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July, 2008 

This project is supported by Grant No. 2006-FW-AX-K007 awarded by the Office on Violence against Women, U.S. 
Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of 
the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence against Women. 

Acknowledgements 



SurviveAbilityÕs project staff extends appreciation to the agency 
representatives and community consultants who make up our Executive 
Committee for their support in conducting the needs assessment, and in 
preparing and reviewing this document. Special thanks are also extended to 
Dr.Õs Deborah Olson and Debra Eisert, from the University of Oregon for their 
invaluable assistance in visioning, focusing, planning, conducting, and 
summarizing the needs assessment. Their mentorship and review of countless 
early brainstorms, information gathering tools, and this document were critical to 
our success in this endeavor. 

Perhaps most importantly, we would like to thank the women with disabilities and 
the staff from our partner agencies who gave of their time and expertise in 
sharing their stories with us. The information and feedback they provided us was 
so rich and authentic, and will most certainly keep us fresh and excited about 
moving to the implementation phase. 

SurviveAbility Executive Committee: 

Nancy Glines, Kathryn Balance, Barbara Butzer -Community Sharing Program 
of Cottage Grove 

Aimee Taylor -Direction Service 

Cora Jones, Lynne McKinney, Roxie Mayfield, Sandra dela Rosa -Lane 
Independent Living Alliance 

Shanta Kamath -Sexual Assault Support Services 

Sharon Durham -ShelterCare 

Tony Bour -Siuslaw Outreach Services 

Cheryl OÕNeill, Margo Schaefer, Peggy Whalen, Sabrina Keene Ð Womenspace 

Doris Smith, Joyce Findley, Linda McFarland, Tracey Dumas, Sue Coon Ð 
Community Consultants 

Amber Murray Ð Lane County Domestic Violence Council 

Diana Avery Ð Lane County Department of Children & Families 

ii 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 


iii 



I. INTRODUCTION 
Background 

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, Community Sharing Program of Cottage Grove, ShelterCare, and the 
Lane County Domestic Violence Council. During Year One of this three-year 
project, the collaborative must complete assessment and planning activities. 

Information and results from our needs assessment will inform the development 
of a strategic plan to build upon the strengths of our system and address gaps 
and barriers 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 findings of the needs 
assessment, and introduce the strategic planning process our collaborative will 
undertake. 

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. 

1 



Overview of Needs Assessment 

The Needs Assessment was developed in consideration of the collaborativeÕs 
ability to influence and make sustainable change, where anecdotally we observe 
we have the greatest need, where there appears the greatest readiness for 
change, where we 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. 

Because of this, we focused our information gathering efforts using the following 
framework: 

Ê Focus on women living in independent living situations 

Ê Focus on points of entry for help-seeking behavior 

Ê Focus on our agenciesÕ ability to serve women with disabilities who 
have experienced violence 

Global Assessment Questions 

Our collaborative crafted our needs assessment plan to help us better 
understand the barriers and facilitators of our current service system. Our 
process emphasized a qualitative approach, seeking to bring forward the voices 
of women with disabilities, and the direct service providers working in our partner 
agencies. The following broad questions guided our needs assessment and will 
help shape our 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? 
2 



II. METHODOLOGY OF THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT 
In order to gather relevant information to guide our planning process, our needs 
assessment sought to gather information from staff at different levels of our 
primary partner agencies as well as from women with disabilities. The voices of 
staff and women are reflected in the findings below. This melding of 
observations, opinions, perceptions, experiences, and suggestions helped us 
gain deep insight into the global assessment questions, listed above. 

The needs assessment included both qualitative and quantitative data. 
Qualitative data included discussion groups and interviews with women with 
disabilities, and discussion groups with agency staff. Quantitative data included 
responses from pre-interview surveys distributed to participants in the Agency 
Staff Discussion groups. 

Discussion Groups Ð Women with Disabilities 

In order to capture the voices of women with disabilities (WWD), our needs 
assessment plan allowed the flexibility to conduct both discussion groups and 1:1 
interviews with women. Discussion groups allowed us to gather information from 
women who have established a level of comfort in accessing system or agency 
services. However, we felt it was important to be prepared to meet 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. 
As we moved through outreach, recruitment, and the actual groups, we were 
asked to conduct one 1:1 interview. Our goal was to recruit 20 participants; we 
were able to recruit a total of 14 (70% of our goal). 

Outreach efforts extended beyond our primary partners, to include agencies, 
services, faith community, transportation services, and others. Because of this, 
we were fortunate to hear the voices of women who had not accessed services 
through our primary partners. The depth of information we received through the 
discussion groups included diverse perspectives across disabilities, age, help-
seeking behaviors and experiences, and urban/rural residents. 

Discussion groups began with an introduction to the co-facilitators, inquiries into 
any accessibility or comfort needs, an introduction to SurviveAbility and 
housekeeping issues, such as bathrooms, etc. The protocol included 
explanation of confidentiality procedures, requests to the group to help with 
confidentiality by verbally agreeing to keep information shared Òin the roomÓ; the 

3 



group also went over safety strategies, such as taking breaks, not answering 
questions if feeling uncomfortable, talking with support people either during or 
directly after the group. 

