Illinois 
2007 
OVW 
Collaboration 
Charter 
Preamble 


The 
2007 
Illinois 
OVW 
collaboration 
is 
a 
multi-disciplinary 
team 
with 
a 
long 
history 
of 
cooperative 
work 
addressing 
the 
needs 
of 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
who 
have 
psychiatric 
disabilities. 
We 
respect 
and 
value 
each 
othersÕ 
training, 
knowledge 
and 
expertise 
and 
keep 
the 
wisdom 
and 
experience 
of 
survivors 
who 
have 
had 
and/or 
are 
living 
with 
psychiatric 
disabilities 
at 
the 
center 
of 
our 
work. 
We 
have 
jointly 
carried 
out 
needs 
assessments, 
conducted 
focus 
groups, 
held 
conferences, 
provided 
technical 
assistance 
to 
one 
another 
and 
to 
local 
and 
state 
agencies 
and 
provided 
mental 
health/domestic 
violence 
cross-trainings 
to 
over 
a 
thousand 
professionals 
state-wide. 
Through 
this 
process, 
we 
have 
also 
come 
to 
recognize 
that 
the 
systems 
to 
which 
survivors 
turn 
are 
still 
unprepared 
to 
meet 
both 
safety 
and 
recovery 
needs. 
We 
are 
committed 
to 
developing 
collaborative 
models 
that 
incorporate 
principles 
of 
the 
domestic 
violence 
advocacy, 
mental 
health 
peer 
support/recovery 
and 
disability 
rights 
movements 
and 
to 
creating 
the 
local 
and 
ultimately 
broader 
systems 
change 
needed 
to 
address 
these 
critical 
gaps 
in 
services. 


Our 
multi-disciplinary 
team 
is 
made 
up 
of 
the 
Domestic 
Violence 
& 
Mental 
Health 
Policy 
Initiative 
(DVMHPI), 
the 
Illinois 
Coalition 
Against 
Domestic 
Violence 
(ICADV), 
the 
Illinois 
Department 
of 
Human 
Services, 
Division 
of 
Mental 
Health 
(IDHS/DMH), 
The 
Growing 
Place 
Empowerment 
Organization 
(GPEO), 
Thresholds, 
and 
Life 
Span. 
We 
bring 
to 
this 
work 
our 
individual 
and 
collective 
experience 
as 
advocates, 
as 
people 
with 
psychiatric 
disabilities; 
as 
legal, 
clinical, 
domestic 
violence 
and 
peer 
support 
practitioners; 
as 
administrators, 
policy 
generators 
and 
educators, 
and 
as 
survivors. 


Article 
1: 
Vision 
& 
Mission 


Partners 
of 
the 
2007 
Illinois 
OVW 
Disabilities 
Grant 
are 
committed 
to 
working 
with 
local 
service 
providers 
in 
selected 
IL 
communities 
to 
ensure 
that 
all 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
other 
lifetime 
trauma 
who 
are 
experiencing 
psychiatric 
disabilities 
have 
access 
to 
the 
resources 
they 
want 
and 
need 
to 
achieve 
both 
safety 
and 
recovery. 
This 
commitment 
includes 
working 
with 
pilot 
communities 
to 
build 
collaboration, 
develop 
new 
service 
delivery 
models 
and 
create 
the 
system 
changes 
necessary 
to 
accomplish 
these 
goals. 
It 
also 
includes 
working 
to 
ensure 
that 
local 
providers 
and 
systems 
develop 
sustainable 
strategies 
for 
incorporating 
the 
following 
principles 
into 
their 
ongoing 
work: 


¥ 
Recognizing 
the 
right 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
and 
survivors 
of 
DV 
to 
be 
treated 
with 
dignity 
and 
respect 
and 
to 
live 
lives 
free 
from 
violence, 
abuse, 
neglect 
and 
exploitation 
¥ 
Treating 
all 
reports 
of 
violence, 
abuse, 
neglect 
or 
financial 
exploitation 
as 
legitimate. 
¥ 
Respecting 
the 
right 
of 
women 
with 
disabilities 
and 
survivors 
of 
DV 
to 
self-
determination 
1 



¥ 
Abiding 
by 
the 
legal 
rights 
of 
survivors 
of 
DV 
and 
women 
with 
disabilities, 
including 
the 
Americans 
with 
Disability 
Act, 
Section 
504 
of 
the 
Rehabilitation 
Act, 
and 
the 
Fair 
Housing 
Act. 
¥ 
Preventing 
the 
disclosure 
of 
confidential 
information 
¥ 
Ensuring 
that 
all 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
have 
access 
to 
the 
services 
and 
information 
developed 
by 
the 
project 
and 
that 
services 
are 
welcoming 
and 
fully 
accessible 
as 
well 
as 
culturally-attuned, 
recovery-oriented 
and 
trauma-informed 
-in 
other 
words, 
services 
that 
are 
truly 
collaborative, 
survivor-defined, 
and 
non-
retraumatizing; 
attend 
to 
safety 
and 
confidentiality 
and 
incorporate 
principles 
of 
inclusive 
design. 
¥ 
Opposing 
all 
forms 
of 
stigma 
and 
discrimination, 
including 
discrimination 
against 
women, 
women 
with 
disabilities 
and 
women 
who 
are 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
Our 
Vision 
We 
envision 
new 
capacity 
and 
changed 
systems 
within 
local 
communities 
in 
Illinois 
that 
will 
meet 
the 
needs 
of 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
other 
lifetime 
trauma 
who 
are 
living 
with 
psychiatric 
disabilities. 
As 
part 
of 
this 
vision, 
survivors 
will 
have 
access 
to 
the 
full 
range 
of 
services 
and 
resources 
they 
want 
and 
need 
to 
achieve 
the 
outcomes 
that 
are 
important 
to 
them, 
including 
safety, 
recovery, 
connection 
and 
self-
determination. 


Our 
Mission 


The 
mission 
of 
our 
collaborative 
is 
to 
work 
with 
local 
communities 
in 
Illinois 
to 
develop 
their 
capacity 
to 
meet 
the 
needs 
of 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
other 
lifetime 
trauma 
who 
are 
living 
with 
psychiatric 
disabilities 
by: 


¥ 
Building 
collaboration 
at 
the 
local 
level 
among 
DV 
agencies, 
community 
mental 
health 
centers 
(CMHCs), 
state 
psychiatric 
hospitals 
and 
peer-support 
service 
providers; 
¥ 
Building 
on 
existing 
peer-support 
service 
delivery 
structures 
in 
Illinois 
to 
develop 
new, 
sustainable 
service 
delivery 
models 
and 
tools; 
¥ 
Providing 
ongoing 
cross-training, 
consultation 
and 
TA; 
¥ 
Working 
with 
local 
partner 
agencies 
to 
change 
policies, 
practices 
and 
priorities 
so 
that 
they 
are 
empowering 
to 
survivors, 
providers 
and 
local 
systems; 
and 
¥ 
Working 
with 
state 
agency 
partners 
to 
support 
new 
cross-sector 
service 
delivery 
models. 
Article 
2: 
Values 
& 
Assumptions 


Values 
and 
Assumptions 


We 
believe 
that: 


2 



¥ 
Women 
have 
the 
right 
to 
live 
free 
of 
violence, 
including 
the 
more 
insidious 
forms 
of 
violence 
such 
as 
stigma, 
objectification 
and 
discrimination. 
¥ 
Survivors 
must 
have 
the 
opportunity 
to 
empower 
themselves 
by: 
¥ 
designing 
their 
own 
path 
to 
safety 
and 
recovery 
¥ 
determining 
how 
they 
want 
to 
live 
their 
lives 
¥ 
accessing 
all 
information 
they 
need 
and 
want, 
¥ 
making 
informed 
and 
meaningful 
decisions. 
¥ 
Every 
person 
is 
inherently 
valuable 
and 
should 
be 
treated 
with 
dignity 
and 
respect. 
¥ 
Everyone 
has 
the 
right 
to 
receive 
services 
that 
are 
delivered 
in 
a 
respectful 
manner. 
¥ 
PeopleÕs 
lives 
are 
affected 
by 
a 
complex 
variety 
of 
critical 
issues 
including: 
¥ 
culture, 
¥ 
immigrant/refugee 
status, 
¥ 
sexual 
orientation, 
¥ 
gender, 
¥ 
age, 
¥ 
socioeconomic 
status, 
¥ 
religion, 
¥ 
previous 
trauma, 
¥ 
strengths, 
resources 
& 
capacities. 
Service 
providers 
must 
recognize 
and 
address 
these 
issues 
if 
interventions 
are 
to 
be 
meaningful 
for 
survivors. 


¥ 
Consistency 
and 
transparency 
are 
critical 
for 
any 
type 
of 
collaboration, 
whether 
at 
the 
agency 
level, 
system 
level, 
or 
collaborative 
level 
¥ 
The 
people 
and 
agencies 
that 
serve 
women 
who 
are 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
other 
lifetime 
trauma 
and 
women 
who 
have 
experienced 
mental 
illness 
deserve 
great 
respect. 
¥ 
People 
who 
do 
this 
work 
deserve 
the 
support, 
training, 
and 
supervision 
that 
will 
allow 
them 
to 
work 
compassionately, 
empathically 
and 
effectively 
¥ 
Existing 
services 
should 
be 
expanded 
to 
be 
fully 
inclusive, 
appropriately 
comprehensive, 
and 
survivor-defined. 
Article 
3: 
Definition 
of 
Terms 


About 
our 
language: 
Because 
our 
collaboration 
addresses 
a 
wide 
range 
of 
people, 
no 
single 
descriptor 
will 
be 
adequate. 
The 
way 
that 
we, 
as 
a 
collaborative, 
identify 
these 
groups 
is 
not 
as 
important 
as 
our 
commitment 
to 
make 
a 
new 
space 
that 
allows 
people 
to 
have, 
develop 
and 
define 
their 
individual 
experience, 
their 
own 
language 
relating 
to 
psychiatric 
disability, 
and 
to 
find 
responsive, 
open, 
and 
accessible 
services 
that 
meet 
their 
needs. 


