Micah Titterington, MDiv Outreach & Advocacy Coordinator Family Abuse Center
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Micah Titterington, MDiv
Outreach & Advocacy Coordinator
Family Abuse Center
Mission:
�To eliminate domestic violence in Central Texas by
sheltering victims and by preventing abuse from
occurring through intervention and education.
Provides:
� Direct Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence
� Community Presentations on DV Prevention & Awareness
� Volunteer Opportunities for Community Members
• Visit www.FamilyAbuseCenter.org for more
information
� Define “domestic violence” and identify the dynamics of abusive relationships
� Understand the systems that surround a victim of domestic violence
� Understand a proper response to victims and survivors in various professional settings
� Name basic resources available to domestic violence victims and survivors
� Identify ways professional agencies and organizations can cooperate and collaborate around domestic violence
� Why do we often use “she” and “her”?
◦ Men can be and often are victims too
◦ We mostly refer to “she/her,” because women
have a tendency to report more incidents. The
female population make up the majority of FAC’s
clients
� “Victim” vs. “Survivor”
• 1 in 4 women have experienced domestic
violence or abuse in their lifetime (1 in 3 in TX)
• 1 in 14 men have been physically assaulted by
an intimate partner in their lifetime
• 40-54% of U.S. female homicides are committed
by her current or former partner.
• A domestic battery occurs every 9 seconds in
the U.S.
� “Domestic Violence”/”Family Violence”
◦ Intimate Partner Violence
◦ Adult, non-intimate partner violence
◦ Child abuse and neglect
Abuse is a PATTERN of hurtful behavior
where one person exerts POWER and
CONTROL over another person.
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ANYONE can be a victim of
domestic violence
o Age, gender, or sexuality
o Race/Ethnicity
o Religion or cultural
background
o Economic or educational
background
ANYONE can be a perpetrator of
domestic violenceCommon Characteristics Include:
• Jealous, possessive, and/or controlling
• Insecure and low self-esteem
• Jekyll and Hyde personality
• May often appear charming and amicable
• Often denies or minimizes violence while
exaggerating/over-personalizing behavior
of others
� They just have an anger problem.
� They only do this when they drink too much.
� They only did it because there is too much
stress in their life.
� He does this because he was abused as a child
� It’s really my fault that this happened.
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• Be careful in choosing your words
• This question immediately risks…
• Driving a wedge between you and a victim
• Passing judgment on a victim
• Oversimplifying a victim’s reality
• Why might this question oversimplify the
issue?
• A better question: “What keeps you there?”
• Feelings of guilt, shame, self-blame, and blame
from others
• Fear of further violence and stalking
• Cycle of violence
• Isolation from support and resources
• Religious/cultural reasons
• Economic/financial dependence
• Legal obstacles (divorce/custody)
• Language barriers
• Other barriers
Friends/ Neighbors
Family
Religious
Community
Shelter/
Crisis Center
Mental
Health/
Counseling
School
Social
Service
Agencies
Doctor/
Medical
Workplace
LEGAL
Housing
Advocacy
Program
Landlord/HRA
Notified
Warning Given
Eviction Hearing
Sheriff Evicts
911
Call
Squads
Investigate
Arrest No Arrest
Arrest
Report
Non-Arrest
Report
Jail
Arraignment
Hearing
No Contact
Order
Conditions of
Release
Pre-Trial/
Hearing
Trial Sentencing Monitoring/
Probation
Files OFP
Seeks
Shelter
Ex Parte
Granted
Sheriff Serves
RespondentEx Parte
Denied
Judge Reviews
Civil Court
Hearing
Initial Intervention
Unit Contacted
Child Protection
Screening
CP Investigation
Child Welfare
Assessment
Child Maltreatment
Assessment
Law Enforcement
Notified
Risk
Assessment
Service Plan
Safety Plan
CP Case
Mgmt
CD Assessment
Psych/Mental Health
Parenting Education
Visitation
Individual/Family Therapy
DV Classes
