Toolkit with Report Form - Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic ...
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Toolkit with Report Form - Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic ...
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When Crisis Strikes:<br />
A <strong>Toolkit</strong> for Critical Incident<br />
Response and Management<br />
<strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence<br />
2012
If you are experiencing a crisis...<br />
If you are experiencing a crisis and need immediate information, turn to SECTION<br />
3 for checklists of what to do and not to do when managing a critical incident.<br />
DISCLAIMER<br />
Nothing contained in this <strong>Toolkit</strong> is to be considered as the rendering of legal advice for specific cases, and<br />
readers are responsible for obtaining such advice from their own legal counsel. This book and any forms and<br />
agreements herein are intended for educational and informational purposes only.<br />
PERMISSION TO REPRINT<br />
This <strong>Toolkit</strong>, or parts thereof, may be reproduced and adapted <strong>with</strong> permission of the <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong><br />
<strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence. Any adaptation or reprint must be accompanied by the following acknowledgement:<br />
This material was adapted from WHEN CRISIS STRIKES: A <strong>Toolkit</strong> for Critical<br />
Incident Response and Management, published by the <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong><br />
<strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence.<br />
IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS<br />
PCADV<br />
800-932-4632<br />
VICTIMS COMPENSATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM<br />
800-233-2339<br />
KEYSTONE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM (KCIT)<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />
1. When Crisis Strikes<br />
◗ About This <strong>Toolkit</strong> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1<br />
◗ PCADV Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2<br />
2. Lessons Learned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3<br />
3. Checklists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5<br />
4. Support from PCADV Legal Department<br />
◗ Protecting Confidentiality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10<br />
◗ Responding to a Subpoena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12<br />
◗ Responding to a Warrant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13<br />
5. Creating a Crisis Response Plan<br />
◗ Elements of Crisis Respone Response Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15<br />
◗ Considerations and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19<br />
6. Media Response Strategies<br />
◗ PCADV Media Protocol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37<br />
◗ Managing Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38<br />
◗ Creating a Communications Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39<br />
◗ A Reference Guide to the Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40<br />
◗ Media Tips for Victims & Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43<br />
◗ Dispelling Myths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44<br />
7. Community Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49<br />
Appendix<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT<br />
Operating in crisis mode may seem like just another day at your program.<br />
You’re short-staffed, underfunded, overwhelmed by requests for help, and<br />
struggling to keep your doors open.<br />
Section one<br />
However, there may be times when something<br />
“out of the ordinary” – a homicide, suicide,<br />
natural death, accident or fire – happens<br />
<strong>with</strong>out warning and you’re faced <strong>with</strong> a<br />
situation that could disrupt services, distress<br />
staff and shelter residents, and attract<br />
unwanted media and public interest.<br />
Despite the unpredictability of a crisis, your<br />
program’s response can be planned. PCADV<br />
developed this toolkit to help your program<br />
navigate the complexities and minimize the<br />
repercussions when a crisis strikes.<br />
The content for the toolkit is based, in part,<br />
on a number of programs’ prior experiences<br />
handling critical incidents. While we have<br />
omitted identifying program information and<br />
details, we have included the lessons learned<br />
and recommendations that you can implement<br />
when a situation warrants a crisis response.<br />
The toolkit breaks down critical incidents into<br />
two tiers to help you determine the need for a<br />
state-level response and what responses can<br />
be put into action.<br />
Definitions<br />
◗ Tier One Incidents – major incidents,<br />
such as domestic violence fatalities, near<br />
fatalities, or natural deaths of shelter<br />
residents; requires immediate notification<br />
to PCADV and submission of <strong>Domestic</strong><br />
Violence Critical Incident Response and<br />
Management <strong>Report</strong> <strong>Form</strong><br />
◗ Tier Two Incidents – other incidents,<br />
such as fires, floods, bed bugs, no heat<br />
in shelter, that disrupt your program’s<br />
continuity of services and may attract<br />
unwanted media attention; requires<br />
submission of <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence Critical<br />
Incident Response and Management<br />
<strong>Report</strong> <strong>Form</strong><br />
Note: These examples are not meant to<br />
limit what constitutes a critical incident<br />
or warrants a crisis response for your<br />
program. You’ll know best when<br />
an incident, whatever it may be, is<br />
escalating into a crisis.<br />
We encourage you to use this toolkit as the<br />
foundation for creating a customized crisis<br />
management plan for your program. Put it<br />
in place before you ever need it and, when<br />
an incident occurs, you should be able to get<br />
out in front of the crisis, maintain operations<br />
<strong>with</strong> minimal disruption, protect confidentiality,<br />
control public messages, and contain fallout.<br />
CONTACT PCADV<br />
During business hours (8:30 am - 4:30 pm):<br />
– Call 800-932-4632<br />
– Press 0<br />
– Ask the receptionist to refer you to<br />
someone on the Crisis Response<br />
Technical Assistance Team.<br />
After hours:<br />
– Call Judy Yupcavage,<br />
Director of Communications,<br />
via cell 717-514-3416<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 1
Section ONE<br />
PCADV technical Assistance<br />
pcadv staff is available to help your program navigate the complexities and<br />
repercussions of a critical incident and situations likely to attract media and<br />
public interest or disrupt shelter life and the provision of services.<br />
Crisis Management<br />
We can help:<br />
◗ Make referrals to crisis response teams<br />
when appropriate<br />
◗ Connect <strong>with</strong> peers in nearby counties who<br />
are able to offer direct assistance (cover<br />
hotline, accept shelter residents, etc.) or who<br />
may have experienced a similar event<br />
◗ Assist in replacing resources in the event of a<br />
fire or other disaster<br />
◗ Evaluate your emergency/crisis<br />
management/communications plans<br />
Legal Review<br />
We can help:<br />
◗ Evaluate the impact of the incident on the<br />
confidentiality of the victim, her/his<br />
significant others and other recipients of<br />
your services<br />
◗ Protect confidentiality<br />
◗ Assess your options under the law<br />
◗ Respond to subpoenas and warrants<br />
◗ Review standards and policies<br />
Community Response<br />
We can help:<br />
◗ Craft the message for public events<br />
◗ Publicize events and provide graphics for<br />
posters, billboards, flyers, etc.<br />
◗ Assist family members and survivors in<br />
dealing <strong>with</strong> the media<br />
◗ Link family members to local program<br />
◗ Refer survivors to other services in the<br />
community or state, as appropriate<br />
◗ Plan community memorial services<br />
Media Relations:<br />
We can help:<br />
◗ Take media calls for you<br />
◗ Draft talking points and statements<br />
◗ Provide a statewide perspective<br />
◗ Assist <strong>with</strong> press conferences and<br />
interviews<br />
◗ Write letters to the editor<br />
◗ Write or solicit others to write op-eds<br />
◗ Identify survivors willing to speak to<br />
the media<br />
◗ Refer media to topical experts<br />
◗ Provide general information and up-to-date<br />
facts, statistics and graphics<br />
◗ Offer background on state and federal<br />
domestic violence laws pertaining to<br />
protection orders, probable cause arrest,<br />
firearms, child custody, stalking, address<br />
confidentiality, crime victims rights and<br />
more<br />
◗ Reinforce the message that free and<br />
confidential help is available<br />
◗ Detail ways the general public can help<br />
victims and batterers<br />
◗ Assist in organizing a media roundtable or<br />
editorial board meeting<br />
◗ Talk to media outlets about inappropriate<br />
coverage and negative stereotypes<br />
If you need assistance not detailed above,<br />
just ask! We tailor our response to the<br />
individual incident and unique needs of<br />
each program. We are here to help you.<br />
page 2<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
LESSONS LEARNED<br />
The recommendations and comments that follow come directly from pcadv<br />
programs that have brought in critical incident response teams to help deal<br />
<strong>with</strong> the aftermath of a crisis.<br />
Section TWO<br />
Make every effort to assess<br />
staff need for debriefing<br />
One executive director who was new to the<br />
position said, “It was hard to tell if staff really<br />
are OK or just saying that they are.”<br />
Executive directors should be aware of<br />
vicarious trauma and the potential impact<br />
on staff, board members and volunteers.<br />
“Having someone debrief is actually part of<br />
a bigger discussion about wellness.” Staff<br />
may not be overtly showing signs of distress.<br />
Outside intervention<br />
can be very beneficial<br />
As one executive director noted, following<br />
a critical incident debriefing by a crisis<br />
response team, “It is good to have<br />
somebody from the outside come in – even<br />
better if it is a DV-related team. If you don’t<br />
bring in someone, you can come across as<br />
more concerned about process than actual<br />
needs. It is good to have someone remind<br />
us that we can’t do this work if we aren’t<br />
sensitive, but being sensitive exposes us. If<br />
someone staff works <strong>with</strong> gets killed, then<br />
we can’t expect them to just move on.”<br />
Other executive<br />
directors cautioned:<br />
“Sometimes we are too much in the process<br />
to see what needs there may be…The<br />
facilitator was perfect for pointing out and<br />
uncovering some of those needs.”<br />
“You can’t be the healer in your own group<br />
– especially if the incident impacts you on a<br />
personal level as well.”<br />
“During the debrief, your role is different, not<br />
that of the ED.”<br />
Strive for broad program<br />
participation in debriefing<br />
Consider including all staff and, if<br />
appropriate, board members and<br />
volunteers, when bringing in an outside<br />
crisis response team to debrief following<br />
a critical incident. Typically, executive<br />
directors have been excluded from these<br />
sessions to encourage staff to freely express<br />
their feelings. However, as program<br />
resources shrink and more staff share<br />
responsibilities, including direct services,<br />
participation by executive directors has<br />
been extremely beneficial.<br />
By participating in the session, one<br />
executive director learned “there was a<br />
great sense of fear among many of the<br />
family members of even long-term staff. A lot<br />
of new staff members were being pressured<br />
by their families to quit, because the work is<br />
too dangerous.”<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 3
Section two<br />
Involve other systems in<br />
debriefing and community events<br />
Often staff from these systems have been<br />
involved <strong>with</strong> the victim at some point leading<br />
up to, or during, the incident or are interacting<br />
<strong>with</strong> the family following the incident.<br />
Keep in contact <strong>with</strong> victims/<br />
families involved in incident<br />
Certain events and markers, such as trials and<br />
anniversaries, can trigger flashbacks, causing<br />
additional trauma for those affected. “The<br />
emotional/psychological impact doesn’t stop a<br />
few days after the event!”<br />
It’s important to ask family members how<br />
they would like to keep in contact <strong>with</strong> your<br />
program.<br />
Always protect confidentiality<br />
When law enforcement suspected a fire in<br />
one shelter was set on the inside, there was<br />
a need to interview all shelter residents and<br />
staff as part of a criminal investigation. The<br />
executive director met <strong>with</strong> each resident<br />
to explain the importance of cooperating<br />
<strong>with</strong> law enforcement during the course of<br />
the investigation. Each resident was given<br />
the opportunity to release or not release the<br />
confidentiality of her identity to the investigator.<br />
Following the program’s confidentiality policy<br />
worked in this situation and drew attention<br />
to the need for more specific procedures<br />
when the program is involved in a criminal<br />
investigation.<br />
Routinely practice<br />
emergency drills<br />
When fire erupted in one shelter, all residents<br />
and staff were evacuated safely. The executive<br />
director noted that although there was<br />
extensive damage to the building, not one<br />
person was injured. Everyone stayed calm.<br />
This is because evacuations were routinely<br />
practiced.<br />
page 4<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
CHECKLISTS<br />
Please use these checklists as a quick reference when responding to a critical<br />
incident. The extent to which the do’s and don’ts are applicable will vary<br />
based on the nature and circumstances of the crisis.<br />
Section Three<br />
Do:<br />
Don’t:<br />
OPERATIONS<br />
✔ Call 911 immediately if it’s an incident requiring police, fire or other<br />
emergency responders<br />
✔ Determine who is in charge according to your crisis management or<br />
communications plan<br />
✔ Seal off the scene of a death or possible crime<br />
✔ Decide where to gather staff and shelter residents and how much<br />
to tell them<br />
✔ Remind staff and involved service recipients of confidentiality policies<br />
✔ Implement plan to continue services <strong>with</strong> minimal or no disruption<br />
✔ Start documenting (time/date/action) all your crisis response efforts<br />
✔ When appropriate, ask police to increase patrols around<br />
shelter or offices<br />
Don’t remove or alter anything in the area where the incident occurred<br />
until the authorities arrive<br />
Don’t allow anyone other than the designated spokesperson to talk<br />
<strong>with</strong> staff, shelter residents, the media or the public<br />
NOTIFICATIONS<br />
Do:<br />
Don’t:<br />
✔ Notify your board president<br />
✔ Notify your program attorney<br />
✔ Notify PCADV (immediate notification to PCADV and submission of<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> Violence Critical Incident Response and Management<br />
<strong>Report</strong> <strong>Form</strong>)<br />
✔ Notify other agencies that should be involved, i.e. Children and Youth<br />
Services, your funders, etc.<br />
✔ Determine if you should contact family members of staff or<br />
service recipients<br />
Don’t go public until you have completed internal notifications<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 5
COMMUNICATIONS<br />
Do:<br />
Don’t:<br />
Do:<br />
Don’t:<br />
✔ Identify spokesperson for media and inform staff<br />
✔ Gather the facts and prepare a statement (based on input from staff, program<br />
counsel, PCADV or other relevant parties)<br />
✔ Wait for the media to contact you, unless it can’t be avoided<br />
✔ If contacted by media before you’re ready to comment, offer to get back to<br />
reporter as quickly as possible. Then follow through and return the call<br />
✔ Be forthright <strong>with</strong>out disclosing anything confidential<br />
✔ Provide the same information to all media<br />
✔ Include in your statement your program’s commitment to domestic violence victims<br />
in your community. Offer reassurance that (depending on the nature of the critical<br />
incident) services are still available (even if in an alternate location or county)<br />
✔ Contact PCADV Communications Team:<br />
Ellen Lyon, Communications Specialist, 800-934-4632, ext. 209 (elyon@pcadv.org)<br />
Judy Yupcavage, Communications Director, 800-932-4632, ext. 120,<br />
during work hours or 717-514-3416 after hours (jyupcavage@pcadv.org)<br />
Don’t permit anyone other than the spokesperson to respond to media inquiries<br />
Don’t make it a story if it isn’t one<br />
Don’t speak to the media until you know the facts of the incident, have determined<br />
what you can say about it, and have prepared a statement<br />
Don’t say “No Comment.” Instead, explain that you’re still gathering information<br />
and will get back to them<br />
CRISIS INTERVENTIONS<br />
✔ Determine if staff, shelter residents or others require/could benefit from<br />
crisis intervention<br />
✔ Obtain contact information from the Victim Witness offices for victim and family<br />
of victim<br />
✔ Reach out to family and children of victim to offer support and services<br />
and to make sure they’re aware of Crime Victims Compensation for<br />
funeral expenses and other crime-related costs<br />
✔ Reach out to community leaders<br />
Don’t assume your staff doesn’t want or need to debrief because they didn’t request it<br />
Don’t assume another agency is helping the victim’s family<br />
page 6<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Do:<br />
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS<br />
Protecting Confidentiality<br />
✔ Politely, but firmly, deny requests for information about a particular<br />
victim<br />
✔ Cite PA’s absolute confidentiality statute – Victims of domestic violence<br />
have a legal right to confidentiality: All confidential communications<br />
between a victim and domestic violence program are privileged and<br />
cannot be revealed <strong>with</strong>out the victim’s express written consent<br />
(23 Pa. C.S. 6116)<br />
✔ See Section 4 of the toolkit for more specifics on confidentiality issues<br />
✔ Contact PCADV’s Legal Department for more detailed assistance<br />
Section Three<br />
Don’t:<br />
Don’t reveal a victim’s name or whether she/he is or was a service<br />
recipient<br />
Don’t discuss a case <strong>with</strong> anyone or share information about a victim<br />
<strong>with</strong>out the victim’s written consent<br />
Don’t lie or destroy/falsify records<br />
Don’t instruct a victim to flee<br />
Do:<br />
Don’t:<br />
Responding to Subpoena<br />
for Shelter Resident<br />
✔ Resist the subpoena by responding, “I have no information for you”<br />
or “I can neither confirm nor deny that the person is here.” (Cite<br />
confidentially privilege above)<br />
✔ Inform the resident about the subpoena and suggest that the resident<br />
consult an attorney<br />
✔ See Section 4 of the toolkit for specifics on responding to subpoenas<br />
✔ Contact PCADV’s Legal Department for more detailed assistance<br />