Women were asked to talk about their experiences seeking help and support. 
Women were first asked to talk about what real help looks like, through 
discussing who in their communities helps them the best, and why. Follow-up 
questions included prompts to describe examples of real help, and to describe 
what they liked best about the help. Women were then asked to share their 
ideas about what would help women reach out for help and to brainstorm where 
women they know receive help or support. Questions also focused on womenÕs 
awareness of and perceptions about the seven primary partners of SurviveAbility. 
The last question asked women to share the most important thing they would 
want providers to know about helping women with disabilities. (Please see 
Appendix A: Discussion Groups with Women with Disabilities.) 

Agency Staff Discussion Groups 

Discussion groups were held within each of our seven partner agencies. These 
groups gathered 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 were differences in 
the number of discussion groups and positions involved across our agencies. 
We conducted at least one group in each of the agencies. 

Discussion groups began with participants completing a short introductory 
survey, designed to help participants focus on issues of service delivery and 
outreach. Additionally, the exercise was intended to provide additional 
quantitative data for our needs assessment. All participants of the discussion 
groups returned the survey. Survey responses were compiled across agencies 
within the survivor advocacy and the disabilities advocacy systems. These 
summaries did not highlight any specific areas of note. However, when 
examining the responses by agency, there appears to have been inconsistencies 
in understanding of agency policies. Given the small sample size, and issues of 
confidentiality, those results will not be detailed in this report. However, 
summaries of these inconsistencies will be provided to each agencyÕs leadership 
team, and project staff will assist each agency in brainstorming opportunities for 
agency-specific steps towards improvement. 

The groups then focused discussion on seven main questions. The questions 
began by asking staff to consider successes and strengths in their agencyÕs 
approach to supporting women with disabilities who may have experienced 

4 



violence or abuse. Participants were asked to describe their response when a 
woman requests or needs an accommodation or support around abuse or 
violence. Questions then focused on the barriers staff feel their agency faces in 
supporting women with disabilities who have experienced violence or abuse, and 
strategies for overcoming those barriers. From there, participants were asked to 
provide input on the community response, and on co-advocacy efforts. Finally, 
participants were asked to share suggestions, tips and strategies for those 
working in the other system. 

A total of 42 agency staff members participated in the groups. Below is a 
breakdown of participants by agency: 

AGENCY NUMBER OF GROUPS PARTICIPANTS 
Community Sharing Program of 
Cottage Grove 
1 5 
Direction Service 1 5 
LILA 2 11 
SASS 1 3 
ShelterCare 1 4 
SOS 1 3 
Womenspace 2 11 
TOTAL 9 42 

Outreach and recruitment for these staff discussion groups went relatively as 
planned. ShelterCare participation was significantly lower than anticipated. This 
was due in part to changes in staffing at the agency, including their designated 
representative to SurviveAbility. Other factors included the closure of one of their 
programs due to funding cuts, and an attempt by staff and management team to 
focus the systems change efforts of SurviveAbility within the agency. While the 
response rate was low for this partner agency, the input gathered was 
informative, and enriched the overall themes that emerged across agencies. We 
anticipated a total of 77 staff participants; our response rate was 55% of that 
estimate. (Please see Appendix B: Discussion Groups with Domestic Violence 
and Sexual Assault Advocates; and Appendix C: Discussion Groups with 
Disability Advocates.) 

5 



III. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS FROM THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT 
ÒIt would be great if there was a staff member at agencies that understands a 
little more about the barriers that a woman with a disability faces. How difficult it 
is for me who canÕt dial a phone by myself and canÕt drive myself to talk to 
someone. I alert everyone when I ask for helpÓ Ð Participant, Women with 
Disabilities (WWD) Discussion Group. 

This statement speaks very well to the information shared by women 
participating in our Needs Assessment process. The sentiment expressed 
highlights the challenges faced by our agencies as they seek to provide real help 
to women: supports that are perceived as relevant and based upon truly listening 
and connecting with women as individuals. In addition, the statement validates 
our belief that our change efforts must be guided by the voices of women with 
disabilities. 

We also approached our Needs Assessment process with the goal of hearing 
from staff of our partner agencies regarding their experiences in working within 
their own system, and across systems and agencies. The perception quoted 
below captures an idea echoed across the discussion groups. Focusing on 
issues, barriers, or services in a fragmented way can create additional 
challenges to this already hard, and very important, work. 

ÒIÕd add we do the person weÕre serving a better turn if we view them holistically 
instead of in a one dimensional way. If an agency is just focused on psychiatric 
disability that could be to the exclusion of a whole lot of other issues that it would 
be good for us to have on our radar and attend to. It can be so slanted in that 
direction, that it ends up being to the exclusion of being more broad-based.Ó Ð 
Participant, Agency Staff Discussion Group. 

Overall, the activities implemented in the Needs Assessment appeared to 
successfully capture information to guide our planning process. By combining 
the feedback, perspectives, and suggestions of agency staff and women with 
disabilities, we are able to craft a picture of the system currently in place amongst 
our partner agencies. 

Findings are grouped by the major categories of-Coordination and 
Networking, Person-Driven Philosophy and Approach, Policy and Practice, 
and, Increase Knowledge and Skill Base Around the Intersection of 
Disabilities and Violence/Abuse. Under each key finding an explanation of 
variables within that category are explored and supported with examples from the 
data. It is important to realize that the barriers, gaps and challenges listed below 

6 



are hugely amplified for women from immigrant and/or non-English speaking 
communities. 

