Table of Contents 


Introduction.........................................................................................1 
Needs Assessment Plan.........................................................................2 
Appendix A: Discussion Groups with Women with Disabilities ..................15 
Appendix B: Discussion groups with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault 

Advocates..........................................................................................25 
Appendix C: Discussion groups with Disability Advocates........................29 



Introduction 

In October 2006, our collaborative was awarded funding by the Department of 
Justice, Office on Violence against Women. This collaborative, since named 
SurviveAbility, is a partnership between Lane County Department of Children and 
Families, Womenspace, Siuslaw Outreach Services (SOS), Sexual Assault 
Support Services (SASS), Lane Independent Living Alliance (LILA), Direction 
Service, Cottage Grove Community Sharing, ShelterCare, and VALID (a 
committee of the Lane County Domestic Violence Council). During Year One of 
this three-year project, the collaborative must conduct a needs assessment. 

The needs assessment will inform the development of a strategic plan to 
address gaps and needs within the services designed to support women 
with disabilities who have experienced violence or abuse. The geographic 
scope of the project is Lane County, Oregon. This document will describe 
the approach, methods, activities and time line of the needs assessment 
being conducted. 

Vision, mission and context for our work 

The vision of SurviveAbility: 
Women with disabilities and Deaf women throughout Lane County who 
have experienced violence and abuse will be empowered to disclose abuse 
and access services and safety. The services women seek will be 
accessible, responsive and informed because agencies throughout Lane 
County will understand and address the vulnerabilities, barriers and 
challenges that survivors encounter and will embrace the important role 
each plays in promoting safety for women with disabilities and Deaf 
women. 

The mission of SurviveAbility: 
The mission of SurviveAbility is to effect system change in Lane County 
around services for women with disabilities and Deaf women who have 
experienced violence or abuse. With the active participation by survivor 
consumers, we will: nurture better relationships between our agencies; 
provide cross training to collaboration members; integrate the experiences 
of women with disabilities and Deaf women into our agency policies and 
protocols; and, sustain our work beyond the grant funding. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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Global Assessment Questions: sessment Questions: 

The following broad questions will guide our needs assessment and 
subsequent strategic planning: 

1. 
What happens within our system that impedes the help-seeking 
behavior of survivors with disabilities when reaching out, and all 
that they try to do to get help fails? 
2. 
What are the capacities, strengths and limitations of the partner 
agencies in addressing the needs of women with disabilities who 
experience violence in their lives? 
3. 
What are the experiences of women with disabilities in reaching out 
to and in receiving services from either disability-oriented services 
or victimsÕ services? 
4. 
What are the experiences of direct service staff in working within 
their system and across systems and agencies? 
5. What are the opportunities for change within our systems? 
Needs Assessment Plan 

I. Create a narrower focus, existing data 
Narrowing the Focus: 

Our criteria for narrowing our scope included considering where we had 
influence to make sustainable change, where anecdotally we feel there lies 
the greatest need, where there appears the greatest readiness for change, 
and where we either hold a knowledge base or have existing relationships 
with that would be available to increase our knowledge base. Our 
underlying assumption is that it is most important to begin our efforts by 
focusing on our own areas of expertise, need and capacity. 

Based on this, we propose the following framework: 

Û 
Focus on women living in independent living situations 

Û 
Focus on points of entry for help-seeking behavior 

Û 
Focus on our agenciesÕ ability to serve women with disabilities who 

have experienced violence 

Existing Data: 

The development of the goals of the needs assessment and our global 
assessment questions were informed by existing prevalence data and 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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anecdotal agency-and system-related information from previously 
completed Agency Self-Awareness tool (Mary Oschwald, etal Ð Portland 
State University) and through collaborative discussions over the past year. 
agency-and system-related information from previously 
completed Agency Self-Awareness tool (Mary Oschwald, etal Ð Portland 
State University) and through collaborative discussions over the past year. 

We have gathered prevalence information from three key data sources 
within Lane County: Senior and Disabled Services, a Division of Lane 
Council of Governments (SDS), Lane County Developmental Disabilities 
Services (DD), and Lane County Human Services Commission (HSC). 
SDS and DD receive APS reports, and maintain separate databases, 
allowing collection of demographic and substantiation information on abuse 
allegations. HSC maintains an information system, capturing information 
on individuals served by HSC-funded Human Service agencies. The 
agencies participating in this information system offer basic needs, shelter, 
crisis response, and transitional living services throughout Lane County. 
For calendar year 2006 SDS received 126 allegations of abuse or neglect 
against female victims; DD received 53. HSC agency data indicates that 
for calendar year 2006, 200 female clients were identified as victims or 
survivors of domestic violence. This data will be presented in more detail in 
the Needs Assessment summary report, and be available for use during 
the strategic planning process. 

Anecdotal information from the Agency Self-Awareness tools helped 
identify general areas for further inquiry. These areas include: initial 
intake/screening, referral process, cross-agency communication, and 
orientation/training/cross-training for staff and volunteers. This information 
will guide development of Agency discussion group questions to help us 
delve deeper into those areas (see discussion group protocols, below). 

II. Target populations to be interviewed 
To accomplish the goals of our needs assessment we need to build upon 
the anecdotal information we have in order to create a more accurate and 
informed picture of strengths, gaps, and barriers of the current service 
delivery mode. To this end, we will gather information from staff within our 
partner agencies and from women with disabilities. Please see next 
section, Methodology, for outreach and protocol detail. 

III. Identify methodology used to acquire new data 
SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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A. Overview 
This needs assessment will involve both qualitative and quantitative data. 
Qualitative data will include discussion groups with agency staff and 
discussion groups and interviews with women with disabilities. Quantitative 
data will include demographic information from pre-interview surveys and 
existing data from Adult Protective Services (APS) reporting agencies and 
from Lane County Human Services Commission provider database. 

In addition to the primary partners listed in the introduction, we have 
recruited the assistance of Deborah Olson, Ph.D and Debra Eisert, Ph.D, 
from the University of Oregon. Dr. Olson has been on the faculty of Special 
Education and Clinical Services since 1989, teaching research methods 
and qualitative research for the College of Education. She co-chairs the 
Disability Studies Initiative and has worked with adults with disabilities for 
30 years. She has conducted many trainings and presentations on abuse 
against people with disabilities. Dr. Eisert has worked with the Institute on 
Violence and Destructive Behavior for eight years, and has extensive 
experience with clinical interviewing and working with people with disabilities. 
Both have extensive experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis. 