Don’t ever accept a subpoena directed to a resident<br />
Don’t advise the resident to flee or destroy evidence that the<br />
subpoena requests<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 7
Responding to Subpoena<br />
for Program or Staff<br />
Do:<br />
Don’t:<br />
✔ Always resist a subpoena, unless resident gives written consent<br />
✔ Politely, but firmly, inform the person serving the subpoena that the<br />
executive director is the only person who can accept a subpoena<br />
✔ Immediately contact your executive director and program attorney who<br />
should decide whether to comply <strong>with</strong> the subpoena<br />
✔ File a Motion to Quash if decision is to not comply<br />
✔ See Section 5 of the toolkit for specifics on responding to subpoenas<br />
✔ Contact PCADV’s Legal Department for more detailed assistance<br />
Don’t accept service of a subpoena<br />
Don’t falsify or destroy records<br />
Responding to Arrest<br />
Warrant for Shelter Resident<br />
Do:<br />
✔ Speak <strong>with</strong> the officer outside your facility to verify his or her identity<br />
✔ Tell the officer “I have no information” or “I can neither confirm nor deny that the<br />
person is here”<br />
✔ If there, inform the resident about the warrant and suggest she contact an attorney<br />
✔ Help the resident voluntarily surrender if she gives written permission<br />
✔ See Section 4 of the toolkit for specifics on responding to a warrant<br />
✔ Contact PCADV’s Legal Department for more detailed assistance<br />
page 8<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Do:<br />
Responding to Search Warrant<br />
for Shelter Resident or Items<br />
✔ Ask to review the warrant and verify that it has the shelter’s correct<br />
address<br />
✔ Explain that you do not have authority to provide consent (if staff person<br />
receiving the warrant is not the executive director) and ask the officer for<br />
time to contact the executive director<br />
✔ Ask the officer for time to explain the search to the residents to ensure<br />
confidentiality and minimize disruptions<br />
✔ Notify the resident who is the subject of the warrant and suggest that<br />
she contact an attorney<br />
✔ See Section 4 of the toolkit for specifics on responding to a warrant<br />
✔ Contact PCADV’s Legal Department for more detailed assistance<br />
Section Three<br />
Don’t:<br />
Don’t physically obstruct the officer<br />
Don’t advise the resident to flee or to destroy any item that is the subject<br />
of the warrant<br />
Do:<br />
Don’t:<br />
FOLLOW-UP<br />
✔ Keep in touch <strong>with</strong> family and children of victim; many will need your<br />
support and assistance long after the crisis has abated – milestones,<br />
such as anniversaries, can trigger flashbacks and be very stressful<br />
✔ Continue to document (time/date/action) program’s crisis<br />
response effort<br />
✔ Continue to reach out to PCADV or other crisis response teams<br />
as necessary<br />
✔ Provide feedback to PCADV on your program’s experience <strong>with</strong> critical<br />
incident debriefing<br />
Don’t pressure family members if they resist your outreach efforts<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 9
Section four<br />
PROTECTING CONFIDENTIALITY<br />
Confidentiality is, perhaps, the most critical tool for protecting the safety and<br />
anonymity of victims of domestic violence. The consequences of breaching<br />
confidentiality are serious and, even when a victim requests disclosure, can<br />
put shelter residents, service recipients and the program at risk. Therefore, it<br />
is essential for programs to maintain absolute confidentiality.<br />
Legal and Ethical Parameters<br />
Victims of domestic violence have a legal<br />
right to confidentiality: All “confidential<br />
communications” between a victim and the<br />
domestic violence program are privileged and<br />
cannot be revealed <strong>with</strong>out the victim’s express<br />
written consent. 23 Pa. C.S. § 6116. The<br />
<strong>Pennsylvania</strong> Supreme Court affirmed that this<br />
privilege is “absolute.” VBT v. Family Servs.<br />
of W. Pa., 705 A.2d 1325 (Pa. Super. Ct.<br />
1998), aff’d 728 A.2d 953 (Pa. 1999). Also,<br />
programs that receive federal funding under<br />
the Violence <strong>Against</strong> Women Act, 42 U.S.C.<br />
§ 13925, the Family Violence Prevention<br />
and Safety Act, 42 U.S.C. § 10406, and the<br />
Victims of Crime Act, 42 U.S.C. § 10601 et<br />
seq., are required to maintain confidentiality<br />
as a condition of their funding.<br />
protected Information<br />
Program staff members are legally and<br />
ethically prohibited from revealing any<br />
information about a victim. Staff cannot testify<br />
in court, reveal program records, discuss a<br />
case or share information <strong>with</strong> friends, family<br />
or otherwise reveal information about a victim<br />
of domestic violence <strong>with</strong>out the victim’s<br />
express, written consent. A program cannot<br />
reveal the victim’s name or whether she/he is<br />
or was a service recipient.<br />
When Does Confidentiality End?<br />
Technically, legal privilege ends “upon the<br />
death of the victim”; however, the program’s<br />
ethical duty to protect the victim, as well as the<br />
victim’s family and other program participants,<br />
requires the program to maintain strict<br />
confidentiality, even after death.<br />
Strategies for Maintaining<br />
Confidentiality Under Pressure:<br />
◗ Responding to law enforcement or other<br />
legal officials:<br />
◗ Information and records should always<br />
be treated as though they will harm the<br />
victim if revealed, to avoid any unintended<br />
consequences.<br />
◗ A customary response to requests<br />
for information should be: “I have no<br />
information for you” or “I cannot confirm or<br />
deny that ___ is or was a client here.”<br />
◗ If the individual persists, contact the<br />
executive director or designated emergency<br />
contact person or law enforcement liaison<br />
immediately.<br />
◗ Program staff should be assertive, but<br />
should never intentionally lie to a legal<br />
official. Likewise, program staff should not,<br />
under any circumstances, destroy, hide, or<br />
falsify records or instruct a victim to flee.<br />
◗ Responding to the media or requests from<br />
other organizations:<br />
◗ Share statistical information or discuss<br />
domestic violence in broad terms.<br />
◗ Focus on the need for systemic change to<br />
achieve safety for all victims.<br />
◗ Refer to other sources, such as law<br />
enforcement agencies, for information that<br />
may be part of the public record.<br />
page 10<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
PROTECTING CONFIDENTIALITY<br />
Protecting Confidentiality<br />
during a Criminal Investigation<br />
A program may experience a crisis related<br />
to criminal activity. Acts of domestic violence<br />
may result in homicide, strangulation,<br />
sexual violence, stalking and other crimes.<br />
Shelters could be the sites of criminal activity,<br />
including homicide or suspected homicide,<br />
unlawful drug and alcohol activity, theft or<br />
arson. If suspect activity leads to a criminal<br />
investigation, programs face the challenge<br />
of protecting the confidentiality of the victim<br />
as well as her/his survivors and other shelter<br />
residents while upholding a legal obligation<br />
to comply <strong>with</strong> valid warrants and crime<br />
scene investigations.<br />
◗ If criminal activity occurring at the program<br />
or shelter places residents, service recipients<br />
and staff in immediate danger, do not<br />
hesitate to contact emergency responders<br />
and law enforcement for assistance.<br />
While programs struggle to protect service<br />
recipients’ confidentiality, it is acceptable<br />
to summon help to intervene in a crisis.<br />
As this contact <strong>with</strong> emergency assistance<br />
still constitutes a breach of confidentiality,<br />
take steps after the call to protect the<br />
confidentiality of those you serve as much as<br />
possible under the circumstances. PCADV’s<br />
Legal Department can assist you <strong>with</strong><br />
protecting confidentiality in the aftermath of a<br />
breach resulting from a crisis.<br />
Section four<br />
Guidelines for a program faced<br />
<strong>with</strong> these competing challenges:<br />
◗ Prioritize the confidentiality of shelter<br />
residents and program participants who are<br />
not involved in the investigation.<br />
◗ Follow program policies and procedures<br />
related to responding to warrants and<br />
subpoenas.<br />
◗ Ensure that staff and shelter residents are<br />
safe and separated from the crime scene.<br />
◗ If a criminal incident occurs at the program<br />
or shelter, do not touch or move anything<br />
until law enforcement gives you clearance to<br />
do so. You would not want to be accused<br />
of obstructing justice or interfering <strong>with</strong> a<br />
criminal investigation.<br />
◗ The PFA Act provides that a victim’s<br />
confidentiality ends upon her death. Continue<br />
to consider the need for confidentiality for<br />
victim’s survivors and significant others<br />
and protect that confidentiality <strong>with</strong>in the<br />
boundaries permitted by law. Do not<br />
volunteer information unless compelled by the<br />
court to do so.<br />
◗ When a crime is committed on program<br />
property and law enforcement appear at<br />
the program armed <strong>with</strong> valid warrants,<br />
they must be allowed to enter. Follow the<br />
protocols outlined in this toolkit and your<br />
program policies. Ask the investigators to<br />
allow the executive director or a designee<br />
to speak <strong>with</strong> the residents and staff first to<br />
explain the nature of the investigation and the<br />
request for their cooperation.<br />
◗ If law enforcement has a warrant or<br />
subpoena for a particular person, encourage<br />
that person to speak to an attorney. Do not<br />
encourage anyone; to flee and not offer<br />
anyone legal advice.<br />
◗ If an investigator requests interviews<br />
<strong>with</strong> program participants, obtain signed<br />
releases from them before introducing them<br />
to the investigator. Do not obtain a release<br />
to turn over any information to aid in the<br />
investigation. Law enforcement should seek<br />
information directly from those they interview<br />
and/or obtain a subpoena or warrant.<br />
Never encourage a service recipient or<br />
staff to flee or destroy evidence.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 11
Section four<br />
RESPONDING TO A subpoena<br />
A subpoena is a document from the court used to compel an individual to<br />
testify or provide documents about a civil or criminal case. If a person who is<br />
subpoenaed fails to appear, a warrant may be issued for their arrest.<br />
Subpoena For Shelter Residents:<br />
◗ Program staff should never accept a<br />
subpoena directed to a resident.<br />
• The response should be: “I have no<br />
information for you” or “I can neither<br />
confirm nor deny that the person is here.”<br />
• The consequences for accepting a<br />
subpoena on behalf of a shelter resident<br />
are great. For instance, accepting a<br />
subpoena for a shelter resident breaches<br />
that resident’s legally protected,<br />
confidential information and may open<br />
the program to legal liability.<br />
◗ The program should inform the resident<br />
about the subpoena and suggest the resident<br />
consult an attorney. The program must never<br />
advise the resident to flee or destroy evidence<br />
that the subpoena requests.<br />
Subpoena For Program or Staff:<br />
◗ Do not accept service of the subpoena:<br />
politely inform the person delivering the<br />
subpoena that the executive director is the<br />
only person who can accept a subpoena.<br />
◗ Contact the executive director and<br />
program attorney immediately.<br />
◗ Keep detailed notes about how the<br />
subpoena was served.<br />
◗ The executive director, together <strong>with</strong> the<br />
program attorney, should assess the nature<br />
of the request and decide whether to comply<br />
<strong>with</strong> or resist the subpoena.<br />
• It is a best practice to always resist<br />
a subpoena unless and until a resident<br />
asks the program to disclose and signs a<br />
written release.<br />
• Even if the resident consents to disclosure,<br />
the program may oppose the subpoena to<br />
protect other confidential information.<br />
Resisting a Subpoena?<br />
◗ The executive director and program<br />
attorney should identify the source of the<br />
subpoena and ask the issuing attorney to<br />
<strong>with</strong>draw it based on the absolute privilege<br />
extended to confidential communications<br />
between programs and service recipients.<br />
◗ If the issuing attorney will not <strong>with</strong>draw the<br />
subpoena, file a Motion to Quash as soon as<br />
possible.<br />
• Along <strong>with</strong> filing a Motion to Quash,<br />
the program attorney should request a<br />
hearing and attach a memorandum of law<br />
that lays out legal arguments in support of<br />
quashing the subpoena. This will help to<br />
build a record in case of appeal.<br />
• PCADV’s Legal Department can provide<br />
a sample motion and/or memorandum of<br />
law and can assist the program attorney,<br />
if needed.<br />
◗ If the Motion to Quash is denied, a<br />
Motion for Protective Order should be filed<br />
immediately to limit the information that must<br />
be disclosed.<br />
• A Protective Order protects certain<br />
portions of a record, such as the shelter’s<br />
address or the identity of other clients or<br />
program staff.<br />
• A Protective Order may limit physical<br />
access to records or the nature of compelled<br />
testimony, such as how testimony is given<br />
and who may be present.<br />
page 12<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
RESPONDING TO A WARRANT<br />
Search warrant: allows police to search for specific things and/or people at a<br />
specific location. In addition to the listed items, police may generally seize any<br />
evidence or contraband that they uncover while conducting the search.<br />
Arrest warrant: allows police to arrest a named individual. police can execute<br />
an arrest warrant at the individual’s home or at a public place. If the police<br />
want to arrest an individual at a different location, they must get a search<br />
warrant for the alternative location.<br />
Section four<br />
Warrant for Program:<br />
◗ Speak <strong>with</strong> the officer(s) outside the<br />
residential area to verify their identity.<br />
◗ If presented <strong>with</strong> a warrant to search the<br />
program, politely ask the officers to wait<br />
outside the residential area while you contact<br />
the executive director and program attorney.<br />
◗ Staff should never physically obstruct an<br />
officer, but should clearly explain that they<br />
are not authorized to consent to the search.<br />
◗ Make a copy of the warrant and examine<br />
the warrant to verify who and/or what<br />
the warrant seeks to find, the date of the<br />
warrant, and the issuing authority.<br />
• Program records or files for service<br />
participants are legally protected and<br />
should never be the subject of a search<br />
warrant. The program attorney should try<br />
to quash any warrant requesting program<br />
records or files.<br />
◗ Keep detailed notes about the way the<br />
warrant was delivered and executed.<br />
• If a search is conducted, staff should<br />
accompany the officer(s), keep detailed<br />
notes and/or take video or photos to<br />
record the search.<br />
arrest Warrant<br />
for Shelter Resident:<br />
◗ Speak <strong>with</strong> the officer(s) outside the<br />
residential area to verify their identity. Police<br />
must have a valid search warrant to search<br />
the shelter for the individual before they may<br />
execute an arrest warrant.<br />
◗ If presented <strong>with</strong> a warrant to arrest a<br />
shelter resident:<br />
• The customary response should be: “I<br />
have no information for you” or “I can<br />
neither confirm nor deny that the person is<br />
here.” Tell the resident about the warrant<br />
and advise them to contact an attorney.<br />
◗ Staff should never advise the resident to<br />
flee or to use force to resist arrest.<br />
• Staff may help arrange for the resident<br />
to voluntarily surrender if the resident<br />
gives written permission to do so,<br />
preferably after speaking to an attorney.<br />
• If the resident does not give permission,<br />
staff should not disclose any information.<br />
◗ If presented <strong>with</strong> a search warrant to search<br />
the shelter for a resident or particular items:<br />
• Politely ask the officer(s) for a moment<br />
so you can contact the executive director<br />
and explain the search to the residents to<br />
maintain maximum confidentiality and to<br />
minimize the disruption that a search may<br />
cause.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 13
Section four<br />
◗ Staff should never physically obstruct an<br />
officer or advise a resident to flee.<br />
• Residents who are not the subject of a<br />
warrant may be given the option to leave<br />
the shelter or move to an area that is not<br />
part of the search.<br />
• Keep detailed notes and/or take video<br />
or photos to record the search.<br />
• Staff should clearly object, <strong>with</strong>out<br />
physically obstructing the officer(s), if they<br />
appear to go beyond the terms of the<br />
warrant.<br />
All programs are required to have<br />
policies that protect service recipients’<br />
confidentiality and detail the program’s<br />
response to a subpoena or warrant.<br />
PCADV’s Legal Department can assist<br />
you <strong>with</strong> the development and review of<br />
these policies and <strong>with</strong> staff training on<br />
these issues.<br />
After a Warrant is Executed<br />
◗ Warrants may be included in the public<br />
record, which may reveal the shelter’s<br />
location. The program should file a motion to<br />
seal any confidential information.<br />
page 14<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
ELEMENTS OF crisis response plan<br />
Developing a critical incident response plan may seem like a daunting task.<br />
However, preparation for these situations is necessary to maintain services<br />
and care for your staff, volunteers, clients and the community.<br />
Section five<br />
Elements of a Critical Incident Response Plan<br />
A. Purpose<br />
◗ Provides a context about the purpose<br />
of the plan. Explains to the reader why<br />
the plan is important – may reference<br />
any existing legal statutes or<br />
requirements of funders.<br />
◗ Is similar to a safety plan: It is a<br />
“living” document that needs periodic<br />
review.<br />
B. Definitions<br />
1. Crisis<br />
◗ Pain, distress or disordered<br />
functioning<br />
◗ Radical change of status in a<br />
person’s life<br />
◗ Can occur as the result of a specific<br />
critical incident or series of events in<br />
which the individual may be a either a<br />
victim or witness<br />
2. Crisis Response Team<br />
◗ A group of trained individuals who<br />
provide short-term crisis intervention<br />
services, consultation, risk assessment<br />
and referrals to top individuals and<br />
communities affected by crisis or<br />
disaster<br />
3. Critical Incident<br />
◗ Tier One Incidents – major<br />
incidents, such as domestic violence<br />
fatalities, near fatalities, or natural<br />
deaths of shelter residents. Requires<br />
