July, 2009

 

The Family Justice Center has a new computer for the children’s playroom! This month, the FJC received an IBM Young Explorer through a community grant facilitated by FJC board member, Linda Wizner. The Young Explorer has been a great resource for the children of our guests while they’re onsite receiving services. Thanks to our volunteer Melissa Gohs, the Young Explorer was up and running in no time. Linda, Melissa, and the IBM Corporation - we thank you all for your dedication and commitment to the Family Justice Center.  

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PricewaterhouseCoopers Volunteers

On June 12th a team of volunteers from PricewaterhouseCoopers completed painting projects at the FJC.  With 18 volunteers on site, they were able to complete quite a bit of painting at the center.  As well as painting, PWC has also made clothing and monetary donations to the FJC.  Thanks PricewaterhouseCoopers!

 

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You make the difference!!!

Nicole McNally first became aware of the Family Justice Center while working at Big Brothers/Big Sisters. She took a tour of our facility and was touched by how many guests flee their homes without many of their basic necessities such as food and clothing. Nicole decided that she wanted to personally help the guests of the FJC in any way that she could.  She began working with her bible study group, the South Tampa Fellowship, to   collect clothes for  FJC guests. In total, Nicole and her group have collected over 3 trunk loads of  clothes for the center -  and they haven’t stopped yet! The Family Justice Center would  like to give a heartfelt thanks to Nicole and the ladies of the South Tampa Fellowship. You make the difference!  

 

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Are you interested in volunteering at the Family Justice Center? The Family Justice Center is always looking for people who are willing to share their time and service to help us to provide a safe and comfortable environment for all those we serve. For more information Please contact the Outreach Coordinator at 813.935.2015 or

outreachcoord@fjchc.org .

 

 

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FJC on Facebook!

 

The Family Justice Center is now on Facebook!  Facebook is a social networking site that connects people with friends, businesses, causes, and networks in their area. Visitors to the site can become ’Fans’ of the FJC, posting pictures and news stories relating to the Family Justice Center. Also on the site visitors will be able to get updated information on what’s going on at FJC.  For more information, please visit our page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Justice-Center-of-Hillsborough-County/88022880123

 

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FJC Partner Council Spotlight

The FJC Partner Council/Partner Agency Spotlight for the month of July is Bay Area Legal Services. Bay Area Legal Services helps victims of domestic violence with injunctions, child custody, child support, divorce, save homes from foreclosures, save senior citizens' homes, assist relatives who are caring for grandchildren, nieces/nephews on a full-time basis, save families from homelessness, and serve non-profit groups. In 2008 Bay Area Legal Services prevented and resolved legal problems for more than 22,000 families. Bay Area’s client spotlight for the month was of Yolanda.  Yolanda is a 34 year old administrative assistant who is a survivor of domestic violence. Yolanda has endured 10 years of physical, sexual, and mental abuse by her husband; Yolanda shares her experience: "The first time my husband hit me, it knocked me completely out and I was terrified. I thought there was something wrong with me. Sometimes I would be in terrible pain from a black-eye, a busted lip, kicked and forced to do things sexually that I didn’t want to do. The worst experience is when my husband knocked my tooth out. I let my husband take complete control of me and I was rearranging my entire life for him. I became intimidated, I felt worthless, and lost all my self-esteem. Finally, everyday I would pray for God to let me die or remove me from this situation. I felt like I was a walking ‘dead woman’.” That’s when she learned about Bay Area Legal Services. “I thank God everyday for Bay Area Legal Services. “My attorney helped me acquire an injunction for protection and later a divorce. He also assisted me in  finding housing for my family. Bay Area helped me to have a voice. I am no longer a puppet on a string. I want to encourage others who are being abused that there is hope and that there is a better life. I thank God for answering my prayer and giving me hope. It is not an easy road, but I have regained my self-esteem and the children are no longer exposed to abuse. Although it’s an everyday work of prayer to reconstruct my children’s minds from the years of being witnesses of abuse, they are coming along fine thanks to Bay Area Legal Services. Bay Area Legal Services Saved My Life.” We thank you ,Bay Area Legal Services for all of the amazing work that you do!

 

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Gulf Coast Legal Services Job Posting

 

Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) Secretary

Part-time/ 20 hours

FJC

9309 N. Florida Avenue, Suite 109, Tampa, Fl 33612

 

Requirements:

Bi-lingual in English and Spanish

Proficient in MS Office

Sensitive to working with victims of domestic violence

MUST pass background check

 

Duties:

Translate documents

Write letters in Spanish and English

Photocopying/filing/answering phones/making appointments/other general office work

 

Salary:

$9.00/per hour

 

Please Contact:

Carlos Betancourt-Office Manager

(812)490-9412

 

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Congratulations FJC!

 

The Family Justice Center is the proud recipient of the 2008-2009 Community Partner of Excellence Award from Head Start/Early Head Start. We are thankful for this award, but the honor of working with this wonderful group of people in such a great program is more than reward enough!

