Resources Library: Advocates
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Trauma-Informed Birth Support for Survivors of Abuse Webinar
This VAWnet webinar provides information on the impact of trauma in pregnancy and childbirth, and outlines how a partnership between advocates and birth workers in the community may be of benefit to pregnant survivors of domestic or sexual violence. Together, victim advocacy and doula skills can set in motion a new beginning for healthier relationships between survivors of abuse and their newborns.
http://www.vawnet.org/summary.php?doc_id=4511&find_type=web_desc_TT
Trauma-Informed Birth Support: Survivor + Doula + Advocate
This pamphlet reviews the connections between pregnancy, childbirth, and trauma, and offers information, resources, and tips for advocates and birth doulas to support trauma-informed birth experiences for survivors of domestic violence. Published by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
Tribal Implementation of VAWA
This page from the National Congress of American Indians helps to briefly review the application of VAWA as it relates to Tribal communities. Their intent is to push for more inclusion of tribe rights and power to enforce legal and community action towards those who are not included in the VAWA understanding of sexual violence. Current law only allows for tribes to act to address domestic violence towards women only, and limits the ability to prosecute offenders who are not tribal members.
Trust Survivors: Building an Effective and Inclusive Cash Assistance Program
FreeFrom, a national organization, based in Los Angeles, with a mission to dismantle the nexus between intimate partner violence and financial insecurity, has created their groundbreaking report that compiles data and stories from 1,000 surviors about how to make cash assistance work for them.
The Biden-Harris Administration has pledged $5 billion to be used as direct cash assistance for survivors. At FreeFrom, they are thrilled about this promise as it is known from experience that survivors’ #1 need is cash to spend as they see fit.
To help the Biden-Harris Administration design a survivor-centered program, FreeFrom asked an incredibly diverse sample of survivors what they need and overwhelmingly, they expressed that they need a program steeped in flexibility and trust.
Some key takeaways from the data:
- 71% of survivors were not seeking support from a domestic violence or sexual assault organization when they applied for a Safety Fund grant;
- 53% of survivors report that they do not have any “proof” that they are a survivor (e.g., police report or restraining / protective order);
- 68% of survivors can’t or don’t feel safe getting a police report;
- 69% of survivors can’t or don’t feel safe getting a restraining / protective order;
- 84% of survivors would not be able to access cash assistance if they had to meet certain added eligibility requirements beyond their experience of harm.
Download the report by clicking on the file below.
Understanding P.E.R.K. Exams and Your Options After a Sexual Assault
A palm card for survivors of sexual assault that provides information on P.E.R.K. exams, including "What is a P.E.R.K.?", "Do I have to have a P.E.R.K.?", "Who will pay for the exam?", "What do I need to know if I am considering having a P.E.R.K.?"
Order brochures and other materials from the Action Alliance.