immediate notification to PCADV and<br />
report submission.<br />
◗ Tier Two Incidents – other<br />
incidents, such as fires, floods, bed<br />
bugs, or no heat in shelter that<br />
disrupt your program’s continuity of<br />
services and may attract unwanted<br />
media attention. Requires report<br />
submission only.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 15
Section five<br />
4. Trauma<br />
◗ A unique individual experience of an<br />
event or enduring condition, in which:<br />
• Victim experiences a threat to life,<br />
bodily integrity, or sanity<br />
• Occurs in a sudden and forceful way<br />
and is experienced as overwhelming<br />
• Victim’s normal coping capacity<br />
and/or ability to integrate emotional<br />
experience is overwhelmed<br />
◗ Can take many forms:<br />
• <strong>Domestic</strong> violence<br />
• Rape or assault<br />
• Emotional, sexual or physical abuse<br />
• Extremely painful and frightening<br />
medical procedures<br />
• Catastrophic injuries and illnesses<br />
• Muggings<br />
• Burglary<br />
• Witnessing traumatic events,<br />
i.e., murder<br />
• Natural disasters<br />
5. Traumatic Stress<br />
◗ Shifts people away from emotional<br />
safety, emotional balance and<br />
predictability<br />
◗ Disrupts the victim’s ability to return to<br />
stability<br />
6. Vicarious Trauma<br />
◗ The traumatizing effects of working<br />
<strong>with</strong> victims who have been traumatized<br />
C. considerations<br />
1. Create Your Internal Team<br />
◗ Considerations for developing a team<br />
approach include:<br />
• Staff trained in crisis response or<br />
critical incident response<br />
• Roles that staff, volunteers and the<br />
board of directors can fill<br />
• Diversity of program staff and those<br />
leading the critical incident response to<br />
mirror that of the clients, families and<br />
community<br />
2. Communication (External Inquiries)<br />
◗ Designate individuals who have the<br />
authority to handle media inquiries<br />
• List of media contacts:<br />
– Outlet name<br />
– Contact person<br />
– Contact phone<br />
– Contact email<br />
• One program representative to<br />
have contact <strong>with</strong> media<br />
– Public message will be<br />
controlled by the program<br />
– If it is necessary to shut down<br />
or reduce services, work <strong>with</strong><br />
PCADV to craft a press release<br />
that assures the community that<br />
services are still available and<br />
tells how to access those services<br />
• A program representative to respond<br />
to inquiries about clients receiving<br />
services that may invite a breach of<br />
confidentiality<br />
page 16<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
D. Service stabilization/<br />
continuity of services<br />
1. Stabilizing Services Is The<br />
Counterpart To Stabilizing The<br />
Emotional And Physical Crisis<br />
Reactions Of Staff, Volunteers<br />
And Clients.<br />
◗ Includes referrals or requests made to<br />
other programs to handle hotline/shelter<br />
◗ Points to consider when stabilizing<br />
services:<br />
• Assessing the immediate safety of<br />
other clients/volunteers and staff<br />
• Triaging incoming calls<br />
• Incidents that may occur after<br />
daylight hours or over the weekend.<br />
– Will the program need to shut<br />
down or reduce services? If so,<br />
for how long?<br />
• Managing a death that occurs on-site<br />
• Technology interruptions<br />
– Re-establishing electronic<br />
communication<br />
• Creating agreements <strong>with</strong> other<br />
local programs to cover hotline, offer<br />
alternative shelter and provide other<br />
client services<br />
• Developing staffing schedules to<br />
handle increases or decreases in<br />
requests for service<br />
2. Making Required <strong>Report</strong>s To<br />
Funders<br />
3. Communication Between<br />
Program Leaders/Teams<br />
◗ Plan to disseminate information to<br />
staff, residents, clients, volunteers and<br />
board of directors BOD members both<br />
on and off-site.<br />
◗ Phone Tree<br />
• Include contact information for all<br />
staff, volunteers and BOD members<br />
◗ Clear and consistent communication at<br />
regular intervals<br />
• Document if staff or volunteers were<br />
directly involved in the incident<br />
• Prepare a written account of their<br />
involvement as soon as possible and<br />
give to the team leader<br />
• Conduct staff meetings, daily or<br />
several times throughout the week in<br />
the immediate aftermath of critical<br />
incidents, to provide an opportunity for<br />
the Team to:<br />
– Offer accurate information<br />
– Dispel rumors<br />
– Answer questions/concerns<br />
– Present staff <strong>with</strong> strategies<br />
for talking <strong>with</strong> clients not on-site<br />
during the critical incident about<br />
the event<br />
– Provide a safe place for staff to<br />
deal <strong>with</strong> their own concerns and<br />
emotions<br />
Section five<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 17
Section five<br />
E. Take Care of Staff<br />
1. Monitor Staff For Any Ongoing<br />
Crisis Reactions That May Be Leading<br />
Into Long-Term Crisis Reactions And/<br />
Or Vicarious Trauma.<br />
◗ KCIT or your local crisis response team<br />
may be able to make additional referrals<br />
for the long-term and provide crisis<br />
intervention services in the short-term<br />
◗ Liberal leave policy could/should be<br />
instituted<br />
◗ Understand vicarious trauma and its<br />
implications for staff<br />
◗ Communicate and implement coping<br />
strategies for staff<br />
2. Effects on Current Clients<br />
◗ Gauge client reactions to crisis<br />
◗ Provide supportive mechanisms<br />
◗ Refocus or redirect client to their<br />
situation, goals, and safety plan<br />
3. Have Resources Ready To Address<br />
Possible Reactions Of Family<br />
Members Of The Victim(S)<br />
F. How Crisis Intervention Helps<br />
1. Returning To Business As Usual:<br />
Structure And Familiar Patterns<br />
Usually Help People Organize And<br />
Problem Solve, Thereby Rendering<br />
Them Better Equipped To Cope With<br />
Stressful Situations.<br />
G. Confidentiality Provisions<br />
1. Your Agency’s Confidentiality<br />
Policy<br />
2. Maintaining Confidentiality In<br />
Section 4: Support From Pcadv<br />
Legal Department<br />
H. Organizational/<br />
Community Resources<br />
For obtaining technical assistance, talking<br />
points, or direct crisis intervention service to<br />
staff/residents/community<br />
1. Keystone Crisis Intervention<br />
Team (KCIT)<br />
◗ During business hours:<br />
◗<br />
2. PCADV<br />
◗ 800-932-4632<br />
◗ Ask to speak to the Director of<br />
Communications or a member of<br />
the Crisis Response Technical<br />
Assistance Team<br />
3. Your Community’s Local Crisis<br />
Response Team<br />
2. Honoring Victims/<br />
Community Anniversaries<br />
page 18<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Considerations & resources<br />
The information below includes explanations, considerations and resources<br />
for responding to a critical incident and provides greater detail about the<br />
critical elements to consider in the development of your plan.<br />
Section five<br />
Purpose<br />
Having a Critical Incident Response Plan in<br />
place will assist your program when a Tier<br />
One critical incident occurs and it is essential<br />
to act quickly to:<br />
◗ Stabilize services<br />
◗ Support staff, volunteers, clients and<br />
others directly affected<br />
The pace and manner of your initial response<br />
will set the tone for recovery and potentially<br />
reduce stress levels and opportunities for<br />
mistakes.<br />
Assuring the continuity of services is an<br />
early and essential part of this process.<br />
Tools like the Continuity of Operations<br />
Charts ( © HollyHartConsulting.com 2010),<br />
located in the Appendix, are available to<br />
provide guidance to programs updating their<br />
existing plans or exploring the development<br />
of a Critical Incident Response Plan. It is a<br />
very comprehensive document. You do not<br />
have to address all of the elements listed.<br />
It is meant to stimulate some thought and<br />
discussion at your program.<br />
A Critical Incident Response Plan is similar<br />
to a safety plan in that it is a “living”<br />
document that needs consistent, regular<br />
review to update contact information,<br />
improve response plans (especially if there<br />
are lessons learned), and refresh staff<br />
and volunteers’ recollection about how to<br />
respond when a critical incident occurs.<br />
When is it a crisis?<br />
A crisis is a critical incident or traumatic<br />
event that pushes individuals and, sometimes,<br />
communities beyond their capacity to function<br />
on a day-to-day basis. For purposes of<br />
reporting critical incidents to PCADV, the<br />
following additional definitions apply:<br />
◗ Tier One Incidents – Major incidents,<br />
such as domestic violence fatalities, near<br />
fatalities, or natural deaths of shelter<br />
residents.<br />
◗ Tier Two Incidents – Other incidents,<br />
such as fires, floods, bed bugs, or no<br />
heat in shelter that disrupt your program’s<br />
continuity of services and may attract<br />
unwanted media attention.<br />
issues to consider<br />
There are several specific issues to consider<br />
when developing a Critical Incident Response<br />
Plan and/or responding to a critical<br />
incident. A team approach and direct lines<br />
of communication <strong>with</strong> clear documentation<br />
are recommended to provide structure<br />
during a situation that can become chaotic.<br />
Confidentiality also requires dedicated and<br />
serious consideration in such situations.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 19
Section five<br />
A Team Approach<br />
Most crisis response materials advocate for<br />
a team approach. It is important to have a<br />
team structure in place prior to an incident.<br />
Individuals should be familiar <strong>with</strong> both this<br />
toolkit and your program’s Critical Incident<br />
Response Plan. Individuals need the authority<br />
to carry out what needs to be done. The<br />
capacity for a team approach will be based<br />
on the resources <strong>with</strong>in each program<br />
and the person(s) affected by the incident.<br />
Flexibility and composition of the team are<br />
critical.<br />
Considerations For Developing<br />
A Team Approach:<br />
◗ Who is trained in crisis response or<br />
critical incident response?<br />
◗ What roles are reasonable for staff and<br />
volunteers to fill?<br />
◗ What happens if staff and volunteers<br />
were witnesses to the critical incident<br />
and/or are directly affected by the crisis<br />
situation?<br />
◗ What roles can members of your<br />
BOD fill?<br />
◗ Does staff have the means to adjust<br />
to the staffing changes (e.g. childcare if<br />
different hours/transportation if services<br />
moved to a different location)?<br />
◗ Does the diversity of program staff<br />
and those leading the critical incident<br />
response mirror that of the clients,<br />
families and community to whom you are<br />
responding?<br />
◗ What community resources might<br />
be available (assisted living facility for<br />
residents <strong>with</strong> special needs, other local<br />
domestic violence programs to handle<br />
hotline, counseling, support groups)?<br />
How can you solidify relationships <strong>with</strong><br />
them?<br />
Team Roles<br />
Every team needs a leader who will be<br />
the primary decision-maker. This is likely<br />
to be the executive director or her/his<br />
designee. The team leader needs to have<br />
crisis response training, the ability to<br />
maintain composure and a clear head when<br />
interacting <strong>with</strong> the media and the public and<br />
the authority to make decisions.<br />
Depending on the size of the program,<br />
several “liaisons” may be helpful in<br />
responding to the needs of staff, BOD<br />
volunteers, clients, their families and the<br />
public. Each of the following roles are<br />
important and could be assigned to one or<br />
more staff:<br />
◗ A staff liaison to serve as the direct line<br />
of communication between the team and<br />
all staff, BOD and volunteers needing<br />
to be informed during the response time<br />
following a critical incident.<br />
• They can also make sure that<br />
logistics, like where to continue<br />
providing services if the building is<br />
unavailable, are handled and that staff<br />
are having their own crisis reactions<br />
addressed.<br />
◗ A liaison(s) to work <strong>with</strong> clients,<br />
families and the public/media.<br />
◗ A liaison(s) to work <strong>with</strong> any<br />
designated group that may have specific<br />
needs to be addressed or that needs to<br />
know what’s happening as it unfolds.<br />
Liaisons should be considered<br />
the direct source of factual and<br />
timely information between the team and<br />
others.<br />
page 20<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Include Your Board of Directors<br />
Participating in the Critical Incident Response<br />
Team may be a good fit for those board<br />
members <strong>with</strong> experience in crisis response<br />
and may help you add diversity to the skills<br />
and strengths of your BOD membership.<br />
Any board member who is part of the<br />
Critical Incident Response Team also needs<br />
to be trained in crisis response and have an<br />
understanding of the impact of trauma and<br />
vicarious trauma on direct service staff.<br />
Communication<br />
Establish a plan to disseminate information to<br />
staff, residents, clients, volunteers and BOD<br />
members both on and off-site. Phone trees,<br />
secure emails and staff meetings are often<br />
used for important communications. Clear<br />
and direct communication outlining factual<br />
information and plans to address the physical<br />
and emotional safety of those affected will<br />
offer a sense of security from which all can<br />
begin to move forward. Ensure that your plan<br />
addresses the means for providing updated<br />
information to relevant parties – especially<br />
if the program is temporarily shut down or<br />
providing only limited services.<br />
◗ Some communication may be<br />
vulnerable to interception by the media or<br />
other parties. It is important for everyone<br />
involved to understand that the designated<br />
liaison handles all inquires about the<br />
incident. This is especially true for calls<br />
from the media.<br />
◗ Depending on the size of the program<br />
staff, it MAY be possible to designate<br />
an additional person to handle the nonmedia<br />
calls; however, he/she should<br />
have constant communication <strong>with</strong> the<br />
media liaison.<br />
Documentation<br />
Documenting the statements you make to<br />
staff, BOD volunteers, clients, and the media<br />
are especially helpful in the aftermath of a<br />
critical incident. It is helpful to have more<br />
than one staff person review these statements.<br />
Even on the best days, we sometimes use<br />
language that can be misinterpreted or<br />
misleading. In a crisis situation, the human<br />
brain is not organized as it is in everyday<br />
situations, leaving those affected vulnerable<br />
to misinterpretation; sensitivity and clarity can<br />
be challenging to find in those moments.<br />
◗ Documenting in-house and media<br />
communications is a helpful way to<br />
organize what’s happening to make sure<br />
things are being done as needed, and to<br />
provide a “paper trail.”<br />
◗ A Communication Log (see appendix)<br />
can ensure accurate transmission of<br />
information and document the process.<br />
Some people may not be able to rely<br />
on memory for the specifics of what<br />
took place or was done.<br />
• Memory is sometimes compromised<br />
in crisis situations.<br />
• Document all communications.<br />
• Make documentation a priority in<br />
your Critical Incident Response Plan.<br />
Section five<br />
PCADV can take your media calls and help “control the story” being put out to the public.<br />
Work <strong>with</strong> PCADV to establish a public statement if it becomes necessary to shut down or<br />
reduce services. This statement should assure the community that services are still available<br />
and will continue though they may be provided at an alternate location.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 21
Section five<br />
Communication <strong>with</strong> Family Members<br />
During and immediately after a crisis, staff,<br />
volunteers and clients are likely to have a<br />
very real need to communicate and connect<br />
<strong>with</strong> their families as soon as possible. This<br />
has very practical implications, but even<br />
more, feeds their need to establish a sense of<br />
safety and security for their loved ones. In the<br />
development of a Critical Incident Response<br />
Plan, determine a safe way for your staff to<br />
contact family members to inform them they<br />
are OK. It is important to maintain control<br />
over how much information is shared – even<br />
<strong>with</strong> family.<br />
Documentation After an Incident<br />
All staff, volunteers and BOD who were<br />
directly involved in the incident should<br />
prepare a written account of their<br />
involvement as soon as possible and provide<br />
it to the team in charge. In the event law<br />
enforcement or other authorities request<br />
these documents, confidentiality provisions<br />
continue to apply. (Refer to your program’s<br />
confidentiality policy and Protecting<br />
Confidentiality in Section 4: Support from<br />
PCADV Legal Department for more complete<br />
information).<br />
Crisis Intervention<br />
It is important to balance the need to “get<br />
back to business as usual” <strong>with</strong> the need<br />
to address the emotional state of staff,<br />
residents, clients and volunteers who have<br />
been impacted by the incident. PCADV<br />
does not provide direct crisis response or<br />
critical incident debriefing, but does provide<br />
technical assistance and referrals to others<br />
who have expertise in providing direct<br />
services to communities in crisis (See page 2<br />
for details).<br />
Sources of Technical Assistance<br />
◗ There are many crisis response groups/<br />
agencies across the Commonwealth.<br />
All of the statewide agencies and<br />
organizations that are part of the<br />
<strong>Pennsylvania</strong> Emergency Management<br />
Response Plan have specified roles for<br />
national or statewide disaster/crisis<br />
response. Many counties have local<br />
crisis response teams that can provide<br />
community assistance in the aftermath of<br />
a natural disaster.<br />
◗ Some critical incident response<br />
agencies/organizations focus on a<br />
specific population involved in a critical<br />
incident.<br />
◗ Critical Incident Stress Management<br />
Teams respond to the needs of first<br />
responders.<br />
◗ School districts and intermediate units<br />
have specially trained staff to respond to<br />
school communities.<br />
“Simple techniques for intervening in<br />
crisis can help survivors regain a sense<br />
of control over their lives and begin<br />
the process of reconstructing a new<br />
life. Much of the crisis intervention rests<br />
[<strong>with</strong>] creative listening and helping<br />
people develop ideas for how they<br />
will cope <strong>with</strong> the next few hours or<br />
days of their life in the aftermath of a<br />
traumatic event.”<br />
~ National Organization For<br />
Victim Assistance (NOVA),<br />
