2010 Annual Report - Community Violence Intervention Center

CVIC todayIN 2010, CVIC PROVIDED DIRECT SERVICESSAVING LIVES“I never expected a shelter to feel like a home. I really gained the stability toaccomplish my immediate goals quickly and felt safe doing it. is shelter and allthe staff have been amazing.” –ereseAt CVIC, our highest calling is to set people free from violence. We do this first byensuring the safety of both adults and children, offering a place to hide at all times ofday or night and providing critical guidance in obtaining protection orders, lawenforcement assistance and medical treatment for injuries such as broken bones,fractures of the larynx from strangulation, concussions, and sexual assault. The peoplewe served spent a total of 5,837 nights homeless, with the number of nights thatadults (primarily women) spent homeless increasing nearly 40% from 2009 to 2010.Our accomplishments in 2010 included:• Crisis intervention and services for 841, including responding to 991 crisis calls.• Shelter and support for 103 women and children.• Protection orders for 58 individuals to keep the abusive person away.• Legal representation in protection order and family law cases for 59 individuals.• 99% of clients surveyed felt our services were beneficial to their lives.• 94% of clients surveyed felt safer after receiving crisis services.ENDING VIOLENCEWe also work on a community level to end local violence,focusing on adult and youth education, training forprofessionals, extensive collaboration, and treatment foroffenders. Our accomplishments in 2010 included:• Community education/training for 9,507, including5,659 adults, 1,925 youth and 1,923 professionals;97% of 2,178 surveyed were satisfied with ourpresentations, 89% of education participants surveyedincreased knowledge, and 99% of professionalssurveyed said the training provided them with skillsto enhance their work.• Violence prevention education for youth, incuding“Positive Friendships” for middle school students and“How to Avoid Dating a Jerk(ette)” for high school andcollege students.• Intakes and treatment groups for 152 male offendersand 23 women who have used violence in theirintimate relationships. A recent study showed a 78%decrease in law enforcement involvement needed athomes within two years after offenders completedour program, and a 91% drop in protection ordersinvolving these men.• Spearheading the Coordinated Community ResponseProject, involving 13 local agencies working to improveour response to domestic and sexual violence.Agency collaboration has helped to increase thenumber of strangulation cases charged as feloniesfrom 8% of such cases in 2004 to 63% in 2009 (latestdata), and the conviction rate in domestic violencecases from 65% in 2005 to 78% in 2010.