GLOBAL AREA #1-Coordination and Networking 

Summary: 

The members of the SurviveAbility Collaboration, and other service 
providers in Lane County, have established fairly good coordination of 
services. However, we lack a mechanism to consistently share updated 
information, resources, and changes in programmatic specifics; this is true 
for both inter-and intra-agency communication. 

1. Discussion group participants know the importance of developing a 
Òweb of servicesÓ. 
ÒWhat we are trying to do is build a web of services with the woman, and we 
need people to stay in the web with us; so if agencies want to just pass the ball 
off to us, or to take it all on, that doesnÕt workÓ Ð Participant, Agency Staff 
Discussion Group. 

While some participants in the discussion groups reported that Lane County has 
fairly good coordination of services, respondents did not consistently indicate that 
this translated into a coordinated or seamless system of services for consumers. 
As the quote above highlights, participants often spoke of the need to work with 
staff from other agencies more often, and more effectively. When asked ÒWhen 
working with another agency to support a woman with a disability who has 
experienced violence, what works well and what doesnÕt?Ó participants of staff 
discussion groups consistently identified two perspectives of the same problem. 
Staff described an issue in referring a woman to another agency, and feeling cut 
off from continuing to work with the woman; conversely, staff also described 
contacting agencies that referred women for services to discuss joint planning, 
and experiencing a Òclosed doorÓ response. Both of these experiences speak to 
a need to address a lack of coordination of services. 

Specific barriers listed included lack of time, lack of connection with staff from 
other agencies and the need to address HIPAA and other confidentiality 
requirements. When asked what works in co-advocacy, staff participants were 
able to identify current strengths, including a community culture fostering 
collaboration, successes from other initiatives upon which to model. For 

7 



example, in the South Lane area, staff from social service providers meet 
monthly to share programmatic and system information. The relationships that 
develop from these meetings increase interagency understanding and facilitate 
successful co-advocacy. A challenge noted in our needs assessment: While 
there is a climate of cooperation and coordination, oftentimes the realities of this 
seem to hinge on personal relationships developed between individual staff 
members rather than an institutionalized practice or process within agencies. 

Both staff and women indicated that co-advocacy work is much more effective 
when done in partnership with the woman. A team approach to planning should 
be centered on facilitating decision-making. Participants noted that all parties, 
staff and women, hold knowledge that is essential to move to success; the key is 
to improve how that knowledge is combined. Women and staff spoke of the 
importance of following up when making referrals, and if the client requests, to 
have a face to face meeting about how things are going, and what roles each will 
play, what pieces do each take on. 

2. Staff seem to struggle in finding a balance between knowing agency 
focus and mission, and a commitment to providing meaningful referrals 
and connections. 
ÒI think that we need to know our limitations and boundaries, because as an 
agency, we cannot possibly provide everything to every person who walks in the 
door, and do a good job. We need to know where our strengths are, where we 
can help people, and then know where we have the resources to refer them, and 
to make connectionsÉSo setting our agency and personal boundaries, knowing 
where our strengths and limitations are, and then having a good cadre of 
services and referralsÓ Ð Participant, Agency Staff Discussion group 

This key observation speaks to the need to balance agency capacity, focus, and 
core competencies with the goal of providing service, supports, and/or 
connections. Participants in both staff and WWD discussion groups noted the 
importance of having at hand reliable, knowledgeable alternatives. This would 
give women a better sense of having been heard and a sense of confidence in 
the referrals given. In addition, supporting staff through this struggle can help 
increase their sense of efficacy, knowing they have the tools and information to 
increase connection with women. 

This is especially pertinent in the current climate of pending budget cuts. As 
agencies see their budgets shrink, they may experience cuts in services. This 
will make addressing Information/Referral (I/R) processes more important than 
ever. In the midst of this, holistic approaches to assessing strengths and needs 

8 



of women seeking supports and services may improve ability to identify 
appropriate referrals. Improving this initial process may identify feasible services 
and supports the agency may actually be able to provide. 

Group participants also spoke of the need to look beyond the presenting issue or 
need, and to look beyond the focus of the agency. Women may come to an 
agency because the agency name or tag line is familiar to them, but the issue 
they really wish to address is not the primary focus of the agency. Or, often 
women will come into an agency asking for information or help around one issue, 
when they are really seeking support around something else. This is not to imply 
that participants were asking for wholesale changes in partner agenciesÕ 
missions; rather, a request for agencies to create strategies to allow time for staff 
to use the network of services. By taking a more holistic initial approach, 
agencies may find themselves in a position to better understand the needs or 
issues as defined by the individual, and support connections she is seeking. 

