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

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Section ONE PCADV technical Assistance pcadv staff is available to help your program navigate the complexities and repercussions of a critical incident and situations likely to attract media and public interest or disrupt shelter life and the provision of services. Crisis Management We can help: ◗ Make referrals to crisis response teams when appropriate ◗ Connect with peers in nearby counties who are able to offer direct assistance (cover hotline, accept shelter residents, etc.) or who may have experienced a similar event ◗ Assist in replacing resources in the event of a fire or other disaster ◗ Evaluate your emergency/crisis management/communications plans Legal Review We can help: ◗ Evaluate the impact of the incident on the confidentiality of the victim, her/his significant others and other recipients of your services ◗ Protect confidentiality ◗ Assess your options under the law ◗ Respond to subpoenas and warrants ◗ Review standards and policies Community Response We can help: ◗ Craft the message for public events ◗ Publicize events and provide graphics for posters, billboards, flyers, etc. ◗ Assist family members and survivors in dealing with the media ◗ Link family members to local program ◗ Refer survivors to other services in the community or state, as appropriate ◗ Plan community memorial services Media Relations: We can help: ◗ Take media calls for you ◗ Draft talking points and statements ◗ Provide a statewide perspective ◗ Assist with press conferences and interviews ◗ Write letters to the editor ◗ Write or solicit others to write op-eds ◗ Identify survivors willing to speak to the media ◗ Refer media to topical experts ◗ Provide general information and up-to-date facts, statistics and graphics ◗ Offer background on state and federal domestic violence laws pertaining to protection orders, probable cause arrest, firearms, child custody, stalking, address confidentiality, crime victims rights and more ◗ Reinforce the message that free and confidential help is available ◗ Detail ways the general public can help victims and batterers ◗ Assist in organizing a media roundtable or editorial board meeting ◗ Talk to media outlets about inappropriate coverage and negative stereotypes If you need assistance not detailed above, just ask! We tailor our response to the individual incident and unique needs of each program. We are here to help you. page 2 When Crisis Strikes | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence | 2012
LESSONS LEARNED The recommendations and comments that follow come directly from pcadv programs that have brought in critical incident response teams to help deal with the aftermath of a crisis. Section TWO Make every effort to assess staff need for debriefing One executive director who was new to the position said, “It was hard to tell if staff really are OK or just saying that they are.” Executive directors should be aware of vicarious trauma and the potential impact on staff, board members and volunteers. “Having someone debrief is actually part of a bigger discussion about wellness.” Staff may not be overtly showing signs of distress. Outside intervention can be very beneficial As one executive director noted, following a critical incident debriefing by a crisis response team, “It is good to have somebody from the outside come in – even better if it is a DV-related team. If you don’t bring in someone, you can come across as more concerned about process than actual needs. It is good to have someone remind us that we can’t do this work if we aren’t sensitive, but being sensitive exposes us. If someone staff works with gets killed, then we can’t expect them to just move on.” Other executive directors cautioned: “Sometimes we are too much in the process to see what needs there may be…The facilitator was perfect for pointing out and uncovering some of those needs.” “You can’t be the healer in your own group – especially if the incident impacts you on a personal level as well.” “During the debrief, your role is different, not that of the ED.” Strive for broad program participation in debriefing Consider including all staff and, if appropriate, board members and volunteers, when bringing in an outside crisis response team to debrief following a critical incident. Typically, executive directors have been excluded from these sessions to encourage staff to freely express their feelings. However, as program resources shrink and more staff share responsibilities, including direct services, participation by executive directors has been extremely beneficial. By participating in the session, one executive director learned “there was a great sense of fear among many of the family members of even long-term staff. A lot of new staff members were being pressured by their families to quit, because the work is too dangerous.” When Crisis Strikes | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence | 2012 page 3
Page 1 and 2: When Crisis Strikes: A Toolkit for
Page 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. When Crisis St
Page 8 and 9: Section two Involve other systems i
Page 10 and 11: COMMUNICATIONS Do: Don’t: Do: Don
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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