3 



General 
Definitions: 


¥ 
Accessibility: 
Establishing 
a 
more 
inclusive 
environment 
and 
society 
in 
which 
everyone, 
regardless 
of 
ability, 
has 
equal 
opportunity 
to 
participate. 
This 
is 
broader 
than 
the 
ADA 
definition 
of 
accessibility 
(ensuring 
equal 
access 
and 
opportunity 
in 
public 
accommodations, 
employment, 
transportation, 
state 
and 
local 
government 
services, 
and 
telecommunications 
for 
people 
with 
disabilities 
and 
people 
who 
are 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing) 
and 
incorporates 
the 
new 
WHO 
definition 
of 
disability, 
described 
below. 
The 
concepts 
of 
universal 
access 
and 
inclusive 
design 
incorporate 
attitudinal 
and 
cultural 
accessibility, 
as 
well. 
Creating 
fully 
accessible, 
environments 
includes 
understanding 
and 
meeting 
our 
collective 
responsibility 
to 
provide 
equal 
opportunities 
for 
all; 
designing 
welcoming 
and 
supportive 
environments 
for 
the 
widest 
range 
of 
potential 
users 
and 
circumstances; 
providing 
individualized 
solutions 
to 
address 
individual 
needs 
and 
identifying 
community 
supports 
specifically 
for 
people 
with 
disabilities.1 
¥ 
Collaboration: 
A 
working 
relationship 
involving 
critical 
individual 
and 
group 
responsibility, 
with 
collaborators 
adding 
to 
the 
value 
of 
the 
work 
of 
others 
to 
achieve 
a 
jointly 
determined 
outcome.2 
Collaboration 
is 
"a 
mutually 
beneficial 
and 
well-defined 
relationship 
entered 
into 
by 
two 
or 
more 
organizations 
to 
achieve 
results 
they 
are 
more 
likely 
to 
achieve 
together 
than 
alone.Ó 
Collaboration 
not 
only 
involves 
a 
commitment 
to 
shared 
goals 
and 
shared 
responsibility 
but 
also 
to 
creating 
a 
structure 
based 
on 
mutual 
accountability 
and 
trust, 
the 
sharing 
of 
resources, 
risks 
and 
rewards 
and 
a 
willingness 
to 
examine 
our 
own 
attitudes 
and 
practices 
in 
order 
to 
become 
the 
change 
we 
hope 
to 
create.3 
¥ 
Consumer: 
A 
person 
who 
utilizes 
or 
purchases 
mental 
health 
services 
with 
the 
same 
rights 
and 
choices 
as 
others 
who 
choose 
to 
contract 
for 
services. 
While 
not 
everyone 
relates 
to 
this 
term, 
it 
reflects 
an 
important 
change 
from 
the 
more 
stigmatizing, 
dehumanizing, 
and 
identity-defining 
terminology 
of 
Òmental 
patientÓ 
and 
from 
the 
more 
passive 
notion 
of 
Òservice 
recipientÓ 
to 
language 
that 
denotes 
a 
person 
who, 
in 
one 
aspect 
of 
their 
life, 
chooses 
to 
access 
a 
particular 
set 
of 
services. 
It 
recognizes 
choice 
and 
self-determination 
and 
challenges 
the 
acceptability 
of 
coercive 
mental 
health 
practices. 
Another 
definition 
is 
Òa 
person 
who 
has 
or 
has 
had 
personal 
experience 
with 
major 
mental 
illness.Ó 
¥ 
Disability: 
Disability 
is 
an 
ordinary 
part 
of 
experience 
for 
all 
people; 
anyone 
may 
become 
disabled. 
The 
World 
Health 
Organization 
(WHO) 
defines 
disability 
as 
something 
that 
occurs 
outside 
of 
the 
person 
that 
is 
based 
on 
the 
interaction 
of 
the 
person, 
his 
or 
her 
functional 
abilities, 
and 
the 
environment. 
As 
such, 
one 
is 
more 
or 
less 
disabled 
based 
on 
whether 
physical, 
information, 
communication, 
social 
and 
policy 
environments 
are 
accommodating 
and 
welcoming 
of 
variations 
in 
ability. 
The 
prevalence 
of 
disability 
also 
corresponds 
to 
social 
and 
economic 
status. 
In 
other 
words, 
the 
experience 
of 
disability 
can 
be 
minimized 
by 
designing 
environments 
to 
accommodate 
varying 
functional 
abilities 
and 
providing 
individualized 
solutions 
4 



when 
needed, 
opening 
the 
door 
to 
a 
new 
approach 
to 
creating 
welcoming 
and 
accessible 
services 
for 
survivors. 
4 


¥ 
Domestic 
Violence 
(DV): 
A 
pattern 
of 
coercive 
behaviors 
designed 
to 
dominate 
and 
control 
a 
partner 
or 
household 
or 
family 
member 
through 
fear 
and 
intimidation. 
Partners 
may 
be 
married 
or 
unmarried; 
heterosexual, 
gay, 
lesbian, 
bi-sexual, 
transsexual, 
or 
questioning; 
living 
together, 
separated, 
or 
dating. 
Under 
the 
Illinois 
Domestic 
Violence 
Act 
(IDVA), 
a 
domestic 
violence 
perpetrator 
may 
also 
be 
involved 
in 
a 
care 
giving 
relationship 
with 
the 
victim 
(abusive 
tactics 
are 
used 
to 
gain 
and/or 
maintain 
control 
over 
a 
high-risk 
adult 
with 
disabilities 
who 
is 
under 
their 
care). 
Abusers 
may 
use 
a 
combination 
of 
tactics, 
some 
of 
which 
are 
described 
below, 
that 
result 
in 
physical 
and 
psychological 
harm 
to 
survivors 
and 
their 
children. 
¥ 
Economic 
Abuse: 
The 
abuser 
controls 
or 
limits 
a 
survivor's 
access 
to 
money 
and 
other 
economic 
resources 
as 
a 
tactic 
of 
control. 
This 
can 
include 
preventing 
a 
survivor 
from 
finishing 
her 
education 
or 
obtaining 
employment, 
spending 
a 
survivorÕs 
money 
without 
her 
knowledge, 
or 
falsifying 
a 
survivorÕs 
name 
on 
financial 
documents. 
¥ 
Gender: 
We 
mix 
gender-neutral 
and 
gender-specific 
terms 
in 
order 
to 
acknowledge 
the 
prevalence 
and 
seriousness 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
lifetime 
abuse 
in 
the 
LGBTQI 
community 
and 
the 
small 
percentage 
of 
men 
who 
are 
abused 
by 
a 
female 
partner 
and 
to 
reflect 
the 
experience 
of 
domestic 
violence 
programs 
Ð 
particularly 
shelters 
Ð 
that 
serve 
mainly 
women 
and 
children, 
as 
well 
as 
those 
research 
studies 
that 
are 
gender-specific. 
We 
recognize 
that 
rates 
of 
abuse 
are 
higher 
among 
men 
who 
have 
a 
disability 
than 
among 
men 
who 
do 
not. 
¥ 
Mental 
illness 
(MI): 
A 
broad 
range 
of 
mental 
and 
emotional 
conditions 
characterized 
by 
alterations 
in 
thinking, 
mood, 
and/or 
behavior. 
These 
health 
conditions 
are 
mediated 
by 
the 
brain 
and 
associated 
with 
distress 
and/or 
disruptions 
in 
functioning. 
The 
term 
Òmental 
illnessÓ 
is 
more 
generally 
used 
to 
refer 
to 
psychiatric 
or 
mental 
health 
conditions 
that 
are 
more 
chronic 
and 
cause 
greater 
disruption 
in 
functioning. 
We 
use 
the 
term 
Òmental 
health 
conditionsÓ 
or 
Òpsychiatric 
conditionsÓ 
to 
refer 
more 
generally 
to 
symptoms 
or 
diagnoses 
that 
are 
less 
likely 
to 
cause 
long-lasting 
disability. 
¥ 
Neglect: 
The 
failure 
to 
exercise 
the 
degree 
of 
care 
toward 
an 
adult 
with 
disabilities 
that 
a 
reasonable 
person 
would 
exercise 
under 
the 
circumstances. 
Neglect 
is 
the 
failure 
(whether 
intentional, 
careless 
or 
due 
to 
inadequate 
experience, 
training 
or 
skill) 
to 
provide 
basic 
care 
or 
services 
when 
agreed 
to 
by 
legal, 
contractual 
or 
otherwise 
assumed 
responsibility. 
Neglect 
includes 
but 
is 
not 
limited 
to: 
¥ 
The 
failure 
to 
protect 
a 
high-risk 
adult 
with 
disabilities 
from 
health 
and 
safety 
hazards. 
5 



¥ 
The 
failure 
to 
provide 
food, 
shelter, 
clothing, 
and 
personal 
hygiene 
to 
an 
adult 
with 
disabilities 
who 
requires 
such 
assistance; 
¥ 
The 
failure 
to 
provide 
medical 
and 
rehabilitative 
care 
for 
the 
physical 
and 
mental 
health 
needs 
of 
a 
high-risk 
adult 
with 
disabilities; 
or 
¥ 
The 
failure 
to 
take 
reasonable 
steps 
to 
protect 
an 
adult 
with 
disabilities 
from 
acts 
of 
abuse; 
the 
repeated, 
careless 
imposition 
of 
unreasonable 
confinement5 
In 
the 
context 
of 
ongoing 
abuse 
and 
violence, 
neglect 
involves 
the 
willful 
disregard 
of 
a 
personÕs 
basic 
needs 
in 
order 
to 
exert 
control, 
elicit 
fear 
and 
create 
harm 
to 
that 
individual. 