 

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July Topic of the Month:

Teen Dating Violence

 

 

Family Violence Prevention Fund’s

Speaking Up

June 11, 2009

 

 

 

When it comes to talking with your kids about healthy relationships, it’s probably never been harder to be a parent than it is today. The celebrities teens follow are making headlines not for the music they make, but for the violence they commit or experience. “Sexting” is a scary new phenomenon, and kids are using technologies their parents never dreamed of. The recession is putting all kinds of pressure on families. In this environment, the questions young people have about appropriate behavior are increasingly complicated. Fortunately, there is help. The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) and Macy’s have developed RESPECT! Tools – a collection of tips, information and conversation starters to help parents, coaches, teachers, mentors and others talk to children about healthy, loving, respectful relationships. RESPECT! Tools is part of the FVPF’s RESPECT! Campaign aimed at helping adults talk to young people about healthy relationships so that they can help to shape a world free of relationship violence.

 

10 Things Parents Can Do to Promote Healthy Relationships

 

1. Be there. Young people might not say it directly, but they a positive and caring adult in their life. Even if few words are exchanged, your presence lets them know that you’re there when they need you.

 

2. Know s/he is watching you. Your child watches everything you say and do – your way of talking, your sense of humor, how you deal with stress and conflict, and how you treat others. Your child takes cues from you, both good and bad.

 

3. Show respect. Make respect your way of dealing with people. Young people learn respect by watching how you and other adults treat others. That means your actions while in traffic, in restaurants, in the backyard, or at the dinner table all matter.

 

4. Teach your son/daughter about the importance of healthy relationships. In a healthy relationship, respect is mutual. Communication, equality, trust, and non-violence are essential.

 

5. Offer alternatives to violence. Share strategies for handling violent or abusive situations and ways to stay safe like calling you or a teacher when they’re in trouble or the police if in immediate danger. Tell them what they can do if they see violence, particularly against girls, while at school or otherwise. There are resources available such as the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline (1-866-331-9474).

 

6. Ask about their world. Find out who your son or daughter’s favorite people are like sports figures, celebrities, or people in your neighborhood. Ask them who they respect and why. Let them know that people who disrespect others are not admirable and point them to people who are.

 

7. Listen. When young people get frustrated and mad, tell them they can walk it off or talk it out with you or a friend. Let them know they can come to you anytime they feel like things are too stressful or out of hand.

 

8. Discuss the rules. Kids need to understand limits. Family and school rules about treating others with respect must be talked about and reinforced. When it comes time for dating, be sure they know that treating people with love and respect is what it means to care for someone.

 

9. Take advantage of “Teachable Moments”. Use a relevant, real-life situation to teach your child about the importance of respect, positive role models, and the characteristics of healthy relationships. These everyday examples are Teachable Moments.

 

10. We all make mistakes. Young people (and parents) aren’t perfect. The goal is to learn from the past to make a better future.

 

 

Teens and young women are especially vulnerable to relationship violence. One in three teens reports knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped or physically hurt by a partner. Females ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rates of rape and sexual assault, and people age 18 and 19 experience the highest rates of stalking.

 

For more information on teen dating violence, please visit: GiveRespect.org

 

 

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The Family Justice Center Training Academy

 

Nuts and Bolts:

  The Basics of Domestic Violence

Advocacy  Training

July 6th and 7th and August 3rd and 4th, 2009        

8:30am to 5:00pm

FJC

***12 CEU’s***

***14.5 FREE General  CLE’s***

 

Nuts and Bolts is a four part (FJC 101, 201, 301, 401), 2 Day training offered to advocates, volunteers, interns, clergy, and other community based providers who work with victims of domestic violence. Topics include, dynamics of domestic violence, safety planning, lethality  assessment, confidentiality, boundaries, working with diverse populations, dating  violence, and effects of domestic violence on children and adolescents. 

 

 

Children with Sexual Acting Out Behaviors

August 11th, 2009 from 9:00am to 11:00am

FJC

*** 2 CEU’s***

 

An introductory course for professionals working with children, sponsored by the Sexual Abuse Intervention Network.  This course enables participants to distinguish between normal and problematic sexual behaviors in children.  Topics including characteristics of sexually abusive youth, defining childhood sexual abuse, strategies for preventing further victimization and the legal process in Hillsborough County are also covered in this course.

 

 

FJC Orientation for new On-Site Partners

 July 20th, 2009 from 9:00 am to 12:30pm

FJC

 

Basic operational procedures of the FJC, and vital safety policies

 and   procedures, equipment, and scheduling procedures between agencies.

 

 

The Child Welfare Domestic Violence

Cross-System Training Series Presents:

 

Cultural Competency

July 8th, 12pm to 4pm, July 24th, 9am to 12pm

FJC

Facilitator:  Niki Kelly - Gulf Coast and Jewish Family Service

And

Henry Hower - Bay Areal Legal Services

 

 

The focus of this training is to understand how domestic violence crosses over all socio-economic classes, races, and ethnicity.  Helping child welfare participants to make better decisions about how domestic violence impacts families & children and understand how cultural issues impact family acceptance of service. Helping others gain a better understanding of cultural competency and domestic violence.

