Sttrategitrategic 
Plan 


PAH! 
Partners 
A 
Advocating 
for 
Heal 
ling 
Oaklan 
nd 
County, 
Michigan 
n 
JJanuary 
2011 


HAVEN 
Deaf 
Co 
ommunity 
Advocacy 
Network 
Deaf 
W 
Women’s 
Advocacy 
Services 




I. 
Introduction 
PAH!: 
Partners 
Advocating 
for 
Healing 
is 
a 
community 
collaborative 
effort 
to 
increase 
responsiveness 
and 
accessibility 
of 
the 
service 
delivery 
system 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence. 
Our 
name 
comes 
from 
the 
American 
Sign 
Language 
sign 
of 
“PAH”, 
which 
represents 
success 
or 
achievement. 
We 
thought 
it 
was 
only 
appropriate 
to 
name 
our 
collaboration 
PAH! 
, 
thus 
incorporating 
both 
the 
hearing 
and 
Deaf 
communities, 
and 
symbolizing 
the 
bridge 
we 
are 
building 
between 
these 
communities 
to 
combat 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence. 
PAH!, 
established 
in 
October 
of 
2008, 
is 
a 
collaboration 
consisting 
of 
three 
community 
programs 
located 
in 
Oakland 
County, 
Michigan: 
HAVEN, 
Deaf 
Community 
Advocacy 
Network 
(DEAF 
C.A.N.!) 
and 
Deaf 
Women’s 
Advocacy 
Services 
(DWAS). 


The 
collaboration 
of 
HAVEN, 
DEAF 
C.A.N.!, 
and 
DWAS 
is 
the 
first 
and 
only 
partnership 
in 
Southeast 
Michigan 
that 
brings 
together 
the 
skills, 
leadership 
and 
experiences 
of 
both 
Deaf 
and 
hearing 
advocates. 
All 
members 
of 
the 
collaborative 
are 
committed 
to 
create 
sustained 
systems 
change 
within 
their 
organizations 
that 
will 
extend 
well 
beyond 
the 
parameters 
of 
this 
three 
year, 
federally 
funded 
grant. 
Each 
agency 
and 
individual 
member 
is 
committed 
to 
learning 
from 
one 
another 
and 
their 
agencies 
collective 
experiences 
in 
order 
to 
plan, 
evaluate, 
develop, 
and 
eventually 
implement 
culturally 
sensitive 
services 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence. 


This 
collaborative 
is 
funded 
by 
a 
three 
year, 
multi-phase 
grant 
from 
the 


U.S. 
Department 
of 
Justice, 
Office 
on 
Violence 
Against 
Women 
(Grant 
# 
2008-FW-AX-K005) 
received 
in 
October 
of 
2008. 
The 
collaborative 
partners 
have 
been 
working 
together 
since 
December 
of 
2008, 
meeting 
weekly 
to 
establish 
the 
goals, 
values 
and 
mission 
of 
the 
group. 
The 
PAH! 
collaboration 
charter, 
which 
was 
developed 
in 
the 
first 
year 
of 
the 
grant, 
outlines 
the 
vision, 
mission, 
goals 
and 
philosophy 
of 
PAH! 
The 
second 
phase 
of 
the 
grant 
was 
focused 
on 
developing 
a 
needs 
assessment 
plan, 
facilitating 
that 
plan, 
and 
subsequently 
reporting 
the 
results 
in 
a 
needs 
assessment 
report. 
The 
collaborative 
is 
now 
in 
the 
third 
phase, 
which 
is 
categorized 
as 
the 
planning 
and 
development 
phase. 
During 
this 
phase, 
the 
collaborative 
has 
reviewed 
the 
needs 
assessment 
results, 
determined 
strategic 
initiatives 
and 
activities 
based 
on 
those 
results, 
and 
have 
compiled 
the 
information 
into 
the 
following 
strategic 
plan. 
The 
strategic 

planning 
process 
marks 
the 
final 
step 
before 
the 
collaboration 
can 
move 
into 
the 
fourth 
and 
final 
phase, 
which 
is 
the 
implementation 
phase. 
The 
implementation 
phase 
will 
result 
in 
the 
completion 
of 
the 
collaborative 
strategic 
initiatives 
and 
activities, 
thus 
creating 
sustainable 
systems 
change 
in 
collaborative 
agencies. 


Agency 
Descriptions 


HAVEN 
believes 
that 
all 
people 
have 
a 
right 
to 
violence 
–free 
lives. 
Domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault 
and 
child 
abuse 
should 
not 
be 
tolerated 
or 
condoned. 
HAVEN 
believes 
these 
acts 
have 
a 
devastating 
effect 
on 
victims, 
their 
families 
and 
the 
entire 
society. 
HAVEN 
believes 
abusive 
acts 
are 
acts 
of 
power 
and 
control 
that 
the 
victim 
does 
not 
provoke, 
enjoy 
or 
deserve. 
Moreover, 
HAVEN 
believes 
victims 
can 
regain 
control 
of 
their 
lives 
through 
appropriate 
support 
services. 


HAVEN 
recognizes 
that 
women, 
children 
and 
men 
have 
a 
right 
to 
their 
own 
identities 
and 
need 
not 
define 
themselves 
according 
to 
cultural 
traditions, 
some 
of 
which 
tolerate 
abuse. 
The 
aim 
of 
HAVEN 
is 
to 
eliminate 
root 
causes 
of 
abuse 
and 
to 
believe 
education 
is 
a 
vital 
component 
in 
working 
toward 
the 
prevention 
of 
physical 
and 
sexual 
violence. 


HAVEN 
provides 
a 
full 
spectrum 
of 
services 
to 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence 
including 
but 
not 
limited 
to 
residential 
shelter, 
counseling, 
court 
and 
legal 
advocacy, 
24 
hours 
crisis 
and 
support, 
education 
and 
prevention 
services. 


Deaf 
Women’s 
Advocacy 
Services 
(DWAS) 
is 
a 
volunteer 
agency, 
which 
provides 
services 
to 
Deaf, 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
and 
Deaf-Blind 
victims 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence. 
Their 
mission 
is 
to 
provide 
empowerment 
to 
victims 
through 
a 
24 
hour 
crisis 
network, 
counseling, 
and 
medical, 
legal 
and 
systems 
advocacy. 
DWAS 
is 
also 
committed 
to 
changing 
cultural 
attitudes 
which 
foster 
and 
perpetuate 
violence. 


DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
offers 
a 
wide 
range 
of 
services 
that 
focus 
on 
narrowing 
health, 
economic, 
legal, 
and 
educational 
disparities 
that 
occur 
due 
to 
the 
communication 
barriers 
that 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
people 
face. 
The 
majority 
of 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
clients 
are 
chronically 
underserved 
and 
face 
discrimination 
based 
on 
their 
deafness. 
Their 
services 
do 
not 
center 
on 



“fixing” 
the 
individual's 
deafness; 
they 
believe 
Deaf 
people 
are 
members 
of 
a 
linguistic 
minority, 
and 
as 
such 
services 
are 
provided 
from 
a 
cultural 
perspective 
utilizing 
American 
Sign 
Language. 
Wherever 
possible, 
this 
agency 
works 
to 
create 
systematic, 
institutional 
change 
to 
better 
serve 
the 
community. 


Agency 
Relationship 
History 


The 
length 
and 
nature 
of 
relationships 
among 
the 
project 
partners 
varies, 
but 
extends 
back 
many 
years, 
with 
several 
key 
individuals 
working 
together 
on 
a 
variety 
of 
projects. 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
HAVEN 
have 
a 
history 
dating 
back 
as 
far 
as 
1996, 
with 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
providing 
ASL 
interpreter 
services 
for 
Deaf 
survivors, 
and 
referring 
Deaf 
survivors 
to 
HAVEN 
for 
domestic 
or 
sexual 
violence 
services. 
HAVEN 
has 
been 
working 
with 
DWAS 
since 
2006 
to 
better 
meet 
the 
needs 
of 
Deaf 
survivors 
in 
Oakland 
County. 


DWAS 
is 
a 
grassroots 
volunteer 
organization 
that 
was 
established 
to 
represent 
the 
needs 
of 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
women 
who 
were 
touched 
by 
Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault. 
DWAS 
has 
always 
been 
operated 
by 
Deaf 
women 
in 
the 
community 
who 
understand 
the 
need 
to 
bring 
awareness 
to 
the 
sensitive 
issues 
surrounding 
Domestic 
Violence. 
Regrettably 
in 
June 
2010, 
the 
President 
of 
DWAS 
relocated 
out 
of 
state. 
At 
the 
present 
time 
DWAS 
does 
not 
have 
leadership, 
and 
it’s 
foundation 
as 
a 
volunteer 
support 
agency 
has 
become 
unstable. 
Marika 
Blumerick, 
who 
is 
the 
Vice 
President 
of 
DWAS 
and 
represents 
DWAS 
on 
the 
collaborative, 
is 
working 
on 
organizing 
a 
new 
Board 
of 
Directors 
and 
core 
of 
volunteers 
to 
revitalize, 
rebuild 
and 
solidify 
the 
organization. 


Ms. 
Blumerick 
continues 
to 
represent 
DWAS 
at 
the 
PAH! 
Meetings 
and 
brings 
with 
her 
the 
community 
perspective 
that 
DWAS 
offered 
in 
the 
past. 
The 
collaboration 
understands 
given 
the 
current 
configuration 
of 
the 
organization 
that 
DWAS 
is 
unable 
to 
participate 
at 
the 
level 
of 
HAVEN 
and 
DEAF 
C.A.N.!, 
but 
the 
voice 
of 
the 
Deaf 
community 
will 
continue 
to 
be 
heard, 
through 
Ms. 
Blumerick’s 
participation, 
on 
behalf 
of 
DWAS. 
Ms. 
Blumerick 
will 
still 
be 
involved 
in 
all 
aspects 
of 
implementation 
initiatives 
and 
activities 
and 
will 
continue 
to 
serve 
as 
our 
liaison 
into 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
communities. 



PAH! 
Vision 
and 
Mission 
Statements 


In 
order 
to 
gain 
clarity 
around 
our 
goals, 
the 
PAH! 
collaborative 
developed 
jointly 
agreed 
upon 
vision 
and 
mission 
statements 
for 
our 
work. 
The 
vision 
and 
mission 
statements 
were 
established 
during 
the 
initial 
phase 
of 
this 
grant 
process, 
and 
were 
first 
documented 
in 
the 
PAH! 
Charter. 
These 
statements 
provide 
PAH! 
the 
structure 
and 
direction 
to 
successfully 
integrate 
the 
voices 
of 
the 
Deaf/Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community, 
and 
to 
expel 
myths 
and 
stigmas 
regarding 
needs 
and 
concerns 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence 
victims. 


Vision 
Statement 


Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence 
will 
receive 
immediate 
services 
from 
PAH! 
agencies 
that 
are 
fully 
responsive, 
accessible 
and 
free 
from 
communication 
and 
cultural 
barriers. 
They 
will 
feel 
supported 
and 
empowered 
to 
move 
forward 
in 
their 
lives. 
Our 
advocates 
will 
support 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
in 
their 
journeys 
from 
crisis 
to 
healing 
in 
a 
competent 
and 
trusting 
environment. 


Mission 
Statement 


PAH! 
will 
ensure 
the 
delivery 
of 
fully 
accessible 
and 
responsive 
services 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence, 
which 
will 
include 
crisis 
intervention, 
counseling, 
advocacy 
and 
shelter. 
PAH! 
will 
accomplish 
this 
mission 
through 
the 
following 
actions: 


• 
Sharing 
our 
individual 
experience 
and 
expertise 
in 
our 
respective 
fields, 
to 
build 
a 
strong 
and 
trusting 
relationship 
with 
one 
another. 
• 
Sharing 
experiences 
in 
our 
agencies 
and 
our 
communities. 
• 
Increasing 
knowledge 
and 
awareness 
within 
our 
agencies 
regarding 
the 
differences 
between 
Deaf 
and 
hearing 
cultures. 
• 
Increasing 
awareness 
and 
knowledge 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence 
within 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
DWAS. 
• 
Increasing 
our 
communication 
capacity 
to 
appropriately 
and 
effectively 
communicate 
with 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
survivors 
utilizing 
Certified 
American 
Sign 
Language 
interpreters 
and 
the 
latest 
communication 
technologies. 