¥ 
Person-First 
Language: 
A 
standard 
promoted 
by 
the 
Americans 
with 
Disabilities 
Act 
of 
1990 
and 
the 
Disabilities 
Education 
Act 
of 
1997 
stating 
that 
one 
should 
look 
at 
the 
person 
first 
and 
their 
situation, 
experience, 
or 
disability 
only 
as 
relevant. 
For 
example, 
rather 
than 
saying, 
Òa 
handicapped 
personÓ 
one 
should 
say, 
Òa 
person 
who 
has 
a 
disability.Ó 
Likewise, 
instead 
of 
referring 
to 
a 
person 
as 
Òa 
schizophrenic,Ó 
we 
would 
say, 
Òa 
person 
who 
has 
or 
who 
is 
living 
with 
schizophrenia.Ó 
The 
point 
of 
being 
conscious 
of 
how 
we 
use 
language 
is 
to 
ensure 
we 
are 
not 
inadvertently 
labeling, 
objectifying, 
or 
dehumanizing; 
in 
other 
words, 
defining 
other 
people 
through 
one 
particular 
lens 
or 
one 
aspect 
of 
their 
experience 
or 
identity. 
When 
considering 
the 
use 
of 
language, 
it 
is 
helpful 
to 
think 
about 
how 
it 
would 
feel 
to 
have 
a 
particular 
phrase 
used 
in 
relation 
to 
oneself 
or 
another 
person 
and 
whether 
it 
would 
feel 
objectifying, 
dehumanizing, 
disrespectful, 
and 
more 
importantly, 
not 
reflective 
of 
oneÕs 
own 
personhood. 
¥ 
Physical 
Abuse: 
Physical 
violence 
is 
only 
one 
of 
many 
tactics 
batterers 
use 
to 
harm 
their 
victims, 
to 
undermine 
their 
autonomy 
and 
sense 
of 
self, 
and 
to 
keep 
them 
isolated 
and 
entrapped. 
Physical 
abuse 
includes 
punching, 
beating, 
kicking, 
biting, 
burning, 
shaking, 
hair-pulling, 
spitting, 
or 
otherwise 
harming 
a 
person 
physically 
or 
intentionally 
causing 
a 
person 
physical 
injury 
or 
pain. 
Physical 
abuse 
also 
includes 
any 
unwanted 
physical 
contact. 
¥ 
Psychiatric 
Disability: 
A 
normal 
part 
of 
the 
human 
experience 
that 
occurs 
when 
mental 
illness 
significantly 
interferes 
with 
the 
performance 
of 
major 
life 
activities, 
such 
as 
learning, 
thinking, 
communicating, 
and 
sleeping, 
among 
others. 
Trauma 
and 
mental 
illness 
(MI) 
can 
cause 
psychiatric 
disability 
but 
do 
not 
always 
do 
so. 
Psychiatric 
disability 
occurs 
when 
the 
effects 
of 
trauma 
and/or 
MI 
significantly 
interfere 
with 
the 
performance 
of 
major 
life 
activities. 
Psychiatric 
disability 
may 
come 
and 
go, 
remit, 
or 
be 
more 
persistent. 
Safety 
and 
support 
can 
reduce 
psychiatric 
disability. 
¥ 
Psychological 
Abuse: 
Whenever 
there 
is 
physical 
or 
sexual 
abuse, 
psychological 
abuse 
is 
invariably 
present 
and 
may 
be 
quite 
severe. 
This 
often 
takes 
the 
form 
of 
verbal 
intimidation 
and 
threats, 
ridicule 
and 
humiliation, 
destruction 
of 
property, 
threats 
to 
significant 
others, 
stalking 
and 
monitoring 
a 
womanÕs 
activities, 
and 
6 



controlling 
her 
access 
to 
money, 
personal 
items, 
and 
contact 
with 
friends, 
family 
and 
children. 
It 
includes 
calling 
her 
names, 
making 
cruel 
and 
unfair 
comments, 
and 
engaging 
in 
other 
conduct 
that 
causes 
emotional 
pain 
and 
harm. 
Accusations 
about 
sexual 
infidelity 
can 
be 
particularly 
humiliating. 
Emotional 
withdrawal, 
threats 
of 
abandonment 
and 
threats 
to 
harm 
or 
take 
away 
the 
children 
are 
also 
used 
as 
tactics 
of 
control. 
Abusers 
also 
use 
mental 
health 
issues 
to 
undermine, 
isolate 
and 
control 
their 
partners. 
Psychological 
abuse 
also 
includes 
threats 
to 
harm 
the 
survivor, 
her 
children, 
family 
members, 
friends, 
pets, 
or 
the 
abuser 
him 
or 
herself 
(suicide). 


¥ 
Psychological 
trauma: 
Trauma 
is 
the 
unique 
individual 
experience 
of 
an 
event 
or 
enduring 
condition 
in 
which 
the 
individual 
experiences 
a 
threat 
to 
life 
or 
to 
their 
psychic 
or 
bodily 
integrity 
and 
the 
individualÕs 
coping 
capacity 
and/or 
ability 
to 
integrate 
his 
or 
her 
emotional 
experience 
is 
overwhelmed. 
Cultural 
and 
historical 
trauma 
can 
impact 
individuals 
and 
communities 
across 
generations6 
¥ 
Sexual 
Abuse: 
Sexual 
abuse 
is 
any 
form 
of 
nonconsensual 
sexual 
activity 
and 
encompasses 
all 
unwanted 
sexual 
acts, 
including 
touching 
a 
person 
in 
an 
unwanted 
sexual 
manner, 
engaging 
in 
sexually 
threatening 
and/or 
degrading 
behavior, 
or 
forcing 
a 
survivor 
to 
watch 
sexual 
acts. 
Sexual 
abuse 
is 
designed 
to 
humiliate, 
intimidate, 
control 
or 
instill 
fear 
in 
another 
person. 
It 
can 
be 
committed 
by 
the 
use 
or 
threat 
of 
force 
or 
under 
circumstances 
in 
which 
a 
person 
is 
incapable 
of 
consent. 
Most 
often, 
the 
perpetrator 
is 
someone 
who 
is 
known 
to 
the 
victim. 
¥ 
Stalking: 
Stalking 
has 
two 
components: 
a 
threat 
of 
violence, 
and 
two 
acts 
of 
surveillance 
and/or 
following. 
Stalking 
can 
include 
behaviors 
such 
as 
appearing 
at 
the 
victimÕs 
home 
or 
place 
of 
work, 
laying 
in 
wait 
for 
the 
victim 
or 
making 
unwanted 
and 
frightening 
contact 
with 
the 
victim 
through 
phone, 
mail, 
email 
and/or 
other 
technologies 
or 
through 
a 
third 
person. 
Stalking 
must 
include 
explicit 
or 
implied 
threats 
to 
harm 
the 
victim 
or 
the 
victim's 
children, 
relatives, 
friends 
or 
pets. 
A 
stalker 
can 
be 
a 
stranger 
or 
someone 
the 
victim 
knows 
including 
a 
partner, 
an 
ex-partner, 
or 
a 
family 
member 
¥ 
Stigma: 
Stigma 
is 
the 
use 
of 
negative 
labels 
to 
identify 
a 
person 
living 
with 
mental 
illness, 
the 
fear 
of 
mental 
illness, 
and 
the 
resulting 
discrimination 
that 
discourages 
individuals 
and 
their 
families 
from 
getting 
the 
help 
that 
they 
may 
want 
or 
need. 
An 
estimated 
twenty-two 
to 
twenty-three 
percent 
of 
the 
U.S. 
population 
experiences 
a 
mental 
disorder 
in 
any 
given 
year, 
but 
almost 
half 
of 
these 
individuals 
do 
not 
seek 
treatment. 
Stigma 
also 
keeps 
women 
from 
accessing 
DV 
services. 
Stigma 
is 
not 
just 
a 
matter 
of 
using 
the 
wrong 
word 
or 
taking 
the 
wrong 
action; 
rather, 
it 
is 
disrespect. 
¥ 
Systems 
Change: 
Systems 
change 
is 
the 
intended 
outcome 
of 
collaborative 
work 
that 
attempts 
to 
influence 
Òa 
group 
of 
key 
individuals 
and 
organizations 
that 
interact 
to 
produce 
a 
benefit 
or 
to 
improve 
ways 
of 
living, 
working 
and 
relating.Ó7 
Desirable 
systems 
change 
influences 
a 
group 
of 
individuals 
and 
organizations 
in 
7 



ways 
that 
achieve 
both 
sought-after 
and 
unexpected 
improvements 
in 
how 
stakeholders 
live, 
work 
and 
relate. 
Systems 
change 
in 
the 
context 
of 
this 
project 
also 
means 
enhancing 
the 
capacity 
of 
individual 
communities, 
providers 
and 
public 
systems 
to 
address 
the 
needs 
of 
survivors 
of 
abuse 
and 
violence 
who 
are 
living 
with 
psychiatric 
disabilities 
and/or 
experiencing 
the 
traumatic 
effects 
of 
abuse. 


¥ 
Victim/Survivor: 
A 
person 
who 
has 
lived 
through 
the 
experience 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
other 
types 
of 
trauma. 
For 
some 
women, 
the 
term 
ÒsurvivorÓ 
is 
preferable 
to 
the 
term 
ÒvictimÓ 
and 
is 
used 
specifically 
to 
convey 
strength, 
experience, 
empowerment, 
wisdom, 
positive 
self-image, 
and 
hope 
for 
the 
future. 
For 
others, 
the 
term 
ÒvictimÓ 
is 
preferred 
as 
a 
way 
to 
acknowledge 
the 
harm 
that 
has 
been 
done 
by 
another 
person 
(or 
persons) 
and 
the 
fact 
that 
their 
human 
rights 
have 
been 
violated. 
In 
criminal 
justice 
system 
context, 
the 
term 
victim 
is 
used 
to 
communicate 
that 
a 
survivor 
is 
also 
the 
victim 
of 
a 
crime. 
¥ 
Willful 
deprivation: 
Willfully 
denying 
a 
person 
who 
because 
of 
age, 
health 
or 
disability 
requires 
medication, 
medical 
care, 
shelter, 
accessible 
shelter 
or 
services, 
food, 
a 
therapeutic 
device, 
or 
other 
physical 
assistance, 
and 
thereby 
exposing 
that 
person 
to 
the 
risk 
of 
physical, 
mental 
or 
emotional 
harm, 
except 
with 
regard 
to 
medical 
care 
or 
treatment 
when 
the 
person 
has 
expressed 
an 
intent 
to 
forgo 
such 
medical 
care 
or 
treatment.8 
Provider 
Definitions: 