ÒSometimes it is hard to focus on the domestic violence, because women are just 
trying to get their basic needs met and if those are met, maybe then we can 
begin to look at their relationshipsÓ Ð Participant, Agency Staff Discussion group 

3. There is a need for a consistent mechanism to update provider 
community on program details. 
ÒI typically will only call one place and if they donÕt have information I need or a 
clear idea of where to get it, I wonÕt call again. It would be great if people had a 
backup referral system and had a clear understanding of other agencies that 
might work for someoneÓ Ð Participant, WWD Discussion Group 

As noted above, most of the partner agencies, as well as most social service 
providers in Lane County, are facing budget cuts and program cut-backs. This, 
combined with staff turnover, makes keeping information up to date particularly 
challenging. The current budget climate, however, amplifies the need to 
establish a Òuser-friendlyÓ way to keep each other informed of agency or program 
changes such as (but not limited to): program or staff changes, 
policies/procedures, wait lists, regular reminders of program eligibility, openings, 
fees, etc. 

This level of information-sharing does occur, but in a fragmented way. For 
instance, changes may be announced at meetings of the United Way Agencies 
DirectorsÕ Organizations or other community meetings, or between staff who 
have developed relationships. However, participants clearly noted a lack of 
consistent and timely programmatic information sharing. It would be helpful to 

9 



develop a method to document and institutionalize processes to minimize the 
impact of staff turnover, and to maintain the knowledge base in the face of 
turnover to increase continuity of knowledge, practice and relationships. 

Staff noted that there are many resource lists available in different formats 
throughout the county. Many of them are not regularly updated due to cost, 
logistics, and restrictions on changing information. For instance, at least one 
participant in each agency staff group mentioned accessing 211Lane 
(211lane.org), a web-based information and referral system. While respondents 
generally felt this was a good resource, suggestions were offered on how to 
improve navigation, search tools, and the process allowing agency staff to 
update entries. One specific suggestion included working with the 211Lane 
Advisory group to address issues of accessibility. Another suggestion for the 
partner agencies is to include in job descriptions of appropriate staff the 
responsibility of updating the agency entry as needed. 

In addition to programmatic updates, participants also noted the need to create 
networks that will allow regular feedback between agencies. Currently, there is 
no consistent, county-wide forum or protocol/process in place between agencies 
to encourage, or allow, a feedback loop. Because of this, feedback from one 
agency to the other about referrals, co-advocacy, etc either does not consistently 
happen, or happens when there is a problem or a crisis. With this 
communication, staff will not know the outcome of the referral, and wonÕt know 
what next steps they need to take. This can lead to duplication of services, 
unnecessary burden on staff time, less effective outcomes, and potentially less 
safety for women. Another repercussion of inconsistent feedback is the potential 
for increased misunderstandings, misperceptions, or feelings of blame or 
defensiveness. What is lacking is a commitment to follow up on referrals made 
or received with feedback about what went well and what could be improved. 
Such a communication loop must be developed in the spirit of good faith and 
accountability to be effective and to build relationships. 

ÒSometimes referrals that we get are not a good fit, and I do want to trace back, 
and provide information about what we do.Ó Ð Participant, Agency Staff 
Discussion Group 

4. There is a need for systemic programmatic method to share information 
internally. 
ÒSomething that I could use is -we have grown tremendously. IÕd like a big 
meeting, to hear the details about what each program does. For example, the 
programs and the nitty-gritty of what is covered in the programs, so itÕs not just 

10 



the brochureÉlike a training on our infrastructure.Ó Ð Participant, Agency Staff 
Discussion Group. 

Communication challenges exist within agencies, as well as between. This 
challenge was particularly noted amongst the larger partner agencies, or when 
an agency experienced significant and sudden growth. Both staff and WWD 
group participants noted issues related to lack of communication between 
agency staff and programs. 

Supports and services could be enhanced by developing internal processes for 
staff to share their perspectives and expertise in a way that enhances all staffÕs 
knowledge. While discussion group participants often noted a need for Ôgo-toÕ 
people within the agencies, there was also consistent feedback that all staff 
would benefit from sharing information and resources. At a minimum, staff 
should be aware of their agencyÕs missions, structure, changes, and general 
guidelines for service provision. 

ÒIt is important that agencies are more than one person. It is great to have 
someone there that is informed and responsive, but that is not the whole agency 
and itÕs important to remember that. I had contact with multiple people there, but 
others werenÕt as knowledgeable or responsive.Ó Ð Participant, WWD Discussion 
Group. 

Also related to internal communication is the issue of training, monitoring and 
support of volunteers staffing initial entry points for agencies. Participants across 
groups noted the importance of volunteers, particularly in providing crisis line and 
I/R services. However, there was a wide range of experiences expressed 
regarding interactions with volunteers. Given the important role they play in initial 
response and in referring to supports, volunteers benefit from clear 
understanding of agency mission, values, and programs. Agencies will benefit 
from including volunteers in considering strategies to increase internal 
information sharing. 

ÒVolunteers are like gold, and have to be treated with kid gloves. But they also 
have to make sure they are trained. The worst thing for me is to call up and 
hear, ÔIÕm just a volunteer, I donÕt knowÕ; that just makes the volunteer frustrated. 
And if I canÕt get the help, and if the voice on the other end of the phone is 
frustrated, why would I call back?Ó Ð Participant, WWD discussion group. 

11 



GLOBAL AREA #2-Person-Driven Philosophy and Approach 


Summary: 

Women with disabilities want to be heard as people first. They see 
themselves as part of the solution, and desire to be involved in both their 
individual service planning and in agency and community change in 
general. Language is important; look past the diagnosis, the presenting 
need, and work together as humans. The diagnosis or the experiences of 
violence are not the definition of an individual. Women also want staff to 
come to the work from a strength-based approach. 