B. Quantitative data collection 
At the beginning of each discussion group or interview, we will administer a 
short survey. These surveys will be administered in a way that addresses 
the unique needs of the group and/or person responding, and will be 
designed to help participants focus on issues of service delivery and 
outreach. Additionally, the exercise will provide additional quantitative data 
for our needs assessment. 

C. Qualitative Data Collection 
To inform our needs assessment and strategic planning process we are 
going to conduct discussion groups and interviews with agency staff and 
women in Lane County. 

Agency Staff: We will conduct discussion groups within each of our seven 
partner agencies. Discussion groups will seek to gather responses from 
across organizational levels: direct service staff and 
supervisory/management level, including executive directors. Because of 
the differences in structure and size of our agencies, there will be 
differences in the number of discussion groups and positions involved. For 
instance, in some of the agencies, volunteers play such an integral role in 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

4 


providing services that they would certainly have valuable perspective to 
offer. We will conduct at least one group in each of the agencies and not 
more than three in any given agency. 
offer. We will conduct at least one group in each of the agencies and not 
more than three in any given agency. 

Specifically, we will conduct discussion groups at each of the partner 

agencies as follows: 

Û 
Cottage Grove Community Sharing Ð one group with paid staff 

and volunteers (7 participants); 

Û 
Direction Services Ð one group with Family Support Program 

staff (5 participants); 

Û 
LILA Ð two groups with paid staff (12 total participants); 

Û 
SASS Ð two groups, one for staff and active direct service 

volunteers who attend debriefing meetings, and one for all other 

volunteers (12 total participants); 

Û 
ShelterCare Ð three groups: one with staff from emergency 

housing programs, two with staff from mental health support 

programs (24 total participants); 

Û 
SOS Ð one group with paid staff (5 participants); 

Û 
Womenspace Ð two discussion groups: one with staff from the 

Advocacy Center and Crisis Services programs, and one with staff 

from the Transitions program (12 total participants). 

Women with Disabilities: 
In order to capture the voices of women with disabilities, we will use a two-
pronged approach, utilizing both discussion groups and 1:1 interviews with 
women. Discussion groups will allow us to be able to gather information 
from women who have established a level of comfort in accessing system 
or agency services. However, we also want to be sensitive to the particular 
accessibility and safety needs of women who live in rural areas, who may 
not feel comfortable identifying as either a woman with a disability and/or a 
survivor of violence or abuse in group settings, or for whom 1:1 interviews 
would accommodate different learning, safety, comfort, communication, or 
other needs (See section D, below for more information on Confidentiality, 
Safety, and Disclosure). Our goal is to recruit 20 to 30 women to 
participate in either discussion groups or 1:1 interviews (See section E, 
below for more information on Recruitment and Outreach). 

Discussion Group Protocol Overview: 

Discussion groups (both agency staff and women with disabilities) and 
interviews will begin with an explanation of SurviveAbility, the purpose of 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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the needs assessment, discussion of commonly used terms (i.e., domestic 
violence, abuse, disability, service provider, etc), explanation and examples 
of confidentiality and mandatory reporting, and explanation of the right to 
skip questions, take breaks, or end the interview. Agency staff groups will 
begin with a short survey, designed to orient participants to the process as 
well as gather some quantitative data. They will then go through the 
qualitative questions. 
violence, abuse, disability, service provider, etc), explanation and examples 
of confidentiality and mandatory reporting, and explanation of the right to 
skip questions, take breaks, or end the interview. Agency staff groups will 
begin with a short survey, designed to orient participants to the process as 
well as gather some quantitative data. They will then go through the 
qualitative questions. 

Discussion groups will take approximately two hours; interviews will take 
approximately one hour. Groups for women with disabilities will occur in 
neutral locations, taking into account transportation, accessibility, and 
space to allow the group or interview as well as nearby Òsafe roomÓ. This 
will be space away from the group room, but nearby. Support person, 
information/referral person, or simply time away will be available to any 
participant who needs a break. Groups with agency staff will take place at 
their agency or program location. Discussion groups for women with 
disabilities will be co-facilitated by one of our Community Consultants and 
either the project director or the DV Council coordinator. Agency staff 
discussion groups will be co-facilitated by the project director and the DV 
Council coordinator. We will provide everyone with training and 
preparation for conducting the discussion groups. 

Discussion groups with women with disabilities will begin with food and an 
orientation. This will allow participants to settle in, identify for facilitators 
any additional support requested, and learn about the intent of the 
discussion group. The orientation will also clarify for participants the nature 
of the discussion group: that this is not intended to be a support group, and 
that we are hoping to hear from them their perceptions of services and 
gather their recommendations for improvements. As described in the 
script, below, women can end their participation at any time, for any 
reason, including deciding that the group is not what they originally 
perceived. 

D. Confidentiality, safety and disclosure 
Confidentiality: 

Confidentiality will be maintained throughout the discussion groups and 
interview process. At the beginning of each session, participants will be 
informed that we will not be recording names or contact information. We 
will also offer reminders of the confidentiality throughout the discussion 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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group, along with examples of keeping confidentiality. We will ask 
permission to tape the discussion or interview, explaining that the tapes will 
be destroyed as soon as the information is compiled. During the session, 
we will use placards with letters instead of individualsÕ names to help 
increase confidentiality. Notes will be kept in a locked file with access 
limited to project staff and Dr.Õ Eisert and Olson. Notes will be destroyed 
within six months. 
ity. We will ask 
permission to tape the discussion or interview, explaining that the tapes will 
be destroyed as soon as the information is compiled. During the session, 
we will use placards with letters instead of individualsÕ names to help 
increase confidentiality. Notes will be kept in a locked file with access 
limited to project staff and Dr.Õ Eisert and Olson. Notes will be destroyed 
within six months. 