¥ 
Certified 
Recovery 
Support 
Specialist: 
A 
certified 
recovery 
Support 
Specialist 
(CRSS) 
is 
a 
mental 
health 
consumer 
who 
has 
been 
trained 
and 
certified 
to 
help 
other 
consumers 
identify 
and 
achieve 
specific 
life 
goals. 
The 
CRSS 
assists 
consumers 
in 
cultivating 
their 
own 
abilities 
to 
make 
informed, 
independent 
choices, 
and 
in 
gaining 
information 
and 
support 
from 
the 
community 
to 
make 
their 
goals 
a 
reality. 
As 
a 
CRSS, 
an 
individual 
accepts 
and 
agrees 
that 
his 
or 
her 
experience 
as 
a 
mental 
health 
consumer 
will 
be 
known 
by 
his 
or 
her 
colleagues, 
consumers 
and 
others 
with 
whom 
s/he 
may 
share 
that 
s/he 
has 
achieved 
this 
certification. 
Additionally, 
CRSSÕs 
actively 
seek 
to 
role 
model 
mental 
health 
recovery 
in 
their 
lives 
and 
work 
and 
to 
follow 
the 
ÒModel 
Code 
of 
EthicsÓ 
outlined 
in 
the 
Illinois 
Certified 
Recovery 
Support 
Specialist 
Model. 
¥ 
Clinician: 
A 
person 
who 
provides 
mental 
health 
treatment. 
¥ 
DV 
Advocate: 
A 
person 
who 
provides 
support 
and 
information 
to 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
who 
helps 
survivors 
become 
aware 
of 
options. 
Advocates 
also 
interact 
with 
various 
governmental 
agencies 
and 
systems 
on 
behalf 
of 
individual 
survivors 
and 
promote 
policies, 
procedures, 
and 
protocols 
that 
impact 
survivors 
in 
a 
positive 
way. 
8 



¥ 
Mental 
Health 
Consumer 
Advocate: 
Independent 
mental 
health 
consumer 
advocates 
are 
not 
employed 
by 
state 
mental 
health 
agencies. 
They 
are 
usually 
part 
of 
the 
overall 
consumer 
movement, 
and 
may 
be 
aligned 
with 
one 
or 
more 
consumer 
run 
organizations. 
They 
advocate 
with 
administrators, 
state 
bodies, 
and 
legislative 
government 
bodies 
and 
volunteer 
to 
sit 
on 
various 
local 
state 
and 
national 
mental 
health 
and 
disability 
boards 
and 
similar 
bodies 
as 
appointed 
members. 
Consumer 
advocates 
assist 
in 
writing 
legislation. 
As 
free 
agents 
consumer 
advocates 
are 
free 
to 
voice 
the 
perspective 
advocate 
for 
consumers 
of 
mental 
health 
services 
to 
influence 
practice 
and 
policy. 
¥ 
Mental 
Health 
Provider: 
A 
professional 
or 
paraprofessional 
who 
offers 
diagnostic, 
treatment, 
case 
management, 
and/or 
preventive 
care 
services 
to 
help 
people 
who 
have 
mental 
health 
symptoms 
and/or 
a 
psychiatric 
condition 
or 
mental 
illness 
optimize 
their 
physical 
and 
emotional 
well-being. 
¥ 
Mental 
health 
worker: 
Someone 
who 
provides 
non-clinical 
mental 
health 
services, 
case 
management, 
outreach, 
and 
support. 
Service 
Definitions: 


¥ 
Trauma-informed 
Services: 
Services 
that 
are 
designed 
to 
prevent 
retraumatizing 
of 
survivors 
and 
to 
promote 
dignity, 
respect, 
collaboration, 
recovery, 
empowerment 
and 
choice. 
¥ 
Universal 
Access 
/ 
Inclusive 
Design: 
Ensuring 
the 
maximum 
flexibility 
to 
reduce 
the 
experience 
of 
disability 
and 
to 
universally 
enhance 
experience 
and 
performance. 
This 
includes 
social, 
cultural, 
and 
economic 
accessibility 
as 
well 
as 
physical/environmental 
accessibility. 
Article 
4: 
Individual 
and 
Organizational 
Roles 
and 
Responsibilities 


4-1 
Collaboration 
Structure 


Our 
project 
structure 
is 
simple: 
all 
partnersÕ 
voices 
are 
equal; 
we 
all 
have 
a 
stake 
in 
the 
collaborative 
process 
and 
in 
its 
outcomes. 
The 
responsibility 
to 
fully 
participate 
in 
all 
phases 
of 
the 
project 
is 
clearly 
shared 
in 
equal 
measure 
by 
all 
partners. 
Though 
each 
partner 
brings 
special 
skills 
and 
expertise 
to 
the 
project, 
it 
is 
anticipated 
that 
the 
work 
load 
will 
be 
distributed 
fairly. 
As 
the 
lead 
agency 
DVMHPI 
will 
manage 
the 
finances 
of 
the 
grant, 
will 
function 
as 
the 
administrative 
center 
of 
our 
work 
and 
coordinate 
communication 
between 
the 
project 
and 
OVW 
and 
the 
Vera 
Institute. 


4-2 
Partners 
and 
Roles 


9 



The 
nine 
individual 
people 
in 
this 
systems-change 
collaboration 
are 
part 
of 
an 
established 
group 
of 
colleagues 
and 
co-workers 
who 
have 
long-standing 
professional 
ties, 
some 
dating 
back 
to 
the 
late 
1970s 
and 
who, 
since 
the 
1990s, 
have 
worked 
to 
address 
the 
mental 
health 
needs 
of 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
in 
the 
state 
of 
Illinois. 
These 
nine 
people 
are 
stakeholders 
within 
their 
respective 
organizations 
and, 
along 
with 
individual 
knowledge, 
skill 
and 
commitment 
to 
the 
vision 
of 
this 
collaborative 
are 
able 
to 
draw 
on 
both 
formal 
and 
informal 
resources 
within 
their 
respective 
agencies 
in 
support 
of 
the 
mission 
of 
the 
collaborative. 
Each 
individual 
member 
serves 
as 
an 
ambassador 
and 
ÔchampionÕ 
for 
the 
work 
of 
the 
collaborative 
within 
her 
own 
agency, 
and 
in 
her 
broader 
professional 
network. 


Agencies 


This 
collaboration 
involves 
five 
nonprofit 
agencies 
and 
one 
publicly 
funded 
state 
mental 
health 
authority. 
These 
agencies 
have 
committed 
the 
time 
and 
resources 
of 
these 
individuals 
in 
support 
of 
the 
vision 
and 
mission 
of 
this 
project. 
In 
addition, 
each 
agency 
has 
committed 
specific 
expertise, 
resources, 
access 
and 
networks 
to 
the 
success 
of 
the 
collaboration. 
Furthermore, 
as 
specific 
collaborative 
strategies 
or 
initiatives 
are 
devised, 
the 
partner 
agencies 
are 
committed 
to 
respond 
in 
a 
timely 
way 
and 
to 
participate 
as 
requested 
by 
the 
collaborative. 


Each 
partner 
agency 
is 
committed 
to 
participating 
in 
every 
aspect 
of 
the 
planning 
and 
implementation 
process, 
including 
the 
creation 
of 
a 
collaboration 
charter, 
the 
development 
of 
a 
needs 
assessment 
plan, 
conducting 
the 
needs 
assessment 
and 
generating 
the 
needs 
assessment 
report, 
generating 
a 
strategic 
plan 
and 
overall 
project 
implementation. 
Each 
agency 
is 
also 
committed 
to 
a 
process 
of 
deepening 
collaborative 
relationships 
among 
partners, 
evaluating 
and 
revising 
its 
own 
policies 
and 
practices, 
and 
working 
to 
create 
meaningful 
and 
sustainable 
systems 
change. 


Domestic 
Violence 
& 
Mental 
Health 
Policy 
Initiative 
is 
a 
non-profit, 
non-governmental 
organization 
with 
a 
significant 
track 
record 
of 
providing 
training, 
technical 
assistance, 
and 
policy 
development 
in 
the 
area 
of 
building 
advocacy-and 
trauma-informed 
service 
systems 
for 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
(DV) 
and 
other 
lifetime 
trauma 
and/or 
psychiatric 
disabilities. 
DVMHPI 
is 
currently 
engaged 
in 
several 
multi-year 
capacity 
building 
efforts 
that 
provide 
a 
strong 
foundation 
for 
this 
project. 
Each 
involves 
the 
development 
and 
testing 
of 
collaborative 
service 
delivery 
models, 
the 
production 
of 
curricula 
and 
informational 
materials 
and 
the 
provision 
of 
training 
and 
technical 
assistance, 
with 
a 
long-term 
goal 
of 
system 
and 
policy 
change. 
Since 
1999, 
DVMHPI 
has 
been 
successful 
in 
fostering 
collaboration 
between 
domestic 
violence 
and 
mental 
health 
service 
providers 
both 
locally 
and 
nationally. 
DVMHPI 
also 
brings 
the 
expertise 
and 
resources 
of 
its 
DHHS-funded 
National 
Center 
on 
Domestic 
Violence, 
Trauma 
& 
Mental 
Health, 
its 
national 
partners 
and 
other 
in-house 
expertise 
to 
this 
initiative, 
including 
legal, 
practice 
and 
policy 
guidelines 
for 
DV 
programs 
on 
responding 
to 
survivors 
experiencing 
psychiatric 
disabilities 
(including 
compliance 
with 
ADA 
and 
Fair 
Housing 
Act); 
guidelines 
for 
mental 
health 
providers 
on 
responding 
to 
survivors 
of 
DV; 
recommendations 
for 


10 



creating 
DV-and 
trauma-informed 
services; 
strategies 
for 
supporting 
the 
parenting 
capacity 
of 
domestic 
violence 
survivors; 
and 
ongoing 
work 
on 
culturally-specific 
responses 
to 
trauma 
and 
domestic 
violence. 


DVMHPI 
commits 
staff 
and 
resources 
to 
this 
project 
to 
provide 
the 
following: 
project 
direction; 
fiscal 
management; 
logistical 
support 
for 
meetings 
and 
other 
activities 
and 
provision 
of 
meeting 
space. 
DVMHPI 
will 
also 
maintain 
records 
and 
data 
related 
to 
the 
collaborative 
and 
train 
and 
support 
members 
in 
the 
use 
of 
our 
web-based 
communication 
tool 
(BaseCamp). 
Both 
DVMHPIÕs 
Executive 
Director 
and 
Adult 
Trauma 
Specialist 
have 
over 
30 
years 
of 
experience 
in 
addressing 
these 
complex 
issues. 