1. Participants in discussion groups challenged agencies to take a holistic 
view that includes strengths as well as challenges and needs. 
ÒOne thing I find helpful is when the service provider is not as judgmental as the 
diagnoses that someone may have. I have a particularly difficult diagnosis and 
some therapists are less patient because of it and others kind of look out side of 
the box and arenÕt as rigid in defining who I am to my diagnoses. They help me 
understand my diagnosis is not who I am, it is separate from who I am.Ó Ð 

Participant, WWD Discussion Group 

As noted in the summary, participants of WWD discussion groups felt very 
strongly that the strengths they bring as individuals are not always noticed or 
valued. Participants in staff groups generally agree with the need to focus on 
strengths as well as needs of clients/consumers, however consistently Òdoing the 
workÓ in this framework is seen as challenging. Because agencies tend to be 
driven by forms and reporting requirements, interactions can often be more 
focused on the presenting issues than on creating relationships. Staff working in 
agencies with crisis lines, drop-in centers, or I/R phone services noted the 
additional struggle created by one-time connections. When women call a crisis 
or I/R line, it is not always possible to create a longer-term relationship. 

Participants in WWD discussion groups expressed concern that people focus so 
much on their disability or their diagnosis that there is not room to identify and 
build upon the resources and strengths that they have. In addition, working from 
a strengths-based approach was seen as much more encouraging and 
empowering, whereas overly focusing on barriers and needs impedes problem-
solving. 

12 



Some staff participants noted that by taking a strengths-based approach, 
supports will focus on what individuals do well, what they Òbring to the tableÓ, 
rather than focusing so heavily on the barriers facing the individual and the 
agency. Group participants spoke of the value to staff of recognizing that the 
women with whom they work have survived a great deal, developing resources 
and skills that must not be overlooked. 

ÒInstead of focusing on a weakness, which is the trauma, to look at what they do 
well and build on that. It very much encourages the consumers to feel as if they 
are capable and strongÓ Ð Participant, Agency Staff Discussion Group. 

2. Women also emphasized the importance of a Person-driven approach 
that recognizes they are part of the solution. 
ÒThey are great because they listen, they are empathetic and rather than talking 
about all the bad stuff, they work with me to create solutions. They are really 
positive about what I need to do and what my future can look like.Ó Ð Participant, 
WWD Discussion Group 

Participants throughout the groups strongly endorsed a team approach to 
supports and services. While the concept of a web of services was strongly 
endorsed, there was equal strength given to the view that goal-setting, service 
planning, assessments, or other processes typically associated with service 
providers must include the woman herself. Perhaps the principle of ÒNothing 
About me Without MeÓ best captures this notion. 

ÒWe donÕt drive the car; we should be the passenger, the navigator. Sometimes 
IÕm offering information from the map, sometimes IÕm just along for the ride 
(meaning, IÕm a being a support person)Ó Ð Participant, Agency Staff Discussion 
Group. 

A key to a person-driven approach is the importance of listening, and for women 
to be heard. This was expressed at both a theoretical and practical level. 
Participants in groups talked about the importance of feeling heard when sharing 
information with staff; their perceptions on being heard or not impact their sense 
of being able to receive real help from that individual, and for some, from the 
agency as a whole. And, participants also discussed the importance of seeing 
the person with whom they are communicating act upon what they are hearing. 
Women consistently noted that it is important to demonstrate respect and trust 
when listening. It was also strongly noted that real help sometimes means 
listening, offering options, suggestions, resources, etc. and then trust the choices 
made. Both staff and WWD group participants noted the importance of time Ð 

13 



time for relationships to build, time for communication to happen, time for 
decisions and plans to be made. 

Discussion group participants also noted that women themselves can offer 
important insight and guidance for agency staff around the realities they face. 
While direct service providers gain awareness and knowledge from each other, 
women with disabilities or women who have experienced violence also have very 
important information to share. By being open to learning these lessons, staff 
can shift from focusing on what it is like to be a woman with a disability to hearing 
the realities and barriers women face. 

ÒIt would be great to have ongoing and diverse trainings or conversations on the 
barriers that women with disabilities face and be able to educate ourselves on 
some of the additional needs our clients might be faced with when coming in for 
services. I think this also goes further in educating ourselves on the barriers that 
women face including; domestic violence and disabilities.Ó Ð Participant, Agency 
Staff Discussion Group 

Women discussion group participants spoke of the value of peer support. This 
refers to someone who has gone through similar experiences, and has a good 
deal of knowledge, and yet is not perceived as so organized around system 
requirements and eligibilities. Being able to connect with peer support was seen 
as critical for breaking isolation and for connecting more effectively with systems 
and agencies. 

ÒHaving to qualify. That was so frustrating for me. I had to really think about what 
I was going to say to get the help I knew I needed to get out of the situation I was 
in. So, turning to somebody at LCC, or somebody at church, where I didnÕt have 
to qualify to get something I needed was vitally important to me. Just to be able 
to have somebody hear me, and not make me tell my story in a way that I had to 
qualify, to meet their criteria to have them get me what I needed.Ó -Participant, 
WWD Discussion Group 

GLOBAL AREA #3 Ð Policy and Practice 

Summary: 

Participants across the discussion groups recognize the need to examine 
agency policies and practices. Critical areas included assessment and 
identification, referral processes, and agency-and self-care. 