Information from individual agency staff discussion groups will not be 
distributed beyond the collaboration and the funder. We will aggregate 
information across survivor advocacy agencies and across disability 
advocacy agencies in a summary report for broader distribution. For 
example, we may find a common theme among disability advocacy 
agencies related to lack of posters, brochures, or other material related to 
violence against women. Notes and/or audio-tapes of the discussion 
groups will be destroyed within six months. As above, all materials will be 
kept in a locked file cabinet with limited access. 

Disclosure: 

We recognize that, while our discussion groups and interviews are not 
intended to be support groups, disclosures of personal experiences may 
occur. In order to respond appropriately, we will have advocates and/or 
support people available on site, and participants will be encouraged to 
check in with the support person if needed. Scripts and questions will be 
geared to discussion of services and supports, asking for input, 
perceptions, and recommendations for agency improvement, as one 
strategy for steering conversation and discussion away from personal 
disclosure. This will include frequent reminders that the needs assessment 
is intended to help SurviveAbility collaborative work towards improving 
services for the future. 

Another important strategy to help address safety and disclosure is setting 
up a process to respond if a discussion group participant discloses 
personal experiences of abuse or violence. That individual will be offered 
immediate support, both in that moment and at the completion of the 
session. Support includes reminding participants that they may take a 
break or end their participation at any time for any reason, specifically 
offering to take a break at that moment, and ensuring that during 
discussion groups and interviews with women with disabilities, we will have 
a domestic violence and/or sexual assault advocate present to speak with 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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survivors if the need arises. In addition, we will be prepared to provide 
appropriate, local resource information for any participant. All participants 
will be offered referral and follow-up support information. 
we will be prepared to provide 
appropriate, local resource information for any participant. All participants 
will be offered referral and follow-up support information. 

We will also review mandatory reporting requirements with all group 
facilitators and support people. Participants will be informed of any 
mandatory reporting requirements at the beginning of the discussion group 
and will be reminded of these as needed through the process. 

In the State of Oregon, mandatory reporting requirements for vulnerable 
populations apply to persons under the age of 18 and over the age of 65. 
While this indicates legal mandates would not apply to co-facilitators of our 
discussion groups, we do understand the perspective of best practices. In 
this vein, in the event that a participant begins to disclose, we will invite and 
support that person to tell their story in private to a support person. They 
will be supported in thinking through the decision to report the abuse. 
Support people will have an understanding of the goals and principles of 
empowerment, and will understand their role as active listeners. 

Safety: 

Safety is important when discussing experiences of domestic or sexual 
violence. Thus, we have structured our needs assessment to be sensitive 
to these issues. Participants will be informed at the beginning of the 
discussion group or interview that they can skip questions, take a break, or 
end the process at any time, should they need, and facilitators will offer 
reminders of this throughout the process. We will emphasize that people 
can take a break for any reason, including restroom, cigarette, snack 
breaks, if they need to answer their cell phone, etc to help remove 
assumptions around why one might take a break. 

Groups and interviews will conclude with a debrief and an offer of referral 
information, not limited to abuse resources, but also including general basic 
needs or other often-requested information/referral needs. These 
resources will be selected based on the ability to provide appropriate, 
accessible and sensitive services. Part of creating a safe and responsive 
environment is being able to connect participants with resources they 
identify as relevant and meaningful Ð if we want to create a safe 
environment, we need to be able to respond to needs that women, not us, 
identify as helpful in the context of their lives. All participants will be offered 
referral and follow-up support information, and we will have a support 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

8 


person assigned to help with information/referral. This person will have 
access to the local web-based services directory, 2-1-1Lane, to facilitate 
connections with services (See 
access to the local web-based services directory, 2-1-1Lane, to facilitate 
connections with services (See www.211lane.org). 

E. Recruitment and Outreach 
Outreach and recruitment of women with disabilities must be planned with 
safety and respect firmly in mind. Given this, we propose a layered 
approach to outreach/recruitment. 

Initial outreach will seek to recruit women to participate in a 
focus/discussion group. As noted above, it is important to respond to 
individual needs, thus we will also be prepared to offer 1:1 interviews in 
order to be sensitive to the particular accessibility and safety needs of 
women who live in rural areas, who may not feel comfortable identifying as 
either a woman with a disability and/or a survivor of violence or abuse in 
group settings, or for whom 1:1 interviews would accommodate different 
learning, safety, comfort, communication, or other needs. 

Agency staff from the primary partners as well as a broader network of 
agencies and groups that is natural contact points for women with 
disabilities will recruit participants for our WWD discussion groups. To 
prepare the staff of each agency or group for this recruitment, we will 
explain the nature of our discussion groups and the goals of our Needs 
Assessment. In turn, the staff of each agency will consider their case loads 
and recruit appropriately. To guide them in this, we have created a 
handout with frequently asked questions. Participants for discussion 
groups with women with disabilities will be recruited through word of mouth 
and frequently-asked-question handouts distributed to staff at our partner 
agencies, our broader provider network, and members of the Lane County 
Domestic Violence Council. The handouts are not intended for public 
posting, rather as reminders and information for agency staff to use to help 
recruit participants. Handouts will include information about overall 
project, SurviveAbility, the Needs Assessment plan and subsequent 
strategic planning process, and to go over the discussion group protocols. 
Members of SurviveAbility will meet with staff or contacts from our broader 
network to discuss outreach and recruitment details, such as notification of 
accommodations, scheduling, incentives, and other support available (i.e., 
transportation). We will ask the contact people to support women who are 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

9 


interested in participating to make contact with us to sign up for a 
scheduled group, and to determine how we can support their participation. 
terested in participating to make contact with us to sign up for a 
scheduled group, and to determine how we can support their participation. 

The broader outreach includes Senior and Disabled Services, Laurel Hill 
Center, support groups/offices at the University of Oregon and Lane 
Community College, Full Access Brokerage, Pearl Buck, City of Eugene 
RecreationÕs specialized recreation program, Oregon Department of 
Human ServicesÕ Vocational Rehabilitation and Self-Sufficiency (TAN-F) 
programs, and Lane Transit District. These agencies were brainstormed as 
potential recruitment resources for women who may not have accessed 
services offered by our primary partners. The agencies listed provide 
services and supports to a much broader range of Lane County residents. 