Illinois 
Coalition 
Against 
Domestic 
Violence 
(ICADV) 
is 
an 
independent, 
non-profit, 
non-governmental 
domestic 
violence 
victim 
services 
organization 
representing 
53 
local 
domestic 
violence 
programs 
in 
the 
state 
of 
Illinois. 
ICADV 
commits 
staff 
(Executive 
Director/Associate 
Director) 
and 
resources 
to 
this 
project 
and 
is 
committed 
to 
participating 
in 
every 
phase 
of 
project 
activities. 
ICADV 
also 
brings 
knowledge 
and 
expertise 
about 
domestic 
violence 
and 
about 
DV 
programs, 
activities 
and 
policies 
in 
the 
state 
of 
Illinois. 
ICADV 
has 
a 
longstanding 
track 
record 
in 
addressing 
service 
accessibility 
issues, 
fostering 
community 
partnerships 
and 
developing 
innovative 
strategies 
for 
addressing 
unmet 
needs 
(for 
example 
child 
trauma 
services). 
ICADV 
is 
committed 
to 
building 
on 
these 
achievements 
to 
develop, 
pilot, 
and 
broadly 
implement 
new 
collaborative 
peer 
support/advocacy 
models 
for 
addressing 
the 
needs 
of 
survivors 
dealing 
with 
both 
domestic 
violence 
and 
psychiatric 
disabilities. 
It 
will 
communicate 
to 
its 
member 
programs 
about 
the 
collaboration 
on 
a 
regular 
basis 
and 
will 
encourage 
and 
support 
participation 
among 
potential 
project 
sites. 
In 
turn, 
the 
ICADV 
board 
which 
is 
compromised 
of 
the 
executive 
directors 
of 
its 
53 
member 
programs 
is 
committed 
to 
ensuring 
the 
success 
of 
this 
project. 
ICADV 
commits 
the 
time 
of 
its 
Executive 
Director 
and 
Associate 
Director 
as 
well 
as 
the 
provision 
of 
CEUs, 
as 
needed 
for 
any 
training 
activities 
generated 
by 
the 
project. 


Illinois 
Department 
of 
Human 
Services, 
Division 
of 
Mental 
Health 
(IDHS-DMH) 
is 
the 
state 
mental 
health 
authority, 
which 
operates 
nine 
psychiatric 
hospitals, 
funds 
160 
community 
agencies 
and 
supports 
a 
statewide 
network 
of 
Recovery 
Support 
Services. 
IDHS-DMH 
commits 
the 
time 
of 
its 
Mental 
Illness 
and 
Developmental 
Disabilities 
Services 
Coordinator, 
as 
well 
as 
the 
participation 
as 
indicated 
of 
its 
Associate 
Director 
of 
Hospital 
Operations 
and 
Recovery 
Support 
Services. 
IDHS-DMH 
will 
act 
as 
a 
liaison 
to 
ensure 
participation 
of 
state-funded 
mental 
health 
agencies 
and 
facilities 
(hospitals) 
and 
will 
encourage 
and 
support 
potential 
project 
sites 
and 
their 
staff 
to 
participate 
in 
activities 
proposed 
by 
the 
collaborative. 
IDHS-DMH 
will 
also 
contribute 
by 
facilitating 
the 
involvement 
of 
state-funded 
Recovery 
Support 
Specialists 
in 
our 
collaborative 
work. 
In 
addition, 
IDHS-DMH 
will 
arrange 
for 
space, 
audiovisual 
equipment, 
and 
videoconferencing, 
as 
needed. 
IDHS 
committed 
to 
this 
collaboration 
via 
the 
Director 
of 
the 
Division 
of 
Mental 
Health 
and 
will 
utilize 
its 
regional 
managers 
and 
Associate 
Director 
for 
Hospital 
Operations 
as 
well 
as 
its 
Director 
of 
Recovery 
Support 
Services 
to 
assure 
resource 
commitment 
in 
the 
pilot 
sites. 


11 



The 
Growing 
Place 
Empowerment 
Organization 
(GPEO) 
is 
a 
non-profit, 
non-
governmental 
mental 
health 
consumer 
advocacy 
organization, 
with 
statewide 
expertise 
in 
training 
and 
technical 
assistance 
on 
peer-driven 
recovery 
supports. 
GPEO 
will 
commit 
the 
time 
of 
its 
Project 
Director; 
and 
will 
provide 
expertise 
to 
the 
project 
on 
empowerment-based 
peer 
support 
recovery 
models 
and 
links 
to 
consumer 
advocacy 
groups 
throughout 
the 
state 
to 
ensure 
active 
involvement 
of 
mental 
health 
consumers 
and 
mental 
health 
consumer 
groups 
at 
all 
levels 
of 
planning, 
implementation 
and 
evaluation. 
GPEO 
will 
also 
play 
a 
key 
role 
in 
the 
development 
of 
any 
new 
consumer-
generated 
peer-support 
tools, 
educational 
materials 
and 
collaborative 
service 
models 
that 
may 
be 
developed 
by 
the 
project. 
GPEO 
has 
been 
instrumental 
in 
building 
support 
to 
establish 
mental 
health 
consumer-directed 
and 
operated 
Wellness 
and 
Recovery 
Centers 
throughout 
Illinois 
and 
will 
build 
on 
this 
commitment 
to 
ensure 
the 
success 
of 
the 
project. 


Thresholds 
is 
a 
non-profit, 
non-governmental 
mental 
health 
and 
psychosocial 
rehabilitation 
agency 
with 
105 
sites 
that 
annually 
serves 
approximately 
6,000 
individuals 
with 
psychiatric 
disabilities 
throughout 
metropolitan 
Chicago. 
It 
is 
a 
leader 
in 
recovery-oriented 
services 
and 
established 
an 
award-winning 
peer-run 
Recovery 
Drop-in 
and 
Resource 
Center 
that 
was 
the 
first 
of 
its 
kind 
in 
the 
state 
of 
Illinois. 
Thresholds 
will 
commit 
the 
time 
of 
its 
Trauma 
Committee 
Chair 
and 
Program 
Director 
of 
McHenry 
County 
as 
well 
as 
a 
consumer/trainer 
staff 
member 
with 
expertise 
in 
consumer-run 
recovery 
services. 
In 
addition, 
The 
Thresholds 
Institute, 
a 
leader 
in 
mental 
health 
training 
and 
research, 
will 
offer 
consultation 
and 
the 
use 
of 
its 
ÒHearing 
VoicesÓ 
curriculum. 
Thresholds 
will 
also 
provide 
expertise 
on 
psychosocial 
rehabilitation, 
creating 
trauma-informed 
programs 
and 
peer-support 
recovery 
models. 
Thresholds 
will 
share 
all 
effective 
assessment 
and 
implementation 
tools 
related 
to 
information 
collection 
and 
analysis 
and 
will 
assist 
in 
developing 
the 
needs 
assessment 
plan 
and 
analyzing 
the 
results. 


Life 
Span 
is 
a 
non-profit, 
non-governmental 
domestic 
violence 
victim 
services 
organization 
distinct 
experience 
and 
staff 
expertise 
in 
the 
legal 
concerns 
and 
issues 
surrounding 
advocacy 
for 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence. 
Life 
Span 
will 
commit 
the 
time 
of 
its 
Executive 
Director 
to 
provide 
broad 
perspective 
on 
issues 
of 
domestic 
violence, 
including 
the 
perspective 
of 
domestic 
violence 
advocates 
and 
survivors, 
as 
well 
as 
legal 
expertise 
on 
issues 
of 
confidentiality, 
record 
keeping, 
and 
other 
legal 
issues 
involving 
providing 
services 
to 
survivors 
of 
violence 
with 
disabilities. 
Life 
Span 
has 
provided 
services 
to 
domestic 
violence 
victims 
in 
Cook 
County 
for 
more 
than 
30 
years. 
This 
agency 
combines 
domestic 
violence 
counseling, 
criminal 
court 
advocacy, 
and 
legal 
services 
to 
offer 
their 
clients 
a 
unique 
perspective 
and 
comprehensive 
response 
to 
their 
services 
needs. 
Life 
Span 
has 
been 
involved 
in 
several 
strong, 
effective 
collaborations, 
including 
OVW 
funded 
projects. 
The 
experience 
of 
its 
Executive 
Director 
in 
working 
with 
partners 
with 
disparate 
interests 
toward 
a 
common 
goal 
will 
help 
our 
collaboration 
to 
achieve 
its 
mission 
and 
goals. 


12 



Individuals 


Representatives 
from 
the 
Domestic 
Violence 
& 
Mental 
Health 
Policy 
Initiative: 


¥ 
Executive 
Director 
(serving 
as 
grant 
Project 
Director) 
will 
be 
responsible 
for 
general 
oversight 
of 
the 
project 
and 
for 
ensuring 
that 
project 
requirements 
and 
goals 
are 
met. 
She 
will 
provide 
guidance 
on 
the 
development 
of 
materials 
developed 
by 
the 
project 
and 
will 
contribute 
expertise 
on 
domestic 
violence, 
trauma, 
mental 
health 
and 
psychiatric 
disabilities 
and 
on 
building 
cross-sector 
collaboration. 
¥ 
Project 
Manager 
(serving 
as 
grant 
Project 
Manager) 
will 
serve 
as 
the 
primary 
administrative 
liaison 
to 
the 
collaborative, 
maintain 
records 
and 
submit 
all 
required 
progress 
reports; 
provides 
day-to-day 
fiscal 
management, 
and 
serves 
as 
the 
central 
point 
for 
communication 
within 
the 
collaborative 
¥ 
Adult 
Trauma 
Specialist 
will 
provide 
trauma/domestic 
violence 
expertise 
as 
well 
as 
expertise 
on 
training 
and 
supervision, 
on 
working 
with 
survivors 
who 
experiencing 
cognitive 
disabilities 
in 
the 
context 
of 
trauma 
and 
mental 
illness, 
and 
on 
strategies 
for 
improving 
provider 
and 
agency 
practice. 
Representatives 
from 
the 
Illinois 
Coalition 
Against 
Domestic 
Violence 


¥ 
Executive 
Director9 
and 
Associate 
Director 
will 
jointly 
provide 
the 
following: 
statewide 
organizational 
knowledge, 
voice 
and 
expertise 
on 
domestic 
violence; 
representation 
of 
the 
collaboration 
to 
local 
domestic 
violence 
programs 
and 
their 
communities; 
and 
facilitation 
of 
communication 
about 
this 
project 
with 
the 
state 
agencies 
with 
which 
ICADV 
regularly 
worksÑOffice 
of 
the 
Illinois 
Attorney 
General, 
Illinois 
Violence 
Prevention 
Authority, 
Illinois 
Criminal 
Justice 
Information 
Authority, 
and 
the 
Illinois 
Department 
of 
Human 
Services, 
Office 
of 
Domestic 
and 
Sexual 
Violence 
Intervention 
and 
Prevention. 
In 
addition 
to 
grant-funded 
activities, 
they 
will 
also 
engage 
in 
state-level 
policy 
activities 
and 
in 
developing 
and 
implementing 
standards 
for 
Illinois 
DV 
programs 
on 
addressing 
domestic 
violence, 
trauma, 
mental 
health 
and 
mental 
illness, 
and 
providing 
services 
for 
DV 
survivors 
with 
psychiatric 
disabilities. 
Representative 
from 
the 
Illinois 
Department 
of 
Human 
Services, 
Division 
of 
Mental 
Health 
(IDHS-DMH): 


