Developing Your Program

u003cpu003eStaff and volunteers must accommodate all survivors entering services, including, but not limited to, survivors with disabilities, men and teen boys, survivors experiencing family violence later in life, survivors who are immigrants or refugees, and survivors in the LGBTQ community, including survivors who identify as transgender. A key aspect of that process is informing staff about your agency’s policies regarding access and service and the available accommodations when needed. Training should also be offered to staff so that they are prepared to offer a warm and welcoming environment to differing communities and respond to survivor’s specific needs.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e Access also includes having staff on hand to conduct intakes in the primary language of the survivor. Programs can determine any language barriers at the initial hotline call and have a staff member who speaks the survivor’s primary language or an interpreter at the center during the intake process. Ideally, each program should have staff that can effectively communicate in the languages commonly spoken in their community, including sign language for survivors who are d/Deaf and hearing impaired, but programs should train staff to use a language line for interpretation services for gaps in the services. See TCFV’s sample policy on Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Procedures for additional guidance.u003c/pu003e

u003cpu003eBecause survivors usually have to talk through their victimizations at the intake appointment, programs should train staff on the effects of trauma especially around triggers, grounding techniques, and its effect on behavior and memory. Having a designated staff person with specialized training around mental health issues available to conduct intakes is extremely helpful, though many programs do not have the resources on hand to provide this specialized care. Advocates should have the extra support of a supervisor or community partner (with the consent of the survivor) to draw upon when a mental health condition creates a barrier to conducting intakes or making services accessible.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003e Staff should seek to make the orientation process a conversation whenever possible rather than centering on filling out forms. Conducting an intake through dialogue typically makes the experience more personalized and positive for survivors. This method also increases access for survivors of all literacy levels, including ones who might not want to disclose literacy issues.u003c/pu003ett

u003cblockquoteu003e“One way to make efficient use of the time available is to ask open-ended questions and listen carefully to the answers. Many times the answer to one question will offer information about several areas of a victim’s perspective…Obtaining the information that advocates need is not about asking a lot of questions; rather, it is about posing the ‘right’ questions for each victim.”rnu003cstrongu003e- Jill Davies, Domestic Violence Advocacy: Complex Lives/Difficult Choicesu003c/strongu003eu003c/blockquoteu003e

Creating an open dialogue is easiest when staff attain familiarity with the forms used. In-depth knowledge of the forms can assist an advocate in guiding an open-ended conversation to obtain the needed information. The survivors usually answer questions on the intake forms as they talk about their experiences. Likewise, if an advocate is familiar with the forms they can decrease repeating questions.rnrnOptions for decreasing repetitiveness during the intake process:rnu003culu003ern tu003cliu003eIs it possible to transfer the call to an advocate who could also facilitate the intake appointment? For example, if the hotline advocate identifies that the majority of the survivor’s needs are legal, can the legal advocate perform the intake appointment?u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eAsk survivors who access the hotline if it is okay to brief the advocate who will conduct their intake on the basic information around their situation.u003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eWith survivor permission, share information between advocates to minimize retelling while increasing the system of support. A comment such as, “[Name of hotline advocate] explained what you talked about, but I would like to hear anything that you think is important for me to know,” helps the survivor feel like they do not have to repeat the complete story and that the current advocate is engaged in the present interaction.u003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003e

Programs should train intake personnel on identifying any barriers that may arise for survivors in working with a specific case manager. A survivor may be more comfortable with a person of one gender over another, or a conflict of interest may arise if the staff person shares a mutual acquaintance or belongs to the same close-knit community. Offering survivors options and asking if there the advocate or someone else can do something to make them more comfortable demonstrates the importance the agency places on confidentiality and respectful treatment.rnrnStaff should understand peer counseling techniques, as prescribed by TAC u003ca href=u0022http://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=Ru0026amp;app=9u0026amp;p_dir=u0026amp;p_rloc=u0026amp;p_tloc=u0026amp;p_ploc=u0026amp;pg=1u0026amp;p_tac=u0026amp;ti=1u0026amp;pt=15u0026amp;ch=379u0026amp;rl=404u0022u003eu003cstrongu003e§379.404u003c/strongu003eu003c/au003e and u003ca href=u0022http://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=Ru0026amp;app=9u0026amp;p_dir=u0026amp;p_rloc=u0026amp;p_tloc=u0026amp;p_ploc=u0026amp;pg=1u0026amp;p_tac=u0026amp;ti=1u0026amp;pt=15u0026amp;ch=379u0026amp;rl=1804u0022u003eu003cstrongu003e§379.1804u003c/strongu003eu003c/au003e, which can include trainings specific to the psychological/emotional effects of trauma. During TCFV’s listening projects, some survivors reported that they did not feel believed when telling an advocate about their experience. TCFV strongly suggests a best practice is to believe that what the survivor says is true, or that there is a specific reason why they are changing or withholding information. A survivor may be reluctant to share some information for many reasons including lack of trust in social service providers, fear of retaliation by a partner, shame around victimization, etc.