 

 

Please Register for All Trainings at

http://www.fjchc.org/public/events.html

 

 

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Hillsborough County Sexual Abuse Intervention Network

 

Presents:

 

“A Developmental Approach to the Assessment of Children with Sexual Behavior Problems”

 

Presenter:  Craig Latham, Ph.D., Latham Consulting Group, LLC.

 

Friday, September 4, 2009

8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Family Justice Center

9309 N. Florida Avenue

Tampa, Florida

 

Register for this free training at www.fjchc.org/public/events.html

 

Who should attend?  This FREE training is funded for professionals working in Hillsborough County.  Persons who do not work in Hillsborough County can email Renee Ristow at rristow@fjchc.org to put their name on a space available list.  This training is designed for psychologists, therapists, juvenile probation, juvenile diversion program staff and other professionals working with youth with sexual behavior problems

 

About the presenter:  Dr. Latham has worked with violent and emotionally disturbed adolescents since 1980.  He was the Sr. Forensic Child Psychologist for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and served as a consultant to the United States Secret Service.  In 1990, Dr. Latham left state service for private practice.  Dr. Latham currently remains in private practice and continues to serve as a consultant to various local, state and federal agencies. He is active in many professional and advocacy organizations including the Massachusetts Adolescent Sexual Offender Coalition; Massachusetts Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers; and is an adjunct faculty member at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, where he teaches the Forensic Specialty track.

 

About the workshop:  This workshop will focus on a threat assessment approach to assessing treatment needs and risk in children that is similar to the model used by the U.S. Secret Service in analyzing the potential for violence of sources and incorporating it into a developmentally sophisticated assessment.  This workshop will also provide an overview of legal and ethical  issues that arise in the assessment of children; data gathering techniques, including structured interviewing, self report inventories, offender specific psychological tests, generic psychological tests etc; psychological, actuarial and interview techniques as well as suggestions about report writing for the courts and treatment providers.  For more information visit www.fjchc.org/public/events.html.

 

Licensed mental health providers (LCSW, LMHC, LMFT), psychologists and school psychologists can receive 6 Continuing Education Credits at no cost through the Family Justice Center of Hillsborough County- Provider #50-7820 (expires 3/2011).

                                        

 

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Child Welfare and Domestic Violence

Cross-System Training Series

Upcoming Trainings

 

Understanding Batterers and Batterers Intervention Programs – This training will focus on understanding the Model used in psycho-educational treatment and the learning how to increase communication between BIP providers and child welfare professionals. Additionally, participants will look at how domestic violence impacts our society as a whole. ***3 CEU’s***

August 12, 2009 from 1pm to 4pm, August 28, 2009 from 9am to noon

 

Compassion Fatigue – This class focuses on how exposure to family violence affects those in the helping professions.  Discussion will consist of coping and adapting measures to assist in the prevention of burn-out.***3 CEU’s***

September 9, 2009 from1pm to 4pm, September 25 from 9am to noon

 

The Child Welfare/Domestic Violence Training series is designed for all staff who works in the child welfare and/or domestic violence systems. It is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of issues facing families impacted by child welfare and domestic violence issues. The goal is to help all professionals understand the complex issues of both child welfare and domestic violence advocates, and begin to develop a common understanding and language.

 

Most training will be posted on www.centerforchildwelfare.org 

for viewing after the last training in the month is offered. This is to allow as many staff as possible to benefit from this series.

 

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Community Meetings

 

­ FJC Partner Council

 Meetings are held the last Wednesday of every month.   The next meeting will be on July 29th, 2009 at 9 am at the Family Justice Center.

­ Sexual Abuse Intervention Network (SAIN)

 Meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month. The next meeting will be on July 15th, 2009 at 9 am at the Family Justice Center. Contact Renee Ristow at: rristow@fjchc.org with any questions.

­ Sexual Violence Task Force

Meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.  The next meeting will be on July 22nd, 2009 at Noon. Contact Barbara McCormick at:

bmccormick@crisiscenter.com  with any questions.

 

    Hillsborough County Domestic Violence Task Force Committee  Meetings:

­ Domestic Violence Task Force

July 9th, 2009 at 10:30a at the Crisis Center

 

­ Fatality Review Planning Committee

( Formerly Project L.A.U.R.A)

 July 2nd, 2009 at 3:00p at the Family Justice Center. Contact  Roseanne Cupoli at: rocupoli@thespring.org or 813-247-5433 ext. 309.

 

 

­    Public Policy Committee

(working on DV and Child Welfare project). September 15th, 2009 at 3:00pm at the Family Justice Center. Contact Nikki Daniels at: ndaniels@fjchc.org or 813-490-9401.

 

 

­   Community Education & Awareness Committee

August 20th, 2009 at 9:00am at The Family Justice Center.  Contact Donna Vento at: dmvento@thespring.org or

813-247-5433 ext. 315

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                

 

 

 

 

The Family Justice Center of Hillsborough County

9309 North Florida Avenue

Suite 109

Tampa, Florida 33612

 

The FJC Training Academy is made possible by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County.