The Community Crisis Response<br />
Team Training Manual<br />
page 22<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Keystone Crisis Intervention<br />
Team (KCIT) Services<br />
KCIT is a statewide volunteer organization<br />
that trains criminal justice professionals and<br />
a variety of allied professionals to respond<br />
to communities in crisis. They use the NOVA<br />
crisis response model that helps individuals<br />
exposed to trauma:<br />
◗ Identify physical and emotional<br />
reactions to the critical incident<br />
◗ Create a time anchor of the traumatic<br />
events<br />
◗ Predict and prepare for future events<br />
that may remind them of their trauma<br />
exposure<br />
The model also includes an educational<br />
piece about crisis response and how the<br />
mind and body may experience similar<br />
crisis reactions when exposed to similar<br />
events or sensory cues.<br />
KCIT works <strong>with</strong> local teams to meet the<br />
needs of the program, based on the incident.<br />
These responses can include providing:<br />
◗ Group Crisis Interventions (GCIs)<br />
◗ Companioning<br />
◗ Resources<br />
◗ Referrals<br />
Responses can be coordinated <strong>with</strong> other<br />
crisis response groups to meet the needs of all<br />
impacted by the critical incident.<br />
For instance, a GCI can be held for:<br />
◗ Staff and volunteers who were present<br />
during the critical incident<br />
◗ Residents and clients who were present<br />
during the critical incident<br />
◗ Other staff, volunteers and BOD<br />
members who did not directly witness the<br />
critical incident<br />
◗ Other residents and clients who did not<br />
directly witness the critical incident<br />
◗ Family members of staff, volunteers and<br />
BOD members<br />
◗ Family members of residents<br />
and clients<br />
◗ The community at large<br />
◗ Other specific groups as identified<br />
KCIT provides Companions to assist<br />
<strong>with</strong> individuals and families or<br />
at community-wide events where<br />
individual support is an anticipated<br />
need. All services provided by KCIT<br />
remain confidential unless the program<br />
specifically releases information<br />
pertaining to the incident response.<br />
Section five<br />
Contact KCIT:<br />
During business hours:<br />
Think about the “ripple effect” of<br />
the incident and talk freely <strong>with</strong> the<br />
KCIT Team Leader about anticipated<br />
program and community needs.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 23
Section five<br />
Take Care of Staff<br />
Feelings of fear and loss of control are<br />
normal reactions during and after a time of<br />
crisis. Confusion, anger, and sorrow are also<br />
common reactions to any traumatic event.<br />
Program staff may:<br />
◗ Feel a sense of responsibility for not<br />
maintaining safety and control during<br />
critical incidents such as intruder and<br />
hostage situations or evacuations.<br />
◗ Doubt their abilities and decisions to<br />
serve clients and residents or care for<br />
other staff and volunteers.<br />
Staff meetings, daily or several times<br />
throughout the week, in the immediate<br />
aftermath of critical incidents, provide an<br />
opportunity for the team to:<br />
◗ Offer accurate information<br />
◗ Dispel rumors<br />
◗ Answer questions/concerns<br />
◗ Present staff <strong>with</strong> strategies for talking<br />
about the event <strong>with</strong> clients not on-site<br />
during the critical incident.<br />
◗ Supply a safe place for staff to deal<br />
<strong>with</strong> their own concerns and emotions<br />
A team member should monitor staff<br />
responses and actions during these meetings<br />
to determine if any staff members are in<br />
need of additional support or if their work<br />
<strong>with</strong> clients should be suspended for a short<br />
period of time while they deal <strong>with</strong> their own<br />
responses to the critical incident.<br />
In the days and weeks that follow any critical<br />
incident, it is important to monitor staff for any<br />
ongoing crisis reactions that may lead to longterm<br />
crisis reactions and/or vicarious trauma.<br />
Don’t hesitate to call on a local mental health<br />
practitioner <strong>with</strong> training and experience<br />
working <strong>with</strong> clients who have survived<br />
traumatic events. Additionally, KCIT, PCADV<br />
or your local crisis response team may be<br />
able to make referrals for long-term support.<br />
How Crisis Intervention Helps<br />
Programs can do a great deal for staff,<br />
volunteers and BOD by offering crisis<br />
intervention services. In the short-term,<br />
crisis intervention provides an opportunity<br />
for staff, volunteers and BOD to begin to<br />
process the thoughts, memories and physical<br />
and emotional reactions in an organized,<br />
cognitive way. Program staff may also<br />
benefit from “respite care,” specifically<br />
having temporary relief from direct service<br />
responsibility; but how does a program make<br />
that happen?<br />
Some situations and possible solutions to<br />
brainstorm in advance of a critical incident<br />
include:<br />
◗ Will additional staff be required to<br />
assist clients/other staff or to be available<br />
for unexpected issues? Should this be<br />
your staff or staff from other programs?<br />
◗ What happens if a staff member<br />
thinks they can work, but becomes<br />
overwhelmed during their shift?<br />
◗ Should you meet in small groups <strong>with</strong><br />
residents/clients to become aware of their<br />
concerns? How often will you do this?<br />
◗ What if your community/BOD is<br />
pushing you to resume services, but you<br />
feel your staff is unable to do so?<br />
Intervention immediately following a<br />
crisis can reduce the risk of vicarious<br />
trauma for staff over the long-term.<br />
page 24<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Family and Community<br />
Crisis Response Needs<br />
Crisis intervention services can benefit<br />
families of program staff and help <strong>with</strong><br />
community-wide responses and healing.<br />
Family members may become “secondary<br />
victims” to the overwhelming stressors<br />
endured - especially if a loved one was<br />
present at the time of the incident. They<br />
may urge staff to quit because it is “too<br />
dangerous” to continue this work. Children,<br />
who are or were exposed to domestic<br />
violence, may fear the same thing will<br />
happen to their parent. Community members<br />
can be invited to participate in “Y’all come”<br />
GCIs that can help reduce the impact of the<br />
incident on them (e.g. a domestic violencerelated<br />
shooting in a public setting).<br />
Effects on Current Clients<br />
When victims personally associate their<br />
situation <strong>with</strong> that of another victim who<br />
was recently seriously injured or killed, they<br />
may not access services as readily as they<br />
would have prior to the traumatic event. If<br />
they are already in the midst of receiving<br />
services, they may leave shelter or not return<br />
for regularly scheduled appointments. This<br />
personal association <strong>with</strong> another victim may<br />
completely alter their path to safety. A client’s<br />
reaction to non-crisis events may intensify. It<br />
is difficult to anticipate how each person will<br />
react, especially given a history of trauma.<br />
Program staff should continue the course of<br />
client-centered services <strong>with</strong> patience and a<br />
trauma-informed approach. They should also<br />
provide clients <strong>with</strong> options and education<br />
that re-directs them to their own personal<br />
circumstances and back to the path of<br />
autonomy and safety. This may require the<br />
program to relax rules about participation in<br />
program services. Some clients will struggle<br />
more than others to regain a sense of safety<br />
and security and find normalcy again.<br />
Returning to “Business as Usual”<br />
Structure and familiar patterns usually help<br />
people organize and problem-solve, which<br />
leaves them in a better position to cope<br />
<strong>with</strong> stressful situations. The timing of this<br />
return to pre-crisis “normalcy,” and knowing<br />
when staff, residents, clients and BOD are<br />
ready to do so, is a judgment call. Making<br />
this decision as a team will provide various<br />
points of view and additional information for<br />
consideration.<br />
Anniversary/Reminder Events<br />
As a matter of protocol, KCIT routinely offers<br />
follow-up contacts to communities in which<br />
they have responded. Regular time stamps<br />
(annual or expected life events like birthdays<br />
or holidays), other similar critical incidents,<br />
and/or criminal justice system activity<br />
(when charges have resulted) may mark<br />
anniversaries of the critical incident. Such<br />
events may elicit similar reactions to that of<br />
the initial critical incident, additional concerns<br />
about safety and security, public responses<br />
and/or press coverage.<br />
The program should plan for these<br />
“anniversaries” or reminder events to<br />
try to reduce the potential impact and<br />
provide needed support.<br />
Anniversaries are usually a concern until<br />
clients, volunteers, BOD and staff who<br />
experienced the event are no longer <strong>with</strong> the<br />
program or until sufficient time has passed.<br />
PCADV and/or KCIT can provide technical<br />
assistance around these issues to assist<br />
programs in responding to their needs.<br />
Section five<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 25
Section five<br />
Vicarious Trauma Implications<br />
Beyond the anniversary events, attention<br />
should be paid to the ongoing needs of<br />
program staff. You should anticipate that<br />
vicarious trauma will be an ongoing topic in<br />
your program to maintain healthy staff and<br />
volunteers. Vicarious trauma can become<br />
an occupational hazard for professionals in<br />
“helping professions” such as therapists and<br />
advocates when they:<br />
◗ Experience heavy work loads<br />
◗ Lack experience <strong>with</strong> trauma victims<br />
◗ Are exposed regularly to listening to<br />
clients’ experience of trauma and abuse<br />
◗ Do not have adequate supervision and<br />
consultation<br />
There are layers of coping strategies at the<br />
personal, professional and organizational<br />
levels that can be used to minimize the effects<br />
of working intimately <strong>with</strong> victims of abuse<br />
and trauma. (Please refer to the suggested<br />
reading, Vicarious Trauma and Its Impact<br />
on Advocates, Therapists and Friends, in the<br />
Appendix for more information.)<br />
Victims’ Compensation may be<br />
available to cover counseling fees,<br />
loss of support, and transportation to<br />
sessions resulting from exposure to a<br />
critical incident.<br />
In the Appendix, a suggested resource<br />
on vicarious trauma is available for your<br />
review: Guidebook on Vicarious Trauma:<br />
Recommended Solutions for Anti-Violence<br />
Workers (Jan I. Richardson, Centre for<br />
Research on Violence <strong>Against</strong> Women and<br />
Children, London, Ontario, for the Family<br />
Violence Prevention Unit, Health Canada).<br />
Children Exposed to Trauma<br />
Local crisis response teams and KCIT can<br />
provide helpful technical assistance in<br />
addressing the needs of children exposed<br />
to trauma. The children’s advocate in your<br />
program can be an important resource –<br />
she/he is likely to have a solid relationship<br />
<strong>with</strong> the children in shelter and <strong>with</strong> those<br />
coming in for services; children are likely<br />
to trust her/him. Additionally, you should<br />
consider creating a relationship <strong>with</strong> a<br />
local practitioner or counseling group that<br />
specializes in treatment of children to turn to<br />
in times of need.<br />
Stabilizing Services<br />
The same practices of using a team<br />
approach, establishing clear lines<br />
of communication and maintaining<br />
confidentiality are of importance when<br />
stabilizing services in the aftermath of<br />
a critical incident and/or in developing<br />
a program plan in preparation for such<br />
an event.<br />
Critical incidents can exacerbate already<br />
growing banks of secondary exposure to<br />
trauma. It is important for programs, as a<br />
matter of practice, to create relationships<br />
<strong>with</strong> local practitioners or counseling groups<br />
<strong>with</strong> experience in serving those affected by<br />
vicarious trauma so that you can refer staff to<br />
them in times of need.<br />
page 26<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Points to consider<br />
• Assessing the immediate safety of other<br />
clients, volunteers and staff:<br />
◗ Triaging incoming calls<br />
◗ Procedure if incident occurs during the<br />
week but outside of administrative staff<br />
hours, or over the weekend<br />
◗ Planning to shut down or reducing<br />
services, and if so, time period involved<br />
◗ Decisions regarding any staffing<br />
changes. Position(s) responsible for<br />
handling questions about time off, alternate<br />
work options, working remotely, etc.<br />
◗ If a death occurs on-site and other<br />
residents want to relocate<br />
◗ Assisting clients who feel they are<br />
vulnerable or face increased danger<br />
based on similarities between their<br />
situation and that of the individual(s) killed<br />
or injured<br />
◗ Making the most of media and public<br />
statements<br />
◗ Interruptions to program technology,<br />
and position(s) responsible for bringing<br />
the program back online<br />
◗ Position(s) responsible for handling<br />
building issues, replacement of property,<br />
etc.<br />
◗ Position(s) responsible for responding to<br />
family/families directly affected<br />
Maintain a Team Approach<br />
Staff members familiar <strong>with</strong> personnel (staff,<br />
BOD and volunteers) and the circumstances<br />
of the incident are usually the best choice to<br />
handle a Tier One incident; they are able to<br />
assess and reassess the events as they unfold<br />
and respond immediately to the situation.<br />
Their preparation and response will drive<br />
how the incident, and potentially the story in<br />
the media (See Section 6), unfolds. In most<br />
cases, this will be the role of the executive<br />
director or senior management. However,<br />
familiarity <strong>with</strong> the individual(s) injured or<br />
killed, or an event that might trigger personal<br />
traumatic memories, could also impact the<br />
ability of these individuals to respond.<br />
Communication Revisited<br />
When planning for, or responding specifically<br />
to, an interruption in service provision,<br />
ancillary communication methods may<br />
help provide the needed structure when the<br />
physical structure of carrying out services<br />
may not be a available.<br />
Consider holding additional staff meetings to<br />
address questions and dispel rumors. Meeting<br />
in smaller groups usually diminishes the<br />
likelihood that emotions will get out of control<br />
and can avoid ‘group think’ phenomenon<br />
that may inhibit individuals from asking the<br />
questions that are important to them.<br />
Section five<br />
In small communities staff, volunteers or<br />
BOD members could be asked to make a<br />
statement. A plan to address this issue should<br />
be determined ahead of time. In these cases,<br />
a standardized statement, similar to inquiries<br />
about clients receiving your services, should<br />
be used: “I can neither confirm nor deny that<br />
person is a client” or “I have no information.<br />
You should speak to...”<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 27
Section five<br />
Bringing in Other Individuals<br />
Hearing from an outside expert, who is<br />
objective in their presentation yet sensitive to<br />
the emotions of the group, is often helpful.<br />
Factual information can help many people<br />
to reach a point of acceptance. Addressing<br />
lingering questions and putting the critical<br />
incident in its proper context can help<br />
reestablish a sense of safety, security and<br />
control so that staff can move forward in their<br />
daily lives.<br />
Examples:<br />
◗ In the case of a building fire, a local<br />
fire inspector or fire services professional<br />
can talk about the origins of the fire, how<br />
the fire may have affected the safety of<br />
the building and what could or should be<br />
done differently in the future if a similar<br />
event occurs.<br />
◗ Medical personnel can attend staff,<br />
volunteer, client and community meetings<br />
to address questions about the manner of<br />
death or serious injury that continues to<br />
resonate <strong>with</strong> those affected by the critical<br />
incident.<br />
Getting the Word Out<br />
During critical incident times ongoing<br />
communication <strong>with</strong> the community is<br />
crucial. It is important to document all inhouse<br />
communications and to provide<br />
written media statements. Media statements<br />
should include information that reassures the<br />
community that services will resume upon<br />
stabilization of the program and informs<br />
them how to access services in the interim.<br />
Any disruption in services should be<br />
reported IMMEDIATELY to PCADV<br />
<strong>with</strong> the information requested on the<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> Violence Critical Incident<br />
Response and Management <strong>Report</strong><br />
<strong>Form</strong>. A plan to maintain services<br />
until the program is stabilized must<br />
be identified.<br />
When A Decision To<br />
Close Has Been Made<br />
If it is necessary for your program to close,<br />
provide enough staffing so advocates are<br />
available to respond to those clients who<br />
are not yet aware of the closing. Staff<br />
should remain available until word of the<br />
closing is communicated throughout the<br />
community. Consider how to reach those<br />
current clients who may not have access to<br />
any media sources.<br />
Review your program’s confidentiality<br />
policy. Questions about confidentiality<br />
issues should be immediately directed<br />
to the PCADV Legal Department.<br />
page 28<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Confidentiality<br />
Concerns Continue<br />
Some confusion usually accompanies a<br />
critical incident and may interfere <strong>with</strong> staff<br />
acting as they normally would. Confusion<br />
may also interfere <strong>with</strong> one’s ability to<br />
recall and follow protocols. Upholding<br />
confidentiality during a critical incident<br />
continues to be a key tool for protecting<br />
the safety of victims of domestic violence.<br />
Good control over client documents remains<br />
essential even as you stabilize services.<br />
Continuity of Services<br />
Your program can take a proactive step by<br />
creating reciprocal agreements <strong>with</strong> adjacent<br />
programs to cover hotlines, offer alternative<br />
shelter and provide other client services in the<br />
event of a critical incident. <strong>Form</strong>alizing these<br />
agreements in advance will ensure a smooth<br />
transition of those duties during a time when<br />
the potential for high stress and disorder<br />
exists.<br />
Adjust Staffing to Meet<br />
Fluctuations in Demands for Service<br />
As stated previously, victims who personally<br />
associate their situation <strong>with</strong> that of another<br />
