NYCHA’s 2024 Domestic Violence Awareness Conference
To mark National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, NYCHA’s Family Partnerships unit in the Resident Services, Partnerships, and Initiatives Department (RSPI) held a virtual conference on October 3 to educate NYCHA residents about resources provided by NYCHA, NYCHA partners, and other organizations that can help survivors and people currently experiencing intimate partner and domestic violence.
Approximately 230 people attended the virtual conference, “Domestic Violence Awareness Conference 2024 – Champion Change: Reclaim Hope, Beauty, and Strength.” The event featured interpreters for sign language, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
A video was screened, “Dear Future Survivor,” featuring 12 survivors of domestic violence from Newhouse Shelter, Kansas City, Missouri’s longest-running domestic violence shelter.
Maureen Curtis, Vice President of Criminal Justice Programs at Safe Horizon, a long-time NYCHA partner, served as conference host. The event’s keynote speaker was Natasha Pimentel, Community Outreach Coordinator and Family Advocate at The Healing Center. The Healing Center is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit organization serving women, children, and older adults affected by intimate partner violence and sexual assault.
Ms. Pimentel spoke about the direct services the organization provides to survivors, including crisis intervention, safety planning, legal advocacy, and trauma-informed counseling, as well as how wellness activities such as yoga, crocheting, and painting are incorporated. Other programs she discussed were Cafecito, a weekly support group for survivors; Daughters of the Lotus, a safe space for female-identifying and gender non-conforming teens; and the annual NYC Teen Dating Awareness Walk.
“As I reflect on the work we do at The Healing Center, I’m continually inspired by the resilience of the survivors we serve,” Ms. Pimentel said. “Their stories are one of hope, beauty, and strength, qualities that may have been buried under the weight of trauma but are always there waiting to be reclaimed. Like the lotus flower that blooms in the darkest waters, survivors have the capacity to rise above their circumstances, heal, and flourish. Each of us here has the power to champion change whether through advocacy, volunteering, or simply offering support. We can create a world where survivors are believed, supported, and empowered. Together we can build communities where violence is not tolerated, and healing is widely available.”
After the keynote, Ms. Curtis moderated a panel featuring representatives from organizations that provide resources and assistance to people dealing with intimate partner and domestic violence. Three of the panelists are survivors who created their own path to thriving and entrepreneurship. Each spoke to one of the three prongs represented in the conference’s theme. Doreen G. Lesane, advocate, speaker, author, and founder of Sunshine in My Living Room spoke about hope; Schenika Quattlebaum, founder of Natalia Megan Beauty, shared her story of finding beauty after surviving domestic violence; and Stephanie McGraw, Founder and CEO of We All Really Matter, an organization for domestic violence victims and survivors, spoke about strength. Also on the panel was Irlanda Fernandez, Supervisor in NYCHA’s emergency transfer program, who discussed NYCHA’s assistance to residents experiencing domestic violence and the agencies that assist with this endeavor.
The event closed with audience questions and answers, closing remarks from Ukah Busgith, NYCHA’s Executive Vice President of RSPI, and joyful music.
Resources:
Safe Horizon
Safe Horizon 24-hour hotline: 1-800-621-HOPE (4673)
Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence
NYPD Domestic Violence Webpage
Domestic Violence – NYCHA’s VAWA Resources
Audience Participation Questions:
1. On 6/21/2024, the Supreme Court repealed a federal law that bars anyone subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing a gun. The court ruled that the law violates the Constitution’s Second Amendment, which protects the “right of the people to keep and bear Arms.”
True or False
2. While outside factors (including drug or alcohol addiction) can escalate abuse, it’s important to recognize that these issues do not cause domestic violence.
True or False
3. The concept of “beauty” has no bearing on domestic violence incidences.
True or False
The appearance of a victim and socially accepted standards of beauty are factors contributing to incidences of domestic violence as individuals can develop low self-esteem in their perceptions of “failure” to meet these standards. Additionally, perpetrators have instilled and/or exacerbated this shame about beauty to further denigrate and abuse a partner.
4. Which three states have passed laws requiring licensed beauty professionals and students to undergo domestic violence awareness training?
a) Massachusetts, Virginia, Wisconsin
b) New York, Connecticut, Illinois
c) Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois
No federal law exists that offers funding to all states; however, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (TN) and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (IL) introduced legislation, the S.3540.
5. The Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence’s (ENDGBV) Home+ program, which helps survivors remain safely housed and avoid shelter entry, does not require law enforcement involvement.
True or False
The innovative Home+ program supports survivor safety by providing free access to high-tech personal alarm systems and locksmith services to domestic violence survivors and their children who want to stay in their homes instead of entering shelter or going somewhere else.
6. The best example of “hope” in the realm of preventative domestic and gender-based violence is:
a) The New York State Address Confidentiality Program
b) The Mayor’s ENDGBV’s Early Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (ERAPP)
c) The availability and provision of ‘rape tests’ to facilitate the processes of investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of intimate partner violence
d) The CDC’s ongoing National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)
7. Positive psychology can be detrimental to the well-being of domestic violence survivors.
True or False
Forced positivity can result in the denial of the reality of difficult circumstances as well as the accompanying emotions; therefore, it can be an avoidant coping mechanism.
8. Building on the “strength” and resilience of survivors of abuse can often include:
a) Offering opportunities for solidarity, or connecting with other survivors
b) Providing a range of resources and support, for example, helping with childcare, moving, employment, mental health care, etc.
c) Challenging their beliefs about the abuse
d) Teaching patience
e) both a and b
f) both c and d