14 



1. Focus group participants agreed that agency assessment and 
identification processes need to be revamped 
ÒPeople usually come here for other thingsÉwomen donÕt come here saying, ÔIÕm 
a victim of violenceÕ. They come here saying they need help with housing, or 
employment, or benefits or something. So our task then is to really figure out 
what is going on. And that can be really difficult sometimes.Ó Ð Participant, 
Agency Staff Discussion Group 

Agency participants spoke of the need to balance intake and assessment 
procedures with a desire to have a more holistic approach. The process of 
moving the conversation beyond the presenting issue is important, and 
particularly challenging for staff working on crisis or I/R lines. 

Both women with disabilities and agency staff agree that intakes and 
assessments that are completed without listening, and without taking time to 
establish some level of rapport, are likely to be shallow, are likely to miss the real 
point of the person coming to the agency, and may even be a reason for the 
person to not come back to the agency. In addition, materials need to be 
presented in accessible ways. This means concrete language, alternative 
formats if written materials, and ability to present information in picture or taped 
format, and other flexible procedures to allow for the different ways people 
process information. And it may mean changing how and when the information 
that is required to be entered on the form is actually collected; instead of filling 
out an entire form in one meeting, it may be more effective to take several 
meetings, using a discussion format rather than question/answer style. 

ÒToo often people donÕt listen. They look like they are listening, but they arenÕt 
absorbing what youÕre saying, what youÕre trying to communicate. They are 
assessing what the needs are, and kind of too focused on their paperworkÓ 

Ð Participant, WWD Discussion Group. 
2. Discussion group participants spoke of the need for a holistic and 
realistic approach to the referral process. 
ÒI was referred and was told that this agency would help you. They told me how 
many times I would meet with them a week and everything that they would help 
me with. I was given a lot of information about what they would provide me and 
that is what I expected and that isnÕt what I got.Ó Ð Participant, WWD Discussion 
Group 

15 



As noted above, it is important for staff to have good information about other 
agencies. Participants noted the importance of being able to give a full picture of 
the agency to which referring. This should include information about eligibility 
requirements, hours, intake processes, and a general picture of what to expect. 
At the same time, this is to be balanced by accurate information to avoid setting 
up unrealistic expectations. Staff struggle with strategies to offer information 
without setting up unrealistic expectations. This can be particularly important 
when working with women in crisis who have already contacted other agencies to 
no avail, or who are at a point where they will process the information in order to 
hear what they need to hear. 

Discussion group participants talked about the importance of follow-through on 
the part of staff. It is also important to follow along when a referral has been 
made. This may include checking back with the client, with permission or 
checking in with the Òpoint personÓ at the agency. This following along process 
can also help identify as-yet unmet needs. 

3. All participants recognize the need for agency-and self-care 
ÒI think thatÕs important, that is why we meet weekly, and staff cases together 
because it is a collaborative effort to meet the needs of our clients. And, you 
donÕt know what you donÕt know. We really all have unique experiences, and so 
we draw upon each otherÕs experiences and expertise to do a good job in serving 
each unique situation.Ó Ð Participant, Agency Staff Discussion Group 

ÒAnd one thing IÕve seen, and IÕve done it myself, you try to do so much you get 
burned out after awhile. Agencies are so short staffed and you donÕt mean it or 
want it, but you are burned out. Sometimes I donÕt think they see it, they get so 
used to hearing things or doing the job. I think maybe people need to rotate the 
jobs or something.Ó Ð Participant, WWD Discussion Group 

Doing this type of work can have an impact on staff, women seeking support, and 
relationships with other agencies. Staff noted the importance of debriefings and 
staffings, appropriate and realistic training, and supportive supervision. When 
asked to describe successful examples of working with women with disabilities 
who have experienced violence, staff often listed such communications as key 
agency support; conversely, lack of these opportunities were noted in 
discussions about what doesnÕt work, or barriers to effective work. Agencies 
need to examine policies around self-care and support, working to create an 
environment that values staff asking for support. 

16 



Participants in staff discussion groups noted the need to recognize and 
empathize with other agency staff around these same issues. Being able to 
recognize each othersÕ limitations and struggles can improve inter-agency 
relationships and understanding. Women also reported that they can tell when a 
staff person is feeling overwhelmed or burned out. Some women noted that this 
can impact their willingness to access services. 

GLOBAL AREA #4-Increase Knowledge and Skill Base Around the 
Intersection of Disabilities and Violence/Abuse 

Summary: 

Both women with disabilities and agency staff recognize a need to increase 
the capacity of the broader community to identify, support and connect 
women with services. At the same time, SurviveAbility recognizes the 
need to increase partner agenciesÕ preparedness to respond to increased 
referrals from the community. 