victim who has recently been seriously<br />
injured or killed may not access services<br />
as readily as they would have prior to<br />
the traumatic event. If the media has<br />
sensationalized a domestic violence death,<br />
this may also contribute to an increase or<br />
decrease in the numbers of clients accessing<br />
your services in the days and weeks<br />
following heavy publicity in your local area.<br />
Hotline calls may drop off which means<br />
fewer staff may need to be scheduled. The<br />
shelter may clear out OR may fill up quickly.<br />
Be prepared to adjust staffing needs.<br />
Requests for services typically stabilize <strong>with</strong>in<br />
a few weeks. In the meantime, this is also<br />
an opportunity to continue to educate the<br />
public (and victims who may be considering<br />
accessing your services) about domestic<br />
violence lethality and victim and community<br />
safety through the media.<br />
PCADV is able to provide technical<br />
assistance specific to these instances.<br />
Please contact the Director of<br />
Communications.<br />
Handling Specific Types of Incidents<br />
Tips For Using The Non-Profit Crisis Response<br />
Plan is an excellent resource that addresses<br />
incidents likely to occur at a non-profit agency<br />
and can help to supplement the information<br />
provided here. (http://hollyhartconsulting.<br />
com/Resources/docs/Non-Profit%20<br />
Agency%20Tips.pdf<br />
© Copyright HollyHartConsulting.com 2010.)<br />
Section five<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 29
Section five<br />
Physical Injury<br />
Severe or moderate injury to clients and staff<br />
is probably the most frequently encountered<br />
issue. Severe injury or multiple injuries<br />
can disrupt services and/or trigger crisis<br />
reactions in witnesses. When the cause of<br />
the injury is unknown or there are multiple<br />
people <strong>with</strong> injuries or the injuries sustained<br />
are of a severe nature, staff may be called<br />
upon to provide assistance. The sight of<br />
such injuries can be incredibly powerful<br />
for witnesses and can initiate an emotional<br />
and/or physical crisis reaction; providing<br />
assistance to these individuals can also<br />
distract staff from their usual responsibilities.<br />
When the nature or cause of the injury is<br />
unknown, this uncertainty may be enough<br />
to send someone into a crisis reaction.<br />
Programs can alleviate the impact of severe<br />
or moderate injuries by being well prepared<br />
<strong>with</strong> a clear response plan in place.<br />
Assisting Medical Personnel<br />
When faced <strong>with</strong> multiple injured people,<br />
it is a good idea to put a nametag on each<br />
injured person. This will assist hospital staff<br />
in accurately identifying the patient and<br />
will allow them to more quickly provide<br />
appropriate treatment.<br />
When calling for assistance, provide<br />
specific and detailed directions to<br />
the emergency dispatcher so that first<br />
responders can locate the correct location/<br />
entrance. Accurate communication can<br />
save crucial time, especially if your shelter<br />
is in an undisclosed or obscure location or<br />
has multiple entry points. Sending someone<br />
outside to greet the ambulance helps secure<br />
assistance more quickly.<br />
Transportation<br />
Transporting a sick or injured client, volunteer<br />
or staff member in a program or personal<br />
vehicle should occur:<br />
◗ Only in extreme circumstances<br />
◗ If an ambulance cannot reach<br />
the site<br />
Issues of liability must be considered.<br />
Transporting in a program or personal<br />
vehicle is not advised because it is<br />
impossible to know the extent of a person’s<br />
injuries or other health concerns, which<br />
could become an issue during transport.<br />
Follow your program’s existing procedure<br />
on providing emergency transportation to<br />
clients.<br />
If a resident, client, volunteer or staff person<br />
is transported by ambulance, it’s a good<br />
idea to have two staff accompany her/him<br />
to the hospital – one person to ride in the<br />
ambulance, a second to follow in another<br />
vehicle. (The second vehicle provides<br />
transportation back to the agency for both<br />
staff members).<br />
Staff should remain <strong>with</strong> the injured person<br />
until a family member or another responsible<br />
adult arrives. Do not leave an injured or<br />
seriously ill person alone at a medical facility.<br />
Wait until adequate support arrives.<br />
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When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
If a parent/guardian of a minor client or a<br />
friend of an injured adult is present, AND the<br />
injured person prefers to have them transport,<br />
a judgment call is required. Programs usually<br />
have emergency procedures that tell them<br />
to call 911 to obtain transport for injured<br />
victims. Ask yourself: ”Is the injured<br />
person capable of making a rational<br />
decision about their transportation?”<br />
If not, call 911.<br />
Death<br />
Critical incidents of this nature require:<br />
◗ Strong and competent leadership<br />
◗ Ongoing clear communication<br />
◗ Reliable documentation<br />
◗ Strict adherence to<br />
confidentiality policies<br />
Staff, volunteers, BOD and clients may<br />
be able to maintain a sense of safety and<br />
security if they see that someone is in charge<br />
and that the situation is under control. Sudden<br />
death usually evokes emotional and physical<br />
crisis reactions, which can be contained<br />
<strong>with</strong> proper planning and compassionate,<br />
trauma-informed responses. It can be<br />
tempting for the team and its leader to give<br />
over program decisions to family members<br />
or other agencies. It is recommended that the<br />
team stay in charge of program decisions to<br />
provide the maximum support and leadership<br />
to staff, volunteers, BOD, clients, the affected<br />
family, families of other clients, and the<br />
community.<br />
Death Notification<br />
Program staff is not responsible for<br />
making death notifications to families.<br />
Only professionals trained to provide<br />
death notification should be doing so. This<br />
notification is a task that falls under the<br />
purview of law enforcement. Religious/faith<br />
leaders are additional likely resources to<br />
provide notifications to family members.<br />
Communication and Confidentiality<br />
After death notification to the family, the<br />
next ripple is likely to be staff, volunteers,<br />
other residents and witnesses who require<br />
immediate notification. Public statements to<br />
the media should be reserved until all who<br />
“need to know” have been notified.<br />
Confidentiality remains a primary<br />
concern in such a situation. Contact<br />
the PCADV Legal Department for any<br />
guidance or technical assistance.<br />
Verification of Death, Securing<br />
Personal Items and Documentation<br />
In the event of the death of a resident, client,<br />
volunteer or staff person, do not move or<br />
touch the body. Secure confirmation of death<br />
from a medical professional only. Verification<br />
of information is a critical element when<br />
responding to sudden death incidents.<br />
Accuracy must be established and then<br />
verified by a second source.<br />
Section five<br />
Program staff can help the family<br />
access the Victim Compensation<br />
Assistance Program for funeral<br />
expenses and loss of support when<br />
applicable.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 31
Section five<br />
In securing personal items:<br />
◗ Designate two staff members to<br />
handle any of the deceased’s personal<br />
items to ensure that all items are<br />
secured and turned over to the family.<br />
Doing so ensures that the program will<br />
not be held responsible for anything<br />
that is believed to be missing. When a<br />
criminal investigation is active, secure<br />
permission from law enforcement<br />
before giving items to family<br />
representatives.<br />
◗ Inventory the items<br />
◗ Ask the family member who accepts<br />
them to sign off on the list.<br />
Documentation by staff, volunteers and<br />
other witnesses is crucial for internal<br />
procedural and liability reviews and<br />
criminal investigations. It is critical to obtain<br />
written statements as soon as possible and<br />
then make additions to documentation<br />
as witnesses may remember more. As<br />
individuals begin to process the critical<br />
incident, they may remember more details<br />
than they were able to recall initially; this is a<br />
normal experience as time passes.<br />
Honoring the Deceased<br />
Public memorials sometimes spring up<br />
organically, while others are well organized<br />
and orchestrated, and some people may die<br />
quietly <strong>with</strong> little or no public recognition.<br />
This depends on many factors including the<br />
manner of death, location of death, public<br />
view or position of the deceased prior to<br />
death and cultural practices.<br />
Other public responses may be requested<br />
of your program. For example, a program<br />
<strong>with</strong> a flagpole was asked to lower its<br />
U.S. flag to half-staff. Only the governor or<br />
president can approve lowering the flag;<br />
therefore, it is recommended that programs<br />
redirect requests for public memorials or<br />
visible commemorations <strong>with</strong>in the scope of<br />
the program or community, like posting a<br />
purple ribbon or candles in a public area.<br />
(An unintended consequence of the lowering<br />
of the flag is public complaints from veterans<br />
groups).<br />
The team should be involved in making<br />
final decisions about any public memorials<br />
initiated by program staff or participants<br />
so that they can thoroughly explore issues<br />
around confidentiality, community need and<br />
sensitivity, and unintended consequences or<br />
backlash to the program.<br />
page 32<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Death Rituals<br />
Sensitively removing/retiring objects that<br />
remind staff and clients of the loss (such as<br />
memorials, personal items, etc.) is important.<br />
Handling this issue, like many other aspects<br />
of responding to a crisis, is a balancing act.<br />
Some people may be less ready to move on<br />
than others. Yet, the longer things remain<br />
in place, the more difficult it is to eventually<br />
remove them. Work as a team to make these<br />
decisions. Secure outside professional advice<br />
if necessary. It is important to remove the<br />
name of a deceased person from all mailing,<br />
email and other lists.<br />
Be sensitive to religious, cultural and ethnic<br />
traditions and to appropriate etiquette<br />
related to death, visitation procedures and<br />
the funeral. Provide information on these<br />
topics to clients, volunteers, BOD and staff,<br />
if appropriate. If you believe that clients,<br />
volunteers and/or staff may need support at<br />
the visitation or funeral, develop a schedule<br />
of volunteers who will be able to support<br />
others at these functions. Secure non-agency<br />
professionals if necessary. NOTE: KCIT could<br />
be tapped for its “Companioning Model” to<br />
provide this support.<br />
Sudden Death Impacts<br />
Every culture and every person reacts to<br />
death differently. Death is often uncomfortable<br />
to discuss. Grief is a term that typically<br />
accompanies the topic of death; it is how<br />
someone feels the loss internally, while<br />
mourning is the outward, visible way to<br />
show the grief and loss felt internally.<br />
Some professionals working in the field of<br />
anticipated/natural death and loss subscribe<br />
to the “Five Stages of Grief” by Kessler &<br />
Kubler-Ross: denial, anger, bargaining,<br />
depression and acceptance. The stages<br />
are not linear and are not the same for all<br />
people; it’s merely a framework to better<br />
equip individuals to live <strong>with</strong> loss.<br />
The type of loss discussed here is not the<br />
anticipatory or natural death most expect<br />
as a result of a terminal diagnosis or old<br />
age. The type of death discussed here<br />
is unnatural, unanticipated and<br />
therefore traumatic. The suddenness of the<br />
loss typically throws loved ones into an<br />
emotional crisis response, which includes<br />
shock and/or denial immediately, followed<br />
by a “cataclysm of emotions”: anger, grief,<br />
despair, detachment, sorrow, and depending<br />
on the circumstances, guilt and self-blame<br />
could also be included. Eventually survivors<br />
move toward rebuilding life <strong>with</strong>out their<br />
loved one but, over the long term, may<br />
continue to feel spasms of sorrow and find<br />
ways to remember the person they lost.<br />
Section five<br />
Grief is not linear.<br />
There is no order of emotional reactions.<br />
There is no timeline.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 33
Section five<br />
Children and Death<br />
When children are the survivors, it is<br />
necessary to factor in their developmental<br />
age, as it will impact how they understand<br />
death, and it suggests how death is best<br />
explained to them. Sudden loss can impact<br />
their development. Intervention strategies<br />
<strong>with</strong> children change across the stages of<br />
development continuum. Professionals who<br />
work <strong>with</strong> children can be an important<br />
resource when there are child survivors.<br />
Immediate family members should be<br />
consulted and participate in every decision<br />
to be made <strong>with</strong> respect to surviving<br />
children. Similar considerations will apply<br />
for those children who may have been<br />
witnesses to the event or knew the victim(s)<br />
on some other level. The chart below details<br />
a child’s developmental stages of the<br />
understanding of death.<br />
Developmental Stages of the Understanding of Death<br />
(Hospice Support Care Inc.)<br />
page 34<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Staff, Volunteers, BOD and<br />
other Residents/Clients Reactions<br />
Staff, volunteers, BOD and other residents<br />
may also react to sudden loss <strong>with</strong> shock,<br />
denial, anger, despair, detachment and<br />
grief. They may also express thoughts<br />
or feelings of guilt or self-blame: “If I<br />
had only…” “It should have been me…”<br />
“I was supposed to be there…” “I was<br />
supposed to…” Staff may feel that they<br />
didn’t do enough to “make” her safe, or<br />
they should have “seen” something that<br />
wasn’t there.<br />
Hostage, Intruder<br />
and Evacuation Situations<br />
Refer to the PCADV Program Standards and<br />
your policies and procedures for situations<br />
of hostage taking, intruders on the premises<br />
and evacuation situations.<br />
Implement your Critical Incident Response<br />
Plan regarding reporting to PCADV for Tier<br />
One and Tier Two incidents, handling media<br />
inquiries and responding to the impact of<br />
crisis on staff and clients.<br />
Section five<br />
Staff may need time and resources to move<br />
through this traumatic response into an<br />
emotionally healthy grieving place.<br />
Possible resources include:<br />
• KCIT or your local crisis response<br />
team for immediate assistance<br />
• Referral to trained counseling<br />
professionals <strong>with</strong> experience in<br />
sudden loss and trauma issues for<br />
longer term counseling<br />
• VCAP may assist <strong>with</strong> the costs of<br />
counseling<br />
• An Employee Assistance Program<br />
may help cover counseling costs<br />
resulting from a work-related incident<br />
• Additional resources can be<br />
secured from professionals in<br />
your area. A resource library of<br />
appropriate readings may be helpful<br />
to staff, volunteers and clients.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 35
Section five<br />
Appendix Resources<br />
Responding to a critical incident:<br />
◗ Psychological First Aid – Field<br />
Operations Guide. (National Child Trauma<br />
Stress Network, National Center for PTSD)<br />
http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/<br />
pfa/english/1-psyfirstaid_final_complete_<br />
manual.pdf<br />
◗ When Emergency Personnel Have<br />
Losses Too (Jeffrey T. Mitchell, Ph.D., CTS)<br />
http://www.icisf.org/images/stories/When_<br />
Emergency_Personnel_Have_Losses_Too.pdf<br />
◗ A Guide to Managing Stress in<br />
Crisis Response Professions (Center for<br />
Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse<br />
and Mental Health Services Administration,<br />
U.S. Department of Health and Human<br />
Services) http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/<br />
content/SMA05-4113/SMA05-4113.pdf<br />
Vicarious trauma:<br />
◗ Vicarious Trauma and Its Impact on<br />
Advocates, Therapists and Friends<br />
(Research & Advocacy Digest: Linking<br />
Advocates & Researchers; Vol 6:2, March<br />
2004) http://www.carmelacarlyle.com/<br />
wpcc/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/<br />
Vicarious-trauma-articles.pdf<br />
◗ Tips for Talking to Children After<br />
a Disaster: A Guide for Parents and<br />
Educators (Center for Mental Health<br />
Services, Substance Abuse and Mental<br />
Health Services Administration, U.S.<br />
Department of Health and Human Services)<br />
http://www.samhsa.gov/MentalHealth/<br />
Tips_Talking_to_Children_After_Disaster.pdf<br />
◗ What Parents Can Do: Helping<br />
Children and Adolescents Cope <strong>with</strong><br />
Violence and Disasters (National<br />
Institute of Mental Health)<br />
http://infocenter.nimh.nih.gov/pdf/helpingchildren-and-adolescents-cope-<strong>with</strong>-violenceand-disasters-what-parents-can-do.pdf<br />
◗ Psychological First Aid – Field<br />
Operations Guide:<br />
• Tips For Parents<br />
<strong>with</strong> Infants and Toddlers<br />
• Tips For Parents<br />
<strong>with</strong> Preschool Children<br />
• Tips For Parents<br />
<strong>with</strong> School-Age Children<br />
• Tips For Parents <strong>with</strong> Adolescents<br />
(National Child Trauma Stress Network,<br />
National Center for PTSD)<br />
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/<br />
manuals/manual-pdf/pfa/PFA_Appx_E_<br />
handouts.pdf<br />
◗ BOOK: Trauma Stewardship: An<br />
Everyday Guide to Caring for Self<br />
while Caring for Others by Laura Van<br />
Dernoot Lipsky <strong>with</strong> Connie Burk; (Berrett-<br />
Koehler Publishers, Inc.)<br />
Developmental Stages of the<br />
Understanding of Death (Hospice<br />
Support Care, Inc.)<br />
http://www.hospicesupportcare.org/<br />
development.pdf<br />
Working <strong>with</strong> children in the<br />
aftermath of a critical incident:<br />
A website offered by the Commonwealth<br />
provides a comprehensive, but concise look<br />
at planning and preparing for disasters,<br />
including links specific to people <strong>with</strong><br />
disabilities, older <strong>Pennsylvania</strong>ns and tips<br />
for parents. Go to www.readypa.org for<br />
more information.<br />
page 36<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
PCADV MEDIA protocal ◗<br />
pcadv speaks on behalf of member programs on issues of statewide<br />
importance, including policy and legislation. Whenever possible, pcadv<br />
seeks input from member programs on development of positions and public<br />
statements to the media.<br />
Section Six<br />
STATEWIDE Media<br />
Advocacy/Response<br />
◗ PCADV’s Communications Team is the<br />
first point of contact for media inquiries<br />