Participants for the agency staff discussion groups will be recruited from 
our seven primary partner agencies, as described above in section III-C. 
Project staff will coordinate with the SurviveAbility agency representative 
and each agencyÕs management team to facilitate recruitment and 
participation. 

Incentives: 

Women with disabilities who participate in discussion groups or 1:1 
interviews will receive $20 in appreciation for their participation. 
Participants will receive the incentive regardless of completion of 
discussion group or interview. 

Scheduling and Logistics: 

We will schedule a variety of discussion group sessions, different days and 
times, ensuring scheduling sessions in Cottage Grove and 
Florence/Mapleton. Our recruitment information will list the days, times, 
and general locations of the pre-scheduled sessions. Women who are 
interested will be asked to pick a time/place that is most convenient for 
them. At this time, we will also be sensitive to the need to offer 1:1 
interviews, as described above. We will attempt to overbook sessions by 
two to three potential participants, knowing that women may change their 
mind or have competing demands take precedence. As stated above, we 
are seeking 20 to 30 women to participate in either discussion groups or 

1:1 interviews. 
Agency staff discussion groups will be scheduled during existing staff or 
program meetings, when appropriate. If this does not seem appropriate, 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

10 


the group co-facilitators will work with the agency to arrange times and 
locations. 
-facilitators will work with the agency to arrange times and 
locations. 

F. Accessibility 
Our outreach efforts and response rate will be monitored to ensure we 
have a sampling from rural and urban areas, as well as women who identify 
as having physical, sensory, mental, and cognitive disabilities. We will 
request information from discussion group and interview participants 
regarding accommodations to be provided when they contact us to pick 
their discussion group time. Written materials and interview tools will utilize 
plain language techniques, large-print format, and Braille upon request. 
Sign language or other interpreters will be made available on request. If 
possible, we will hold the discussion groups in meeting facilities that are 
looped for hearing assist devices; if this is not possible, we will arrange for 
portable systems. In addition to plain language technology, we will be 
prepared to assist with individuals who request assistance with reading and 
understanding materials. Chart notes will use words and pictures to help 
address learning differences. We are fortunate to have, through our 
collaborative partners, expertise in these areas, and have budgeted to be 
able to provide interpreters and alternative communication, i.e. Braille, 
large print, and taped information. 

Meeting facilities will be selected based on accessibility. This includes 
considering transportation, centrality, neutrality and comfort. Accessibility 
and safety considerations lead us to believe it is important to hold meetings 
in locations that are not commonly associated with an issue based agency, 
such as sexual assault and disability. This will work to alleviate the potential 
labeling that could occur and be accessible to women who may not feel 
comfortable with entering somewhere that could label her. 

IV. Compile/Analyze data, Identify key activities for strategic plan 
A. Data and Themes 
As described above, this needs assessment will involve both qualitative 
and quantitative data. Data will be compiled in a visual format to be used 
to help us answer our questions and to identify emerging themes and gaps. 
Qualitative data will be presented using an evaluation matrix. Quantitative 
data from SDS, DD, and HSC, along with quantitative data from the pre-
surveys, will be presented in table form. We will create a summary report, 
in consultation with ASI technical assistance staff. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

11 


B. . Prioritization, Strategic Planning 
A work group, including our UO consultants, Dr.Õs Olson and Eisert will 
examine the compiled data and identified themes to identify focus areas to 
be addressed during the implementation phase of this grant project. These 
focus areas will be reviewed, discussed and narrowed by the SurviveAbility 
executive committee. The final recommended activities that are agreed to 
by the collaborative partners will then be written into the strategic plan to 
guide our work over the remaining years of the grant. This strategic plan 
will be developed and written in consultation with the Accessing Safety 
Initiative Technical Assistance team. When completed, the plan will be 
submitted to OVW for approval. 

As a group, we created criteria to assist in the narrowing of focus areas for 
strategic planning and implementation. The criteria we will use to narrow 
our themes, issues, and gaps to be prioritized during implementation 
include: 

Û 
fit with collaborative and agenciesÕ mission statements, 

Û 
feasibility, 

Û 
fit with legal mandates and/or restrictions, 

Û 
urgency of the need or gap, 

Û 
level of priority indicated by women with disabilities, 

Û 
sustainability. 

These criteria will help us filter down to two to five areas to be addressed 
during the implementation phase. We will seek to identify our focus areas 
as either agency or system specific versus collaborative- or community-
wide. The strategic plan will then outline strategies to be undertaken to 
impact those areas. We will utilize the strategic planning matrix (Karen Ray 
Associates) as one tool to assist in the prioritization and timeline process. 

V. Distribute Findings 
A. Members of our collaboration 
SurviveAbility members will receive a detailed summary of the data, 
including identified themes. This summary will include a visual, showing 
how each theme aligns with the criteria, listed above. Partner agencies will 
also receive detailed summaries of information regarding their agency, as 
gathered from all information-collecting activities. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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B. Participants in the Needs and Assets Assessment 
We will offer a copy of the summary report to those individuals who were 
interviewed or participated in a focus group. We will also offer to the key 
informants in SDS, DD, and HSC who provided us with quantitative data. 
They will also be offered a summary of our Strategic Plan 

C. Other Key Stakeholders and Potential Decision-Makers 
We will present a summary of our findings to the Lane County Domestic 
Violence Council. The summary report will be made available to the Lane 
County Board of County Commissioners. In addition, this report will be 
made available to local and state-wide legislative action groups. 

VI. Estimated timeline 
November 2007 February 
2008 
Develop needs assessment plan in 
consultation with Vera. 
December 2007 March 
2008 
Develop needs assessment research 
tools in consultation with Vera. Submit 
needs assessment plan and research 
tools to OVW for review and approval. 
March Ð April 2008 Needs assessment implementation 
April 2008 Compile data and develop findings; 
develop summary report. Create 
strategic plan for 2008-2009 in 
consultation with Vera. 
April - May 2008 Strategic plan reviewed and approved 
by OVW. 