Emergency
Placement
EPC Hearing
Safety
Assessment
CHIPS COURT
Court Oversees and
Sanctions Plan
Child Placement
OFP
Granted
OFP
Denied
Reliefs
Granted
OFP Filed
Supervised
Exchange/
Visitation
Files for
Divorce
Family Court
Hearing
Final Divorce
Hearing
Custody
Evaluation
Interviews by
Evaluator
Custody
Awarded
Child Support
Established
Custody
Hearing
Temporary
Custody
Praxis – Rural Technical Assistance on Violence Against Women
Advocacy
Program
Landlord/HRA
Notified
Warning Given
Eviction Hearing
Sheriff Evicts
911
Call
Squads
Investigate
Arrest No Arrest
Arrest
Report
Non-Arrest
Report
Jail
Arraignment
Hearing
No Contact
Order
Conditions of
Release
Pre-Trial/
Hearing
Trial Sentencing Monitoring/
Probation
Files OFP
Seeks
Shelter
Ex Parte
Granted
Sheriff Serves
RespondentEx Parte
Denied
Judge Reviews
Civil Court
Hearing
Initial Intervention
Unit Contacted
Child Protection
Screening
CP Investigation
Child Welfare
Assessment
Child Maltreatment
Assessment
Law Enforcement
Notified
Risk
Assessment
Service Plan
Safety Plan
CP Case
Mgmt
CD Assessment
Psych/Mental Health
Parenting Education
Visitation
Individual/Family Therapy
DV Classes
Emergency
Placement
EPC Hearing
Safety
Assessment
CHIPS COURT
Court Oversees and
Sanctions Plan
Child Placement
OFP
Granted
OFP
Denied
Reliefs
Granted
OFP Filed
Supervised
Exchange/
Visitation
Files for
Divorce
Family Court
Hearing
Final Divorce
Hearing
Custody
Evaluation
Interviews by
Evaluator
Custody
Awarded
Child Support
Established
Custody
Hearing
Temporary
Custody
Praxis – Rural Technical Assistance on Violence Against Women
Friends/
Neighbors
Family
Religious
Community
Shelter/
Crisis
Center
Mental
Health/
Counseling
School
Social
Service
Agencies
Doctor/
Medical
Workplace
Housing
Friends/ Neighbors
Family
Religious
Community
Shelter/
Crisis Center
Mental
Health/
Counseling
School
Social
Service
Agencies
Doctor/
Medical
Workplace
LEGAL
Housing
� Anyone who encounters a victim can be an “advocate”
◦ “one that pleads the cause of another”
◦ “one that supports or promotes the interests of another”
� The victim/survivor informs and directs the goals and
services. Decisions are made by the victim/survivor
� NOT “Service-defined advocacy”
◦ Clients are fit into services rather than services being fit into
client’s plans and goals
� NOT “Advocate-defined advocacy”
◦ The advocate is the “expert” and makes decisions for victim
� Assumptions
◦ Does not start with client’s problems or dysfunctions, which
leads to a hierarchical view of advocate as expert
◦ Recognizes that client has resources, knowledge, and skills that
should be employed.
◦ Goal is empowerment; advocate serves as a “bridge” to client’s
available resources
� Reasoning
◦ Exerting power/control would be re-victimization
◦ Victim/Survivor knows their specific situation better than
advocate
� Physical Violence
� Financial dangers
� Emotional well-being
� Social well-being
� Well-being of children
“Safety” must be defined with consideration
of the client’s perspectives and priorities!
� Addressing Immediate Needs
◦ Often a crisis situation
◦ Stabilize the situation
◦ Acknowledge the crisis
◦ Facilitate Understanding
◦ Encourage Effective Coping
◦ Recovery and Referral
� Secondary Needs
◦ Help client think through long-term needs and solutions
� Ex: Shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing
� Should a married client get a divorce?
� Should a victim leave the abuser?
◦ CPS: “Either leave or lose kids” with no referrals or options
given
� Should a victim report abuse to the police or file for
protective order?
� Religious Community
◦ Promote healing from “spiritual abuse,” recognize limits of
non-professional counseling and marital counseling
� Medical Community
◦ Incorporate DV screenings in all health assessments
� Social Service
◦ Be familiar with DV resources and screen clients for DV;
recognize non-physical threats to safety/well-being
� School
◦ Advocate for well-being of children; watch for abuse of
parent; be prepared for dating violence
The Family Abuse Center offers services to ALL survivors of
domestic violence.