and coordinates the organization’s media<br />
responses.<br />
◗ PCADV’s executive director is the primary<br />
spokesperson for the organization. At times,<br />
the executive director may delegate this<br />
responsibility to another PCADV staff or<br />
Board member or refer media to a member<br />
program.<br />
◗ As a general rule, PCADV does not<br />
comment on specific incidents, cases, or<br />
individuals.<br />
LOCAL Media Advocacy/Response<br />
◗ PCADV programs take the lead on local<br />
media outreach and response. PCADV<br />
staff is available to assist programs<br />
in responding to media inquiries. All<br />
requests should be referred to PCADV’s<br />
Communications Team:<br />
• Ellen Lyon, Communications<br />
Specialist, 800-934-4632, ext 209<br />
(elyon@pcadv.org)<br />
• Judy Yupcavage, Director of<br />
Communications, 800-932-4632,<br />
ext 120, or 717-514-3416 (cell)<br />
(jyupcavage@pcadv.org)<br />
◗ When appropriate, PCADV staff will<br />
develop talking points, sample letters, press<br />
release templates and other background<br />
material for use by programs. PCADV also<br />
will connect programs <strong>with</strong> a PCADV staff<br />
person to provide in-depth support around a<br />
topic area.<br />
◗ PCADV staff may issue statements, in<br />
consultation <strong>with</strong> programs, regarding local<br />
media stories <strong>with</strong> statewide implications.<br />
Options include PCADV speaking from a<br />
statewide perspective, a program speaking<br />
as local expert, or PCADV and the program<br />
releasing a joint statement.<br />
◗ PCADV staff will inform programs when<br />
they respond to local media inquiries.<br />
Programs are asked to inform PCADV when<br />
they send press releases or offer comment to<br />
local media on statewide issues.<br />
<strong>Coalition</strong> Identity<br />
◗ PCADV will identify itself as “a statewide<br />
network of 60 community-based programs<br />
providing free and confidential services to<br />
domestic violence victims and their children<br />
in all 67 counties.”<br />
◗ Programs are encouraged to identify<br />
themselves as “a member of the <strong>Pennsylvania</strong><br />
<strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence, a<br />
statewide network of 60 community-based<br />
programs providing free and confidential<br />
services to domestic violence victims and<br />
their children in all 67 counties.”<br />
At no time will PCADV share information<br />
<strong>with</strong> the media about status of services to a<br />
victim or family, unless authorized to do so<br />
by the victim or surviving family members.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 37
Section six<br />
Managing Communications<br />
The control, flow, and accuracy of information are critical to the credibility of<br />
your program, particularly when it is under public scrutiny for all manner of<br />
incidents, allegations, and circumstances. We offer the following tips to help<br />
you manage program communications:<br />
Be Clear on Your<br />
Program Policies/Practices<br />
◗ Program Standards<br />
◗ Non-Discrimination Standards/Practices<br />
◗ Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality<br />
Policies<br />
◗ Referral Process for Victims When You<br />
Cannot Provide Them With Services<br />
Make Sure Staff/Volunteers<br />
Are Trained and Practicing in<br />
Accordance <strong>with</strong> Program Policies<br />
◗ Training should be offered to all program<br />
staff and volunteers.<br />
◗ Program should regularly monitor to<br />
ensure that services are offered according to<br />
standards.<br />
◗ You may want to post information internally<br />
about your program policies and practices<br />
or create a fact sheet to be kept close to the<br />
phones.<br />
Train Staff/Volunteers Who<br />
Answer Hotline and Office Calls<br />
◗ Make sure they are sufficiently informed<br />
to respond to questions about services and<br />
shelter for all individuals seeking help.<br />
◗ Advise them not to get caught up in<br />
conversations about program policies. Have<br />
them transfer calls or refer callers to the<br />
designated spokesperson.<br />
◗ All answers should be consistent and reflect<br />
your program’s policies/practices.<br />
◗ <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> domestic violence programs<br />
provide services to all victims <strong>with</strong>out<br />
regard to age, race, creed, sex, ethnicity,<br />
color, national origin, marital status, sexual<br />
orientation, handicap or religion. It is never<br />
okay to state that your program does not<br />
serve or offer service to certain victims.<br />
◗ Guide staff on how to make responsible<br />
referrals.<br />
Keep Relevant Staff/<br />
Board/Volunteers Informed<br />
of Developing Issues<br />
Everyone needs to be on the same page<br />
and have the same information. Decide<br />
in advance who needs to know pertinent<br />
information and how it is communicated –<br />
email, memo, meeting.<br />
If Applicable, Share<br />
Information <strong>with</strong> Shelter Residents<br />
Don’t underestimate how swiftly information<br />
can spread throughout a shelter. If something<br />
is happening that residents are aware of or<br />
are likely to hear about, gather them together<br />
or reach out through support groups or house<br />
meetings to offer reassurance of their safety<br />
and confidentiality, and provide appropriate<br />
levels of information about whatever is<br />
happening.<br />
Keep PCADV Informed<br />
◗ Contact the Legal Department for issues of<br />
confidentiality and conflict of interest.<br />
◗ Contact the Contracts Department for issues<br />
relating to program services or complaints.<br />
◗ Contact the Communications Team for<br />
media response.<br />
page 38<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Creating Communications Plan<br />
Having a communications plan in place (before you need it) is key to<br />
staying on top of a controversy. The scope of this plan will vary, based on<br />
the size of the organization; however, all plans should include a number<br />
of key elements.<br />
Section Six<br />
Designate An<br />
Organizational Spokesperson<br />
This can be your executive director,<br />
communications specialist, or someone<br />
trained to handle media inquiries and<br />
disgruntled callers.<br />
Make Sure Everyone In Your<br />
Organization Knows Who Is<br />
The Designative Spokesperson Is<br />
There can be no confusion about who<br />
should be notified when your program<br />
receives a call, email, letter, or visit from<br />
someone raising concerns about the<br />
quality of services, the lack of services,<br />
alleged discriminatory practices, breach of<br />
confidentiality, etc.<br />
Decide If You Want To Give The Name<br />
Or Title Of Your Spokesperson To<br />
Callers And Visitors<br />
Make sure staff is aware of the protocol<br />
so they’re not giving out unauthorized<br />
information.<br />
Gather Information<br />
As soon as an allegation or controversy<br />
comes to your attention, pull all relevant staff<br />
together to chronicle the timeline, statements,<br />
interactions, referrals, etc.<br />
Don’t Make It A Story If It’s Not One<br />
Wait to see if the story hits mainstream<br />
media before you make public comments.<br />
Sometimes these things just fade away.<br />
Get Out In Front Of The Story<br />
If the issue is picked up by mainstream media<br />
(or is about to), immediately reach out to<br />
your media contacts, let them know you’re<br />
getting the facts together and will be issuing<br />
a statement.<br />
Create Talking Points<br />
Frame points in anticipation of questions.<br />
Keep on topic and don’t make any<br />
statements that cannot be backed up.<br />
Organize A Media<br />
Response Network<br />
Be prepared to counter negative public<br />
comments about your program services,<br />
operations, or staff through a network of<br />
community supporters who are lined up and<br />
ready to respond in a timely manner.<br />
◗ Ask a program-friendly district attorney,<br />
judge, county commissioner, township<br />
supervisor, borough councilperson, police<br />
chief, physician, business leader, donor,<br />
etc., to write letters to the editor, op-eds<br />
or be available for interviews.<br />
◗ Offer to help draft their responses.<br />
◗ Emphasize the urgency for quick<br />
turnaround.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 39
Section Six<br />
A Reference Guide to the Media<br />
What To Do Before The Media Calls<br />
◗ Designate a spokesperson -- your<br />
executive director or someone else who is<br />
knowledgeable and can quickly respond.<br />
◗ Make sure everyone in the organization<br />
knows who the spokesperson is and to refer<br />
media inquiries to them.<br />
◗ When something happens that may draw<br />
media attention, immediately call together<br />
your media spokesperson and relevant staff,<br />
decide on an action plan and gather the facts<br />
you will need to speak to the media.<br />
◗ Create talking points in anticipation of<br />
a question. Use them to answer both the<br />
questions asked and those you wish had<br />
been asked.<br />
◗ Contact PCADV for advice and support<br />
or if you need information on policy and<br />
legislative issues.<br />
◗ Be prepared to quickly respond to media<br />
inquiries and stories.<br />
Television Interview Tips<br />
◗ Find out the focus of the interview and what<br />
questions will be asked so you can prepare<br />
in advance. Ask if the interview will be live or<br />
taped.<br />
◗ Avoid white clothing and busy patterns.<br />
Limit jewelry.<br />
◗ Show the crew any visuals you can offer<br />
them – photos, etc.<br />
◗ Prepare answers to frequently asked<br />
offensive questions so you aren’t caught off<br />
guard. Try to turn the question around to<br />
something you want to answer.<br />
◗ Consider preparing a written statement<br />
instead of doing interviews, if the occasion<br />
warrants it (i.e. there are questions you don’t<br />
want to or can’t answer).<br />
◗ Provide an appropriate place for the<br />
interview. Natural light is always the most<br />
flattering.<br />
◗ Be willing to “walk and talk” or do some<br />
other kind of active interview.<br />
◗ Check the mirror before you go before the<br />
camera. Correct dangling microphones, etc.<br />
◗ Prepare victims and survivors for the media<br />
onslaught. Offer to attend interviews <strong>with</strong><br />
them. Help them prepare a written statement.<br />
Offer to speak to the media if in their place.<br />
Support their decision.<br />
◗ Create a plan for countering negative<br />
public comments and media stories. Line up<br />
people to write letters to the editor or online<br />
postings. Offer them model responses.<br />
◗ Don’t look at the camera. Focus on the<br />
interviewer.<br />
◗ Lean attentively toward the interviewer. This<br />
signals interest and avoids slouching.<br />
◗ If you are being interviewed <strong>with</strong> someone<br />
else, look attentive and interested even when<br />
you are not talking. You may still be on<br />
camera.<br />
page 40<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
◗ If you make a mistake or don’t like what<br />
you are saying, STOP, then start over. If you<br />
change your mind about something you’ve<br />
said, make it known while the camera is still<br />
on. Don’t wait.<br />
◗ It’s okay to say you don’t know the answer<br />
to something or you don’t have the information<br />
requested at your fingertips. Offer to get back<br />
to the reporter <strong>with</strong> the information and then<br />
do so in a timely manner.<br />
Section Six<br />
◗ Expect that a lengthy interview may be<br />
edited to a minute of actual airtime.<br />
Radio Interview Tips<br />
◗ Ask about the station’s audience so you<br />
know to whom you are speaking.<br />
◗ Contact the station a few weeks before the<br />
event you want covered.<br />
◗ Sometimes if the station can’t send<br />
a reporter to your event they will do a<br />
telephone interview <strong>with</strong> you.<br />
◗ Remember that radio is an auditory<br />
medium. Create word pictures for the listener.<br />
Tell them what you want them to see.<br />
◗ Because of the immediacy of radio, radio<br />
reporters have little time to track down<br />
experts on a breaking news story. Make<br />
yourself known as an expert spokesperson<br />
on domestic violence, and share your contact<br />
information so they can call you when they<br />
need you.<br />
General Media Tips for Advocates<br />
◗ If you can’t answer a reporter’s question<br />
because of confidentiality issues, explain<br />
that you can neither confirm nor deny who<br />
is or was a client of your program. Speak<br />
generally about the issue of domestic<br />
violence. Use the opportunity to inform<br />
and educate <strong>with</strong>out getting into the<br />
specifics a case.<br />
◗ Treat the media <strong>with</strong> courtesy. Build a<br />
relationship <strong>with</strong> reporters so you can<br />
have some influence over how they present<br />
domestic violence issues. Praise them when<br />
they do a good job. Don’t just call them to<br />
complain.<br />
◗ Pitch story ideas to reporters you trust.<br />
Don’t be disappointed if they can’t do<br />
every story. Be aware that the media are<br />
often hungry for stories at slow news times<br />
(between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day,<br />
August, etc.).<br />
◗ Educate the media about the problems<br />
of victim-blaming, victim stereotyping,<br />
romanticizing domestic violence and<br />
excusing offender behavior. Give the<br />
media a better understanding of the victims’<br />
perspective.<br />
◗ Prepare for interviews. Ask about the<br />
interview’s focus and what kinds of questions<br />
you should expect. Gather up-to-date facts<br />
and statistics. Prepare talking points you<br />
want to cover. Know the audience to whom<br />
you will be speaking.<br />
◗ Dress professionally for interviews. Speak<br />
clearly. Maintain eye contact <strong>with</strong> the<br />
interviewer. Limit hand gestures.<br />
◗ Keep answers brief but informative. Don’t<br />
use jargon or acronyms.<br />
◗ Avoid saying “no comment.” It sounds<br />
evasive and unfriendly.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 41
Section Six<br />
Preparing Victims and<br />
Survivors for Media Inquiries<br />
◗ Help them assess how they want to deal<br />
<strong>with</strong> the media. You can suggest they appoint<br />
a family spokesperson. You can offer to help<br />
them prepare a written statement in lieu of<br />
interviews. You can offer to accompany them<br />
on interviews. You can offer to speak to the<br />
media if they don’t want to. Support and<br />
respect their decisions.<br />
◗ Caution them about the negatives of talking<br />
to the media, including loss of anonymity,<br />
over-simplification of the crime, hurtful<br />
stereotypes, sensationalism, and possible<br />
response in the media from the perpetrator’s<br />
family.<br />
◗ Inform them of the positives, including<br />
gaining a sense of control and empowerment,<br />
telling their own story, influencing the<br />
accuracy and sensitivity of the coverage<br />
and getting wider exposure in the case of<br />
kidnappings or unsolved cases.<br />
◗ Help them negotiate the parameters of<br />
interviews. Ask the reporter what the story’s<br />
angle will be, what questions will be asked<br />
and who else will be interviewed.<br />
◗ Explain that reporters do not write<br />
headlines, choose photos, write photo<br />
captions or decide the length or placement of<br />
a story; editors make those decisions.<br />
◗ Warn them that lengthy television and radio<br />
interviews often get reduced to a minute of<br />
airtime.<br />
◗ Explain their options when coverage is<br />
inaccurate. They can complain to the reporter<br />
or editor, request a correction and/or write a<br />
letter to the editor.<br />
page 42<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Media Tips for Victims & Families<br />
You Have the Right to:<br />
◗ Tell your story.<br />
◗ Say “NO” to an interview (even if you<br />
have given interviews to other reporters.)<br />
◗ Select a spokesperson to speak for you and<br />
your family.<br />
◗ Set the time and place for the interview.<br />
◗ Have someone <strong>with</strong> you during the<br />
interview.<br />
◗ Provide a written statement instead of<br />
giving an interview.<br />
◗ Give, or refuse to give, photographs.<br />
◗ Ask that offensive pictures and footage not<br />
be used.<br />
◗ Exclude children from interviews.<br />
◗ Decline to answer specific questions.<br />
◗ Demand a correction when the facts in a<br />
report are inaccurate.<br />
◗ Request or deny interviews <strong>with</strong> specific<br />
reporters.<br />
◗ Be treated <strong>with</strong> dignity and respect by the<br />
media.<br />
◗ Grieve in private.<br />
◗ Avoid a press conference and speak to one<br />
reporter at a time.<br />
◗ Refrain from answering media questions<br />
during trials.<br />
Drawbacks of Speaking to the Media<br />
◗ May be misquoted.<br />
◗ Lose anonymity.<br />
◗ Compromise physical safety or<br />
psychological well-being.<br />
◗ May impede the criminal case.<br />
◗ May feel exploited.<br />
Questions To Ask:<br />
◗ What is this story about?<br />
◗ How will the interview be used?<br />
◗ Who else will be interviewed?<br />
◗ What questions will be asked?<br />
◗ Is TV/radio interview live or taped?<br />
Interview Tips:<br />
◗ Write an outline or statement in advance.<br />
◗ Keep your answers brief and positive.<br />
◗ Set limits. You can tell the reporter you won’t<br />
discuss some things.<br />
◗ Remember, once you have said something<br />
you can’t take it back.<br />
◗ Don’t go “off the record.” Assume<br />
everything you say will be used.<br />
◗ Don’t guess or speculate.<br />
◗ Remember you are really speaking to your<br />
interviewer’s audience.<br />
Section Six<br />
Why Speak to the Media:<br />
◗ Influence public opinion and policy.<br />
◗ Help law enforcement catch criminals.<br />
◗ Prevent others from becoming crime victims.<br />
◗ Gain a sense of control and empowerment.<br />
◗ Achieve more accurate and sensitive<br />
coverage.<br />
◗ Get your message out.<br />
◗ Educate the public about your experience.<br />
When You are Misquoted<br />
or the Story is Wrong:<br />
◗ First decide if the error is important enough<br />
to pursue.<br />
◗ Call the reporter and request a correction. If<br />
you don’t get satisfaction, contact the editor.<br />
◗ Consider writing a letter to the editor to<br />
correct the record. A correction is in the<br />
editor’s words. A letter to the editor is in your<br />
own words.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 43
Section Six<br />
DISPELLING MYTHS<br />
Myth: It’s Just A <strong>Domestic</strong> Dispute<br />
Reality: It’s Actually A Deadly<br />
Crime<br />
It’s against the law to abuse a family<br />
or household member or intimate<br />
partner.<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> violence often is more<br />
brutal and deadly than stranger-onstranger<br />
assault. Without appropriate<br />
intervention, the violence may only<br />
get worse and continue into the next<br />
generation.<br />
Myth: It Doesn’t Happen In<br />
My Neighborhood<br />
Reality: It Can Happen Anywhere<br />
Myth: It’s Not My Business<br />
Reality: It’s Everyone’s Business<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> violence takes a toll on the<br />
entire community. The Centers for<br />
Disease Control and Prevention estimates<br />
the annual cost of lost productivity due<br />
to domestic violence equals $727.8<br />