• 
Changing 
our 
existing 
policies, 
procedures, 
job 
descriptions, 
practices 
and 
budgets 
within 
our 
agencies 
to 
reflect 
our 
learned 

best 
practices 
in 
providing 
services 
to 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence. 


• 
Advocating 
for 
external 
systems 
change 
in 
areas 
such 
as 
criminal 
justice, 
health 
care, 
education 
and 
the 
legal 
arena, 
to 
make 
services 
accessible 
and 
responsive 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence. 
II. 
Needs 
Assessment 
Plan, 
Implementation, 
and 
Report 
Purpose 
of 
The 
Needs 
Assessment 


To 
explore 
how 
PAH! 
agencies 
are 
currently 
delivering 
services 
to 
the 
Deaf 
community, 
and 
how 
collaborative 
agencies 
can 
improve 
the 
delivery 
and 
accessibility 
of 
services 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients 
that 
have 
experienced 
domestic 
and/or 
sexual 
violence. 


Background 
Information 


Information 
was 
gathered 
from 
collaborative 
agency 
staff, 
Board 
of 
Directors, 
clients, 
Deaf 
community 
groups 
associated 
with 
DEAF 
C.A.N.!, 
Deaf 
and 
hearing 
family 
members, 
and 
certified 
American 
Sign 
Language 
interpreters. 


PAH! 
collected 
information 
from 
each 
of 
these 
audiences 
to 
create 
more 
comfortable, 
accessible, 
and 
responsive 
services 
to 
Deaf 
survivors. 
The 
compiled 
results 
served 
as 
support 
in 
developing 
tactics 
for 
the 
strategic 
plan, 
and 
chart 
a 
realistic 
and 
manageable 
course 
for 
the 
implementation 
phase. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Goals 


Listed 
below 
are 
four 
areas 
that 
summarize 
the 
goals 
of 
the 
PAH! 
needs 
assessment. 
As 
a 
collaborative, 
each 
agency 
has 
committed 
to 
making 
the 
internal 
systems 
changes 
required 
to 
enhance 
and 
fill 
gaps 
in 
service. 
The 
data 
collected 
from 
our 
target 
audiences 
aided 
the 
collaborative 
in 
answering 
the 
following 
questions: 



1. 
What 
are 
our 
current 
practices 
in 
terms 
of 
domestic 
violence 
services 
for 
our 
Deaf 
clients? 
What 
works? 
What 
doesn’t 
work? 
How 
can 
they 
be 
improved? 
2. 
What 
are 
the 
gaps 
in 
our 
programs 
and 
services 
and 
how 
can 
we 
address 
them? 
3. 
What 
do 
Deaf 
consumers 
want 
in 
terms 
of 
services 
in 
general? 
Who? 
What? 
Where? 
When 
and 
How? 
4. 
What 
are 
our 
organizational 
capacities 
to 
serve 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients 
in 
a 
more 
inclusive, 
engaging 
and 
safe 
way? 
a. 
Staff 
knowledge 
and 
comfort 
b. 
Formalized 
policies, 
practices 
and 
procedures 
c. 
Budgets 
Needs 
Assessment 
Methodology 


After 
approval 
of 
the 
PAH! 
needs 
assessment 
plan, 
the 
team 
set 
out 
to 
implement 
the 
plan 
over 
a 
three 
month 
period, 
beginning 
June 
of 
2010 
and 
ending 
in 
August 
2010. 
PAH! 
members 
were 
responsible 
for 
recruiting 
participants, 
scheduling 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews, 
conducting 
the 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews, 
capturing 
data, 
and 
compiling 
key 
findings. 


Members 
of 
PAH! 
conducted 
interviews 
and 
focus 
groups 
to 
gather 
data 
from 
collaborative 
agency 
staff, 
Board 
of 
Directors, 
clients, 
Deaf 
community 
groups 
associated 
with 
DEAF 
C.A.N.!, 
Deaf 
and 
hearing 
family 
members, 
and 
certified 
American 
Sign 
Language 
interpreters. 
All 
recruitment 
was 
done 
through 
face 
to 
face 
contact. 
All 
questions 
were 
designed 
by 
the 
members 
of 
PAH, 
with 
technical 
assistance 
from 
the 
Vera 
Institute, 
and 
approval 
from 
the 
Office 
of 
Violence 
Against 
Women. 
Safety, 
accessibility, 
confidentiality 
and 
consent 
considerations 
were 
all 
discussed 
during 
participant 
recruitment 
and 
again, 
immediately 
prior 
to 
the 
interview 
or 
focus 
group. 


From 
June 
2010 
through 
August 
of 
2010, 
PAH! 
had 
projected 
a 
target 
audience 
between 
80-144 
participants. 
PAH! 
spoke 
directly 
to 
a 
total 
of 



122 
people, 
consisting 
of 
71 
agency 
staff 
and 
board 
of 
directors 
and 
51 
program 
participants. 


Focus 
Groups 


The 
focus 
groups 
were 
used 
to 
bring 
together 
4-10 
participants, 
who 
were 
asked 
6-8 
open 
ended 
questions 
about 
the 
accessibility 
of 
services 
provided 
by 
hearing 
agencies 
to 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community 
residing 
in 
Oakland 
County, 
Michigan. 
There 
were 
no 
questions 
asked 
regarding 
domestic 
or 
sexual 
violence. 
The 
groups 
lasted 
approximately 
1½ 
to 
2 
hours. 


Focus 
groups 
were 
conducted 
with 
HAVEN 
staff 
and 
Board 
of 
Directors; 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
and 
Board 
of 
Directors; 
DWAS 
Board 
of 
Directors; 
and 
for 
the 
following 
Deaf 
community 
groups: 
Older 
Deaf 
adults, 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
people 
fluent 
in 
American 
Sign 
Language 
(ASL), 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
people 
not 
fluent 
in 
ASL; 
certified 
ASL 
interpreters; 
and 
Deaf 
professionals. 


These 
audiences 
were 
chosen 
to 
participate 
in 
focus 
groups 
because 
they 
are 
the 
providers 
and 
end 
users 
of 
services. 
Focus 
groups 
were 
held 
at 
either 
the 
HAVEN 
Counseling 
Center 
located 
in 
Bingham 
Farms, 
Michigan, 
or 
at 
the 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
offices 
located 
in 
Sylvan 
Lake, 
Michgan. 
All 
consumers 
received 
a 
$20 
Meijer 
gift 
card 
upon 
arrival 
to 
the 
group. 
Staff 
and 
board 
members 
did 
not 
receive 
any 
incentive 
for 
participating. 


Each 
focus 
group 
was 
lead 
by 
a 
group 
facilitator, 
and 
attended 
by 
a 
recorder, 
support 
person, 
and 
two 
certified 
ASL 
interpreters 
(for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
participants). 
The 
recorder 
was 
the 
project 
manager, 
Christine 
Giresi 
who 
utilized 
a 
computer 
for 
note 
taking. 
The 
facilitators 
were 
either 
Marcy 
Colton 
(DEAF 
C.A.N.!) 
or 
Emily 
Matuszczak 
(HAVEN). 
For 
the 
staff 
focus 
groups, 
Marcy 
Colton 
facilitated 
the 
HAVEN 
staff 
focus 
groups, 
and 
Emily 
Matuszczak 
facilitated 
the 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
focus 
groups. 
The 
support 
person 
was 
a 
HAVEN 
employed 
licensed 
counselor. 


There 
were 
eighteen 
projected 
groups, 
and 
seventeen 
actual 
groups 
held. 
The 
projected 
number 
of 
participants 
was 
104-122 
and 
the 
actual 
focus 
group 
participant 
count 
was 
111. 
Of 
the 
111 
focus 
group 
participants, 
67 
were 
agency 
staff 
and 
board 
members, 
and 
44 
were 
Deaf 
participants. 


8 



Interviews 


Interviews 
were 
conducted 
with 
agency 
leadership 
of 
PAH!: 
Beth 
Morrison, 
CEO 
of 
HAVEN; 
Emily 
Matuszczak, 
Senior 
Director 
of 
Programs, 
HAVEN; 
Marcy 
Colton, 
Executive 
Director, 
DEAF 
C.A.N.!, 
and 
Kate 
Slosar, 
President, 
DWAS. 
They 
were 
asked 
a 
combination 
of 
the 
same 
questions 
posed 
to 
their 
staff 
and 
board 
of 
directors. 
Interviews 
were 
held 
at 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
HAVEN 
administrative 
offices, 
and 
facilitated 
by 
Emily 
Matuszczak 
and 
Marcy 
Colton. 
All 
interviews 
were 
recorded 
by 
Christine 
Giresi, 
who 
took 
notes 
on 
a 
computer. 


PAH! 
also 
interviewed 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence; 
one 
Deaf 
Blind 
individual; 
Deaf 
individuals 
and 
their 
hearing 
family 
members; 
and 
Children 
of 
Deaf 
Adults 
to 
gain 
their 
insight 
to 
barriers 
the 
Deaf 
community 
faces 
when 
acquiring 
services 
from 
hearing 
agencies. 


To 
reduce 
the 
risk 
of 
a 
breach 
of 
confidentiality, 
the 
Deaf 
participants 
were 
interviewed 
individually, 
as 
opposed 
to 
partaking 
in 
a 
focus 
group. 
With 
the 
exception 
of 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
survivors, 
the 
interview 
questions 
were 
the 
same 
questions 
posed 
in 
a 
Deaf 
participant 
focus 
group. 
Deaf 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
were 
asked 
specific 
questions 
pertaining 
to 
accessibility 
to 
domestic 
violence 
services. 
PAH! 
did 
not 
ask 
any 
questions 
requiring 
disclosure 
– 
confidentiality 
and 
safety 
in 
this 
situation 
was 
paramount. 


Interviews 
with 
Deaf 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
were 
held 
at 
HAVEN 
Counseling 
Center 
in 
Bingham 
Farms, 
Michigan. 
All 
other 
interviews 
with 
Deaf 
community 
participants 
were 
held 
at 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
in 
Sylvan 
Lake, 
Michigan, 
with 
the 
exception 
of 
the 
interview 
with 
the 
Deaf/Blind 
participant. 
The 
team 
needed 
to 
travel 
to 
Jackson, 
Michigan 
due 
to 
the 
participants’ 
inability 
to 
find 
transportation 
to 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
Interviews 
with 
the 
Deaf 
community 
were 
conducted 
by 
either 
Marcy 
Colton, 
Executive 
Director 
of 
DEAF 
C.A.N.!, 
and/or 
Kate 
Slosar 
and 
Marika 
Blumerick 
of 
DWAS. 
Each 
interview 
lasted 
between 
one 
and 
one 
and 
one 
half 
hours. 
A 
certified 
ASL 
interpreter 
was 
present 
at 
each 
interview, 
and 
a 
licensed 
professional 
counselor 
was 
accessible 
if 
needed. 
All 
Deaf 
participants 
received 
a 
$20 
Meijer 
gift 
card 
upon 
arrival 
to 
the 
interview. 



Of 
the 
eleven 
interviews 
conducted, 
four 
were 
with 
agency 
leadership. 
The 
remaining 
seven 
were 
with 
Deaf 
survivors(2), 
Children 
of 
Deaf 
Adults 
(2) 
and 
Hearing 
Family 
Members 
(2), 
and 
one(1) 
Deaf 
Blind 
individual. 


PAH! 
was 
unable 
to 
meet 
with 
as 
many 
Deaf 
participants 
as 
it 
had 
hoped. 
Although 
the 
total 
actual 
interview 
number 
fell 
within 
projection, 
PAH! 
had 
hoped 
to 
have 
interviewed 
more 
Deaf 
and 
Deaf 
related 
participants. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Report 
Key 
Findings 


After 
reviewing 
the 
data 
collected 
from 
the 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
with 
agency 
leadership, 
staff, 
Deaf 
community 
participants, 
and 
board 
members, 
PAH! 
has 
identified 
the 
following 
six 
key 
findings. 
Some 
of 
these 
findings 
and 
suggestions 
overlap, 
but 
the 
collaboration 
feels 
it 
is 
important 
to 
be 
all 
inclusive. 
These 
key 
findings 
directly 
correlate 
to 
the 
goals 
of 
the 
PAH! 
needs 
assessment, 
found 
on 
page 
five 
of 
this 
document. 