1. Participants identified the need for agencies to increase their knowledge 
and skill base 
ÒHaving a child with a disability can be damaging to a relationship. I think there is 
a danger of her being so grateful that their partner is participating in the 
parenting, and they are not having to parent all by themselves, so they may feel 
it is ÔworthÕ a little bit of abuse.Ó Ð Participant, Agency Staff Discussion Group 

Specific examples noted include response to disclosures, appropriate safety 
planning, mandatory reporting requirements, confidentiality policies, and ADA 
requirements. Staff also reported needing basic information as a framework for 
developing skills to better support women with disabilities who have experienced 
violence in a person-centered approach. In addition, staff participants mentioned 
the need to increase their knowledge of, and improve their capacity to respond 
to, other types of family violence or sexual assault. Some staff participants noted 
the need to improve how they support survivors of DV and/or Sexual assault who 
are mothers Ð both women with disabilities who are mothers, and mothers of 
children with disabilities. 

An area frequently noted is the need to shift the approach taken to avoid 
advocacy or services feeling prescriptive or to be so guided by system history 
and philosophy as to feel inflexible. Participants noted that such an approach 

17 



can have negative impacts on both staff and women. Agencies would do well 
to create environments and debriefings for staff, supporting them to maintain 
their effectiveness with women who may not consistently follow Òcase plansÓ or 
Òservice plansÓ. Group participants identified a need for increased awareness by 
staff of differing goals, timelines, and realities. This related to both clients and 
other agencies or systems. 

ÒIt is always client directed, which I appreciate. So if theyÕre not in a place where 
they want to do anything different, we ask them about how they can protect 
themselves, and how we can keep them safe. And so thatÕs difficult sometimes 
to back off when youÕre the provider and you want to make sure someone is 
safe.Ó -Participant, Agency Staff Discussion Group 

Agency staff often noted the need to develop creative strategies to address 
communication issues. For instance when working with a Deaf woman or a 
woman with a sensory disability, staff need to be able to connect with 
knowledgeable support. Group participants reported successes in this effort, for 
instance providing signage in Braille, email support for Deaf survivors, and 
recruiting volunteers with the needed expertise. However, staff also struggle with 
insufficient resources, connections and timing to identify and institutionalize a 
range of effective and flexible strategies. 

Staff across systems noted the particular importance of increasing knowledge 
and skills in connecting with and supporting Deaf women. Staff in survivor 
advocacy agencies noted the importance of assessing the relationship between 
the woman seeking support and interpreters that may accompany her. They also 
reported a need to assess their current communications technology in order to be 
more accessible to Deaf women and women with hearing impairments. Staff in 
disability advocacy agencies expressed a need to increase their understanding of 
the dynamics of isolation Deaf women may face. They also identified the need to 
improve their support for other agencies in this area. Comments from both 
systems also highlighted the need to review brochures, forms, and other 
materials to address potential language barriers. Finally, staff across systems 
are concerned with the lack of skilled interpretation, in particular, Deaf 
interpretation, and Sign Language interpreters for languages other than English. 

2. Women in the groups reported needing information about domestic 
violence, sexual assault, and disabilities, as well as the services available 
when they experience domestic and/or sexual violence. 
ÒI didnÕt realize that the relationship I was in was domestic violence. I really 
thought domestic violence was more about hitting and not about the emotional 

18 



stuff. I would say that was the biggest reason I didnÕt reach out.Ó Ð Participant, 
WWD Discussion Group 

Women report not identifying barriers, situations, experiences, or relationships as 
domestic violence, sexual abuse, or disabilities. For some women, definitions of 
sexual abuse or domestic violence were limited to physical assaults; many did 
not define coercive control, harassment, withholding of basic needs as violence. 
Likewise, many women reported they or women they knew might not necessarily 
identify themselves as women with disabilities unless they had a medical 
diagnosis or other such eligibility statement. 

Participants in both WWD and staff discussion groups noted that in order to really 
raise awareness of individuals about what is abuse, dating/domestic violence, 
and about healthy relationships, boundaries, etc, it is important to start this 
awareness much younger, in the schools. And such efforts should be grounded 
in, and focus on, respect. This kind of awareness effort also needs to be 
available to students with disabilities. And it needs to be offered in a universally 
accessible ways. 

When asked whether they or people they knew had accessed the partner 
agencies, many women said they had not heard of the agencies. None of the 
participants in the groups with women knew of all seven partner agencies. 
Women reported that they found it difficult to get information about services. 
Some women said they had seen the names of the agencies in the telephone 
directory or even on brochures and outreach materials, but had no idea what 
services were offered. Women suggested less emphasis on agency names, and 
more on services provided and how to access them. Other women reported that 
they never felt a need to know the services listed until they were in crisis, and 
then they felt incapable of finding the information on their own. 

ÒIt would be helpful if brochures focused more on the services the agency 
provides rather than on the name. The name tells me nothing.Ó Ð 
Participant, WWD Discussion Group 

3. Women identified internal and societal barriers to reaching out for help 
that agencies need to understand. 
Well, one of the things is youÕre afraid. Or, you donÕt want other people to know. 
Maybe youÕre ashamed. You were raised that your marriage, you stay in that 
marriage, you must have done something wrong, so you have to make your 
marriage work. Ð Participant, WWD Discussion Group 

19 



Women reported that a cultural, societal, familial value of self-reliance and 
independence prevents them from reaching out for help. Some of these values 
were internal (for example: IÕm too independent, I trust myself, pride); some were 
external (for example: Ôthere is a sense of you made your bed, lay in itÕ, Ôpeople 
would ask, why donÕt you just leaveÕ). This was of particular significance 
amongst rural discussion group participants. In some sense, this sentiment 
lends weight to the challenge to agencies to take on a more strength-based 
approach to services. 