million, <strong>with</strong> more than 7.9 million paid<br />
workdays lost each year.<br />
The CDC also estimates the healthrelated<br />
costs of intimate partner rape,<br />
physical assault, stalking and homicide<br />
exceed $5.8 billion each year, <strong>with</strong><br />
$4.1 billion going toward direct<br />
medical and mental health-related<br />
services. And many times, the cost is<br />
someone’s life.<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> violence happens in all<br />
communities, at all income and<br />
education levels, <strong>with</strong> victims and<br />
perpetrators representing a diverse<br />
cross-section of society. Where<br />
someone lives has little to do <strong>with</strong> the<br />
people they live <strong>with</strong> and what goes<br />
Myth: It’s Love Gone Wrong<br />
Reality: Love Has Nothing<br />
To Do With It<br />
on behind their closed doors.<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> violence is about obsession,<br />
possession, revenge, power and<br />
control. An abuser doesn’t just “snap.”<br />
The violence most often is methodical,<br />
calculating, and intended to cause fear<br />
Myth: It’s The Economy<br />
Reality: It’s <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence<br />
Made Worse By<br />
The Economy<br />
Recession, unemployment and empty<br />
bank accounts create stress that can<br />
intensify in situations where domestic<br />
violence already exists.<br />
Many programs in <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> and<br />
around the country attribute their<br />
overflowing shelters and waiting lists<br />
to the financial hardships confronting<br />
victims and their batterers. <strong>Domestic</strong><br />
violence advocates are gravely<br />
concerned for the safety of victims<br />
and their children who now have<br />
fewer options and resources as the<br />
abuse escalates and funding for local<br />
domestic violence programs dwindles.<br />
page 44<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Myth: She Can Just Leave<br />
Reality: It’s More Complicated Than That<br />
Victims stay <strong>with</strong> or return to their<br />
batterers for multiple reasons, including:<br />
◗ Fear the violence will intensify if they<br />
leave. Victims often are in the most<br />
danger when they attempt to end the<br />
relationship.<br />
◗ Fear their batterers will retaliate<br />
against their children if they leave or<br />
seek custody. They may sacrifice their<br />
own safety so their children can have a<br />
father, good schools, a roof over their<br />
heads, and financial security.<br />
◗ The hope their batterers can change<br />
<strong>with</strong> counseling.<br />
◗ Their love for their partners and their<br />
willingness to forgive them.<br />
◗ The lack of support systems to help<br />
them escape the abuse because<br />
their batterers have deliberately and<br />
systematically isolated them from family,<br />
friends, co-workers and others.<br />
◗ The lack of economic resources to<br />
support themselves and their children.<br />
Batterers often sabotages their partners’<br />
credit rating (or prevents them from<br />
establishing one at all) and damage<br />
their employment record by harassing<br />
them at work and causing lateness and<br />
absenteeism.<br />
◗ Inaccurate information about battering.<br />
Professionals, family, friends and the<br />
batterer may say that alcohol or drugs<br />
cause battering. Victims are told they are<br />
co-dependent and enable his behavior.<br />
Victims find themselves blamed for not<br />
trying hard enough.<br />
◗ The lack of available alternative and<br />
affordable housing<br />
◗ Religious beliefs that compel them to<br />
try to make even an abusive marriage<br />
work. Religious leaders may tell them<br />
that leaving or divorce is not an option.<br />
◗ Their fear for their batterer’s wellbeing<br />
because he threatens suicide if they<br />
leave or exaggerates the devastating<br />
effects of prison if they call police.<br />
Section Six<br />
Myth: Children Are Unharmed<br />
Reality: Children Are Always<br />
At Risk Of Harm<br />
Every risk, injury, and disruption that<br />
domestic violence victims endure, their<br />
children also endure. Their educational,<br />
social, emotional and behavioral<br />
development may be adversely<br />
affected. Often, once the abuse is<br />
directed toward the children, victims<br />
may increase their efforts to leave.<br />
Myth: If She Wanted To Get Help,<br />
She’d Ask For It<br />
Reality: It’s Not That Easy<br />
In homes where domestic violence is<br />
a way of life, fear and intimidation<br />
can cripple and paralyze to the extent<br />
that victims aren’t able to reach out<br />
for help. Batterers often isolate victims<br />
from families, friends, neighbors and<br />
other people who could help, if they<br />
knew about the abuse.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 45
Section Six<br />
Myth: Women Lie About<br />
Being Abused<br />
Reality: Their Injuries And Actions<br />
Speak For Themselves<br />
Myth: A PFA Is Just A Piece<br />
Of Paper<br />
Reality: A PFA Has The Full Power<br />
Of The Court Behind It<br />
Our experience working <strong>with</strong> over<br />
2.5 million victims, the majority of<br />
them women, is that they are battered,<br />
bruised and bloodied; have lived<br />
in fear and fled in terror; and seek<br />
justice, safety and peace of mind for<br />
themselves and their children.<br />
Our experience collaborating over three<br />
decades <strong>with</strong> the statewide network<br />
of providers of batterer intervention<br />
services is that many batterers accuse<br />
their victims of lying because they refuse<br />
to recognize or don’t realize that their<br />
behavior is abusive and criminal. It often<br />
takes months of intensive education and<br />
one-on-one sessions before a batterer<br />
acknowledges and stops minimizing and<br />
trivializing the violence and its impact.<br />
Myth: Women Use PFAs<br />
To Get Custody<br />
Reality: Custody Awards<br />
Prove Otherwise<br />
A National Institute of Justice study found<br />
that 35% of mothers alleging abuse were<br />
awarded primary custody, compared<br />
to 42% of mothers who did not allege<br />
abuse and were awarded custody.<br />
Protection From Abuse orders have<br />
protected hundreds of thousands<br />
of domestic violence victims in<br />
<strong>Pennsylvania</strong> from harm.<br />
A study in the Journal of the American<br />
Medical Association found that<br />
protection orders (issued for 12 months<br />
or longer) are likely to reduce policereported<br />
physical violence by 80<br />
percent.<br />
A protection order is never intended<br />
to be the only option for victims, who<br />
are encouraged to also work <strong>with</strong><br />
an advocate at their local domestic<br />
violence program to create a safety<br />
plan that may include a shelter stay,<br />
relocation, pursuit of criminal charges,<br />
etc. It’s important to recognize that<br />
a PFA order is only as effective as<br />
the enforcement behind it, and lax<br />
and inconsistent enforcement by the<br />
courts and police can have deadly<br />
consequences.<br />
The American Psychological<br />
Association reports that allegations<br />
of abuse rarely result in the denial of<br />
parental contact, even when abuse is<br />
substantiated.<br />
page 46<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Myth: Victims Violate Their<br />
Protection Orders<br />
Reality: This is Legally Impossible<br />
Protection orders are issued against<br />
batterers (defendants), not victims.<br />
Only a person against whom an<br />
order is entered can violate the order.<br />
The PFA Act provides that an order<br />
against the defendant and the victim<br />
can only be ordered if each party files<br />
a separate petition for relief and the<br />
court, after reviewing the evidence,<br />
concludes that each party committed<br />
acts of domestic violence.<br />
Myth: There’s No Penalty for<br />
Women Who Lie<br />
Reality: PA Laws & Court Rules<br />
Provide Sanctions<br />
for Lying<br />
Myth: Attorneys Encourage<br />
Clients to Allege Abuse<br />
Reality: Some Do, Most Don’t<br />
The vast majority of attorneys do<br />
not advise their clients to make false<br />
statements. Attorneys admitted to<br />
the <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> Bar are expressly<br />
prohibited from using or advising<br />
their clients to use false statements to<br />
advance a case under Rule 8.1. Bar<br />
Admission and Disciplinary Matters.<br />
Any member of the <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> Bar<br />
who encourages their client to make<br />
false statements should be reported to<br />
the <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> Bar Association for<br />
disciplinary action. When attorneys<br />
encourage their clients to lie about<br />
abuse to gain an advantage in court,<br />
the flaw is <strong>with</strong> their ethics, not <strong>with</strong><br />
the Protection From Abuse Act.<br />
Section Six<br />
<strong>Pennsylvania</strong>’s Protection From Abuse<br />
Act provides sanctions for making false<br />
allegations, including paying damages<br />
and attorney fees. In addition,<br />
accountability measures for plaintiffs<br />
who provide false testimony exist in<br />
court rule (Pa.R.C.P). No. 1023.1).<br />
Myth: Judges Rubber Stamp<br />
Protection Orders<br />
Reality: It Just Isn’t So<br />
Judges are charged <strong>with</strong> providing<br />
both parties an opportunity to be<br />
heard and carefully considering<br />
evidence in a PFA case, just as<br />
they would in any other civil case.<br />
Frequently, judges do not rule in favor<br />
of the plaintiff.<br />
In addition, both plaintiffs and<br />
defendants have the right to appeal<br />
judicial decisions in PFA cases.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 47
Section Six<br />
Myth: There’s Nothing I Can Do About <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence<br />
Reality: There’s Always Something You Can Do<br />
If friends or family<br />
members are being abused:<br />
◗ Call police if you see or hear abuse.<br />
◗ Ask if they’re safe or need someone to<br />
talk to.<br />
◗ Explain that FREE and CONFIDENTIAL<br />
help is available for victims and their<br />
children at their local domestic violence<br />
programs, and encourage them to call<br />
the program hotline.<br />
◗ Offer a ride to a local shelter, or to<br />
baby-sit while they attend counseling<br />
appointments.<br />
◗ Offer to board their pets.<br />
How to help your local<br />
domestic violence program:<br />
◗ Volunteer your time.<br />
◗ Donate money, phone or gas cards,<br />
gift certificates, bus tickets, etc.<br />
◗ Organize a fundraising event or<br />
activity.<br />
◗ Offer to board pets or livestock while<br />
victims are in shelter.<br />
◗ Sponsor a family for a holiday meal,<br />
holiday gifts, etc.<br />
If friends or family<br />
members are abusive:<br />
◗ Call police if you see/hear abuse.<br />
◗ Tell them there are no excuses for<br />
abuse, and they may lose their families,<br />
friends, homes and jobs if it doesn’t<br />
stop.<br />
◗ Hold them accountable for their<br />
behavior.<br />
◗ Support their efforts to obtain batterer<br />
intervention treatment.<br />
Contact your local domestic<br />
violence program to learn more<br />
about what you can do to help.<br />
Calling them will also ensure you<br />
offer the help they really need.<br />
page 48<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Community Response<br />
This information can help community leaders* identify and access community<br />
resources in the immediate aftermath of a critical incident. These resources<br />
will have lasting impact as the community honors those lost and remembers<br />
the incident across generations. Programs may want to share this chapter<br />
<strong>with</strong> other community leaders and maintain it as a reference for follow-up to<br />
crisis interventions.<br />
Section seven<br />
No disaster, crisis or traumatic event happens<br />
in a vacuum. Those affected are more likely to<br />
recover <strong>with</strong> the support of those around them<br />
– partners, children, family, co-workers, faith<br />
communities, and the community <strong>with</strong>in which<br />
they live and interact daily. Envision ripples<br />
in a pond when a stone is cast; this is similar<br />
to the rippled effect trauma may have when<br />
cast into the life of a survivor. Community<br />
responses to a traumatic event work to<br />
address the needs of those “rippled” around<br />
the survivor(s) and begin to repair the social<br />
fabric connecting the smaller communities of<br />
interest and the greater community at large.<br />
*Community leader is loosely defined for<br />
these purposes as someone who has:<br />
• A leadership role across the entire<br />
community in question<br />
• Guidance <strong>with</strong>in smaller communities<br />
that contribute to community-wide social<br />
fabric<br />
• Expressed or informally established<br />
influence and/or access to community<br />
leaders who have express authority<br />
to make decisions about community<br />
services and resource allocation<br />
In this section you will find information about:<br />
Individual and<br />
Community Crisis Reaction<br />
◗ How communities react to traumatic events<br />
◗ How community-wide responses can help<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> Violence Intersections<br />
<strong>with</strong> Collective Trauma<br />
◗ Victims living in the community may have<br />
intense reactions to a domestic violence<br />
fatality or near fatality<br />
◗ Education about crisis reactions and<br />
resources is important for all members of the<br />
community<br />
Honoring Victims<br />
◗ Considerations for planning memorials<br />
◗ Co-workers and classmates may want to<br />
participate in planning<br />
Community Awareness Events –<br />
Ideas To Help You Get Started<br />
◗ Links to some national and local initiatives<br />
honoring victims of domestic violence<br />
◗ Awareness is more than a month<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 49
Section seven<br />
Individual and<br />
Community Crisis Reaction<br />
An individual trauma is a “blow<br />
to the psyche that breaks through<br />
one’s defenses so suddenly and <strong>with</strong><br />
such force that one cannot respond<br />
effectively.”<br />
~ Kai T. Erikson, In the Wake<br />
of the Flood, 1979<br />
Communities can also experience trauma<br />
and react collectively. Every community<br />
will differ in its immediate and long-term<br />
reactions to a traumatic event. Factors<br />
influencing such reactions include:<br />
◗ Trauma history <strong>with</strong>in the community<br />
◗ Its identification of risk and preparation for<br />
traumatic events prior to any trauma<br />
◗ The duration of the trauma<br />
◗ How the community responds to the<br />
traumatic event<br />
There is a patterned crisis reaction that<br />
occurs in all of us (as previously mentioned<br />
in Section 5). The long-term crisis reactions<br />
each person will experience vary and may<br />
be impacted by:<br />
◗ The immediate response in the<br />
aftermath of trauma<br />
◗ Trauma history<br />
◗ Age<br />
◗ Developmental stage<br />
◗ Life factors<br />
◗ Social support<br />
◗ Access to resources<br />
◗ Resiliency factors<br />
◗ Physical and cognitive abilities<br />
It is necessary to respond to<br />
communities in crisis to begin to undo<br />
the harm done and support the healing<br />
of all communities affected by the<br />
traumatic event.<br />
Leaders, responsible for the entire<br />
community or a smaller subset of the<br />
community, should recognize that diverse<br />
groups might react differently based on<br />
similar factors that influence individual crisis<br />
reactions. Recognizing the range of possible<br />
reactions will help communities respond<br />
and access the resources that are best<br />
suited for sub-communities that contribute<br />
to the strength of the overall social fabric.<br />
According to Erikson, collective trauma<br />
is a “blow to the tissues of social life<br />
that damages the bonds attaching<br />
people together.”<br />
page 50<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
◗ A community-wide response to a traumatic<br />
event may look different each time a crisis<br />
occurs.<br />
◗ Those <strong>with</strong>in one or more of the “ripples,”<br />
such as schools or workplaces, may want<br />
to provide assistance to those more directly<br />
affected by the traumatic event.<br />
◗ Community leaders should recognize that<br />
those who are even peripherally affected<br />
might find comfort in providing assistance in<br />
some way.<br />
◗ The media, volunteers, staff and board<br />
members can help get the word out about<br />
identifying and filling those needs.<br />
◗ All parts of the community may be affected<br />
by the traumatic event. So reach out <strong>with</strong><br />
resources that are designed to address a<br />
range of needs, questions and concerns.<br />
◗ Community leaders can help facilitate time,<br />
place and space for ongoing memorials to<br />
those lost.<br />
As a leader <strong>with</strong>in your community, you can<br />
help!<br />
◗ DO reach out for help, and DO suggest<br />
others do the same <strong>with</strong> the best interest of<br />
your shared community as the focal point.<br />
◗ BE proactive. Find out if there is an<br />
emergency or crisis response plan designed<br />
for your community. Become familiar <strong>with</strong><br />
the agencies that can/will respond to critical<br />
incidents.<br />
Each community will differ in resources and<br />
capacity to respond; PCADV or KCIT can<br />
help direct you to those resources upon<br />
request. Managing critical incidents includes<br />
preparation. (Refer to Section 6 for more<br />
information about a program Critical Incident<br />
Response Plan).<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> Violence Intersections<br />
<strong>with</strong> Collective Trauma<br />
If the traumatic event has occurred <strong>with</strong>in a<br />
domestic violence program, its impact on<br />
staff, BOD, volunteers and victims may be<br />
more or less intense due to:<br />
◗ Existing trauma history<br />
◗ Life factors (shelter, food, clothing, etc.) that<br />
either create a solid foundation for the victim<br />
or add to her/his vulnerability<br />
◗ Social supports that may be limited due<br />
to the imposed isolation on the domestic<br />
violence victim<br />
◗ Their ability to tap into resilience factors that<br />
worked in the past<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> violence fatalities or near fatalities<br />
may be publicized quickly depending on<br />
media response and interest. Publicity around<br />
these tragic events ripples throughout the<br />
larger community, beyond the program walls.<br />
Those living in the community as victims<br />
of domestic violence and those witnessing<br />
violent acts at home may identify <strong>with</strong> the<br />
victim and have trauma histories that yield<br />
an intense reaction. Others in the community<br />
may exhibit extreme responses because it is<br />
a critical incident that reminds them of some<br />
previous trauma that is not related to domestic<br />
violence. Education about crisis reactions<br />
and resources is crucial for all members<br />
of the community to address these needs.<br />
Beyond those who exhibit crisis reactions<br />
will be others who simply want to help the<br />
victim’s family or generally help restore the<br />
community in some way.<br />