Key 
Finding 
#1 
– 
Creating 
a 
Welcoming 
Environment 


When 
seeking 
services 
from 
a 
hearing 
agency, 
the 
three 
most 
important 
aspects 
to 
creating 
a 
welcoming 
environment 
for 
Deaf 
clients 
are: 


1. 
A 
non 
judgmental 
attitude 
and 
sense 
of 
normality 
2. 
Access 
to 
interpreting 
services 
3. 
The 
comfort 
level 
of 
staff 
when 
working 
with 
Deaf 
clients. 
Key 
Finding 
#2 
-Confidentiality 


When 
dealing 
with 
a 
‘private 
matter,’ 
the 
majority 
of 
Deaf 
people 
we 
spoke 
to 
would 
prefer 
to 
speak 
with 
someone 
not 
involved 
or 
connected 
with 
the 
Deaf 
community. 


Key 
Finding 
#3 
-Accessibility 


The 
primary 
barrier 
to 
service 
accessibility 
is 
communication 
(and 
the 
absence 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
education 
in 
the 
Deaf 
community.) 


Key 
Finding 
#4 
Knowledge 
and 
Awareness 
of 
Deaf 
Culture, 
Domestic 
and 
Sexual 
Violence, 
and 
the 
Unique 
Needs 
of 
a 
Deaf 
Survivor 


There 
is 
a 
lack 
of 
knowledge 
and 
awareness 
among 
(1) 
HAVEN 
staff 
in 
regards 
to 
Deaf 
culture 
and 
the 
Deaf 
community; 
(2) 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
in 
regards 
to 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault; 
and 
(3) 
all 
PAH! 
agencies 


10 



in 
regards 
to 
the 
specific 
needs 
of 
a 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
survivor 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
sexual 
assault. 


Key 
Finding 
#5 
– 
Policies, 
Procedures 
and 
Protocols 


No 
policies, 
procedures 
or 
protocols 
exist 
for 
responding 
to 
a 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
survivor 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
sexual 
assault 
in 
any 
of 
the 
three 
PAH! 
agencies. 


Key 
Finding 
#6– 
Capacity 
of 
DWAS 


Regrettably, 
during 
the 
needs 
assessment 
phase, 
the 
collaborative 
lost 
one 
of 
its 
key 
members 
– 
Kate 
Slosar-the 
President 
of 
DWAS. 
Currently, 
DWAS 
does 
not 
have 
leadership, 
and 
it’s 
foundation 
as 
a 
volunteer 
support 
agency 
has 
become 
unstable. 
Currently, 
Marika 
Blumerick 
is 
continuing 
to 
represent 
DWAS 
at 
PAH! 
functional 
meetings. 
PAH! 
will 
be 
assisting 
the 
remaining 
members 
of 
DWAS 
in 
capacity 
building 
to 
restructure 
and 
rejuvenate 
their 
volunteer 
agency. 
Until 
DWAS 
becomes 
a 
stable 
agency, 
the 
collaboration 
is 
cautious 
not 
to 
overwhelm 
the 
remaining 
members 
while 
encouraging 
increased 
participation. 
We 
cannot 
presume 
or 
plan 
for 
the 
extent 
of 
DWAS 
involvement 
in 
the 
PAH! 
strategic 
plan. 


III.TheStrategicPlan
After 
consulting 
with 
our 
Vera 
Technical 
Assistance 
representative 
and 
utilizing 
our 
Needs 
Assessment 
Report 
Key 
Findings, 
the 
members 
of 
PAH! 
have 
developed 
short 
term 
implementation 
initiatives. 
All 
short 
term 
initiatives 
correlate 
back 
to 
the 
vision 
and 
mission 
of 
the 
collaborative 
which 
is 
to 
ensure 
the 
delivery 
of 
fully 
accessible 
and 
responsive 
services 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence 
(full 
vision 
and 
mission 
are 
stated 
on 
page 
3 
of 
this 
document). 
These 
initiatives 
have 
been 
carefully 
chosen 
to 
address 
the 
skills 
and 
knowledge 
of 
agency 
staff 
to 
increase 
culturally 
competency 
to 
effectively 
serve 
the 
Deaf 
population, 
and 
to 
provide 
the 
Deaf 
community 
with 
a 
safe, 
welcoming, 
respectful 
and 
accessible 
service 
delivery 
system. 
The 
fiscally 
responsible 
agency 
(HAVEN), 
will 
be 
applying 
for 
a 
no 
cost, 
twelve 
month 
grant 
extension, 
and 
if 
approved, 
will 
set 
the 
end 
date 
for 
this 
grant 
to 
September, 
2012. 


11 



The 
following 
four 
short-term 
initiatives 
will 
take 
a 
minimum 
of 
ten 
months 
to 
be 
completed. 
The 
activities 
are 
detailed 
in 
section 
III 
(b) 
of 
this 
document, 
and 
the 
timeline 
of 
each 
initiative 
can 
be 
found 
in 
the 
attached 
workplan. 
The 
short 
term 
initiatives 
are 
as 
follows: 


Initiative 
#1: 
Develop 
policies 
and 
procedures 
to 
support 
services 
for 
Deaf 
survivors 


Initiative 
#2: 
Increasing 
staff 
capacity 
to 
serve 
Deaf 
survivors 
through 
knowledge 
building 
and 
training 


Initiative 
#3: 
Improve 
communication 
access 
for 
Deaf 
survivors. 


Initiative 
#4: 
Develop 
a 
long 
term 
plan 
to 
sustain 
the 
PAH! 
collaboration 


III(a) 
Summation 
of 
Short 
Term 
Initiatives 


Initiative 
#1: 
Develop 
policies 
and 
procedures 
to 
support 
services 
for 
Deaf 
survivors. 


The 
collaborative 
will 
review 
and 
adjust 
applicable 
existing 
agency 
policies, 
and 
develop 
new 
policies 
and 
procedures 
to 
support 
Deaf 
services. 
These 
policy 
and 
procedural 
enhancements 
will 
be 
incorporated 
into 
agency 
operations 
with 
the 
goal 
being 
to 
empower 
agency 
employees 
and 
volunteers 
to 
feel 
more 
knowledgeable 
and 
helpful 
when 
serving 
a 
Deaf 
survivor. 
This 
initiative 
will 
have 
long 
term 
goals 
as 
well, 
with 
policies 
and 
procedures 
related 
to 
the 
Deaf 
community 
being 
reviewed 
annually 
by 
the 
collaboration, 
well 
after 
this 
grant 
period 
has 
finished. 


Initiative 
#2: 
Increasing 
staff 
capacity 
to 
serve 
Deaf 
survivors 
through 
knowledge 
building 
and 
training. 


The 
Needs 
Assessment 
findings 
indicated 
cross 
training 
on 
domestic 
violence 
and 
Deaf 
culture 
are 
required 
to 
ensure 
culturally 
competent 
service 
delivery. 
A 
total 
of 
four 
activities 
fall 
under 
this 
initiative. 
Activity 
#1 
will 
focus 
on 
training 
HAVEN 
staff 
on 
Deaf 
Culture. 
Activity 
#2 
will 
be 
developing 
training 
for 
HAVEN 
staff 
on 
working 
with 
ASL 
Interpreters. 
Activity 
#3 
will 
focus 
on 
training 
DEAF 
C.A.N.!, 
DWAS 
staff 
and 
volunteers 
on 
Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault, 
Safety 
Planning, 
and 
Lethality 
Assessment. 
Activity 
#4 
will 
develop 
a 
trauma 
informed 
response 
training 


12 



for 
all 
HAVEN, 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
DWAS 
staff 
and 
first 
response 
volunteers. 
This 
activity 
requires 
the 
services 
of 
an 
expert 
in 
trauma 
informed 
response. 
The 
expert 
will 
be 
researched, 
approved 
by 
OVW, 
and 
hired 
as 
a 
consultant 
to 
develop 
a 
trauma 
informed 
response 
training 
module 
for 
the 
collaborative 
agencies. 


Initiative 
# 
3: 
Improve 
communication 
access 
for 
Deaf 
survivors. 


After 
speaking 
with 
Deaf 
focus 
group 
participants 
and 
the 
staff 
of 
HAVEN 
and 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
the 
primary 
barrier 
to 
service 
accessibility 
is 
the 
issue 
of 
communication. 
Activity 
#1 
is 
the 
development 
of 
an 
agency 
communication 
access 
review. 
The 
collaborative 
will 
be 
hiring 
an 
outside 
expert 
in 
communication 
access 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
people 
to 
assist 
in 
the 
development 
of 
a 
communication 
access 
review 
tool. 
This 
tool 
will 
assess 
communication 
accessibility, 
and 
then, 
utilizing 
the 
results, 
the 
development 
of 
an 
accompanying 
communication 
barrier 
removal 
plan. 
Activity 
#2 
is 
the 
creation 
of 
a 
current, 
state-of-the-art 
communication 
access 
kit 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 
Activity 
#3 
is 
to 
conduct 
ASL 
interpreter 
training 
on 
appropriate 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
ASL 
training 
modules, 
as 
well 
as 
the 
intricacies 
of 
working 
with 
a 
Deaf 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
sexual 
assault 
survivor. 
This 
training 
will 
be 
derived 
from 
the 
Vera 
Institute 
sponsored 
ASL 
interpreter 
training 
module, 
conducted 
in 
Rhode 
Island 
in 
2010, 
and 
will 
require 
the 
hiring 
of 
outside 
consultants. 
Activity 
#4 
will 
be 
to 
produce 
culturally 
relevant 
videos 
in 
ASL 
and 
closed 
captions 
to 
give 
Deaf 
survivors 
an 
overview 
of 
HAVEN’s 
shelter 
and 
services, 
the 
residential 
intake 
process 
and 
residential 
guidelines; 
information 
regarding 
domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault 
and 
safety 
planning. 
Activity 
#5 
will 
be 
to 
enhance 
the 
collaborative 
agencies 
websites 
to 
include 
online 
pages 
for 
available 
Deaf 
services 
for 
victims 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault. 


Initiative 
#4 
Develop 
a 
long 
term 
plan 
for 
the 
sustainability 
of 
the 
PAH! 
collaboration. 


This 
initiative 
will 
be 
focused 
on 
developing 
a 
plan 
to 
sustain 
and 
continue 
the 
work 
of 
the 
collaboration 
in 
the 
future. 
An 
MOU 
(Memorandum 
of 
Understanding) 
will 
be 
created, 
along 
with 
agreements 
regarding 
future 
funding 
and 
resource 
sharing. 
Work 
committees 
will 
be 
established 
to 
ensure 
the 
MOU 
is 
adhered 
to 
and 
communication 
continues 
between 
agencies; 
funding 
and 
resources 
are 
being 
pursued 
and 
shared; 
and 
the 
communication 
barrier 
plan 
is 
annually 
reviewed 
and 
implemented. 


13 



Additional 
Comments 


Each 
initiative 
is 
interconnected 
and 
relates 
back 
to 
the 
Mission 
and 
Vision 
of 
the 
collaborative, 
and 
the 
results 
of 
the 
collaborative 
Needs 
Assessment 
Report. 
The 
collective 
goal 
of 
the 
initiatives 
is 
to 
increase 
the 
knowledge 
and 
awareness 
of 
agency 
staff 
to 
provide 
an 
accessible, 
respectful, 
culturally 
competent 
and 
welcoming 
environment 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 


The 
success 
of 
bringing 
these 
initiatives 
from 
paper 
to 
reality 
is 
predicated 
on 
the 
collaboration 
agencies 
working 
together 
extensively 
over 
the 
next 
twelve 
months. 
The 
collaboration 
will 
be 
recruiting 
not 
only 
staff, 
but 
outside 
experts 
in 
the 
field 
of 
communication 
access, 
Deaf 
culture, 
Sign 
Language 
Interpreting, 
DV/SA 
trauma 
informed 
care 
and 
film 
production. 


HAVEN, 
the 
fiscal 
agent, 
will 
apply 
for 
a 
no 
cost, 
twelve 
month 
grant 
extension 
from 
OVW. 
If 
the 
extension 
is 
approved, 
the 
initiatives 
are 
scheduled 
to 
be 
completed 
by 
September 
2012. 