4. Both women and staff reported a need to improve response by members 
of the police, medical community, and faith community. 
ÒSometimes mental health people want to avoid things like that because they 
donÕt want to put ideas in your head. So, one time I started to tell my doctor, I 
was just trying to talk about how I felt about things and they said that well that 
just sounds like someone was trying to protect you. I decided right then not to 
say anything else. It was sort of like they were defending the person instead of 
listening to me.Ó Ð Participant, WWD Discussion Group 

Often, these systems are the first point of contact for women with disabilities who 
have experienced violence. Discussion group participants felt that if these first 
responders could improve service delivery, connections to healing supports could 
be increased. Suggestions included improving processes to identify womenÕs 
needs, strengths, and challenges; improving connections with the survivor 
advocacy and disabilities advocacy systems; and improving and updating referral 
information available through the services. 

20 



IV. MOVING TO ACTION 
The chart below organizes the Global Areas with potential for action. We are now 
charged with developing a Strategic Plan to respond these documented needs 
and opportunities. The chart below will guide our brainstorming and prioritizing 
for that purpose. SurviveAbility will engage technical assistance from the 
Accessing Safety Initiative to prioritize the broad areas listed under Potential for 
Action. The strategic planning process will allow us to develop detailed work 
plans with specific activities to move us forward on 1 to 3 initiatives. 

21 



GLOBAL AREA POTENTIAL FOR ACTION 
Coordination and Networking 1. Address confidentiality/information sharing questions and concerns 
2. Create a sustainable networking opportunity to increase inter-agency 
communication, and to facilitate jointly creating processes and agreements to 
address specific issues both from this Needs Assessment and as new issues arise 
3. Build upon lessons learned from other initiatives, including co-located staff, 
point people, joint staff meetings 
4. Work with other partners to improve inter-agency information sharing 
5. Within the DV Council structure provide support for convening and 
disseminating information to the network; including updates, whatÕs working and 
not, and emerging issues. 
Person-Driven Philosophy and 1. Review agency intake forms, client file policies, etc to determine opportunities 
Approach for change 
2. Identify ways to increase use of peer-support or advocacy 
3. Provide training and support for staff around effective listening 
Policy and Practice 1. Create a process to jointly review and revamp assessment and intake forms 
2. Work with agency leadership to develop strategies to address compassion 
fatigue 
Increase Knowledge and Skill 
Base Around the Intersection 
of Disabilities and 
Violence/Abuse 
1. Develop training and cross-training designed to increase knowledge of issues 
such as mandatory reporting, ADA requirements, etc. 
2. Develop training and cross-training around trauma and healing, motivational 
interviewing, and other models and techniques to increase staff skill-base 
3. Develop community-awareness raising strategies to increase understanding of 
domestic violence, sexual assault and disabilities 
4. Work through the Lane County Domestic Council to increase knowledge and 
awareness among other systems 
5. Jointly review and update outreach materials and strategies 

22 



V. CONCLUSION 
The next steps for SurviveAbility need to focus on reviewing the information and 
potential for change summarized in this report. Through the process of this needs 
assessment, we have been able to bring together the voices of both women and staff. 
The information they have given us focuses on our communityÕs strengths and our 
gaps and challenges. Clearly, we have an opportunity to continue to improve our 
relationships within the collaborative, as well as work with other systems to create a 
more seamless, person-driven approach to proving services. We must approach this 
opportunity with trust in each other, and a commitment to support changes in both our 
individual partner agencies, and within our collaborative. 

23 



Appendix A: 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. 

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. 

24 



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? 

25 



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. 

________ 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 

26 



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. 

27 



Definitions of terms 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. 

28 



Discussion Group 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? 
29 



NOTE: As mentioned above, we felt it 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 were the same as the discussion groups. Below is the 
Interview protocol: 

Protocol 
Introduction: 
Step 1 Check in with participant 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. 

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. You have a right to leave or take a break without being 
judged. 

30 



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? 

31 



Consent Form Review Process: 

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 tape recorded, 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. 

_______ 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. 

32 



Appendix B: 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? 

33 



STEP THREE: 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? 
__ 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? 
__ 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] 
__ 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 
__ Ongoing process to ensure materials are available in alternative 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] 
__ Changed intake form questions 
__ Changed safety planning questions 
__ Changed shelter rules 
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__ Changed policy regarding transportation to and from the shelter 
__ Changed policy regarding meeting potential program participants in their home or 
another location 
__ Other _______________________________________________ 

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STEP FOUR: 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?] 
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?] 
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? 
4. What can your agency do to help improve the community response? 
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] 
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] 
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? 
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Appendix 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? 

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STEP THREE: 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? 
__ 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? 
__ 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] 
__ 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 
__ Changed intake form questions 
__ Changed safety planning questions 
__ Changed program, group or other service rules 
__ 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 _________________________________________________ 
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STEP FOUR: 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?] 
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?] 
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? 
4. What can your agency do to help improve the community response? 
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] 
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?] 
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? 
39