves,
in which people learn to listen more effectively, and where mutual
respect between the genders is encouraged to grow. We believe
that this commitment to non-violence will benefit and strengthen the
entire community.
Activity:
A project called 'Poetry for Peace' which was a trifold display of
teen violence survivor's personal poetry, has circulated among the
local community and has recently been displayed in Florida.
Outcome: Several
teens from the community high school authored poems detailing
their experience with Intimate Partner Violence. The poems were graphic,
moving,
troubling and sobering. The exhibit has toured many towns in Washington
County
and recently was displayed at a national health conference in Orlando Florida.
The
Poetry for Peace exhibit has received national attention and is probably
the biggest
and most effective IPV awareness raising projects the Coalition has sponsored.
IPV
awareness was certainly raised in the community by this project.
Activity: The Yellow Dress Play was brought to local schools
Outcome:
The Yellow Dress is a short dramatic presentation with moving piano music
which details one
young teen's struggle with abuse from her boyfriend. The conflict
escalates to the eventual murder
of the young woman. Many issues are covered including resources and
lack of resources for
teens facing these issues. Trained facilitators were on hand to debrief
and facilitate concerns of
teens and other audience members after the play. It was moving and
educational and brought home
the problems that teens face in their daily lives with intimate partner
violence issues.
Activity: A
business forum was held to educate local business about
the effects of Domestic Violence.
Outcome: 45 Western
Washington County business were surveyed about their perceptions and
needs for IPV protocols and their levels of awareness about IPV issues.
After the surveys
were returned, a business breakfast was held at which interested business
persons discussed
IPV business issues and approaches to address the problem and how it might
affect their businesses.
Key business people and the Coalition will continue to develop this project.
Activity:
Creation of a web
page detailing the mission of the coalition as well as creating
links to world wide web resources for victims, survivors, advocates, and
researchers.
Outcome: The web page
concept was to generate awareness, but more importantly to provide resources
for victims, survivors, researchers, and advocates. The web site
contains links to local and national
IPV resources, crisis hotlines, and research sites. The site has
received national attention and has even
resulted in one direct service request from a victim several thousand miles
away from the Coalition's
headquarters. The site is continually updated with the latest research
and IPV news and links to
important IPV web sites.
General Outcome of the Project to Date
While
the project has achieved most of its mid-point goals, it is evident that
there is a high level of resistance
to
the project in its catchment area. This includes the age-old tendency
of people not wanting to hear
about,
or confront problems that many feel are private and none of their business.
Attitudes towards IPV
vary
from total ignorance and/or indifference of the problem, to passionate
awareness and action by others in
the
community. Part of the mission of the grant is to identify the barriers
to education and awareness about
IPV
concerns and issues in the community.
The
Coalition, while enjoying moderate success in education of the community
about IPV faces continuing efforts to
circumvent
resistance and continue the mission of community involvement of its efforts
to educate and
inform
the community of this prevalent problem that effects all of us in one way
or another.
The Carriage House Coalition is an example of how community members can come together and make a difference in dealing with community social problems. The coalition is midway through three year grant and has many projects planned for the future.
I have chosen to work in the field of Intimate Partner Violence Prevention for several reasons:
1. I owe my community service for all that I have received from it.
2. I recognize that in spite of all of human kind's gains; prejudice, inequality and violence exists.
3. I recognize that Intimate Partner Violence is a serious social problem
deeply affecting
many of those whom I love and about one fourth of the population of the
United States.
4. As a child I was a victim of family violence. As an adult I am
a survivor with the
charge to help others in their own empowerment and to the pursuit of
IPV prevention.
5. I recognize the capacity for violence in all humans, men and women.
6. I will work with women and men in my community to educate others and
to help eradicate IPV.
I will attempt to teach other men and women the things I have learned and
will work in
the field as a Batterers Intervention councilor.
I have been proud to have
worked in, and have been deeply rewarded on many levels by being a
community member involved
with the mission of the Carriage House Coalition. This is not only
my
project. It is indeed
my life. Who am I in the Community? I am one, working with
many to make my
community a better place
to live and prosper for men, women and children. It helps to keep
me
whole. It helps me
to give back all that has been given to me. I am one in the community,
the community
is my whole.
"My Calling"
by Reid D. Albee
How could I know,
At such a tender age?
That pain and suffering,
At my dad's hands
Was not normal?
As I grew to adolescence....
How could I know,
that being called worthless and stupid
Was not proper? It seemed routine
and so natural back then.
Somebody told me it was wrong,
That I did not deserve it,
No one deserves it.
Not you, Not I.
I became a survivor........
No longer a victim.
Then.... in later life,
Not so long ago...
I loved a woman who
had been battered.
How could I help her?
She gave me a charge....
"You can't help me ...
But, you can teach others...
not to hit........".
THIS IS ME, MY LIFE
THIS IS MY CALLING.......
MY COMMUNITY