Toolkit with Report Form - Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic ...

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COMMUNICATIONS Do: Don’t: Do: Don’t: ✔ Identify spokesperson for media and inform staff ✔ Gather the facts and prepare a statement (based on input from staff, program counsel, PCADV or other relevant parties) ✔ Wait for the media to contact you, unless it can’t be avoided ✔ If contacted by media before you’re ready to comment, offer to get back to reporter as quickly as possible. Then follow through and return the call ✔ Be forthright without disclosing anything confidential ✔ Provide the same information to all media ✔ Include in your statement your program’s commitment to domestic violence victims in your community. Offer reassurance that (depending on the nature of the critical incident) services are still available (even if in an alternate location or county) ✔ Contact PCADV Communications Team: Ellen Lyon, Communications Specialist, 800-934-4632, ext. 209 (elyon@pcadv.org) Judy Yupcavage, Communications Director, 800-932-4632, ext. 120, during work hours or 717-514-3416 after hours (jyupcavage@pcadv.org) Don’t permit anyone other than the spokesperson to respond to media inquiries Don’t make it a story if it isn’t one Don’t speak to the media until you know the facts of the incident, have determined what you can say about it, and have prepared a statement Don’t say “No Comment.” Instead, explain that you’re still gathering information and will get back to them CRISIS INTERVENTIONS ✔ Determine if staff, shelter residents or others require/could benefit from crisis intervention ✔ Obtain contact information from the Victim Witness offices for victim and family of victim ✔ Reach out to family and children of victim to offer support and services and to make sure they’re aware of Crime Victims Compensation for funeral expenses and other crime-related costs ✔ Reach out to community leaders Don’t assume your staff doesn’t want or need to debrief because they didn’t request it Don’t assume another agency is helping the victim’s family page 6 When Crisis Strikes | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence | 2012
Do: LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS Protecting Confidentiality ✔ Politely, but firmly, deny requests for information about a particular victim ✔ Cite PA’s absolute confidentiality statute – Victims of domestic violence have a legal right to confidentiality: All confidential communications between a victim and domestic violence program are privileged and cannot be revealed without the victim’s express written consent (23 Pa. C.S. 6116) ✔ See Section 4 of the toolkit for more specifics on confidentiality issues ✔ Contact PCADV’s Legal Department for more detailed assistance Section Three Don’t: Don’t reveal a victim’s name or whether she/he is or was a service recipient Don’t discuss a case with anyone or share information about a victim without the victim’s written consent Don’t lie or destroy/falsify records Don’t instruct a victim to flee Do: Don’t: Responding to Subpoena for Shelter Resident ✔ Resist the subpoena by responding, “I have no information for you” or “I can neither confirm nor deny that the person is here.” (Cite confidentially privilege above) ✔ Inform the resident about the subpoena and suggest that the resident consult an attorney ✔ See Section 4 of the toolkit for specifics on responding to subpoenas ✔ Contact PCADV’s Legal Department for more detailed assistance Don’t ever accept a subpoena directed to a resident Don’t advise the resident to flee or destroy evidence that the subpoena requests When Crisis Strikes | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence | 2012 page 7
Page 1 and 2: When Crisis Strikes: A Toolkit for
Page 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. When Crisis St
Page 6 and 7: Section ONE PCADV technical Assista
Page 8 and 9: Section two Involve other systems i
Page 12 and 13: Responding to Subpoena for Program
Page 14 and 15: Section four PROTECTING CONFIDENTIA
Page 16 and 17: Section four RESPONDING TO A subpoe
Page 18 and 19: Section four ◗ Staff should never
Page 20 and 21: Section five 4. Trauma ◗ A unique
Page 22 and 23: Section five E. Take Care of Staff
Page 24 and 25: Section five A Team Approach Most c
Page 26 and 27: Section five Communication with Fam
Page 28 and 29: Section five Take Care of Staff Fee
Page 30 and 31: Section five Vicarious Trauma Impli
Page 32 and 33: Section five Bringing in Other Indi
Page 34 and 35: Section five Physical Injury Severe
Page 36 and 37: Section five In securing personal i
Page 38 and 39: Section five Children and Death Whe
Page 40 and 41: Section five Appendix Resources Res
Page 42 and 43: Section six Managing Communications
Page 44 and 45: Section Six A Reference Guide to th
Page 46 and 47: Section Six Preparing Victims and S
Page 48 and 49: Section Six DISPELLING MYTHS Myth:
Page 50 and 51: Section Six Myth: Women Lie About B
Page 52 and 53: Section Six Myth: There’s Nothing
Page 54 and 55: Section seven Individual and Commun
Page 56 and 57: Section seven Honoring Victims Prof
Page 58 and 59: Section seven Community Awareness E
Page 60 and 61:
Section seven Randi’s Race This a
Page 62 and 63:
Section 1: General Information Prog
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