Work 
Processes 


To 
effectively 
complete 
the 
Strategic 
Plan 
initiatives, 
the 
collaborative 
has 
developed 
work 
processes. 
Each 
initiative 
contains 
activities, 
and 
attached 
to 
these 
activities 
are 
tasks. 
The 
work 
committees 
are 
led 
by 
one 
member 
of 
the 
PAH! 
collaborative, 
and 
are 
comprised 
of 
other 
employees, 
volunteers 
and 
community 
members. 
The 
work 
committees 
are 
responsible 
for 
completing 
the 
tasks 
under 
each 
activity. 
The 
committees 
will 
meet 
bi-weekly 
to 
do 
a 
concentrated 
and 
efficient 
review 
of 
activity 
progress. 


Employing 
the 
participation 
of 
others 
spreads 
enthusiasm 
about 
the 
collaborative, 
and 
will 
aid 
greatly 
in 
successfully 
creating 
the 
system 
changes 
required. 
The 
members 
of 
the 
PAH! 
collaborative 
will 
continue 
to 
meet 
on 
a 
weekly 
basis 
throughout 
the 
remainder 
of 
the 
grant, 
and 
will 
report 
progress 
being 
made 
on 
their 
initiatives. 


Work 
Plan 


Attached 
to 
this 
strategic 
plan 
is 
a 
10 
month 
work 
plan, 
broken 
down 
by 
initiative. 
The 
work 
plan 
includes 
detailed 
tasks 
to 
be 
completed 
for 
each 
initiative, 
the 
responsible 
parties, 
accompanying 
deliverables, 
and 
a 
month 
by 
month 
timeline. 
As 
mentioned 
earlier, 
all 
initiatives 
are 
related 
to 
the 


14 



Mission 
and 
Vision 
of 
the 
collaboration, 
and 
the 
results 
of 
the 
Needs 
Assessment 
Report 
completed 
in 
September 
2010. 


III 
(b) 
Detail 
of 
Strategic 
Plan 
Short 
Term 
Initiatives 


INITIATIVE 
#1: 
Develop 
policies 
and 
procedures 
to 
support 
services 
for 


Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
sexual 
assault. 


The 
collaborative 
agencies 
do 
not 
have 
existing 
policies 
or 
procedures 
to 
follow 
when 
interacting 
with 
a 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victim 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
sexual 
assault. 
This 
initiative 
will 
consist 
of 
three 
stages: 


1. 
review 
of 
existing 
policies; 
2. 
determining 
which 
policies 
need 
to 
be 
changed, 
and 
3. 
which 
policies 
need 
to 
be 
developed, 
officially 
revised 
and 
then 
the 
appropriate 
documentation 
of 
the 
existing 
and 
new 
policies 
instituted. 
Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


After 
speaking 
to 
staff 
at 
HAVEN 
and 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
the 
volunteers 
who 
comprise 
DWAS, 
none 
are 
aware 
of 
any 
documented 
policies 
or 
procedures 
for 
responding 
to 
the 
needs 
of 
a 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
domestic 
violence 
or 
sexual 
assault. 
At 
HAVEN, 
few 
staff 
members 
feel 
relatively 
comfortable 
or 
efficiently 
skilled 
working 
with 
a 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victim. 
At 
DEAF 
C.A.N.!, 
staff 
have 
no 
training 
in 
domestic 
violence 
or 
sexual 
assault. 
There 
are 
no 
guidelines 
for 
staff 
to 
follow 
if 
a 
client 
has 
experienced 
or 
is 
currently 
experiencing 
domestic 
violence 
or 
has 
been 
a 
victim 
of 
sexual 
assault. 
It 
is 
common 
for 
clients 
to 
walk 
into 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
without 
an 
appointment 
and 
be 
in 
a 
crisis 
situation, 
whether 
it 
be 
legal, 
financial, 
medical, 
or 
an 
issue 
with 
personal 
safety. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 


The 
collaboration 
team 
members 
will 
organize 
a 
work 
group 
consisting 
of 
department 
directors 
from 
the 
partner 
agencies. 
Each 
agency 
will 
identify 
and 
set 
forth 
for 
review 
existing 
policies 
and 
procedures 
that 
will 
require 
enhancement 
to 
meet 
the 
needs 
of 
a 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victim 
of 
DV/SA. 
The 
work 
group 
will 
also 
identify 
any 
new 
policies 
and 
procedures 
that 
need 
to 
be 
developed 
to 
fill 
any 
gaps 
in 
service. 
Confidentiality 
and 
safety 
planning 
policies 
are 
included 
in 
this 
review. 
Learning’s 
from 
Initiatives 
#2 
and 
#3 
will 
be 
incorporated 
into 
existing 
and 
new 
policies 
and 


15 



procedures. 
New 
and 
revised 
policy 
and 
procedure 
drafts 
will 
be 
cross 
reviewed 
by 
each 
agency 
to 
ensure 
efficiency 
and 
depth. 
The 
drafts 
will 
be 
shared 
with 
the 
collaboration 
team 
members 
and 
other 
stakeholders 
as 
needed. 
Other 
past 
OVW 
grantees 
will 
be 
consulted 
on 
an 
as 
needed 
basis. 
Creation 
of 
new/changes 
to 
existing 
policies 
and 
procedures 
will 
be 
reviewed 
and 
approved 
by 
agency 
Board 
of 
Directors 
and 
submitted 
to 
OVW 
for 
approval 
as 
needed. 
All 
approved 
changes 
and 
additions 
will 
be 
incorporated 
into 
agency 
staff 
and 
volunteer 
training 
curriculums. 


Desired 
Outcomes 


• 
At 
collaboration 
agencies, 
appropriate 
existing 
policies 
and 
procedures 
will 
be 
enhanced 
and 
revised 
to 
include 
the 
unique 
needs 
of 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
DV/SA. 
• 
New 
policies 
and 
procedures 
are 
developed 
to 
fill 
any 
gaps 
in 
service 
identified 
by 
the 
collaboration 
and 
the 
work 
group. 
• 
New 
and 
enhanced 
existing 
policies 
and 
procedures 
are 
documented 
and 
are 
included 
in 
orientation 
and 
ongoing 
training 
at 
both 
agencies. 
• 
Agency 
staff 
and 
volunteers 
are 
given 
direction 
and 
knowledge 
on 
the 
serving 
the 
unique 
needs 
of 
a 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victim 
of 
DV/SA 
and 
ultimately 
feel 
more 
comfortable 
and 
confident 
providing 
proficient 
services 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
DV/SA. 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
monitor 
the 
work 
and 
ensure 
the 
timeline 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
Questions 
will 
be 
added 
to 
existing 
staff 
and 
volunteer 
training 
evaluations 
to 
include 
validity 
increase 
of 
understanding/knowledge 
of 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
DV/SA 
policies 
and 
procedures. 
• 
Department 
Directors 
will 
monitor 
long 
term 
change 
through 
one 
on 
one 
supervision 
and 
staff 
meetings. 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


• 
Staff 
and 
volunteers 
feel 
better 
equipped 
and 
more 
confident 
in 
serving 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community. 
This 
result 
leads 
to 
a 
more 
comfortable 
and 
welcoming 
environment 
for 
the 
client, 
and 
to 
a 
more 
accessible 
and 
efficient 
service 
delivery. 
• 
Policies 
and 
procedures 
will 
be 
reviewed 
annually 
for 
updates 
• 
Updated 
policies 
and 
procedures 
will 
be 
incorporated 
into 
service 
manuals 
and 
training 
materials 
16 



OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
New 
and 
revised 
policy 
and 
procedures 
will 
be 
submitted 
for 
approval 
INITIATIVE 
#2: 


Increase 
Staff 
Capacity 
to 
Serve 
Dear 
Survivors 
through 
Knowledge 


Building, 
Training 
and 
Awareness 


There 
is 
a 
lack 
of 
knowledge 
and 
awareness 
among 
(1) 
HAVEN 
staff 
in 
regards 
to 
Deaf 
culture 
and 
the 
Deaf 
community; 
(2) 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
in 
regards 
to 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault; 
and 
(3) 
all 
PAH! 
agencies 
in 
regards 
to 
the 
specific 
needs 
of 
a 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
survivor 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
sexual 
assault. 
Therefore, 
four 
activities 
will 
fall 
under 
Initiative 
#2. 
Activity 
#1 
will 
focus 
on 
training 
HAVEN 
staff 
on 
Deaf 
Culture. 
Activity 
#2 
will 
be 
developing 
training 
for 
HAVEN 
staff 
on 
working 
with 
ASL 
Interpreters. 
Activity 
#3 
will 
focus 
on 
training 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
on 
Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault, 
Safety 
Planning, 
and 
Lethality 
Assessment. 
Activity 
#4 
will 
be 
to 
increase 
knowledge 
in 
both 
agencies 
of 
trauma 
informed 
response 
and 
providing 
trauma 
informed 
response 
services 
for 
survivors 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault. 


Initiative 
#2 
– 
Activity 
#1 


Provide 
Training 
to 
HAVEN 
Staff 
on 
Deaf 
Culture 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


The 
staff 
at 
HAVEN 
has 
not 
had 
sufficient 
training 
in 
regards 
to 
Deaf 
culture, 
and 
the 
unique 
needs 
of 
a 
Deaf 
survivor. 
HAVEN 
staff 
struggle 
with 
understanding 
the 
depth 
and 
breadth 
of 
the 
barriers 
faced 
by 
Deaf 
victims, 
as 
well 
as 
intricacies 
of 
their 
culture. 
Increasing 
staff 
knowledge 
and 
skills 
will 
increase 
their 
comfort 
level 
in 
working 
with 
Deaf 
clients, 
which 
is 
a 
key 
factor 
in 
creating 
a 
welcoming 
environment. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 
Marcy 
Colton, 
Executive 
Director 
of 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
will 
lead 
this 
activity, 
and 
will 
recruit 
a 
work 
committee 
from 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
and 
volunteers 
to 
review 
existing 
Deaf 
culture 
training 
curriculum, 
both 
internally 
at 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
from 
external 
Deaf 
community 
resources. 
This 
work 


17 



committee 
with 
then 
update 
and/or 
adapt 
any 
current 
trainings 
where 
appropriate. 
The 
training 
will 
be 
developed 
in 
PowerPoint 
format, 
and 
submitted 
to 
OVW 
for 
approval. 
After 
approval, 
the 
work 
committee 
will 
consult 
with 
members 
of 
the 
collaboration 
for 
training 
date 
selection(s) 
to 
present 
to 
HAVEN 
staff. 
The 
training 
will 
be 
presented 
by 
staff 
of 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
Marika 
Blumerick 
of 
DWAS. 
Evaluation 
tools 
will 
be 
developed 
by 
the 
work 
committee 
to 
measure 
effectiveness 
of 
the 
training. 
This 
feedback 
will 
be 
reviewed, 
and 
the 
training 
will 
be 
revised 
accordingly. 