Section seven<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012 page 51
Section seven<br />
Honoring Victims<br />
Professionals working in community crisis<br />
response agencies and organizations<br />
recognize that there is sometimes a need<br />
for communities to continue to honor and<br />
remember those lost and/or affected by a<br />
traumatic event. Community leaders can<br />
work <strong>with</strong> these professionals to find ways<br />
to provide such memorials and to do so in<br />
a supportive way that promotes healing<br />
for all groups <strong>with</strong>in the community and<br />
those more directly affected. Conversely,<br />
there may be special events, time markers,<br />
anniversaries and criminal justice activity<br />
that stir emotional reactions in ways that are<br />
once again overwhelming, even if planned<br />
or anticipated. Community leaders should try<br />
to anticipate and prepare for such events;<br />
contact PCADV for technical assistance<br />
and local crisis response professionals for<br />
community assistance and support.<br />
Always consider the wishes of the<br />
surviving family and include them in the<br />
planning if they choose.<br />
The ways in which communities honor victims<br />
vary as widely as the make-up of each<br />
community. Public or private memorials? Or<br />
maybe nothing at all? Primary consideration<br />
rests <strong>with</strong> the family of the direct victim(s); in<br />
some situations, families choose or refuse to<br />
acknowledge certain aspects of a person’s<br />
life and may not acknowledge the domestic<br />
violence at all. Don’t be afraid to be creative,<br />
just anticipate there may be some opposition.<br />
Considerations when making decisions about<br />
memorials:<br />
◗ What would the victim(s) have<br />
preferred? Who would best know the<br />
victim’s wishes?<br />
◗ What does the family want?<br />
◗ What do other survivors want?<br />
◗ The purpose of the memorial?<br />
◗ Location<br />
◗ Audience<br />
◗ Cost<br />
Types of memorials:<br />
◗ Living memorials such as gardens<br />
or remembrance centers. Some living<br />
memorials are now happening online.<br />
◗ Prayer or religious or spiritual services<br />
are common for those who rely on a<br />
higher being for strength through difficult<br />
times.<br />
◗ Permanent memorials serve to<br />
remember and honor victims in future<br />
generations.<br />
◗ Marches and speak-outs provide the<br />
opportunity for actual voices to be heard<br />
and generate public awareness in the<br />
aftermath of a traumatic event.<br />
◗ Races and walks continue to honor the<br />
victim(s); they also provide an opportunity<br />
for community education and usually<br />
include a fundraising component.<br />
Victims and survivors often have<br />
compelling stories that resonate <strong>with</strong> the<br />
public in immeasurable ways.<br />
page 52<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Community-driven memorials will include<br />
others who want to remember and honor that<br />
person as well.<br />
◗ Employers and co-workers of<br />
those lost may want to contribute or<br />
participate in honoring a colleague lost in<br />
a critical incident.<br />
• Workplaces may have access<br />
to additional human and monetary<br />
resources to move a project to<br />
completion.<br />
Section seven<br />
◗ Schools and classmates may want<br />
to recognize young victims.<br />
• Monitor and address emotional<br />
well-being issues as necessary.<br />
Consult <strong>with</strong> school professionals and<br />
counselors who have specific training<br />
working <strong>with</strong> children affected by<br />
trauma and grief.<br />
• Participation in honoring a victim<br />
can be therapeutic for children and<br />
teens.<br />
• Parents should provide input and<br />
consent.<br />
• Consider offering them information<br />
about crisis reactions and traumatic<br />
grief for their own purposes and to<br />
equip them to provide support to their<br />
children.<br />
• Children can be incredibly<br />
creative and often find ways to make<br />
others, including adults, feel better.<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 53
Section seven<br />
Community Awareness Events -<br />
Ideas to Help you get Started<br />
Empty Place at the Table<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> violence is a deadly crime that<br />
creates a painful void and a permanent<br />
empty place at the table for families whose<br />
loved ones were killed at the hands of<br />
batterers. Following a cluster of domestic<br />
violence murders in Lackawanna County,<br />
PA, in 1993, the community responded<br />
by holding a rally and march outside the<br />
courthouse. To keep the momentum for<br />
social change alive, rally organizers and<br />
the Women’s Resource Center, Inc. (a<br />
PCADV member program) worked together<br />
to create An Empty Place at the Table. This<br />
exhibit demonstrates the devastating result<br />
of violence against women and children<br />
and helps ensure that these deaths are not<br />
forgotten.<br />
http://www.pcadv.org/Raising-Awareness/<br />
Empty-Place-at-the-Table.asp<br />
The Silent Witness<br />
National Initiative<br />
Clothesline Project<br />
The Clothesline Project is a visual display that<br />
bears witness to the violence against women<br />
and children. The Clothesline Project exhibits<br />
T-shirts designed by survivors of abuse and<br />
those who have lost loved ones to it. Shirt<br />
colors represent a variety of victimizations<br />
such as child sexual assault or domestic<br />
violence. Survivors then decorate the T-shirt<br />
to represent and honor their experience. The<br />
shirts are hung on a clothesline display to:<br />
• Honor survivors and memorialize victims<br />
• Help <strong>with</strong> the healing process for<br />
survivors and people who have lost a loved<br />
one to violence<br />
• Educate, document, and raise society’s<br />
awareness about crimes of violence against<br />
women and children<br />
• Build a national network of communities<br />
<strong>with</strong> their own Clothesline Projects<br />
http://dvam.vawnet.org/campaigns/<br />
clothesline.php<br />
In 1990, a group of women artists and<br />
writers, alarmed by the growing number<br />
of women in Minnesota being murdered<br />
by their partners or acquaintances, joined<br />
together <strong>with</strong> several other women’s<br />
organizations to form Arts Action <strong>Against</strong><br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> Violence. They decided to create<br />
26 free-standing, life-sized red wooden<br />
figures, each one bearing the name of<br />
a woman who once lived, worked, had<br />
neighbors, friends, family, children and<br />
whose life ended violently at the hands<br />
of a husband, ex-husband, partner, or<br />
acquaintance. A twenty-seventh figure was<br />
added to represent those uncounted women<br />
whose murders went unsolved or were<br />
erroneously ruled accidental.<br />
http://dvam.vawnet.org/campaigns/silentwitness.php<br />
Purple Ribbon<br />
Although the exact history of this symbol<br />
is difficult to pinpoint, across the country<br />
families and friends of victims have adopted<br />
the purple ribbon to remember and honor<br />
their loved ones who have lost their lives<br />
at the hands of a person they once loved<br />
and trusted. Shelters and local domestic<br />
violence programs use the purple ribbon to<br />
raise awareness about the crime of domestic<br />
violence in their communities.<br />
http://dvam.vawnet.org/campaigns/purpleribbon.php<br />
page 54<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Remember My Name Project<br />
The National <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong><br />
Violence (NCADV), in conjunction <strong>with</strong><br />
Ms. Magazine, started this project in 1994<br />
to create a national registry of names to<br />
increase public awareness of domestic<br />
violence deaths. Since then, NCADV has<br />
continued to collect information on incidents<br />
of women who have been killed by an<br />
intimate partner and produces a poster each<br />
year for <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence Awareness Month<br />
listing the names of those submitted.<br />
http://www.ncadv.org/programs/<br />
RememberMyNameProject.php<br />
The Emily Fund for a Better World<br />
The mission of The EMILY Fund is to continue<br />
Emily Rachel Silverstein’s legacy of hope<br />
in action for a more peaceful, just and<br />
sustainable world, through education,<br />
mentorship and creating and disseminating<br />
educational resources to facilitate individuals<br />
and student-centered organizations to<br />
experience local and global social change<br />
through community building activities. Emily<br />
was killed by her ex-boyfriend in April, 2009,<br />
at Gettysburg College where they were both<br />
students.<br />
http://www.emilyfund.org/<br />
Section seven<br />
Telling Amy’s Story<br />
Hosted by actress and advocate Mariska<br />
Hargitay, and told by Detective Deirdri Fishel,<br />
Telling Amy’s Story follows the timeline of a<br />
domestic violence homicide that occurred on<br />
Nov. 8, 2001. The victim’s parents and coworkers,<br />
law enforcement officers, and court<br />
personnel share their perspectives on what<br />
happened to Amy in the weeks, months, and<br />
years leading up to her death. Unfortunately,<br />
the ending to Amy’s story will not change;<br />
however her friends, family and community<br />
hope that telling her story can change<br />
outcomes for the millions of victims, survivors,<br />
and loved ones affected by domestic violence<br />
every day. Telling Amy’s Story is a public<br />
service media project by Penn State Public<br />
Broadcasting, made possible <strong>with</strong> funding<br />
from the Verizon Foundation and HopeLine<br />
from Verizon Wireless.<br />
http://telling.psu.edu/index.html<br />
Emily Fund, Stop Dating Violence<br />
Stop Dating Violence is a project of The<br />
Emily Fund and encourages teens to take<br />
a pledge to be non-abusive in their dating<br />
relationships. It also encourages communities<br />
to promote healthy dating relationships and<br />
issue community-wide proclamations to end<br />
violence against women.<br />
http://www.stopdatingviolence.org/<br />
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes<br />
Frank Baird created Walk a Mile in Her<br />
Shoes ® in 2001. What started out as a small<br />
group of men daring to totter around a park<br />
in high heels has grown to become a worldwide<br />
movement <strong>with</strong> tens of thousands of men<br />
raising millions of dollars for local rape crisis<br />
centers, domestic violence shelters and other<br />
sexualized violence education, prevention<br />
and remediation programs. Walk a Mile in<br />
Her Shoes ® asks men to literally walk one<br />
mile in women’s high-heeled shoes. It’s not<br />
easy walking in these shoes, but it’s fun and<br />
it gets the community to talk about something<br />
that’s really difficult to talk about: gender<br />
relations and sexual violence.<br />
http://www.walkamileinhershoes.org/index.<br />
html<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012<br />
page 55
Section seven<br />
Randi’s Race<br />
This annual race is a tribute to Randi Trimble<br />
who was brutally murdered by a hit man<br />
hired by her husband in 2003. An on-going<br />
fundraising event such as Randi’s Race is<br />
essential to <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence Services<br />
of Cumberland and Perry Counties (a<br />
PCADV member program) to ensure that<br />
the necessary funding will be available to<br />
assist victims of domestic violence in our<br />
community.<br />
http://www.dvscp.org/Randi-s-Race.html<br />
Step Out <strong>Against</strong><br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> Violence<br />
Step Out is a 5K Walk/Run held in<br />
communities across the country to raise<br />
awareness about domestic violence and the<br />
services available locally. It also helps raise<br />
funds to support the elimination of domestic<br />
violence. Turning Point of Lehigh Valley<br />
sponsors a Step Out event annually as part<br />
of <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence Awareness Month.<br />
http://www.turningpointlv.org/news-events/<br />
news-events/<br />
Awareness Is More Than A Month!<br />
<strong>Domestic</strong> violence, sexual assault, stalking<br />
and child abuse each have a designated<br />
month in which many programs focus energy<br />
to raise awareness <strong>with</strong>in their communities.<br />
VAWnet (National Online Resource Center<br />
on Violence <strong>Against</strong> Women) provides<br />
information annually about suggested events<br />
and activities.<br />
http://vawnet.org/domestic-violence/<br />
education.php?filterby=DVAM<br />
The <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence Awareness Project<br />
developed a “Sample DVAM Events” pdf that<br />
included information about different types of<br />
events, costs and planning considerations for<br />
those events.<br />
http://dvam.vawnet.org/docs/materials/<br />
event-ideas/sampledvamevents.pdf<br />
If you’re looking for awareness-raising events<br />
throughout the calendar year, Beyond April<br />
and October (also available on VAWnet<br />
website) maps out a year of events and<br />
suggestions to keep your message visible to<br />
multiple audiences.<br />
http://www.vawnet.org/Assoc_Files_<br />
VAWnet/BeyondAprilandOctober.pdf<br />
page 56<br />
When Crisis Strikes | <strong>Pennsylvania</strong> <strong>Coalition</strong> <strong>Against</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence | 2012
Appendix Resources<br />
(included only on enclosed CD or at<br />
www.pcadv.org)<br />
◗ Checklist of Do’s and Don’t’s<br />
◗ Sample PCADV Critical Incident<br />
Response & Management <strong>Report</strong> <strong>Form</strong><br />
◗ Continuity of Operations<br />
Checklist and <strong>Form</strong>s<br />
◗ Communication Log<br />
Responding to a critical incident:<br />
◗ Psychological First Aid – Field Operations<br />
Guide. (National Child Trauma Stress Network,<br />
National Center for PTSD) http://www.<br />
nctsn.org/sites/default/files/pfa/english/1-<br />
psyfirstaid_final_complete_manual.pdf<br />
◗ When Emergency Personnel Have<br />
Losses Too (Jeffrey T. Mitchell, Ph.D., CTS)<br />
http://www.icisf.us/images/pdfs/rar/When_<br />
Emergency_Personnel_Have_Losses_Too.pdf<br />
◗ A Guide to Managing Stress in Crisis<br />
Response Professions (Center for Mental<br />
Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental<br />
Health Services Administration, U.S. Department<br />
of Health and Human Services) http://store.<br />
samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA05-4113/<br />
SMA05-4113.pdf<br />
Vicarious trauma:<br />
◗ Vicarious Trauma and Its Impact on<br />
Advocates, Therapists and Friends<br />
(Research & Advocacy Digest: Linking Advocates<br />
& Researchers; Vol 6:2, March 2004) http://<br />
www.carmelacarlyle.com/wpcc/wp-content/<br />
uploads/2010/03/Vicarious-trauma-articles.pdf<br />
◗ BOOK: Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday<br />
Guide to Caring for Self while Caring for Others<br />
by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky <strong>with</strong> Connie Burk;<br />
(Berrett- Koehler Publishers, Inc.)<br />
Working <strong>with</strong> children in the<br />
aftermath of a critical incident:<br />
◗ Tips for Talking to Children After<br />
a Disaster: A Guide for Parents and<br />
Educators (Center for Mental Health Services,<br />
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services<br />
Administration, U.S. Department of Health and<br />
Human Services) http://store.samhsa.gov/<br />
product/Tips-for-Talking-to-Children-and-Youth-<br />
After-Traumatic-Events-A-Guide-for-Parents-and-<br />
Educators/KEN01-0093R<br />
◗ What Parents Can Do: Helping<br />
Children and Adolescents Cope <strong>with</strong><br />
Violence and Disasters (National Institute of<br />
Mental Health) http://infocenter.nimh.nih.gov/<br />
pdf/helping-children-and-adolescents-cope-<strong>with</strong>violence-and-disasters-what-parents-can-do.pdf<br />
◗ Psychological First Aid – Field<br />
Operations Guide:<br />
• Tips For Parents <strong>with</strong> Infants and Toddlers<br />
• Tips For Parents <strong>with</strong> Preschool Children<br />
• Tips For Parents <strong>with</strong> School-Age Children<br />
• Tips For Parents <strong>with</strong> Adolescents (National<br />
Child Trauma Stress Network, National Center<br />
for PTSD)<br />
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/<br />
manuals/manual-pdf/pfa/PFA_Appx_E_<br />
handouts.pdf<br />
◗ Developmental Stages of the<br />
Understanding of Death (Hospice Support<br />
Care, Inc.) http://www.hospicesupportcare.<br />
org/development.pdf<br />
A website offered by the Commonwealth<br />
provides a comprehensive, but concise look<br />
at planning and preparing for disasters,<br />
including links specific to people <strong>with</strong><br />
disabilities, older <strong>Pennsylvania</strong>ns and tips<br />
for parents. Go to www.readypa.org for<br />
more information.
Section 1: General Information<br />
Program Name:<br />
Staff Name:<br />
Phone:<br />
County:<br />
Title/Position:<br />
Email:<br />
Was the incident contained to one county? Yes No<br />
If not, list other county(s):<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Tier One Incidents – Major incidents, such as domestic violence fatalities, near fatalities, or natural deaths of shelter<br />
residents; Requires immediate notification to PCADV by phone along <strong>with</strong> submission of this form.<br />
Tier Two Incidents – Other incidents, such as fires, floods, bed bugs, or no heat in shelter, that disrupt your<br />
program’s continuity of services and may attract unwanted media attention; Requires report submission only.<br />
Incident Tier Level: 1 2<br />
Date of Incident:<br />
Location of Incident:<br />
Please provide a brief description of the incident and its impact on services and staff:<br />
Please describe how the program was notified:<br />
Were there any witnesses? Staff Volunteers<br />
Clients Relatives Bystander<br />
Law Enforcement U Unknown<br />
Children-Ages & How Many:<br />
0-5<br />
6-10<br />
11-13<br />
14-17<br />
Fire Department EMS/Paramedics County Emergency Management<br />
Health Department Coroner<br />
Other - Please list:<br />
1<br />
PCADV Incident <strong>Report</strong>ing Procedure 7-1-11/ rev. 4-3-13
Did the Program request crisis intervention/critical supports?<br />
KCIT CVVC NOVA/Bucks<br />
Other - Please list:<br />
Were there any media contacts? If so, please list:<br />
Other Funders Notified: PCAR PCCD United Way<br />
Other - Please list:<br />
Section 3: Continuity of Service<br />
How will the program ensure continuity of services? Describe any modification of intake/referral<br />
processes for victims in your county in order to access domestic violence services:<br />
Section 4: PCADV Follow-Up<br />
How can PCADV provide additional supports or assistance?<br />
*Tier One Incidents – Major incidents, such as domestic violence fatalities, near fatalities, or natural deaths of<br />
shelter residents; Requires immediate notification to PCADV by phone along <strong>with</strong> submission of this form.<br />
Tier Two Incidents – Other incidents, such as fires, floods, bed bugs, or no heat in shelter that disrupt your<br />
program’s continuity of services and may attract unwanted media attention; Requires report submission only.<br />
2<br />
PCADV Incident <strong>Report</strong>ing Procedure 7-1-11/ rev. 4-3-13