Governor Granholm declares October Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Governor Granholm has declared October Domestic Violence Awareness Month to memorialize the personal tragedies of domestic violence and to give hope to those who are struggling to escape violent intimate relationships.

The Governor’s declaration also provides an opportunity to raise public awareness of the issue and better prepare people to respond to it. The Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board is involved in many such initiatives. Several stories in this eReport describe some of MDVPTB's public and professional education efforts:

• Public service announcements are appearing on movie theater screens.
• Judges and court staff are getting increased access to information regarding intervening in domestic violence cases.
• A coalition in the African American community is supporting an innovative radio PSA campaign.

These and other education efforts are continuing to change public opinion – giving better support to victims and accountability to perpetrators.

Domestic violence programs across the state will be hosting events throughout the month to recognize this critical issue. To locate the agency in your area, click here. Learn what's happening in your community!

MDVPTB develops a brochure on batterer intervention.
The Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board has developed a brochure describing batterer intervention standards to judges and other court staff. The Batterer Intervention Standards and Services brochure is available on MDVPTB's website for judges, probation departments, prosecutors, domestic violence service programs, and the membership of the Batterers Intervention Services Coalition of Michigan.

A special task force created a reference document entitled "Batterer Intervention Standards for the State of Michigan." MDVPTB's new brochure, based on this reference document, provides a brief outline of the standards for providing batterer treatment in domestic violence cases and programmatic components as well as a section dedicated to critical considerations for judges and other court staff.

Dating violence prevention project puts messages on movie screens.
Moviegoers in four communities are seeing dating violence prevention messages before feature films begin. Governor Jennifer Granholm announced the project in late June, and the public service announcements started running at the Adrian Cinema July 7. Since then Celebration Cinema and NCG Theater in Lansing, Studio 28 in Grand Rapids and Celebration Cinema in Mt. Pleasant have added PSAs to their movie previews.

The messages are specifically targeted to teenagers and young adults, because both groups are frequent moviegoers and at higher risk of dating violence.

The Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board helped develop the messages in collaboration with domestic violence agencies and institutions of higher education from the four communities as well as the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Funding was provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The domestic violence programs involved are Family Counseling & Services/Catherine Cobb Domestic Violence Program, YWCA of Grand Rapids, Michigan State University Safe Place, Lansing's Ending Violence Encounters, Inc. (EVE), and Women's Aid Service in Mt. Pleasant.

The theater screen campaign is the second recent educational effort by the Board to prevent youth dating violence. Last fall, the Board distributed its Dating Violence Youth Education Package to every high school and Intermediate School District in the state. The package includes lesson plans for group leaders and other resource materials, and may still be downloaded in PDF format from the MDVPTB Web site.

Federal officials visit Safe Havens sites.
In June, Michigan hosted federal officials from the Office on Violence Against Women as part of the state's 3-year, $1.1 million Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Demonstration Grant. Staff from two federally funded technical assistance providers, PRAXIS International and the National Center of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, also made the site visit to Michigan. During a four-day period, MDVPTB staff accompanied the group to the four local supervised visitation sites in Traverse City, Muskegon, Jackson and Pontiac. Members of the state and national evaluation team from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan also attended.

After the site visits, staff from the local supervised visitation centers and their collaborative partners, as well as the national and state team came to Lansing for a day of meeting and training. The focus of the training was an orientation to conducting a safety audit as a means of improving services. Participants will select one safety audit question and focus on that question over the course of the three year grant program. The safety audit itself will be conducted by members of the national technical assistance team and local and state project partners.

Public Awareness Campaign informs batterers "Twenty eyes will be watching" and "Twenty feet will be coming."
In October, a major Detroit metro-area radio station will launch a domestic violence public awareness effort targeting the African American community entitled, "It's Your Business." The campaign raises awareness of culturally appropriate community-based prevention and intervention strategies to address domestic violence in African American families. It is funded by the Altria Group, Inc. and the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board.