A. Tool development 
Most of the data we plan to collect in the needs assessment will come from 
discussion groups and interviews with individuals and organizational 
representatives from our target groups. The tools were developed in 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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consultation with the Vera Institute for Justice, and are attached as an 
appendix to this document. 
Vera Institute for Justice, and are attached as an 
appendix to this document. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 


Appendix A: Discussion Groups with Women with 
Disabilities 
Discussion Groups with Women with 
Disabilities 

Protocol 
Introduction: 

Step 1 Check in with participants about needed accommodations, and offer 
information on bathroom locations, rules regarding smoking, etc. 
Announce that even though we donÕt have breaks scheduled, people 
should feel comfortable taking a break if they want to or need to, for the 
restroom, for a snack, if they need to answer their cell phone, if the 
conversation is tiring, etc. 

1. Introduce yourself. 
2. Thank the women for participating. 
3. Review any mandatory reporting requirements. 
Step 2 Information about the Project: 

Purpose SurviveAbility is made up of agencies who have come together to 
begin addressing gaps and needs within the services designed to support 
women with disabilities who have experienced violence or abuse. Our 
vision is that women with disabilities and Deaf women throughout Lane 
County who have experienced violence and abuse will be empowered to 
disclose abuse and access services and safety. These services will be 
accessible, responsive and informed by you, who will help our agencies 
understand and address the vulnerabilities, barriers and challenges that 
survivors encounter. 

Confidentiality during our discussion groups we will not be recording 
names or contact information. We will be audio-taping and taking 
handwritten notes to capture the important information you will be sharing 
with us today. Both, audio-tapes and handwritten notes will be locked in a 
filing cabinet and will only be available to Program and Research Staff and 
will be destroyed within 6 months. We will be using placards with letters to 
identify you, rather than using your name. It is also important for you not to 
talk about things that are said during our discussion group. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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Safety please remember that our biggest concern is you. You donÕt have to 
answer questions if you donÕt want to. You should take breaks for any 
reason, without asking permission. We understand that some of the 
conversations might be uncomfortable, so if that happens, take a break, go 
to the room we have set up next door and relax for a minute or talk with 
one of our support people if you want to. If you have questions about 
something going on in your life right now, we have someone set up to offer 
information and referral to other agencies and services that may be of help 
to you. Everyone has a right to leave or take a break without being judged. 
please remember that our biggest concern is you. You donÕt have to 
answer questions if you donÕt want to. You should take breaks for any 
reason, without asking permission. We understand that some of the 
conversations might be uncomfortable, so if that happens, take a break, go 
to the room we have set up next door and relax for a minute or talk with 
one of our support people if you want to. If you have questions about 
something going on in your life right now, we have someone set up to offer 
information and referral to other agencies and services that may be of help 
to you. Everyone has a right to leave or take a break without being judged. 

Housekeeping participating in this group is completely voluntary. You do 
not need to complete the discussion group to be given your $20 stipend. 
We appreciate you sharing and taking any time you have to be here. 
Please remember that we want to hear from you about services: What 
works, what doesnÕt how we can do better. If you want to talk more about 
something that may have happened to you or someone you know, feel free 
to talk with one of our support people Ð they are here for you. Finally, if any 
of us have concerns for your safety, we will discuss that with you and talk 
about options. 

Do you have any questions? 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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Consent Form Review Process: 

Read and review the following points from the consent form: 
Check off 

_______ Thank you for your participation in this discussion. Participation in 
an interview means you will be asked to discuss your experiences with 
getting help or support for domestic or sexual abuse. 

_____ Before we go on, we want to see if you have any questions about 
the project. So, do you have any questions about the project or our 
discussion group from what we talked about before? 

_______ Everything said in the discussion will be audio tape recorded 
and written notes will also be taken. 

_______ This meeting will take about two hours. 

_______ We will give you $20 for participating. As we talked about 
before, if you canÕt or choose not to finish, you will still receive the thank 
you money. 

_______ Talking in a group like this does have some risks. We want you 
to be aware of the risks before you decide whether you want to participate. 

_______ YOU MAY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ANSWERING SOME OF 
THE QUESTIONS WE ASK YOU. If there is a question you don't want to 
answer, just say you would like to pass. Or, if you decide after you have 
begun talking that you don't want to continue, just tell us. You can quit at 
any point. And, you can take a break any time you need or want to, for any 
reason at all. We have people here who you can talk to or ask for help, if 
you want to do that. 

_______ YOU MAY BE WORRIED THAT OTHER PEOPLE WILL FIND 
OUT WHAT YOU HAVE TOLD US. Only the people who work on this 
project will have access to the audiotapes and questionnaires, and they are 
trained in keeping things confidential. To make it very unlikely that anyone 
outside our project could find out what you tell us, we don't keep your name 
on any information you give us, except on your payment receipt. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

17 


________ BECAUSE WE WANT TO HONOR PRIVACY, WE WANT TO 
TALK ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY. We would like to have everyone agree 
that what gets said in the group stays in the group. Sometimes people 
might say things they want us all to help keep private. And even though we 
ask everyone to help keep our group private, it is possible that someone 
might say something outside of the group. This is one reason we 
encourage you to not use names, and to talk about the services and help 
you needed or used. 
_ BECAUSE WE WANT TO HONOR PRIVACY, WE WANT TO 
TALK ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY. We would like to have everyone agree 
that what gets said in the group stays in the group. Sometimes people 
might say things they want us all to help keep private. And even though we 
ask everyone to help keep our group private, it is possible that someone 
might say something outside of the group. This is one reason we 
encourage you to not use names, and to talk about the services and help 
you needed or used. 

_______ Sometimes if you give us information about being hurt or 
hurting others or yourself, we may have to report that to authorities. If that 
happens, we will let you know. We also have people here that you can talk 
to about your story, and who can help you decide about reporting to the 
authorities. 

Please read through your copy of the consent form and ask us any 
questions you might have. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

18 


Definitions of terms Ð Read and Review these definitions before 
continuing: 
s Ð Read and Review these definitions before 
continuing: 

Working definitions 

ÒDisabilityÓ -means anyone with mobility, sensory, or communication 
issues; mental illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities; or are 
Deaf or hard of hearing. We also know that sometimes people may not 
be ÒdiagnosedÓ, but still experience disability 

ÒSexual violenceÓ Ð can mean when a person is forced or pressured into 
doing something sexual that they donÕt want to do. Sexual violence can 
be an assault by someone that you know or someone who is a stranger. 
It can also be unwanted sexual comments, violating a personÕs 
boundaries, or sexual harassment. Sexual violence is any behavior of a 
sexual nature that makes you feel uncomfortable. 