Desired 
Outcomes 


• 
The 
collaboration 
and 
work 
committee 
will 
design 
a 
thoughtful, 
cohesive 
and 
well 
rounded 
training 
module 
on 
Deaf 
culture. 
• 
The 
training 
will 
accentuate 
the 
nuances 
of 
Deaf 
culture 
and 
how 
this 
may 
influence 
the 
unique 
needs 
of 
a 
Deaf 
survivor 
of 
domestic 
violence. 
• 
Training 
will 
include 
role 
playing 
scenarios 
so 
that 
each 
staff 
member 
can 
interact 
with 
a 
Deaf 
person, 
and 
experience 
their 
voicing, 
signing 
and 
animated 
gestures. 
• 
HAVEN 
staff 
will 
feel 
more 
at 
ease, 
and 
better 
equipped 
to 
provide 
respectful, 
welcoming 
and 
accessible 
services 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 
• 
HAVEN 
staff 
will 
understand 
the 
oppressiveness 
of 
the 
hearing 
community 
on 
the 
Deaf 
world. 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
monitor 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
A 
pre 
and 
post 
training 
survey 
will 
be 
given 
to 
HAVEN 
staff 
to 
assess 
efficiency 
and 
validity 
of 
training. 
• 
Work 
committee 
will 
make 
additions/changes 
to 
training 
according 
to 
survey 
feedback. 
Systems 
Change 
to 
Promote 
Sustainability 


• 
Deaf 
Culture 
training 
added 
to 
all 
future 
HAVEN 
new 
staff 
orientation 
and 
volunteer 
trainings. 
• 
Ongoing 
Deaf 
Awareness 
training 
integrated 
into 
HAVEN 
bi 
monthly 
all 
staff 
trainings, 
resulting 
in 
ongoing 
systems 
change 
within 
the 
agency. 
• 
HAVEN 
staff 
increases 
its 
knowledge 
of 
Deaf 
Culture 
resulting 
in 
improved 
service 
delivery 
to 
Deaf 
community 
18 



OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
“Deaf 
Culture 
101” 
training 
PowerPoint 
• 
Pre 
and 
Post 
training 
survey 
• 
Report 
to 
OVW 
any 
major 
changes 
to 
training 
or 
significant 
findings 
from 
feedback. 
Initiative 
#2 
-Activity 
#2 


Provide 
Training 
to 
HAVEN 
Staff 
on 
Working 
with 
ASL 
Interpreters. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


HAVEN 
staff 
has 
little 
or 
no 
experience 
working 
with 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreters. 
They 
have 
very 
limited 
knowledge 
on 
when 
and 
how 
to 
procure 
a 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreter; 
the 
many 
facets 
of 
the 
Interpreter/client 
relationship; 
the 
basic 
ethical 
guidelines 
a 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreter 
adheres 
to; 
and 
the 
cost 
of 
certified 
Sign 
Language 
Interpreting 
services. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 
Marcy 
Colton, 
Executive 
Director 
of 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
will 
lead 
this 
activity, 
and 
will 
recruit 
a 
work 
committee 
to 
review 
any 
existing 
training 
curriculum, 
both 
internally 
at 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
from 
external 
resources 
such 
as 
the 
Vera 
Institute; 
DeafHope; 
ADWAS; 
and 
DVAS. 
This 
work 
committee 
will 
work 
in 
partnership 
with 
the 
collaborative 
to 
update 
and/or 
adapt 
any 
current 
training 
where 
appropriate. 
The 
newly 
developed 
training 
will 
be 
in 
PowerPoint 
format, 
and 
submitted 
to 
OVW 
for 
approval. 
After 
approval, 
the 
work 
committee 
will 
consult 
with 
members 
of 
the 
collaboration 
for 
training 
date 
selection(s) 
to 
present 
to 
HAVEN 
staff. 
The 
training 
will 
be 
presented 
by 
staff 
of 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
Marika 
Blumerick 
of 
DWAS. 
Evaluation 
tools 
will 
be 
developed 
by 
the 
work 
committee 
to 
measure 
effectiveness 
of 
the 
training. 
This 
feedback 
will 
be 
reviewed, 
and 
the 
training 
will 
be 
revised 
accordingly. 


Desired 
Outcomes 
Ensure 
all 
HAVEN 
staff 
learns: 


• 
When 
it 
is 
appropriate 
to 
procure 
a 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreter 
• 
Where 
to 
secure 
certified 
Sign 
Language 
interpreting 
services 
• 
How 
to 
secure 
certified 
Sign 
Language 
interpreting 
services 
• 
What 
credentials 
are 
required 
to 
be 
a 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreter 
• 
The 
ethical 
guidelines 
a 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreter 
must 
follow 
19 



• 
The 
role 
of 
the 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreter 
• 
The 
dynamic 
of 
the 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreter/Deaf 
client 
relationship 
• 
The 
fundamental 
difference 
between 
spoken/written 
English 
and 
American 
Sign 
Language 
• 
That 
many 
concepts 
in 
spoken 
English 
are 
difficult 
to 
translate 
into 
American 
Sign 
Language 
• 
To 
know 
that 
Interpreters 
have 
different 
skills 
depending 
on 
their 
training, 
background 
and 
experience. 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
monitor 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
A 
pre 
and 
post 
training 
survey 
will 
be 
given 
to 
HAVEN 
staff 
to 
assess 
efficiency 
and 
validity 
of 
training. 
• 
Work 
committee 
will 
make 
additions/changes 
to 
training 
according 
to 
survey 
feedback. 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


• 
“Working 
with 
a 
Certified 
ASL 
Interpreter” 
training 
added 
to 
HAVEN 
new 
staff 
orientation 
and 
volunteer 
training 
• 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
is 
HAVEN’s 
provider 
of 
certified 
Sign 
Language 
interpreting 
services, 
thus 
strengthening 
the 
relationship 
between 
both 
the 
staff 
of 
HAVEN 
and 
DEAF 
C.A.N.!, 
and 
the 
collaboration 
as 
an 
entity. 
• 
Familiarity 
with 
certified 
Sign 
Language 
interpreting 
services 
results 
in 
increased 
knowledge 
of 
Deaf 
Culture, 
which 
ultimately 
results 
in 
improved 
service 
delivery 
to 
Deaf 
community. 
• 
Step 
by 
step 
procedure 
for 
obtaining 
a 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreter 
is 
integrated 
into 
HAVEN 
program 
manuals 
and 
is 
reviewed 
and 
updated 
yearly. 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
“Working 
with 
a 
Certified 
ASL 
Interpreter” 
training 
PowerPoint 
• 
Pre 
and 
Post 
training 
survey 
• 
Report 
to 
OVW 
any 
major 
changes 
to 
training 
or 
significant 
findings 
from 
feedback. 
Initiative#2–Activity#320 



Provide 
Training 
to 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
on 
Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 


Assault, 
including 
Safety 
Planning, 
and 
Lethality 
Assessment. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


The 
staff 
of 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
have 
not 
been 
trained 
on 
the 
dynamics 
and 
characteristics 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault. 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
is 
the 
only 
comprehensive 
Deaf 
service 
agency 
in 
Oakland 
County, 
and 
therefore, 
it 
is 
imperative 
that 
staff 
is 
knowledgeable 
about 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault, 
and 
be 
prepared 
to 
consider 
the 
accompanying 
safety 
needs 
of 
victims 
in 
the 
Deaf 
community. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 
Emily 
Matuszczak, 
Senior 
Director 
of 
Programs 
at 
HAVEN 
will 
lead 
this 
activity, 
and 
will 
recruit 
a 
work 
committee 
consisting 
of 
HAVEN 
DV/SA 
experts. 
This 
work 
committee 
will 
work 
in 
partnership 
with 
the 
collaborative 
to 
review 
existing 
internal 
and 
external 
training 
curriculum; 
to 
update 
and/or 
adapt 
any 
current 
training 
where 
appropriate; 
and 
to 
develop 
a 
“Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault 
” 
training 
module 
for 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff. 
The 
newly 
developed 
training 
will 
be 
in 
PowerPoint 
format, 
and 
submitted 
to 
OVW 
for 
approval. 
After 
approval, 
the 
work 
committee 
will 
consult 
with 
members 
of 
the 
collaboration 
for 
training 
date 
selection(s) 
to 
present 
to 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff. 
The 
training 
will 
be 
presented 
by 
staff 
of 
HAVEN. 
Evaluation 
tools 
will 
be 
developed 
by 
the 
work 
committee 
to 
measure 
effectiveness 
of 
the 
training. 
This 
feedback 
will 
be 
reviewed, 
and 
the 
training 
will 
be 
revised 
accordingly. 


Desired 
Outcomes 
Ensure 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
learn: 


• 
Definition 
of 
Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault 
• 
Power 
and 
Control 
Tactics 
• 
Who 
are 
the 
Victims 
• 
Affects 
on 
Children 
• 
Myths/Facts 
o 
Common 
signs 
indicating 
domestic 
violence 
o 
Common 
signs 
indicating 
sexual 
assault 
• 
Who 
are 
the 
Perpetrators 
• 
Batterer 
Behavior 
21 



• 
Concepts 
of 
Victim 
Blaming 
• 
Barriers 
Victims 
Encounter 
• 
Helpful 
Communication 
/ 
Communication 
to 
Avoid 
• 
How 
to 
Safety 
Plan 
• 
Confidentiality 
• 
How 
to 
Assess 
Lethality 
– 
What 
is 
High 
Risk? 
• 
How 
to 
Apply 
for 
a 
Personal 
Protection 
Order 
(PPO) 
• 
HAVEN’s 
Mission 
• 
HAVEN’s 
Services 
• 
Obtaining 
Services 
from 
HAVEN 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
monitor 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
A 
pre 
and 
post 
training 
survey 
will 
be 
given 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
to 
assess 
efficiency 
and 
validity 
of 
training. 
• 
Work 
committee 
will 
make 
additions/changes 
to 
training 
according 
to 
survey 
feedback 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


• 
“Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault” 
training 
added 
to 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
new 
staff 
orientation 
and 
volunteer 
training. 
• 
HAVEN 
is 
Oakland 
County’s 
provider 
of 
DV/SA 
services. 
The 
HAVEN 
staff 
training 
the 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
strengthens 
the 
relationship 
between 
both 
the 
staff 
of 
HAVEN 
and 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
the 
collaboration 
as 
an 
entity. 
• 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
familiarity 
with 
the 
concepts 
of 
DV/SA 
and 
HAVEN 
services 
increases 
knowledge 
of 
community 
needs, 
which 
ultimately 
results 
in 
improved 
service 
delivery 
to 
Deaf 
community 
• 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
will 
be 
able 
to 
consider 
the 
safety 
needs 
of 
victims 
and 
reduce 
the 
chance 
of 
offering 
options 
to 
victims 
that 
may 
be 
blaming 
or 
cause 
further 
harm. 
• 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
will 
be 
able 
to 
recognize 
victims 
that 
have 
immediate 
safety 
needs 
and 
connect 
them 
to 
HAVEN. 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
“Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault” 
training 
PowerPoint. 
• 
Pre 
and 
Post 
training 
survey. 
• 
Report 
to 
OVW 
any 
major 
changes 
to 
training 
or 
significant 
findings 
from 
feedback. 
22 



Initiative 
#2 
– 
Activity 
#4 


Increase 
knowledge 
of 
trauma 
informed 
response 
for 
survivors 
of 
domestic 


violence 
and 
sexual 
assault. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


Although 
the 
majority 
of 
HAVEN 
staff 
have 
vast 
knowledge 
and 
experience 
working 
with 
victims 
of 
domestic 
violence 
or 
sexual 
assault 
and 
the 
trauma 
experienced 
by 
victims, 
very 
few 
staff 
have 
ever 
attended 
training 
on 
providing 
trauma 
informed 
services. 
Moreover, 
staff 
of 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
DWAS 
have 
very 
limited 
or 
no 
experience 
working 
with 
victims 
of 
domestic 
violence 
or 
sexual 
assault, 
and 
would 
benefit 
greatly 
from 
training 
on 
how 
to 
work 
with 
victims 
of 
trauma, 
and 
how 
to 
provide 
trauma 
informed 
services. 
All 
agencies 
could 
benefit 
in 
reviewing 
and 
developing 
procedures 
that 
take 
into 
account 
Deaf 
victims 
needs 
and 
presentations. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 


Neither 
HAVEN 
nor 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
have 
a 
trauma 
informed 
expert 
on 
staff 
to 
conduct 
trauma 
informed 
(TI) 
systems 
change 
training, 
therefore 
the 
collaboration 
will 
need 
to 
research 
and 
identify 
trauma 
informed 
experts 
within 
Michigan, 
as 
well 
as 
outside 
the 
state. 
The 
project 
director, 
Christine 
Giresi, 
will 
be 
responsible 
for 
leading 
this 
initiative. 
A 
working 
committee 
will 
be 
formed 
to 
research 
possible 
TI 
experts 
for 
consultation. 
The 
committee 
will 
review 
and 
compare 
chosen 
TI 
experts 
and 
their 
training 
curriculum. 
The 
chosen 
TI 
expert 
will 
be 
vetted 
through 
OVW 
for 
expertise 
and 
curriculum 
approval. 
After 
approval, 
consultant 
fees 
and 
services 
will 
be 
negotiated 
and 
contracted, 
logistics 
will 
be 
planned, 
and 
the 
training 
will 
be 
delivered. 


