LIHU‘E — The new Kaua‘i domestic violence task force identified education as a key to preventing domestic violence on the island. Where intervention is necessary, task force members identified a need for safe homes, cross training of professionals (including front-line
LIHU‘E — The new Kaua‘i domestic violence task force identified education as a key to preventing domestic violence on the island.
Where intervention is necessary, task force members identified a need for safe homes, cross training of professionals (including front-line medical workers) in domestic-violence intervention measures and a continuum of care matrix of available services, said task force coordinator Linda Pizzitola of the YWCA of Kaua‘i.
At the first meeting of the task force at the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative conference room in Lihu‘e last week, a diverse cross section of professionals and volunteers interested in taking steps to reduce domestic violence on the island gathered, she said.
They identified what’s working and not working with the present domestic-violence response system, she said in an e-mail after the meeting.
Education rose to the forefront, she said. The community needs to learn about available resources, including development of that continuum of care matrix similar to what the county’s anti-drug program has developed, she said.
Parents need to learn about positive discipline, and teen and adult couples need educating about equality models of partnering. First-responders and other professionals need training about domestic-violence intervention, she said.
Participants generated the list of what is and isn’t working on Kaua‘i in addressing DV issues, then created a vision of what they would like to see happen in the year ahead.
Task force members identified YWCA programs (prevention education, victim advocate, treatment), Kaua‘i Police Department intervention, emergency-room intervention, collaboration between agencies, Kaua‘i Humane Society involvement with abuse, positive discipline, character education, and the Aloha Peace Project as things that are working on to reduce DV on Kaua‘i.
They also discussed what’s not working, she said: lack of awareness of services, no continuum of care outlining range of services available, lack of cross-training among professionals, staff turnover in agencies, lack of safe housing options, stigma associated with subject, discomfort of medical personnel when talking about DV, DV not being addressed in schools, lack of a DV task force within KPD, the mindset (dominator versus partner model) that allows DV to exist, lack of men in the DV movement, and attitudes perpetuated by the mass media.
Recurring priorities raised by group members led easily into creation of goals for both prevention and intervention, she said.
The group’s vision for where they want to be in one year includes working with youth, character education, prevention education, spiritual intervention, safe homes, mainstream DV prevention education with booths and activities in fun environments, training for medical staff, more comfort with DV screening during hospital visits, a resource card for victims, education about non-physical patterns of abuse, education about impacts of DV, more time with victim for police at first intervention, follow-up with victims by police, written information for non-English speakers, and education on positive parenting, she said.
The next steps will be creation of working subcommittees to help bring those goals to fruition. Subcommittee members need not be members of the task force as a whole, she said.
Anyone interested in participating may contact Pizzitola at 245-5959 ext. 244 or linda@ywcakauai.org.
Representatives of the YWCA, KPD, Wilcox Memorial Hospital, state Department of Education, American Medical Response emergency ambulances, state Child Protective Services, state Juvenile Probation, Women in Need, an several faith-based groups, all attended, she said.
A day after the Kaua‘i meeting, the White House announced the creation of a new position, White House Adviser on Violence Against Women, to work with the president and vice president on DV and sexual-assault issues, she said.
Domestic violence task forces are forming on all of the Main Hawaiian Islands, under the vision and support of the state Department of Health and the Hawai‘i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, she said.
The task force’s next meeting is from 9:45 a.m. to noon, July 30, in the KIUC conference room.