Our services include:
• 24-hour Emergency Shelter
• 24-hour crisis hotline
• Thrift store
• Counseling for Adults & Children
• Case Management
• Legal Advocacy
• Children’s Services
• Education/prevention classes and training
• Bilingual services available
� 24/7 shelter in a confidential location
◦ 55-bed shelter with family rooms and single women’s room
◦ We provide 3 meals a day
◦ At least one staff member on-duty at all times
� Open to all survivors of domestic violence
� 14-day emergency shelter with possibility of extensions
� Supportive living programs are available!
◦ 1-month, 12-months, and life-time housing programs
If a survivor needs shelter, they can call:
1-800-283-8401
Counseling
� Free counseling for
adults and children
� English/Spanish
� Can travel to client
location
Case Management
� Goal setting
� Housing
� SNAP, TANF, Medicaid applications
� Employment
� Local Resource referrals
� Clothing (thrift store)
Legal Advocates
� Court Accompaniment
� VINE
� Immigration protections (U-VISA/VAWA)
� Divorce/custody/child support assistance
� Apply for state programs
� Crime Victims’ Compensation (CVC)◦ Compensates cooperative victims of violent crimes for crime-
related expenses, including:
� Medical and counseling expenses
� Loss of wages caused by medical treatment or criminal justice processes
� Evidence replacement/crime scene clean-up
� Loss of support
� Rent/relocation for domestic violence survivors
◦ Victim only needs to have reported crime and cooperated with law enforcement.
◦ Money for CVC comes from fees paid by those convicted of
crimes.
� Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)
◦ Helps DV/SA victims keep address confidential by
providing substitute P.O. box address
� What You Need To Know:
◦ All state and local entities must take the P.O. Box address.
◦ Address cannot be used for magazines or packages.
◦ Only trained participating agencies can register a victim
with the ACP program.
� Offers legal protection to victims of family violence and
sexual assault
� Civilly and criminally enforceable
� Victim NOT required to file a police report
Three Different Types of Protective Orders:
◦ 31-91 day Magistrate’s Order for Emergency Protection
(also known as an EPO)
◦ 20-day Temporary Ex Parte Protective Order
◦ 2-year Protective Order
� FAC Legal Representation Program
◦ Uses FAC contracted attorneys to represent clients
◦ Pay attorney fees
� Lone Star Legal Aid
� Texas Advocacy Project Pro Se Program
Rural Advocate
� Provides direct client
services, including:
◦ Case management
◦ Legal advocacy and
court accompaniment
◦ Victim advocacy
◦ Community education
and training
� Provides short-term counseling to both adult and child survivors:◦ 8-10 sessions
◦ Free!
We will travel to our clients in the rural counties.(McLennan, Bosque, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone, Navarro)
Spanish-speaking advocacy and counseling services
are available for rural clients.
Rural Counselor
� Cooperation◦ Shorter-term informal relations that exist without any clearly defined mission,
structure or planning effort.
◦ Share information about subject at hand
◦ Resources kept separate, as are rewards
� Coordination◦ More formal relationships and understanding of missions. People involved in a
coordinated effort focus their longer-term interaction around a specific effort or program.
◦ Some planning
◦ Opens communication channels
◦ Resources are available to participants, rewards mutually acknowledged
� Collaboration◦ More durable and pervasive relationship. Participants bring separate
organizations into a new structure with full commitment to a common mission.
◦ Comprehensive planning
◦ Well defined communication channels
◦ Sharing of resources and rewards
Three brick layers were asked what
they were doing. One said, “I’m
laying bricks.” The second replied,
“I’m building a wall.” The third stated,
“I’m constructing a temple.”
~Anonymous
� Have local DV shelter resources available at your office
� Participate in DV awareness campaigns and events
� Implement DV screenings for clients
� Develop policies and protocols around DV
� Call out societal narratives that contribute to a culture that enables abuse
� Advocate for stronger DV policies at local, state, and national level
� Start or participate in a Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) or Coordinated Community Response (CCR) group
� DVRT meets every other month
� Currently visiting various agencies in Waco area that
intersect with DV issues
� Teen Dating Violence campaign
� Opportunity to learn more about resources and
exchange ideas for prevention
• Micah Titterington
Outreach & Advocacy Coordinator• [email protected]
• Kathy Reid
Executive Director• [email protected]
• Dani Miller
Volunteer Coordinator• [email protected]
Family Abuse Center
Hotline: 1-800-283-8401
PO Box 20395
Waco, TX 76702
Office: 254-772-8999
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