¥ 
Mental 
Illness 
and 
Developmental 
Disabilities 
Services 
Coordinator: 
will 
provide 
statewide 
knowledge 
about 
publicly 
funded 
mental 
health 
services 
in 
Illinois; 
represent 
the 
collaborative 
to 
IDHS/DMH; 
advocate 
for 
the 
collaborative 
with 
state 
psychiatric 
hospitals, 
community 
mental 
health 
agencies 
and 
IDHS-DMH 
administration; 
provide 
systems 
knowledge 
about 
the 
integration 
of 
recovery 
support 
programs 
and 
strategies 
within 
the 
state-funded 
mental 
health 
system; 
maintain 
communication 
within 
IDHS/DMH 
agencies 
and 
local 
mental 
health 
agencies; 
keep 
additional 
IDHS/DMH 
stakeholders 
informed 
about 
the 
project 
and 
solicit 
their 
participation 
as 
needed 
in 
various 
stages 
of 
the 
work 
(e.g., 
the 
Associate 
Director 
of 
Hospital 
Operations 
and 
the 
Director 
of 
Recovery 
Support 
Services) 
Representatives 
from 
the 
Growing 
Place 
Empowerment 
Organization 
(GPEO): 


13 



¥ 
Project 
Director 
of 
GPEO 
will 
provide 
statewide 
knowledge 
about 
recovery-based 
empowerment 
strategies 
and 
programs; 
advocacy 
for 
the 
collaborative 
with 
mental 
health 
consumer 
organizations; 
formal 
expertise 
as 
a 
certified 
trainer 
for 
empowerment-based 
wellness 
recovery 
planning 
for 
people 
with 
psychiatric 
disabilities 
and 
facilitation 
of 
communication 
about 
the 
project 
within 
the 
peer 
recovery 
self-advocacy 
community. 
Representatives 
from 
Thresholds: 


¥ 
Program 
Director 
of 
McHenry 
County/ 
Thresholds 
Trauma 
Committee 
Chair 
will 
be 
the 
point 
person 
for 
coordinating 
ThresholdsÕ 
involvement 
in 
the 
project. 
She 
brings 
her 
expertise 
on 
trauma 
and 
psychiatric 
disabilities, 
and 
in 
providing 
recovery 
oriented 
services 
in 
both 
rural 
and 
urban 
communities. 
As 
chair 
of 
the 
trauma 
committee, 
she 
has 
taken 
the 
lead 
in 
moving 
Thresholds 
toward 
responding 
more 
effectively 
to 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
other 
lifetime 
trauma. 


¥ 
Thresholds 
Research 
and 
Training 
Department: 
Training 
Associate 
brings 
her 
experience 
as 
a 
longtime 
consumer 
of 
mental 
health 
services, 
her 
personal 
experience 
as 
a 
trauma 
survivor 
and 
her 
expertise 
in 
peer 
support 
recovery 
and 
advocacy. 
Research 
Director: 
brings 
her 
expertise 
to 
assist 
the 
collaboration 
in 
the 
development 
and 
implementation 
of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
plan 
and 
in 
generating 
the 
needs 
assessment 
report. 
Representative 
from 
Life 
Span: 


¥ 
Executive 
Director 
will 
provide 
both 
national 
and 
statewide 
perspective 
and 
expertise 
on 
the 
legislative 
and 
policy 
structures 
that 
underlie 
services 
to 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
as 
well 
as 
her 
years 
of 
experience 
in 
the 
provision 
of 
services 
to 
domestic 
violence 
victims 
and 
as 
a 
supervisor 
and 
manager 
of 
an 
agency 
of 
30 
counselors, 
advocates 
and 
lawyers. 
She 
will 
also 
provide 
expert 
knowledge 
about 
civil 
legal 
matters 
related 
to 
psychiatric 
disabilities 
and 
to 
survivorsÕ 
accessing 
safety 
and 
recovery. 
Life 
SpanÕs 
Executive 
Director 
is 
known 
for 
her 
innovative 
work 
on 
issues 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
mental 
health 
in 
the 
legal 
system, 
and 
has 
represented 
many 
battered 
women 
with 
mental 
illness 
in 
family 
law 
matters 
and 
on 
appeal. 
She 
has 
published 
an 
article 
on 
this 
issue, 
and 
trained 
numerous 
national 
audiences 
on 
the 
issues 
of 
confidentiality, 
record 
keeping, 
and 
strategies 
for 
successful 
litigation 
in 
these 
cases. 
Ad 
Hoc 
Advisors 


¥ 
As 
our 
work 
progresses, 
we 
will 
solicit 
information 
and 
expertise 
from 
our 
broad 
networks 
of 
people/organizations 
outside 
of 
the 
core 
collaborators. 
As 
such 
situations 
arise 
we 
may 
engage 
these 
individuals 
and 
agencies 
at 
the 
level 
of 
ad 
hoc 
advisors 
to 
inform 
our 
work. 
Article 
5: 
Work 
Schedule, 
Policies, 
and 
Practices 


5-1 
Partner 
Meetings 


14 



DVMHPI 
will 
call 
and 
coordinate 
at 
least 
one 
monthly 
two-hour 
conference 
call 
and 
one 
half-day 
in-person 
meeting. 
When 
needed 
the 
group 
may 
engage 
in 
longer 
calls 
or 
convene 
more 
frequent 
meetings. 


Each 
member 
will 
make 
every 
attempt 
to 
participate 
in 
every 
meeting. 
The 
discussions 
and 
work 
completed 
during 
the 
meetings 
will 
be 
captured 
and 
documented 
by 
one 
or 
more 
members 
of 
the 
collaborative, 
and 
will 
be 
made 
available 
to 
all 
collaborative 
members. 
The 
responsibility 
of 
planning 
meetings 
is 
the 
responsibility 
of 
DVMHPI 
unless 
the 
work 
indicates 
otherwise 
(for 
example 
if 
a 
meeting 
will 
be 
held 
at 
a 
partner 
agency). 


5-2 
Decision 
Making 
Authority 


We 
operate 
from 
a 
consensus 
model, 
therefore 
any 
decision 
impacting 
the 
vision, 
mission 
or 
core 
activities 
of 
our 
collaboration 
must 
be 
made 
by 
the 
full 
collaboration. 
The 
majority 
of 
our 
collaborative 
members 
are 
also 
key 
decision-makers 
for 
their 
agencies 
and/or 
organizations 
(DVMHPI, 
Life 
Span, 
ICADV, 
GPEO). 
Collaborative 
members 
who 
do 
not 
have 
ultimate 
decision-making 
authority 
within 
their 
agencies 
or 
organizations 
(e.g. 
Thresholds, 
in 
some 
instances 
IDHS-DMH) 
will 
engage 
appropriate 
decision-making 
authorities 
(for 
example, 
Agency 
Directors, 
Boards 
of 
Directors) 
as 
needed 
to 
further 
the 
work 
of 
the 
collaborative. 
For 
example, 
for 
Thresholds, 
the 
collaborative 
called 
a 
special 
meeting 
with 
the 
CEO 
and 
Chief 
Clinical 
Officer 
to 
specify 
the 
Òsystems 
changeÓ 
aspect 
of 
the 
VAWA 
grant 
following 
the 
St. 
Louis 
meeting. 
Information 
regarding 
the 
collaborative 
project 
is 
reported 
on 
each 
month 
through 
the 
Trauma 
Committee 
chair 
and 
grant 
partner, 
Julie 
Gibson, 
to 
the 
agency 
Clinical 
Operations 
Committee 
chaired 
by 
the 
Chief 
Clinical 
Officer. 
For 
IDHS-DMH, 
Sandra 
Houghlund, 
who 
is 
the 
Mental 
Illness 
and 
Developmental 
Disabilities 
Services 
Coordinator, 
has 
considerable 
seniority 
within 
the 
division 
and 
has 
consistently 
been 
able 
to 
assist 
the 
collaborative 
in 
navigating 
within 
DMH 
in 
order 
to 
ensure 
that 
stakeholders 
and 
decision 
makers 
are 
apprised 
of 
the 
work 
of 
the 
project 
and 
its 
expectations, 
and 
to 
ensure 
access 
to 
necessary 
resources, 
Division 
involvement 
and 
approval. 


With 
regard 
to 
decisions 
involving 
collaborative 
partner 
agencies 
and/or 
organizations 
when 
the 
key 
decision-maker 
is 
not 
at 
the 
table, 
the 
following 
steps 
will 
be 
taken: 


For 
Thresholds: 
Trauma 
Committee 
chair 
and 
grant 
partner, 
Julie 
Gibson, 
will 
discuss 
any 
decisions 
affecting 
her 
agency 
with 
the 
Clinical 
Operations 
Committee 
chaired 
by 
the 
Chief 
Clinical 
Officer. 
Strategies 
will 
be 
developed 
and 
presented 
to 
the 
agencyÕs 
CEO. 
Involvement 
of 
additional 
collaborative 
members 
will 
be 
sought 
as 
deemed 
appropriate. 


For 
IDHS-DMH: 
Sandra 
Houghlund 
will 
discuss 
any 
decisions 
involving 
IDHS-DMH 
with 
appropriate 
decision 
makers 
for 
their 
input 
and 
approval. 
Involvement 
of 
additional 
collaborative 
members 
and 
other 
key 
stakeholders 
will 
be 
sought 
as 
deemed 
appropriate. 