ÒDomestic violenceÓ - means a pattern of abuse or control control, 
including physical, sexual, financial, spiritual, psychological, and medical. 
The abuser might be a spouse, intimate partner, someone you date, 
partner, ex- partner or ex -spouse. The abuser might try to gain control or 
abuse by making the other person feel isolated, afraid of being hurt, afraid 
of losing their money or their independence. Abusers might criticize the 
other person to make them feel bad about themselves. Sometimes they 
might take away medicine, or take away mobility or communication 
equipment. Sexual pressure, withdrawing, discomfort, or abuse can also 
be ways the abuser gains control. 

ÒCaregiver violence Ð is when a caregiver abuses someone who they are 
supposed to be helping. This can be physical or sexual abuse. It can 
also be things like taking away medicines or assist devices that are 
important to a person with a disability, it can mean refusing to help you 
get to the places you need or want to go. 

ÒSurvivorÓ -Is a person who has experienced domestic violence or sexual 
violence. 

ÒCaregiverÓ Ð is someone who helps a person with a disability to provide 
support they need because of the disability. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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Discussion Group Questions: Questions: 

1. Who in your community helps you the best? What makes their service 
or help the best? Can you give some examples of a helpful service 
provider? Why did you like what they did? 
2. A lot of women donÕt reach out for help. What would help women to 
reach out? 
3. Who do women in your life reach out to and why? [FU: Have you or 
someone you know ever started to tell someone about a time someone 
was hurt or abused but then decided to stop telling? If so, can you explain 
what happened to stop you or that person from telling? What sorts of 
things made it hard to ask for help or support? What help do you wish 
agencies would provide? 
4. Did you go to any of these places to ask for help or support for yourself 
or someone you know? {HAVE our agencies listed on chart paper, and 
read them} [FU: why or why not? Did you get help you wanted or needed? 
5. What is the most important thing service providers need to know about 
helping women with disabilities who have been hurt or abused? What do 
you think agencies could do differently? Is there anything else you want us 
to know about how agencies can be more helpful to women with disabilities 
who have been hurt or abused? 
SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

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NOTE: As mentioned in the Data Collection and Recruitment/Outreach 
sections, we feel it is important to be prepared to offer interviews for 
women who may not feel comfortable or able to participate in discussion 
groups. 

The questions for interviews will be the same as the discussion groups. 
The introductory protocol will be as follows: 


Protocol 
Introduction: 
Step 1 Check in with participants about needed accommodations, and offer 
information on bathroom locations, rules regarding smoking, etc. 
Announce that even though we donÕt have breaks scheduled, you should 
feel comfortable taking a break if you want to or need to, for the restroom, 
for a snack, if you need to answer your cell phone, if the conversation is 
tiring, etc. 


1. Introduce yourself. 
2. Thank the woman for participating. 
3. Review any mandatory reporting requirements. 
Step 2 Information about the Project: 

Purpose SurviveAbility is made up of agencies who have come together to 
begin addressing gaps and needs within the services designed to support 
women with disabilities who have experienced violence or abuse. Our 
vision is that women with disabilities and Deaf women throughout Lane 
County who have experienced violence and abuse will be empowered to 
disclose abuse and access services and safety. These services will be 
accessible, responsive and informed by you, who will help our agencies 
understand and address the vulnerabilities, barriers and challenges that 
survivors encounter. 

Confidentiality during our interview, we will not be recording names or 
contact information. We will be audio-taping and taking handwritten notes 
to capture the important information you will be sharing with us today. Both, 
audio-tapes and handwritten notes will be locked in a filing cabinet and will 
only be available to Program and Research Staff and will be destroyed 
within 6 months. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

21 


Safety please remember that our biggest concern is you. You donÕt have to 
answer questions if you donÕt want to. You should take breaks for any 
reason, without asking permission. We understand that some of the 
conversations might be uncomfortable, so if that happens, take a break, go 
to the room we have set up next door and relax for a minute or talk with 
one of our support people if you feel you need to talk to someone one on 
one. If you have questions about something going on in your life right now, 
we have someone set up to offer information and referral to other agencies 
and services that may be of help to you. Everyone has a right to leave or 
take a break without being judged. 
please remember that our biggest concern is you. You donÕt have to 
answer questions if you donÕt want to. You should take breaks for any 
reason, without asking permission. We understand that some of the 
conversations might be uncomfortable, so if that happens, take a break, go 
to the room we have set up next door and relax for a minute or talk with 
one of our support people if you feel you need to talk to someone one on 
one. If you have questions about something going on in your life right now, 
we have someone set up to offer information and referral to other agencies 
and services that may be of help to you. Everyone has a right to leave or 
take a break without being judged. 

Housekeeping participating in this interview is completely voluntary. You 
do not need to complete the discussion group to be given your $20 stipend. 
We appreciate you sharing and taking any time you have to be here. 
Please remember that we want to hear from you about services: What 
works, what doesnÕt, how we can do better. If you want to talk more about 
something that may have happened to you or someone you know, feel free 
to talk with one of our support people Ð they are here for you. Finally, if any 
of us have concerns for your safety, we will discuss that with you and talk 
about options. 

Do you have any questions? 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

22 


Consent Form Review Process: s: 

Read and review the following points from the consent form: 
Check off 

_______ Thank you for your participation in this interview. Participation in 
an interview means you will be asked to discuss your experiences with 
getting help or support for domestic or sexual abuse. 

_____ Before we go on, we want to see if you have any questions about 
the project. So, do you have any questions about the project or our 
discussion group from what we talked about before? 

_______ Everything said in the interview will be audio tape recorded and 
notes will be taken. 

_______ This interview will take about two hours. 

_______ We will give you $20 for participating. As we talked about 
before, if you canÕt or choose not to finish, you will still receive the thank 
you money. 

_______ Being interviewed like this does have some risks. We want you 
to be aware of the risks before you decide whether you want to participate. 