A Michigan-based collaboration, African Americans & Allies Against Domestic Violence (AAADV), has been promoting efforts to locally broadcast this nationally developed campaign. AAADV is a collaboration of numerous programs and individuals in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties, including the domestic violence service agencies.

"It's Your Business" is an innovative approach, designed to facilitate dialogue and interventions by using a short, serialized radio drama that is both entertaining and educational. An impressive team of writers produced the 12-part "micro-drama" with professional actors such as the late Lynn Thigpen. Each program has a theme, such as "Better to Air the Dirty Laundry," "We Can Do Something" and "A Time to Speak."

The segments promote the 20/20 rule – Let the perpetrator know that 20 eyes are watching and 20 feet are coming. Characters in the radio drama encourage each other and listeners to form a "safety net" around domestic violence victims and their children and to hold batterers accountable for their behavior.
AAADV expects to implement a number of related public education efforts to –

• Develop and facilitate a seminar on domestic violence in the African American community – targeting service providers as participants.
• Develop and disseminate a resource and referral guide.
• Organize and implement a speakers bureau to facilitate presentations to African American groups, clubs, sororities, fraternities, etc..
• Participate in organizing African American focus groups/community assessments convened by the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community in Detroit.
• Print and distribute posters, brochures, and window stickers.
• Advertise the National Domestic Violence Hotline telephone number of 1-800 799-SAFE (7233). The National Hotline will transfer all callers to the appropriate Michigan programs, assist in safety planning, provide language interpreters and collect the necessary project evaluation information.
  

Board Profile - Shirley Mann Gray
When Shirley Mann Gray joined the MDVPTB in 1999 she brought a unique set of experiences and skills regarding violence against women and children. She has been working in the field of family and children's services for more than 25 years. She started her career as a pediatric social worker at the Children's Hospital of Michigan. In 1984 she co-founded the Child Protection Team at the hospital - a 16-member multi-disciplinary team in the management of child abuse and neglect cases. Two years later, Mann Gray developed the Parent-Infant Beginnings program at Family Services of Detroit and Wayne County.

Since 1989, Ms. Mann Gray has held the position of Manager of Social Work at the Detroit Medical Center Children’s Hospital of Michigan. She has many responsibilities, some of which include, the daily operations of the department, hiring, training, supervising and monitoring staff, developing and implementing policy, and managing the Child Protection Team. She also sits on the Michigan and Wayne County Child Death Review Teams, the Michigan Citizen Review, and the Wayne County Medical Society Task Force on Violence Reduction.

"I have had the pleasure of working with Shirley for over two decades." said Nancy Diehl, chief of the Projects and Training Division of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. "It is clear to all who know Shirley that she is sincerely interested in the issues involved with family violence and is an outstanding advocate on behalf of children and families. Shirley's trademark warmth and civility enable her to bring diverse individuals with different agendas together to accomplish important goals."

"Although Shirley is the manager of our department, she still maintains direct client contact," said Tina Bryant, domestic violence social worker with the Detroit Medical Center Children's Hospital of Michigan. "We have repeatedly witnessed her concern and compassion when it comes to domestic violence. She does whatever it takes to meet the needs of domestic violence victims and their children."

Special Feature: Victims can be notified about the status of their perpetrators' court cases and prison release dates
When a sexual assault or domestic violence perpetrator goes to prison, his victims can breathe a sigh of relief – until it's time for his release. Release time can very be dangerous for victims and their children, so having time to plan for safety can make a huge difference. Fortunately, there are two systems in Michigan designed to track offenders and their court cases. Both systems allow victims access to information about perpetrators' release dates.