Desired 
Outcome 


• 
Knowledge 
regarding 
trauma 
and 
the 
impact 
of 
trauma 
on 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
survivors 
will 
be 
incorporated 
into 
service 
delivery 
practices 
at 
collaborative 
agencies. 
• 
Trauma 
informed 
practices 
will 
be 
used 
to 
supervise 
staff 
as 
programs 
are 
developed 
and 
cases 
are 
reviewed. 
• 
The 
agencies 
will 
become 
aware 
of 
macro 
level 
policies 
and 
procedures 
that 
may 
harm 
or 
otherwise 
not 
consider 
victims 
needs 
and 
presentations. 
23 



Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
monitor 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
Project 
Director 
will 
manage 
relationship 
with 
trauma 
consultant. 
• 
A 
pre 
and 
post 
training 
survey 
will 
be 
given 
to 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
HAVEN 
staff 
to 
assess 
efficiency 
and 
validity 
of 
training. 
• 
Project 
Director 
will 
report 
to 
OVW 
significant 
findings 
from 
survey 
feedback 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


• 
HAVEN 
and 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
staff 
have 
not 
spent 
time 
together. 
Sharing 
this 
training 
experience 
will 
further 
bond 
the 
organizations, 
and 
strengthen 
the 
relationship 
between 
the 
two 
staffs. 
• 
Trauma 
informed 
response 
will 
become 
the 
status 
quo 
for 
service 
delivery 
in 
collaborative 
agencies 
• 
Trauma 
informed 
training 
symposiums 
will 
be 
incorporated 
into 
new 
employee 
and 
existing 
organizational 
trainings. 
• 
Trauma 
informed 
learning’s 
will 
be 
incorporated 
into 
future 
strategic 
plans 
• 
Trauma 
informed 
learning’s 
will 
be 
used 
by 
the 
PAH! 
collaborative 
to 
consult 
on 
cases 
to 
improve 
future 
services 
and 
staff 
trainings. 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
Chosen 
trauma 
expert 
and 
curriculum 
to 
be 
submitted 
for 
OVW 
approval. 
• 
Pre 
and 
Post 
training 
survey 
• 
Report 
to 
OVW 
any 
major 
changes 
to 
training 
or 
significant 
findings 
from 
feedback 
INITIATIVE 
#3: 
Improve 
Communication 
Access 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
Survivors 


Five 
activities 
will 
fall 
within 
the 
parameters 
of 
Initiative 
#3. 
All 
activities 
are 
related 
to 
enhancing 
communication, 
increasing 
levels 
of 
understanding, 


24 



and 
removing 
communication 
barriers. 
For 
Activity 
#1, 
the 
collaborative 
will 
hire 
a 
consultant 
who 
is 
an 
expert 
in 
communication 
access 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
people, 
to 
develop 
a 
communication 
access 
review 
tool 
to 
assess 
communication 
accessibility, 
and 
create 
an 
accompanying 
communication 
barrier 
removal 
plan. 


The 
communication 
expert 
will 
also 
be 
consulted 
in 
regards 
to 
Activity 
#2, 
which 
is 
to 
research 
the 
latest 
available 
technological 
equipment 
and 
create 
a 
current, 
state-of-the-art 
communication 
access 
kit 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 


Activity 
#3 
focuses 
on 
communication 
between 
interpreters 
and 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
survivors. 
The 
collaborative 
will 
partner 
with 
the 
Michigan 
ASL 
Interpreter 
Training 
Association 
to 
conduct 
ASL 
interpreter 
training 
on 
appropriate 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
‘signs’, 
as 
well 
as 
the 
intricacies 
of 
working 
with 
a 
Deaf 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
sexual 
assault 
survivor. 
This 
training 
will 
be 
derived 
from 
the 
Vera 
Institute 
sponsored 
ASL 
interpreter 
training 
module, 
conducted 
in 
Rhode 
Island 
in 
2010. 
Activity 
#4 
is 
to 
(a) 
produce 
culturally 
relevant 
videos 
in 
ASL 
and 
closed 
captioning 
to 
give 
Deaf 
survivors 
an 
overview 
of 
HAVEN’s 
shelter 
and 
services, 
and 
information 
regarding 
domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault 
and 
safety 
planning; 
and 
(b) 
produce 
a 
residential 
intake 
DVD 
to 
assist 
Deaf 
survivors 
in 
understanding 
the 
residential 
intake 
process, 
rules 
and 
regulations, 
and 
resident 
expectations 
of 
the 
HAVEN 
shelter. 
Activity 
#5 
is 
to 
enhance 
the 
collaborative 
agency 
websites 
to 
ensure 
accessibility 
to 
all 
people 
with 
disabilities. 


Initiative 
#3 
– 
Activity 
#1 
Conduct 
a 
Communication 
Access 
Review 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


After 
speaking 
with 
Deaf 
participants 
and 
the 
staff 
of 
both 
HAVEN 
and 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
the 
primary 
barrier 
to 
service 
accessibility 
is 
the 
inability 
to 
effectively 
communicate. 
This 
difficulty 
with 
communication 
often 
results 
in 
feelings 
of 
isolation 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 


The 
project 
director 
will 
be 
leading 
this 
initiative, 
and 
a 
communications 
access 
review 
team 
work 
group 
will 
be 
assembled. 
In 
addition, 
a 
Deaf 
and 


25 



Hard 
of 
Hearing 
communication 
expert, 
will 
be 
hired 
as 
a 
paid 
consultant 
to 
assist 
the 
collaborative 
in 
this 
initiative. 


Before 
conducting 
a 
communication 
access 
review 
of 
HAVEN’s 
Shelter, 
a 
communication 
access 
review 
tool 
must 
be 
created. 
The 
work 
group 
will 
be 
tasked 
with 
benchmarking 
existing 
communication 
review 
tools 
from 
past 
OVW 
disability 
grant 
programs. 
After 
reviewing 
this 
information, 
the 
hired 
consultant, 
along 
with 
the 
work 
group 
and 
members 
of 
the 
collaborative, 
will 
create 
the 
PAH! 
communication 
access 
review 
tool. 
The 
project 
director 
will 
then 
submit 
the 
review 
tool 
to 
OVW 
for 
approval. 
Upon 
approval, 
the 
communications 
access 
review 
team 
will 
be 
trained 
on 
how 
to 
conduct 
the 
communication 
access 
review. 
The 
review 
will 
be 
conducted 
at 
HAVEN’s 
administrative 
and 
residential 
locations, 
and 
the 
results 
will 
provide 
the 
foundation 
of 
the 
collaborative 
communication 
barrier 
removal 
plan. 
The 
review 
access 
team, 
in 
conjunction 
with 
collaborative 
members, 
and 
with 
direction 
from 
expert 
consultant, 
will 
compile 
the 
communication 
barrier 
removal 
plan. 
The 
implementation 
of 
the 
barrier 
removal 
plan 
will 
not 
fall 
within 
the 
parameters 
of 
this 
grant 
period, 
and 
will 
be 
considered 
a 
long 
term 
initiative. 


Desired 
Outcomes 


• 
Communication 
access 
review 
tool 
is 
developed 
• 
Members 
of 
the 
collaborative 
and 
the 
communication 
work 
group 
are 
trained 
on 
identifying 
and 
addressing 
communication 
barriers 
• 
A 
thorough 
and 
effective 
communication 
access 
review 
is 
conducted 
to 
identify 
and 
address 
communication 
barriers 
at 
HAVEN 
administrative 
and 
residential 
facilities. 
Management 
and 
Assessment 
Project 
Director 
will: 


• 
Monitor 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target 
• 
Initiate 
and 
finalize 
consultant 
involvement, 
and 
act 
as 
liaison 
between 
consultant 
and 
collaborative/work 
group 
• 
Report 
to 
OVW 
any 
significant 
findings 
from 
communication 
access 
review 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


26 



• 
The 
communication 
access 
work 
group 
will 
consist 
of 
staff 
members 
from 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
HAVEN, 
thus 
strengthening 
the 
relationship 
between 
the 
two 
agencies. 
• 
Gaining 
knowledge 
in 
regards 
to 
communication 
barriers 
effecting 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
survivors 
will 
raise 
awareness 
among 
HAVEN 
staff, 
and 
will 
promote 
further 
communication 
between 
staff 
of 
both 
agencies. 
• 
Yearly 
communication 
access 
review 
will 
result 
in 
improved 
service 
deliver 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community 
members. 
• 
Findings 
of 
the 
access 
review 
can 
be 
incorporated 
into 
grant 
searches 
and 
requests. 
• 
A 
yearly 
communication 
barrier 
removal 
plan 
will 
be 
developed 
and 
updated, 
which 
will 
address 
communication 
barriers 
found 
in 
administrative 
and 
residential 
agency 
locations. 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
Proposal 
of 
Expert 
Consultant 
• 
Communication 
Access 
Review 
Tool 
• 
“Identifying 
and 
Addressing 
Communication 
Barriers” 
Training 
PowerPoint 
• 
Communication 
Barrier 
Removal 
Plan 
Initiative 
#3 
-Activity 
#2 
Create 
a 
communication 
access 
kit 
for 
Deaf 
and 


Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


From 
the 
Needs 
Assessment, 
the 
collaborative 
learned 
the 
TTY 
(teletypewriter) 
is 
an 
outdated 
technology. 
Furthermore, 
there 
have 
been 
a 
number 
of 
technological 
advances 
in 
the 
area 
of 
mobile 
communication 
devices 
that 
need 
to 
be 
adopted 
by 
the 
agencies 
to 
better 
serve 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
communities. 
HAVEN 
staff 
would 
also 
benefit 
from 
the 
creation 
of 
communication 
tools 
to 
aid 
them 
in 
removing 
barriers 
to 
communication. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 


This 
activity 
will 
be 
lead 
by 
Marcy 
Colton 
and 
Marika 
Blumerick, 
with 
the 
help 
of 
the 
communication 
expert 
consultant. 
Marcy 
and 
Marika 
will 
put 


27 



together 
a 
work 
group, 
who 
will 
then 
consult 
with 
the 
communication 
expert 
in 
regards 
to 
the 
best 
suited 
equipment 
for 
the 
access 
kit. 
The 
chosen 
assistive 
communication 
devices 
will 
be 
purchased 
and 
the 
kit 
will 
be 
developed. 
The 
kit 
will 
include 
the 
purpose 
of 
each 
device 
and 
instructions 
on 
use. 
The 
group 
will 
also 
need 
to 
decide 
which 
agency 
staff 
members 
will 
be 
trained 
to 
use 
the 
equipment, 
how 
the 
training 
will 
be 
conducted, 
and 
build 
procedures 
for 
use 
of 
the 
equipment 
based 
upon 
safety. 
A 
yearly 
kit 
maintenance 
checklist 
will 
need 
to 
be 
developed, 
as 
well 
as 
a 
policy 
for 
updating 
the 
kits 
based 
on 
advances 
in 
technology. 


Desired 
Outcomes 


• 
Access 
kit 
is 
complete 
and 
covers 
all 
communication 
access 
needs 
for 
a 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
client 
that 
will 
be 
obtaining 
services 
from 
the 
collaborative. 
• 
Staff 
understands 
the 
importance 
of 
technology 
and 
its 
value 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 
• 
Staff 
training 
is 
comprehensive 
and 
staff 
is 
adept 
at 
the 
use 
of 
the 
equipment 
in 
the 
kit 
including 
yearly 
review 
and 
training 
on 
equipment 
use. 
• 
Procedures 
for 
use 
and 
maintenance 
of 
equipment 
are 
in 
print, 
clear 
and 
concise, 
and 
based 
on 
client 
safety 
and 
confidentiality. 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
monitor 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
and 
budget 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
The 
work 
committee, 
with 
the 
input 
of 
the 
communication 
consultant, 
will 
ensure 
equipment 
is 
user 
friendly, 
cost 
effective 
and 
is 
considerate 
of 
client 
safety. 
• 
Refresher 
training 
on 
use 
of 
equipment 
will 
be 
offered 
bi-annually 
to 
staff. 
• 
A 
survey 
will 
be 
given 
to 
clients 
who 
use 
the 
communication 
access 
kit 
to 
measure 
equipment 
efficiency 
and 
viability. 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


• 
Heightened 
awareness 
of 
communication 
access 
devices 
available 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients 
promotes 
increased 
knowledge 
and 
improved 
service 
delivery. 
28 



• 
Collaborative 
agency 
staff 
working 
together 
to 
design 
the 
kit, 
and 
the 
sharing 
of 
knowledge 
of 
communication 
access 
devices 
between 
agencies 
will 
further 
support 
and 
strengthen 
the 
collaborative 
relationship. 
• 
Availability 
of 
communication 
access 
devices 
removes 
communication 
barriers 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients 
• 
Staff 
will 
be 
provided 
training 
on 
communication 
access 
devices 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
List 
of 
Access 
Kit 
devices 
and 
accompanying 
budget 
Initiative 
#3 
– 
Activity 
#3 
Conduct 
ASL 
Interpreter 
training 
on 
appropriate 


domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
‘signs’, 
as 
well 
as 
the 
intricacies 
of 


working 
with 
a 
Deaf 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
sexual 
assault 
survivor. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


According 
to 
Needs 
Assessment 
findings, 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreters 
want 
and 
need 
training 
on 
the 
dynamics 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault; 
what 
to 
expect 
when 
interpreting 
for 
Deaf 
victims; 
and 
which 
ASL 
signs 
to 
utilize 
for 
common 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
terms 
and 
phrases. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 


This 
activity 
will 
be 
lead 
by 
Marcy 
Colton 
and 
Marika 
Blumerick. 
A 
work 
committee 
will 
be 
formed, 
and 
will 
partner 
with 
the 
Michigan 
ASLTA 
(American 
Sign 
Language/Teacher’s 
Association) 
to 
determine 
a 
curriculum 
and 
recruit 
presenters. 
ASLTA 
will 
partner 
with 
the 
collaboration 
to 
co-sponsor 
the 
training. 
The 
presenters 
and 
curriculum 
will 
be 
submitted 
to 
OVW 
for 
approval. 
After 
approval 
is 
granted, 
logistics 
will 
be 
coordinated 
and 
the 
training 
will 
be 
marketed 
to 
potential 
participants. 
The 
training 
will 
be 
conducted, 
and 
feedback 
will 
be 
collected 
at 
the 
end 
of 
the 
training. 