15 



Decisions 
regarding 
the 
management 
of 
the 
day-to-day 
activities 
of 
the 
collaborative 
group, 
including 
but 
not 
limited 
to: 
grant 
reporting, 
meeting 
and 
conference 
call 
planning, 
travel 
arrangements, 
coordination 
of 
communication, 
etc., 
are 
the 
responsibility 
of 
the 
project 
director 
and 
project 
manager. 
In 
addition, 
the 
project 
director 
and 
project 
manager 
will 
make 
decisions 
regarding 
the 
fiscal 
administration 
of 
the 
grant, 
with 
clear 
consideration 
to 
what 
will 
benefit 
the 
larger 
collaborative. 
Input 
will 
be 
solicited 
from 
all 
collaborative 
members. 


5-3 
Internal 
Decision 
Making 
Process 


We 
commit 
ourselves 
to 
principles 
of 
ethical 
communication 
among 
ourselves 
and 
in 
our 
dealings 
with 
other 
organizations 
and 
individuals. 
As 
such 
we 
agree 
to 
approach 
our 
decisions 
with 
an 
attitude 
of 
flexibility 
and 
adaptability. 
When 
a 
formal 
decision 
making 
process 
is 
needed, 
we 
will 
follow 
the 
consensus 
process 
detailed 
below. 


Introductions 


¥ 
Clarify 
the 
process 
¥ 
Present 
a 
proposal 
or 
issue 
¥ 
Ask 
questions 
to 
clarify 
presentations 
and 
issues 
Level 
1: 
Broad 
Open 
Discussion: 


¥ 
Convene 
group 
discussion 
¥ 
Call 
for 
Consensus 
o 
If 
consensus 
is 
not 
reached, 
move 
to 
Levels 
2 
& 
3 
Level 
2: 
Identify 
Concerns 


¥ 
List 
any 
concerns 
¥ 
Identify 
group 
related 
concerns 
¥ 
Call 
for 
Consensus 
o 
If 
consensus 
is 
not 
reached, 
continue 
to 
Level 
3 
Level 
3: 
Resolve 
Concerns 


¥ 
Resolve 
group 
concerns 
¥ 
Restate 
remaining 
concerns 
¥ 
Ask 
questions 
to 
clarify 
concerns 
¥ 
Limit 
discussion 
to 
resolving 
one 
concern 
at 
a 
time 
¥ 
Call 
for 
Consensus 
Alternative 
Closing 
Options: 


¥ 
Stand 
aside 
¥ 
Send 
to 
Committee 
¥ 
Declare 
block 
and 
make 
an 
alternative 
proposal 
16 



5-4 
Conflict 
Resolution 
Process 


Our 
years 
of 
experience 
of 
working 
with 
each 
other 
and 
developing 
a 
respectful 
process 
for 
resolving 
philosophical 
differences 
and 
conflicting 
opinions 
and 
perspectives 
that 
has 
evolved 
into 
a 
shared 
vision, 
mission 
and 
goals 
gives 
us 
confidence 
that 
conflict 
at 
this 
point 
in 
our 
collaboration 
will 
be 
an 
uncommon 
situation. 
We 
view 
our 
collaborative 
as 
a 
Òcontinual 
learning 
organization.Ó 
Hence, 
given 
our 
deep 
respect 
for 
each 
othersÕ 
knowledge 
and 
experience, 
we 
assume 
that 
when 
differences 
of 
opinion 
or 
conflicts 
of 
interest 
arise, 
there 
are 
good 
reasons 
for 
that 
to 
be 
the 
case. 
When 
we 
listen 
carefully 
to 
each 
other, 
we 
each 
learn 
from 
the 
experience. 
Through 
this 
process, 
we 
have 
been 
able 
to 
come 
to 
resolutions 
that 
respect 
each 
of 
our 
needs 
and 
concerns. 
We 
will 
apply 
these 
lessons 
as 
we 
move 
forward 
with 
our 
pilot 
sites. 
As 
we 
work 
with 
the 
pilots, 
we 
will 
strive 
to 
establish 
the 
trust, 
commitment, 
shared 
vision 
and 
respect 
necessary 
to 
listen 
and 
learn 
from 
each 
other. 
This 
process, 
which 
mirrors 
that 
of 
our 
collaborative, 
will, 
in 
turn, 
lead 
to 
new 
collaborative 
strategies 
to 
achieve 
our 
overall 
goals 
while 
respecting 
the 
needs 
and 
concerns 
of 
each 
member. 


We 
also 
believe 
that 
our 
collaboration 
will 
benefit 
from 
a 
structure 
to 
resolve 
conflicts 
within 
our 
group, 
should 
they 
arise 
as 
our 
work 
moves 
forward. 


We 
will 
use 
the 
following 
process 
to 
resolve 
conflict. 


Basic 
Premises 


¥ 
All 
participants 
in 
this 
collaboration 
have 
equal 
power 
and 
value. 
¥ 
All 
participants 
agree 
to 
treat 
each 
other 
with 
respect 
and 
courtesy 
at 
all 
times. 
¥ 
Each 
participant 
may 
have 
requirements 
in 
relation 
to 
this 
collaboration 
that 
are 
unique 
to 
their 
agency 
or 
organization. 
¥ 
A 
goal 
of 
the 
collaboration 
is 
to 
retain 
all 
participants. 
¥ 
A 
goal 
of 
the 
collaboration 
is 
to 
develop 
policies, 
procedures, 
and 
substantive 
products 
that 
are 
not 
in 
conflict 
with 
any 
participant 
agencyÕs 
values, 
mission, 
or 
goals. 
Conflict 
Resolution 
Procedure: 


The 
collaboration 
will 
use 
the 
Conflict 
Resolution 
Procedure 
(CRP) 
when 
two 
or 
more 
participants 
cannot 
reach 
an 
agreement 
about 
an 
issue 
involving 
the 
collaborationÕs 
policies, 
procedures, 
substantive 
issues, 
work 
products, 
or 
any 
other 
matter 
of 
importance 
to 
the 
functioning 
of 
the 
collaboration. 
Any 
participant 
may 
ask 
to 
make 
use 
of 
the 
CRP 
when 
that 
participant 
believes 
that 
internal 
discussion 
and 
efforts 
to 
resolve 
the 
conflict 
have 
not 
been 
successful. 
The 
Conflict 
Resolution 
Policy 
assumes 
that 
the 
CRP 
will 
be 
needed 
by 
the 
collaboration 
in 
very 
rare 
circumstances, 
and 
that 
most 
disputes 
and 
conflicts 
will 
be 
resolved 
through 
respectful 
and 
thoughtful 
discussion 
within 
the 
collaboration. 
The 
Conflict 
Resolution 
Policy 
mandates 
that 
all 
resolutions 
of 
disputes 
will 
be 
in 
harmony 
with 
the 
overarching 
goals 
and 
policies 
of 
the 
collaboration 
as 
a 
whole. 


17 



¥ 
The 
participants 
who 
are 
having 
a 
conflict 
will 
be 
identified. 
¥ 
The 
issues 
which 
cannot 
be 
resolved 
will 
be 
identified 
and 
described. 
¥ 
Identifying 
the 
Issues: 
The 
participants 
having 
a 
conflict 
must 
agree 
that 
the 
issues 
are 
described 
accurately 
before 
the 
process 
can 
go 
forward. 
The 
participants 
may 
suggest 
changes 
to 
the 
issues 
statement 
so 
that 
the 
participants 
all 
believe 
that 
the 
issues 
are 
stated 
accurately. 
Any 
of 
the 
participants 
in 
conflict 
and/or 
any 
member 
of 
the 
collaboration 
can 
assist 
in 
identifying 
the 
issues. 
¥ 
Mediation: 
All 
participants 
agree 
that, 
if 
they 
cannot 
resolve 
a 
dispute 
or 
conflict, 
that 
the 
participants 
who 
are 
in 
conflict 
over 
that 
issue 
will 
mediate 
their 
dispute 
with 
a 
neutral 
mediator. 
The 
Vera 
Institute 
may 
be 
utilized 
to 
provide 
mediation 
as 
a 
part 
of 
the 
technical 
assistance 
services 
provided 
to 
this 
grant. 
Locally, 
the 
Center 
for 
Conflict 
Resolution 
is 
a 
nonprofit 
agency 
that 
may 
also 
be 
utilized, 
and 
which 
does 
not 
charge 
for 
its 
services. 
Participants 
will 
make 
every 
effort 
to 
mediate 
the 
dispute 
to 
a 
resolution 
with 
which 
each 
participant 
can 
agree. 
¥ 
In 
the 
event 
that 
the 
participantsÕ 
efforts 
at 
mediation 
are 
not 
successful, 
we 
will 
consult 
with 
OVW 
for 
their 
input 
and 
suggestions. 
Article 
6: 
Communication, 
Confidentiality 
& 
Mandatory 
Reporting 


6-1 
Internal 
Communication 
Plan 


In 
an 
effort 
to 
maintain 
consistently 
clear 
and 
open 
channels 
of 
communication, 
our 
collaborative 
group 
will 
use 
many 
methods 
of 
internal 
communication 
including: 


Twice 
monthly 
collaboration 
meetings 


¥ 
Conference 
call 
once 
per 
month: 
2+ 
hours 
¥ 
In-person 
meeting 
once 
per 
month: 
4 
hours 
-1 
¥¥¥ 
days 
¥ 
Email 
communication 
¥ 
Individual 
telephone 
communication 
¥ 
Paper 
based 
(mail) 
communication 
In 
addition 
to 
the 
above 
means 
of 
communication, 
our 
collaboration 
is 
utilizing 
a 
secure 
online 
project 
management 
website 
(BaseCamp) 
that 
allows 
the 
sharing 
of 
information, 
documents, 
calendars, 
and 
timelines. 


Communication 
with 
Collaborative 
MemberÕs 
Organizations 
Each 
collaborative 
member 
will 
report 
back 
to 
and 
share 
information 
about 
the 
work 
of 
the 
collaborative 
with 
her 
respective 
agency, 
and 
will 
share 
information 
about 
her 
individual 
agency 
with 
the 
larger 
collaborative 
group 
on 
a 
bi-weekly 
basis, 
as 
well. 
We 
will 
share 
information 
about 
this 
project 
through 
existing 
mechanisms 
such 
as 
regular 
staff 
meetings, 
newsletters 
and 
board 
of 
directors 
meetings. 