_______ YOU MAY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ANSWERING SOME OF 
THE QUESTIONS WE ASK YOU. If there is a question you don't want to 
answer, just say you would like to pass. Or, if you decide after you have 
begun talking that you don't want to continue, just tell us. You can quit at 
any point. And, you can take a break any time you need or want to, for any 
reason at all. 

_______ YOU MAY BE WORRIED THAT OTHER PEOPLE WILL FIND 
OUT WHAT YOU HAVE TOLD US. Only the people who work on this 
project will have access to the audiotapes, and they are trained in keeping 
things confidential. To make it very unlikely that anyone outside our project 
could find out what you tell us, we don't keep your name on any information 
you give us, except for your payment receipt. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

23 


_______ Sometimes if you give us information about being hurt or 
hurting others or yourself, we may have to report that to authorities. If that 
happens, we will let you know. We also have people here that you can talk 
to about your story, and who can help you decide about reporting to the 
authorities. 
Sometimes if you give us information about being hurt or 
hurting others or yourself, we may have to report that to authorities. If that 
happens, we will let you know. We also have people here that you can talk 
to about your story, and who can help you decide about reporting to the 
authorities. 

Please read through your copy of the consent form and ask us any 
questions you might have. 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

24 


Appendix B: Discussion groups with Domestic Violence and 
Sexual Assault Advocates 
Discussion groups with Domestic Violence and 
Sexual Assault Advocates 

Interview Protocol 
Step 1: Check in with participants about needed accommodations, and 
offer information on bathroom locations, rules regarding smoking, etc. 
Announce that even though we donÕt have breaks scheduled, people 
should feel comfortable taking a break if they want or need to, for the 
restroom, for a snack, to answer their cell phone, etc. 

1. Introduce yourself. 
2. Thank the group members for participating. 
Step 2: Information about the Project: 

Purpose SurviveAbility is made up of agencies who have come together to 
begin addressing gaps and needs within the services designed to support 
women with disabilities who have experienced violence or abuse. Our 
vision is that women with disabilities and Deaf women throughout Lane 
County who have experienced violence and abuse will be empowered to 
disclose abuse and access services and safety. This is not an assessment 
of intent or an audit of your agency. The goal of our conversation is to 
gather your best thinking about how we can all do better in understanding 
and addressing the vulnerabilities, barriers and challenges that survivors 
with disabilities encounter. 

Confidentiality during our discussion groups we will not be recording 
names or contact information. We will be audio-taping and taking 
handwritten notes to capture the important information you will be sharing 
with us today. Both, audio-tapes and handwritten notes will be locked in a 
filing cabinet and will only be available to Program and Research Staff and 
will be destroyed within 6 months. 

Housekeeping participating in this group is voluntary. You donÕt have to 
answer questions if you donÕt want to. You should take breaks for any 
reason. We appreciate you sharing and taking any time you have to be 
here. Please remember that we want to hear from you about your services: 
What works, what doesnÕt, how we can all do better. 

Do you have any questions? 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

25 


STEP THREE: Introductory Information Gathering - short survey: Introductory Information Gathering - short survey: 

Who are you? [check all that apply] 

__ A domestic violence advocate __ A sexual assault advocate 

__ Other (please describe)____________________________________ 

1. At your program, how often do you receive training about ways to serve 
women with disabilities who have experienced domestic or sexual 
violence? [Global Questions 2, 4 & 5] 
__ Never 
__ Once 
__ Less frequently than once a year 
__ More frequently than once a year 


2. When someone contacts your program, when do you ask if they need 
an accommodation for a disability? [Global Questions 1 & 4] 
__ During initial crisis call or preliminary screening for eligibility of 
services 
__ After someone is determined to be eligible for services 
__ When they enter into services 
__ We donÕt ask if they need an accommodation 
__ Other __________________________________________ 

3. Domestic violence and sexual assault programs are beginning to 
develop policies, procedures or strategies related to serving survivors with 
disabilities. Do you have policies, procedures or strategies that address 
any of the following issues: 
[check all that apply] [Global Questions 1 & 2] 
__ Program participants who use personal attendants or other hired 

support workers 

__ Ongoing process for evaluating agency accessibility 

__ Service animals used by program participants 

__ Mandatory reporting of abuse of a vulnerable adult 

__ Providing reasonable accommodations for survivors using your 

services 

__ Providing reasonable accommodations for staff and volunteers with 

disabilities 
__ Medications used by a survivor in your shelter 
__ Advocacy for survivors with mental health issues 
__ Hiring practices at your agency regarding applicants with disabilities 
__ Responding to situations where the caregiver is the abuser 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

26 


__ Ongoing process to ensure materials are available in alternative 
formats formats 

__ Other 

4. In the last year, has your program made any changes to rules, policies 
or practices to accommodate survivors with a disability? [Check all that 
apply] [Global Question 2] 
__ Changed intake form questions 
__ Changed safety planning questions 
__ Changed shelter rules 
__ Changed policy regarding transportation to and from the shelter 
__ Changed policy regarding meeting potential program participants 
in their home or another location 
__ Other _______________________________________________ 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

27 


STEP FOUR: Discussion Group Questions: Discussion Group Questions: 

1. Are there instances where you or a co-worker worked with a survivor 
with a disability and were proud of how you, your co-worker and/or agency 
handled the situation? [FU: What resources did you draw upon that helped 
make that a successful situation? Were there policies or practices in place 
that helped support you? Were there any policy or practice changes that 
came out of that?] [Global Questions 2 & 4] 
2. What happens when a woman requests or needs accommodation? 
What is your experience around trying to identify and meet accommodation 
needs? [FU: If you need assistance, training or help in meeting the 
accommodation, where or who do you call? What strategies do you have 
in place to provide alternative communication devices or techniques for 
Deaf women or women with hearing or speech impairment? Alternative 
formats? Is there someone in your agency who you can turn to for help?] 
[Global Questions 2 & 4] 
3. What barriers within your agency do you face when working with women 
with disabilities? What kinds of resources would help your agency become 
better prepared to support survivors of DV or sexual abuse who have 
disabilities? [Global Question 4] 
4. What can your agency do to help improve the community response? 
[Global Questions 1, 4 & 5] 
5. When working with another agency to support a woman with a disability 
who has experienced violence, what works well and what doesnÕt? [FU: are 
there particular issues or policies, or misunderstandings that get in the 
way? Examples: mandatory reporting, confidentiality/info sharing practices, 
referral process, lack of information] [Global Questions 4 & 5] 
6. What do disability advocacy agencies need to do differently to support 
women to disclose, and to be able to respond appropriately [FU: How can 
you help them do this differently? Probe for: referrals, safety planning 
confidentiality, etc] [Global Question 5] 
7. Take a look at the notes on the chart paper. Is there anything else you 
would want our collaborative to know about working with women with 
disabilities who have experienced violence? 
SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