Desired 
Outcomes 


• 
A 
thorough 
training 
curriculum 
is 
developed 
based 
on 
the 
Vera 
Institute 
of 
Justice’s 
ASL 
training 
symposium 
held 
in 
Rhode 
Island 
in 
2010. 
29 



• 
Sponsor 
a 
workshop 
for 
ASL 
Interpreters 
in 
cooperation 
with 
ASLTA 
to 
establish 
a 
strong 
language 
base 
for 
Interpreters 
working 
in 
the 
field 
of 
DV/SA. 
• 
ASL 
Interpreters 
throughout 
Michigan 
attend 
the 
training 
to 
become 
knowledgeable 
and 
aware 
of 
the 
intricacies 
of 
interpreting 
for 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
victims. 
• 
An 
increased 
number 
of 
DV/SA 
trained 
ASL 
Interpreters 
will 
be 
available 
to 
effectively 
and 
accurately 
interpret 
for 
Deaf 
victims 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
in 
the 
state 
of 
Michigan. 
• 
Standardized 
ASL 
signs 
will 
be 
utilized 
based 
on 
ASLTA’s 
recommendations 
• 
Increased 
sensitivity 
by 
ASL 
Interpreters 
towards 
victims 
of 
DV/SA. 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
monitor 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
and 
budget 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
Marcy 
Colton 
and 
Marika 
Blumerick 
will 
manage 
the 
co-sponsorship 
relationship 
with 
ASLTA. 
• 
A 
post 
training 
evaluation 
will 
be 
given 
to 
all 
participants 
to 
measure 
efficiency 
and 
validity 
of 
training. 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


• 
Raising 
awareness 
of 
DV/SA 
in 
the 
certified 
ASL 
interpreter 
community 
will 
further 
support 
service 
accessibility 
for 
Deaf 
DV/SA 
victims. 
• 
Co-sponsorship 
between 
the 
collaborative 
and 
the 
ASLTA 
provides 
a 
platform 
to 
promote 
the 
mission 
and 
vision 
of 
the 
collaboration, 
potential 
long 
term 
collaboration 
involvement 
from 
ASLTA, 
and 
volunteer 
opportunities 
to 
the 
certified 
ASL 
Interpreter 
community. 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
Curriculum 
and 
presenters 
for 
training 
• 
Budget 
for 
training 
• 
Participant 
recruitment 
marketing 
email 
• 
Feedback 
survey 
30 



Initiative 
#3 
– 
Activity 
#4(a) 
produce 
culturally 
relevant 
videos 
in 
ASL 
and 


closed 
captioning 
to 
give 
Deaf 
survivors 
an 
overview 
of 
HAVEN’s 
shelter 


and 
services, 
and 
information 
regarding 
domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault 


and 
safety 
planning. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 
Many 
Deaf 
survivors 
rely 
on 
technology 
for 
access 
to 
services. 
By 
ensuring 
information 
is 
clearly 
presented 
in 
ASL 
and 
closed 
captioning 
communicates 
that 
the 
collaborative 
agencies 
are 
Deaf 
friendly 
and 
committed 
to 
serving 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 


The 
project 
director 
will 
take 
lead 
on 
this 
activity 
and 
compile 
a 
work 
committee. 
Research 
will 
be 
done 
on 
existing 
online 
video 
products 
that 
may 
exist 
at 
other 
Deaf 
friendly 
DV/SA 
agencies. 
Based 
on 
existing 
product 
content, 
and 
with 
input 
from 
the 
work 
committee, 
the 
content 
of 
the 
videos 
will 
be 
developed. 
The 
modality 
of 
the 
delivery 
of 
the 
content 
will 
be 
chosen 
by 
the 
work 
committee. 
The 
work 
committee 
will 
research 
and 
choose 
a 
production 
company 
to 
film, 
edit 
and 
produce 
the 
videos. 
The 
content 
and 
modality 
will 
be 
submitted 
to 
OVW 
for 
review 
and 
approval. 
After 
approval, 
the 
film 
date 
will 
be 
set. 
After 
filming, 
the 
videos 
will 
be 
edited, 
posted 
on 
collaborative 
agency 
websites, 
and 
DVD 
copies 
of 
the 
finished 
products 
will 
be 
located 
at 
all 
three 
collaborative 
agencies. 


Desired 
Outcome 


• 
Develop 
a 
clear 
and 
concise, 
cost 
effective 
visual 
aid 
to 
help 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
understand: 
o 
HAVEN 
services 
and 
how 
to 
obtain 
HAVEN 
services. 
o 
The 
basic 
tenets 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault 
o 
How 
to 
safety 
plan 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
lead 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
and 
budget 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
Certified 
ASL 
Interpreters 
and 
Deaf 
work 
committee 
members 
will 
assess 
for 
accuracy 
of 
content 
interpretation. 
31 



• 
HAVEN’s 
services 
exit 
survey 
will 
include 
questions 
regarding 
the 
efficacy 
of 
the 
website 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


• 
Creating 
products 
that 
aid 
in 
removing 
communication 
barriers 
promotes 
a 
welcoming 
environment 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims, 
supporting 
the 
vision 
and 
mission 
of 
the 
collaborative. 
• 
Deaf 
community 
and 
agency 
staff 
involvement 
in 
production 
will 
raise 
awareness 
of 
the 
collaborative, 
and 
symbolize 
the 
commitment 
of 
the 
agencies 
to 
the 
collaborative 
mission. 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
Film 
Budget 
• 
Video 
content 
and 
modality 
of 
content 
presentation 
• 
Finished 
video’s 
Initiative 
#3 
– 
Activity 
#4(b) 
Produce 
a 
residential 
intake 
DVD 
to 
assist 
Deaf 


survivors 
in 
understanding 
the 
residential 
intake 
process, 
rules 
and 


regulations, 
and 
resident 
expectations 
of 
the 
HAVEN 
shelter. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


The 
intake 
process 
at 
HAVEN’s 
residential 
shelter 
can 
be 
confusing 
and 
difficult 
to 
understand 
for 
someone 
who 
is 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing. 
If 
a 
client 
is 
waiting 
for 
an 
interpreter 
to 
arrive 
at 
shelter, 
writing 
back 
and 
forth 
and 
lip 
reading 
are 
not 
acceptable 
forms 
of 
communication 
since 
1) 
most 
Deaf 
have 
only 
a 
fourth 
grade 
reading 
level 
and 
2) 
lip 
reading 
is 
at 
most 
30% 
accurate. 
After 
speaking 
with 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community 
members 
and 
survivors, 
it 
was 
apparent 
that 
developing 
a 
very 
simple 
DVD 
in 
ASL 
with 
closed 
captioning 
would 
be 
a 
very 
helpful 
tool 
in 
explaining 
the 
shelter 
intake 
process. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 


The 
project 
director 
will 
take 
lead 
on 
this 
activity 
and 
compile 
a 
work 
committee. 
Research 
will 
be 
done 
on 
existing 
DVD 
products 
that 
may 
exist 
at 
other 
Deaf 
friendly 
DV/SA 
agencies. 
Based 
on 
existing 
product 
content, 


32 



and 
with 
input 
from 
the 
work 
committee, 
the 
content 
of 
the 
DVD 
will 
be 
developed. 
The 
modality 
of 
the 
delivery 
of 
the 
content 
will 
be 
chosen 
by 
the 
work 
committee. 
The 
work 
committee 
will 
research 
and 
choose 
a 
production 
company 
to 
film, 
edit 
and 
produce 
the 
DVD. 
The 
content 
and 
modality 
will 
be 
submitted 
to 
OVW 
for 
review 
and 
approval. 
After 
approval, 
the 
film 
date 
will 
be 
set. 
After 
filming, 
the 
DVD 
will 
be 
edited, 
and 
copies 
of 
the 
finished 
product 
will 
be 
located 
at 
all 
three 
collaborative 
agencies. 


Desired 
Outcome 


• 
Develop 
a 
clear 
and 
concise, 
cost 
effective 
visual 
aid 
to 
help 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
understand 
the 
residential 
intake 
process, 
rules 
and 
regulations, 
and 
resident 
expectations 
of 
the 
HAVEN 
shelter. 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
lead 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
and 
budget 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
Certified 
ASL 
Interpreters 
and 
Deaf 
work 
committee 
members 
will 
assess 
for 
accuracy 
of 
content 
interpretation. 
• 
HAVEN’s 
residential 
services 
exit 
survey 
will 
include 
questions 
regarding 
the 
efficacy 
of 
the 
DVD 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


• 
Creating 
products 
that 
aid 
in 
removing 
communication 
barriers 
promotes 
a 
welcoming 
environment 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims, 
supporting 
the 
vision 
and 
mission 
of 
the 
collaborative. 
• 
Deaf 
community 
and 
agency 
staff 
involvement 
in 
production 
will 
raise 
awareness 
of 
the 
collaborative, 
and 
symbolize 
the 
commitment 
of 
the 
agencies 
to 
the 
collaborative 
mission. 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
Film 
Budget 
• 
DVD 
content 
and 
modality 
of 
content 
presentation 
33

FinishedDVDproductInitiative#3-Activity#5istoprovidebasicinformationinASLonwebsitesregardingagencyservices,toensureaccessibilitytoDeafandHardofHearingsurvivorsseekingDV/SAservices.
NeedsAssessmentJustification

Having 
a 
website 
that 
is 
accessible 
for 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community 
will 
increase 
the 
level 
of 
comfort 
and 
create 
a 
welcoming 
environment 
for 
those 
who 
are 
seeking 
DV/SA 
services. 
Furthermore, 
by 
ensuring 
information 
is 
clearly 
presented 
in 
ASL 
and 
closed 
captioning 
communicates 
that 
the 
collaborative 
agencies 
are 
Deaf 
friendly 
and 
committed 
to 
serving 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 


The 
project 
director 
will 
take 
lead 
on 
this 
activity 
and 
compile 
a 
work 
committee. 
Research 
will 
be 
done 
on 
existing 
website 
products 
that 
may 
exist 
at 
other 
Deaf 
friendly 
DV/SA 
agencies. 
Based 
on 
existing 
product 
content, 
and 
with 
input 
from 
the 
work 
committee, 
the 
outline 
of 
the 
enhanced 
website 
will 
be 
developed. 
Campbell-Ewald, 
the 
company 
that 
developed 
and 
currently 
manages 
the 
HAVEN 
website, 
will 
be 
contracted 
to 
create 
the 
additional 
links 
required 
to 
enhance 
the 
HAVEN 
and 
DEAFCAN! 
websites. 
The 
videos 
developed 
in 
Activity 
#3 
will 
be 
included 
in 
these 
enhancements. 
The 
enhanced 
website 
outline 
and 
content 
will 
be 
submitted 
to 
OVW 
for 
review 
and 
approval. 
After 
approval, 
the 
content 
will 
be 
loaded 
onto 
the 
websites. 