18 



6-2 
External 
Communication 
Plan 


Communication 
with 
the 
Vera 
Institute 
and 
OVW 


The 
project 
manager 
will 
maintain 
regular 
communication 
with 
our 
Vera 
program 
Associate, 
but 
any 
member 
is 
free 
to 
communicate 
directly 
with 
her. 
The 
Vera 
program 
associate 
will 
participate 
regularly 
in 
collaborative 
conference 
calls. 
The 
collaborative 
will 
also 
benefit 
from 
face-to-face 
meetings 
with 
our 
Vera 
associate 
during 
all-site 
meetings. 
Similarly, 
the 
project 
director 
will 
be 
the 
appointed 
representative 
to 
maintain 
communication 
with 
OVW. 


Communication 
with 
Other 
Stakeholders/Pilot 
Sites 
Communications 
(e.g., 
written, 
spoken, 
and 
electronic 
interactions) 
with 
individuals 
and 
organizations 
outside 
of 
the 
Project 
Team 
will 
be 
utilized 
to 
develop 
relationships 
with 
new 
stakeholders 
in 
Illinois 
and 
to 
create 
state-wide 
awareness 
about 
the 
progress 
of 
this 
project. 


The 
project 
teamÕs 
external 
communication 
plan 
will 
include 
but 
not 
be 
limited 
to 
the 
following: 


¥ 
The 
team 
will 
identify 
stakeholders 
throughout 
the 
time 
period 
allotted 
for 
this 
project 
and 
determine 
the 
best 
method 
of 
sharing 
project 
information. 
¥ 
All 
formal 
external 
communications 
will 
be 
approved 
by 
the 
collaborative 
¥ 
Any 
media 
inquiries 
will 
be 
referred 
to 
the 
Project 
Director 
6-3 
Media 
Plan 


We 
will 
maintain 
a 
set 
of 
talking 
points 
for 
responding 
to 
media 
inquiries 
and/or 
requests 
for 
information 
from 
the 
2007 
State 
of 
Illinois 
grant 
collaborative 
members 
related 
to 
information 
about 
this 
project. 
Talking 
points 
will 
be 
revised 
and 
updated 
by 
the 
collaborative 
as 
needed. 


All 
media 
inquiries 
in 
any 
form 
(phone, 
fax, 
in-person, 
electronically, 
or 
by 
any 
other 
means 
of 
communication) 
will 
be 
directed 
to 
the 
Project 
Director 
who 
will 
refer 
to 
these 
talking 
points. 
For 
questions 
and/or 
requests 
for 
information 
beyond 
the 
scope 
of 
the 
talking 
points, 
the 
project 
director 
will 
draft 
a 
response 
that 
will 
then 
be 
sent 
to 
all 
available 
collaborative 
members 
for 
review 
and 
approval 
within 
a 
48-hour 
time 
frame. 


6-4 
Confidentiality 


The 
2007 
State 
of 
Illinois 
collaborative 
will 
not 
be 
providing 
direct 
services 
to 
individuals. 
Collaborative 
members 
will 
share 
information 
about 
systems, 
rather 
than 
about 
individuals. 
However, 
there 
may 
be 
rare 
occasions 
when 
identifying 
information 
about 
individuals 
becomes 
known 
as 
we 
carry 
out 
the 
work 
of 
this 
project. 
Under 
these 
circumstances, 
any 
information 
revealed 
will 
be 
kept 
confidential 
within 
the 
group. 


With 
respect 
to 
agency-related 
confidentiality: 


19 



All 
collaborative 
members 
agree 
that, 
in 
order 
for 
our 
collaboration 
to 
be 
successful, 
members 
need 
to 
keep 
discussions 
held 
during 
meetings 
confidential. 
The 
results 
of 
discussions 
will 
be 
reported 
out 
as 
agreed 
by 
the 
collaborative 
members. 
In 
specific, 
information 
that 
is 
shared 
by 
or 
about 
individual 
collaboration 
members 
will 
be 
kept 
confidential. 


With 
respect 
to 
the 
confidentiality 
of 
individuals: 


All 
survivors 
require 
confidentiality 
in 
order 
to 
be 
safe, 
to 
be 
in 
control 
of 
designing 
their 
own 
path 
to 
safety 
and 
recovery, 
and 
to 
determine 
how 
they 
want 
to 
live 
their 
lives. 
When 
the 
project 
solicits 
information 
from 
survivors, 
we 
will 
develop 
a 
formal 
protocol 
for 
ensuring 
confidentiality 
and 
obtaining 
appropriate 
releases 
of 
information. 
We 
are 
committed 
to 
maintain 
the 
confidentiality 
of 
any 
survivorsÕ 
information; 
however 
we 
acknowledge 
that 
some 
collaboration 
members 
are 
mandatory 
reporters 
of 
child 
abuse 
and 
neglect 
or 
the 
abuse 
and 
neglect 
of 
persons 
with 
disabilities. 
We 
will 
work 
to 
ensure 
that 
survivors 
who 
become 
involved 
with 
the 
collaboration 
are 
aware 
of 
that 
mandate 
to 
report. 


As 
the 
project 
moves 
forward 
into 
the 
needs 
assessment 
phase 
that 
may 
involve 
survivor 
participation 
as 
well 
as 
individual 
agencies 
and 
their 
staff, 
the 
collaborative 
and 
all 
agencies 
involved 
will 
develop 
and 
submit 
an 
IRB 
application 
to 
the 
Hektoen 
Institute, 
LLC, 
and 
any 
and 
all 
work 
conducted 
as 
a 
part 
of 
this 
grant 
project 
will 
comply 
with 
IRB 
standards 
for 
the 
involvement 
and 
protection 
of 
agencies 
and 
individuals. 
In 
addition 
the 
collaborative 
and 
agencies 
will 
implement 
confidentiality 
procedures, 
and 
will 
ensure 
that 
each 
individual 
participating 
has 
given 
complete 
informed 
consent. 


6-5 
Mandatory 
Reporting 


Team 
members 
will 
review 
the 
implications 
of 
mandatory 
reporting 
at 
each 
point 
in 
the 
project. 
Survivors 
will 
be 
informed 
about 
mandatory 
reporting. 
Their 
rights 
of 
confidentiality 
and 
self-determination 
will 
be 
considered 
at 
every 
juncture. 


Reporting 
abuse 
and 
neglect: 


Information 
about 
specific 
collaborative 
member 
and 
pilot 
project 
agency 
policies, 
practices, 
and 
events 
may 
be 
obtained 
or 
observed 
in 
the 
course 
of 
our 
project 
work. 
Some 
collaborative 
members, 
IDHS/DMH 
staff 
in 
particular, 
are 
mandated 
to 
report 
abuse 
and 
neglect 
in 
IDHS 
facilities 
to 
the 
inspector 
general. 
Some 
collaboration 
members 
are 
mandatory 
reporters 
of 
child 
abuse 
and 
neglect 
or 
the 
abuse 
and 
neglect 
of 
persons 
with 
disabilities. 
We 
will 
work 
to 
ensure 
that 
survivors 
who 
become 
involved 
with 
the 
collaboration 
are 
aware 
of 
that 
mandate 
to 
report. 


20 



21 



Article 
7: 
Work 
Plan 


Collaborative 
Charter: 
To 
build/strengthen 
collaboration 
by 
developing 
knowledge 
Phase 
I: 
and 
understanding 
of 
other 
member 
organizations; 
develop 
mission 
& 
goals 
Dec 
Jan 
Feb 
Mar 
Apr 
May 
Jun 
Jul 
Aug 
Sep 


Develop 
knowledge 
of 
other 
members/orgs 
Develop 
vision, 
mission, 
and 
goals 
Determine 
how 
your 
group 
will 
work 
as 
a 
team 
Deliverable 
-Collaborative 
Charter 


Identifying 
Focus: 
To 
identify 
initial 
focus/areas 
of 
interest, 
which 
will 
shape 
your 
Phase 
II: 
needs 
assessment 
May 
Jun 
Jul 
Aug 
Sep 
Oct 
Nov 
Dec 
Jan 
Feb 


Identify 
Pilot 
Sites 
Explore 
site 
interest 
and 
commitment 
level 
Secure 
commitment 
of 
sites 
Secure 
commitment 
of 
decision 
makers 
Deliverable 
-Memo 
Outlining 
Focus 


Needs 
Assessment: 
To 
identify 
strenghts 
& 
needs 
of 
Phase 
III: 
Months 
collaboration; 
identify 
strenghts 
and 
Jun 
Jul 
Aug 
Sep 
Oct 
Nov 
Dec 
Jan 
Feb 
Mar 


Develop 
methodology 
for 
needs 
assessment 
Deliverable 
-Needs 
Assessment 
Proposal 
Carry 
out 
assessment 
Analyze 
data 
Draft 
report 
of 
key 
findings 
Deliverable 
-Final 
report 
of 
key 
findings 


Strategic 
Planning: 
To 
define 
your 
collaboration's 
goal; 
outline 
activities 
for 
implementation; 
Phase 
IV: 
include 
key 
partners, 
timeline, 
budget, 
& 
plans 
for 
Oct 
Nov 
Dec 
Jan 
Feb 
Mar 
Apr 
May 
Jun 
Jul 


Review 
findings 
from 
needs 
assessment 
Agree 
upon 
priority 
areas 
Develop 
strategies 
for 
change 
Draft 
and 
finalize 
plan 
Deliverable 
-Strategic 
Plan 


*The 
estimated 
times 
for 
completion 
are 
based 
on 
OVW 
and 
Vera 
Institute 
estimates 


22 



1 
World 
Health 
Organization, 
Adaptive 
Environments, 
Vera 
Institute 
2 
Source 
Engineering 
Council 
of 
South 
Africa 
3 
Fieldstone 
Alliance 
http://www.fieldstonealliance.org/client/client_pages/articles_tools/Article-
4_Key_Collab_Success.cfm 
4 
World 
Health 
Organization 
(www.who.int.), 
www.adaptiveenvironments.org, 
www.accessingsafety.org. 
5 
Adapted 
from 
Illinois 
Domestic 
Violence 
Act 
(IDVA 


6 


Sidran 
Institute 
and 
DVMHPI 
7 
Michael 
Winer 
and 
Karen 
Ray 
Collaboration 
Handbook,, 
Fieldstone 
Alliance, 
1994, 
p129. 
8 
From 
Illinois 
Domestic 
Violence 
Act 
(IDVA) 
9 
In 
addition, 
the 
Executive 
Director 
has 
participated 
as 
a 
collaborative 
member 
in 
the 
project 
since 
its 
beginning, 
and 
will 
continue 
to 
do 
so 
until 
her 
tenure 
with 
the 
organization 
ends 
mid-summer 
2008. 


23