28 


Appendix C: Discussion groups with Disability Advocates ix C: Discussion groups with Disability Advocates 

Interview Protocol 

STEP ONE: Check in with participants about needed accommodations, 
and offer information on bathroom locations, rules regarding smoking, etc. 
Announce that even though we donÕt have breaks scheduled, people 
should feel comfortable taking a break if they want or need to, for the 
restroom, for a snack, to answer their cell phone, etc. 

1. Introduce yourself. 
2. Thank the woman for participating. 
STEP TWO: Information about the Project: 

Purpose SurviveAbility is made up of agencies who have come together to 
begin addressing gaps and needs within the services designed to support 
women with disabilities who have experienced violence or abuse. Our 
vision is that women with disabilities and Deaf women throughout Lane 
County who have experienced violence and abuse will be empowered to 
disclose abuse and access services and safety. This is not an assessment 
of intent or an audit of your agency. The goal of our conversation is to 
gather your best thinking about how we can all do better in understanding 
and addressing the vulnerabilities, barriers and challenges that survivors 
with disabilities encounter. 

Confidentiality during our discussion groups we will not be recording 
names or contact information. We will be audio-taping and taking 
handwritten notes to capture the important information you will be sharing 
with us today. Both, audio-tapes and handwritten notes will be locked in a 
filing cabinet and will only be available to Program and Research Staff and 
will be destroyed within 6 months. 

Housekeeping participating in this group is voluntary. You donÕt have to 
answer questions if you donÕt want to. You should take breaks for any 
reason. We appreciate you sharing and taking any time you have to be 
here. Please remember that we want to hear from you about your services: 
What works, what doesnÕt, how we can all do better. 

Do you have any questions? 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

29 


STEP THREE: Participants fill out short survey, as follows: Participants fill out short survey, as follows: 

1. At your organization, how often do you receive training about ways to 
serve people with disabilities who have experienced domestic or sexual 
violence? [Global Questions 2, 4, & 5] 
__ Never 
__ Once 
__ Less frequently than once a year 
__ More frequently than once a year 


2. When someone contacts your program, when do you screen for 
abuse/safety concerns or issues? [Global Questions 1 & 4] 
__ During initial contact or preliminary screening for eligibility of services 
__ After someone is determined to be eligible for services 
__ When they enter into services 
__ We donÕt ask about abuse/safety concerns or issues 
__ Other __________________________________________ 

3. Do you have policies or procedures that address any of the following 
issues: 
[check all that apply] [Global Questions 1 & 2] 
__ Asking about domestic violence or sexual abuse from a person who 
is seeking services 
__ Working with a domestic violence or sexual abuse program when 
advocating for a person with a disability who is experiencing violence 
__ Safety planning for women who have experienced violence 
__ Mandatory reporting of abuse of a vulnerable adult 
__ Protective order or other court processes related to domestic or 
sexual abuse 
__ Workplace policies for staff that experience domestic violence or 
sexual abuse 
__ Responding to situations where the caregiver is the abuser 
__ Other _________________________________________________ 

4. In the past year has your program made any changes to rules, policies 
or practices to accommodate a survivor/victim with a disability? [Check all 
that apply] [Global Question 2] 
__ Changed intake form questions 
__ Changed safety planning questions 
__ Changed program, group or other service rules 


SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

30 


__ Changed policy regarding transportation to and from shelter or 
other services 
__ Changed policy regarding meeting potential program participants 
in their home or another location 
__ Other 
or 
other services 
__ Changed policy regarding meeting potential program participants 
in their home or another location 
__ Other 

SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

31 


STEP FOUR: Focus group/discussion circle questions: Focus group/discussion circle questions: 

1. Are there instances where you or a co-worker worked with a woman 
with a disability who disclosed abuse in her life and were particularly proud 
of how you, your co-worker and/or agency handled the situation? [FU: 
What resources did you draw upon that helped make that a successful 
situation? Were there any policy or practice changes that came out of 
that?] [Global Questions 2 & 4] 
2. What happens when a woman requests or needs support around abuse 
or violence? [FU: If you need assistance, training or help in meeting the 
accommodation, where or who do you call? What strategies do you have 
in place to provide safety planning and immediate and longer term needs? 
Do you have a process or strategy in place to handle disclosures? Is there 
someone in your agency who you can turn to for help, someone who has 
expertise in safety planning for violence and abuse, and is there a 
procedure or policy to refer women to them?] [Global Questions 2 & 4] 
3. What barriers does your agency face in serving women who have 
experienced domestic violence or sexual assault/abuse? What kinds of 
resources would help your agency become better prepared to support 
survivors of DV or sexual abuse who have disabilities? [Global Question 4] 
4. What can your agency do to help improve the community response? 
[Global Questions 1, 4, & 5] 
5. When working with another agency to support a woman with a disability 
who has experienced violence, what works well and what doesnÕt? [FU: are 
there particular issues or policies, or misunderstandings that get in the 
way? Examples might be: mandatory reporting, confidentiality/info sharing 
practices, referral process, lack of information] [Global Questions 4 & 5] 
6. What do DV and sexual assault advocacy agencies need to do 
differently to more effectively support women with disabilities, and to be 
able to respond appropriately [FU: What can you do to help them get 
there. Global Question 5] 
7. Take a look at the notes on the chart paper. Is there anything else you 
would want our collaborative to know about working with women with 
disabilities who have experienced violence? 
SurviveAbility Needs Assessment Plan 

32