Desired 
Outcome 


• 
The 
development 
of 
an 
accessible, 
web 
based 
informational 
resource 
for 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community. 
• 
To 
communicate 
the 
DV/SA 
services 
available 
to 
survivors 
who 
are 
Deaf 
or 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
in 
a 
clear 
and 
safe 
manner. 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
lead 
the 
work 
committee 
and 
ensure 
timeline 
and 
budget 
for 
activity 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
Certified 
ASL 
Interpreters 
and 
Deaf 
work 
committee 
members 
will 
assess 
for 
accuracy 
of 
content 
interpretation. 
• 
HAVEN’s 
residential 
and 
non 
residential 
services 
exit 
survey 
will 
include 
questions 
regarding 
the 
efficacy 
of 
the 
website 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
clients. 
Systems 
Change 
to 
Promote 
Sustainability 


• 
Creating 
products 
that 
aid 
in 
removing 
communication 
barriers 
promotes 
a 
welcoming 
environment 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims, 
supporting 
the 
vision 
and 
mission 
of 
the 
collaborative. 
34 



• 
Deaf 
community 
and 
agency 
staff 
involvement 
in 
production 
will 
raise 
awareness 
of 
the 
collaborative, 
and 
symbolize 
the 
commitment 
of 
the 
agencies 
to 
the 
collaborative 
mission. 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
Budget 
for 
web 
enhancements 
• 
Website 
outline 
and 
content 
INITIATIVE 
#4: 
Develop 
a 
long 
term 
plan 
to 
enhance 
and 
sustain 
the 
PAH! 


Collaboration 


The 
PAH! 
collaborative 
was 
made 
possible 
through 
a 
three 
year, 
OVW 
process 
grant. 
PAH! 
was 
created 
in 
2008 
with 
a 
vision 
and 
mission 
to 
create 
accessible 
and 
responsive 
services 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
DV/SA. 
The 
grant 
has 
provided 
the 
three 
agencies 
of 
the 
collaboration 
an 
opportunity 
to 
nurture 
a 
relationship 
based 
on 
trust 
and 
professional 
accountability. 
In 
February 
of 
2012, 
this 
grant 
will 
conclude, 
and 
the 
collaborative 
will 
need 
a 
course 
of 
action 
to 
sustain 
itself 
beyond 
this 
three 
year 
grant 
period. 


Needs 
Assessment 
Justification 


All 
agencies 
in 
the 
collaborative 
are 
dedicated 
to 
creating 
systemic 
change 
within 
their 
organizations 
to 
better 
serve 
the 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community 
affected 
by 
DV/SA. 
Each 
agency 
understands 
and 
supports 
the 
need 
to 
institutionalize 
the 
changes 
being 
made, 
and 
to 
continue 
fostering 
the 
relationship 
between 
the 
agencies 
as 
a 
whole. 
Communication 
between 
agencies 
needs 
to 
remain 
open 
and 
direct 
for 
the 
exchange 
of 
ideas, 
knowledge 
and 
expertise. 
Sustainability 
is 
required 
for 
the 
collaborative 
to 
continue 
to 
build 
the 
hearing 
ally 
foundation, 
and 
to 
provide 
respectful, 
welcoming 
and 
accessible 
services 
to 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
survivors 
of 
DV/SA. 


Action 
Items 
and 
Responsibility 


35 



The 
Collaboration 
will 
continue 
to 
meet 
weekly 
to 
report 
status 
on 
strategic 
initiatives 
and 
activities, 
and 
to 
discuss 
long 
term 
collaboration 
sustainability 
plans. 
Working 
committees 
will 
be 
developed 
with 
staff 
and 
volunteers 
from 
collaborative 
agencies 
to 
ensure 
continued 
commitment 
to 
the 
strategic 
plan 
of 
the 
collaborative. 
The 
work 
committees 
will 
meet 
weekly 
until 
initiatives 
and 
activities 
have 
been 
completed. 


For 
long 
term 
sustainability, 
MOU’s 
will 
be 
developed 
to 
outline 
continued 
future 
commitment 
from 
collaboration 
agencies; 
resource 
and 
information 
sharing; 
and 
the 
mutual 
effort 
to 
seek 
and 
apply 
for 
future 
funding. 


Desired 
Outcomes 


• 
The 
relationship 
that 
has 
been 
fostered 
between 
the 
three 
agencies 
is 
sustained 
and 
continues 
well 
beyond 
the 
three 
year 
grant 
period. 
• 
Initiatives 
of 
the 
strategic 
plan 
are 
completed. 
• 
MOU 
outlining 
future 
commitment 
of 
collaborative 
agencies, 
including 
cross 
collaborative 
resource 
and 
information 
sharing 
and 
the 
mutual 
effort 
to 
seek 
and 
apply 
for 
future 
funding 
Management 
and 
Assessment 


• 
Project 
Director 
will 
monitor 
the 
work 
and 
ensure 
the 
timeline 
is 
on 
target. 
• 
Weekly 
initiative 
work 
committee 
meetings 
will 
ensure 
the 
progress 
of 
initiative 
activities 
are 
being 
monitored 
and 
evaluated 
• 
The 
MOU 
will 
make 
certain 
procedures 
be 
developed 
for 
cross 
collaborative 
resource 
and 
information 
sharing, 
as 
well 
as 
seeking 
and 
applying 
for 
future 
funding. 
Systems 
Change 
to 
promote 
Sustainability 


• 
The 
collaborative 
MOU 
will 
document 
the 
expectations 
and 
commitment 
of 
the 
collaboration 
agencies. 
The 
MOU 
should 
include 
quarterly 
collaborative 
review 
meetings 
to 
maintain 
and 
evaluate 
the 
collaborative 
relationship 
between 
the 
agencies. 
• 
MOU 
represents 
a 
professional 
agreement 
and 
holds 
accountable 
each 
agency 
responsible 
for 
sustaining 
the 
collaborative 
relationship. 
OVW 
Deliverables 


• 
MOU 
will 
be 
sent 
to 
OVW 
for 
approval 
36 



• 
Collaborative 
will 
report 
to 
OVW 
any 
significant 
changes 
or 
outcomes. 
Overview 
of 
Potential 
Long 
Term 
Initiatives 


PAH!’s 
short 
term 
initiatives 
are 
designed 
to 
strengthen 
the 
relationship 
between 
the 
collaborative 
agencies, 
with 
staff 
and 
volunteers 
of 
each 
agency 
becoming 
involved 
in 
and 
committed 
to 
the 
completion 
of 
initiative 
activities. 
The 
PAH! 
collaborative 
has 
discussed 
and 
identified 
a 
number 
of 
potential 
long 
term 
initiatives 
to 
support 
the 
mission 
and 
vision 
of 
the 
collaborative 
and 
sustain 
the 
systems 
changes 
set 
forth 
in 
the 
short 
term 
initiatives. 


1. 
Review 
and 
edit 
agency 
materials, 
including 
websites 
and 
informational 
literature, 
and 
revise 
in 
universal 
‘simple 
language’. 
Although 
this 
is 
a 
very 
high 
priority 
to 
the 
collaborative, 
unfortunately, 
this 
initiative 
cannot 
be 
completed 
within 
the 
timeframe 
of 
this 
grant. 
This 
initiative 
requires 
the 
assistance 
of 
a 
language 
expert 
in 
reviewing 
and 
editing 
all 
collaborative 
agency 
materials 
to 
ensure 
simple 
language 
is 
utilized 
and 
materials 
are 
easily 
understood. 
This 
initiative 
is 
extensive 
and 
costly 
in 
terms 
of 
staff 
hours, 
expert 
fees, 
and 
reproduction 
of 
print 
media 
and 
materials, 
and 
will 
require 
collaborative 
research 
on 
funding 
resources. 


2. 
Share 
learnings 
with 
other 
Deaf 
and 
DV/SA 
agencies 
in 
Michigan 
The 
collaboration 
believes 
this 
process 
has 
benefitted 
all 
members, 
and 
the 
“lessons 
learned” 
are 
invaluable. 
Sharings 
these 
learnings 
and 
promoting 
the 
accomplishments 
of 
the 
collaboration 
raises 
awareness 
regarding 
the 
relationship 
between 
HAVEN, 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
DWAS, 
and 
the 
‘hearing 
ally’ 
partnership. 
The 
collaborative 
would 
like 
to 
develop 
a 
PAH! 
informational 
presentation, 
visit 
other 
Deaf 
and 
DV/SA 
agencies 
to 
promote 
the 
philosophy 
of 
PAH!, 
and 
recruit 
additional 
collaborative 
members. 


3. 
Provide 
outreach 
to 
raise 
awareness 
in 
the 
Deaf 
community 
regarding 
Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault 
and 
the 
services 
available 
in 
Southeast 
Michigan. 
37 



The 
Needs 
Assessment 
revealed 
that 
the 
Deaf 
community 
has 
limited 
knowledge 
regarding 
what 
defines 
domestic 
violence 
and 
sexual 
assault, 
and 
the 
DV/SA 
services 
available 
to 
victims. 
A 
first 
step 
may 
mirror 
the 
battered 
women’s 
movement 
– 
educational 
messaging 
that 
shows 
how 
emotional, 
verbal 
and 
physical 
abuse 
is 
wrong, 
and 
help 
is 
available. 
PAH! 
branded 
educational 
marketing 
pieces 
such 
as 
posters 
and 
fact 
sheets 
could 
be 
strategically 
placed 
and 
distributed 
at 
Deaf 
special 
events 
and 
locations 
where 
Deaf 
clubs 
and 
Deaf 
social 
events 
take 
place. 


4. 
Develop 
and 
distribute 
a 
pictorial 
book 
for 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
community 
that 
explains 
Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault. 
The 
Needs 
Assessment 
provided 
the 
collaborative 
with 
important 
information 
pertaining 
to 
the 
knowledge 
of 
the 
community 
regarding 
Domestic 
Violence 
and 
Sexual 
Assault. 
In 
reality, 
the 
majority 
of 
the 
Deaf 
community 
knows 
very 
little 
about 
DV 
and 
SA. 
This 
includes 
root 
causes, 
victimization, 
and 
even 
an 
understanding 
of 
the 
basic 
vocabulary 
associated 
with 
DV 
and 
SA. 
PAH! 
would 
like 
to 
develop 
a 
very 
simple 
book 
with 
highly 
graphic 
drawings 
explaining 
DV/SA 
through 
the 
use 
of 
pictorials. 
These 
pictorials 
would 
allow 
individuals, 
even 
those 
functionally 
illiterate, 
to 
understand 
what 
DV/SA 
is 
all 
about 
and 
what 
can 
be 
done 
to 
stop 
it. 


Conclusion 


The 
PAH! 
collaborative 
is 
seeking 
to 
make 
participating 
agencies 
more 
comfortable, 
accessible, 
and 
responsive 
to 
Deaf 
survivors. 
The 
Needs 
Assessment 
report 
provided 
a 
clear 
representation 
of 
the 
strengths 
and 
weaknesses 
existing 
within 
each 
collaborative 
agency 
when 
serving 
Deaf 
and 
Hard 
of 
Hearing 
victims 
of 
domestic 
violence 
and/or 
sexual 
assault. 
The 
compiled 
results 
serve 
as 
support 
in 
the 
development 
of 
the 
Strategic 
Plan 
short 
and 
long 
term 
initiatives 
discussed 
in 
this 
report. 
This 
data 
enabled 
the 
collaboration 
to 
chart 
a 
realistic 
and 
manageable 
course 
for 
the 
implementation 
phase 
of 
this 
grant. 


The 
collaborative 
members, 
the 
staff 
of 
both 
HAVEN 
and 
DEAF 
C.A.N.! 
and 
volunteers 
of 
DWAS 
are 
committed 
to 
developing 
culturally 
competent 
services 
for 
the 
Deaf 
community. 
The 
collaborative 
is 
looking 
forward 
to 


38 



enhancing 
their 
services 
for 
this 
community, 
and 
putting 
into 
practice 
the 
systems 
changes 
necessary 
to 
successfully 
complete 
this 
strategic 
plan. 


39