The Michigan Department of Community Health Crime Victims Services Commission manages a free, confidential and computer-based system for informing victims of their perpetrators' court case and prison release dates. The Michigan Crime Victim Notification Network, also known as VINE for Victim Information Notification Everyday, provides notice to victims. Court fees collected by the Crime Victim Rights Fund pays for the service. The VINE system tracks suspects and perpetrators in county jails, the criminal justice system and prison. Victims who know a perpetrator's name, Criminal Case Tracking Number or Inmate Number can call the network hotline at 1-800-770-7657 and follow the prompts to find the status of the case. To receive automated notification of relevant court dates, release dates or other events, victims must register with the Victim Advocate in their local prosecutors' offices. Once offenders go to prison, the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) automatically registers victims. When an offender is released, victims are notified by the VINE system.

Click here to download the Michigan Crime Victim Notification Network brochure. There are other promotional materials available for free from the Michigan Department of Community Health, Health Promotions Clearinghouse, including a tear-off help card and posters in English and Spanish. Click here for a list of these and other violence-related materials available through the Clearinghouse.

The MDOC manages the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS), a database with information about all current and past Michigan prisoners and parolees that is available to all Internet users. The online system requires the user to enter identifying information such as the offender's name or MDOC offender number. The database provides information about the offender's location, current status, earliest release date, maximum discharge date and date paroled. Unlike VINE, OTIS does not notify victims of an offender's release. Click here to learn more about OTIS, including how to begin a prisoner search.

What's Ahead - Michigan State Police to deliver specialized training on Abuse and Sexual Assault in Spring, 2004
During March and April of 2004, the Michigan State Police (MSP) Prevention Services Section is planning to deliver training to patrol officers and first line supervisors on improving law enforcement’s response to abuse and sexual assault against older individuals and individuals with disabilities. The training will be delivered regionally, with five training locations identified across the state. Workgroups are currently being conducted to identify and develop the most effective training objectives and curriculum.

This project is made possible by a grant from the Office of Justice Programs. Funds from the "Training Grant to Stop Abuse and Sexual Assault Against Older Individuals or Individuals with Disabilities" will pay for development of training materials, a public awareness campaign, "tool-kits" for law enforcement agencies, educational brochures, a legislative/legal informational packet, and recommendations for law enforcement recruit level training.

MSP's Prevention Services Section is partnering with the following organizations to assist with development and delivery of this training: the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, Michigan Coalition Against Domestic/Sexual Violence, American Association of Retired Persons, Crime Prevention Association of Michigan, Michigan Attorney General's Office, Family Independence Agency (FIA) – Adult Protective Services, Prosecuting Attorney's Association of Michigan, Commission on Disability Concern's Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Wayne State University Developmental Disabilities Institute, Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Michigan Academy of Family Physicians, Michigan Department of Community Health – Office of Services to the Aging, Michigan Women's Commission, Michigan State University Regional Community Policing Institute, Shelter House of Branch County, and the Sixty Plus Elder Law Clinic.

For more information, please contact the Michigan State Police Prevention Services Section at 517/333-4006 or by e-mail at Shawj@michigan.gov.

About the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board (MDVPTB).
The Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board (MDVPTB) was created by the legislature in 1978 and is administratively housed within the Michigan Family Independence Agency. The Board consists of seven Governor-appointed members with an executive director overseeing all the daily operations. The MDVPTB has defined its mission as: To lead statewide efforts to eliminate domestic and sexual violence in Michigan.

MDVPTB administers state and federal funding for sexual assault programs and services and domestic violence shelters and advocacy services. MDVPTB also develops and recommends policy in collaboration with other agencies and develops and provides technical assistance and training.

Many resource materials are available through the Michigan Resource Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence. The Resource Center is a unique collection of over 3,500 books and 300 videos on domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, violence prevention, nonprofit management, medical and legal response to violence against women, public policy and much more. The MRCDSV is a collaboration of the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board and the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. The MDVPTB is the primary funder and owner of the collection.

The MDVPTB e-Report is developed and written by the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board (MDVPTB) in association with Mort Crim Communications, Inc.

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