Law Enforcement Advocacy Project

What do we do?

The Law Enforcement Advocacy Project is evaluated on how well it achieves the desired goal outcomes, which are:

• Reduction in the trauma to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
• Victims feel more supported throughout the criminal justice process
• Victims receive assistance accessing the criminal justice system
• Victims of sexual assault and domestic violence receive appropriate support services

The level of victim satisfaction will be critical to assessing all of the goal outcomes. The four already established Law Enforcement Advocacy Projects in Rhode Island do not currently utilize victim satisfaction surveys. At one point, they attempted to utilize a survey but it was difficult to achieve an acceptable response rate due to the transient nature of some of the contacts that LEAÕs have with the victim.

However, the Law Enforcement Advocacy Project in the City of Providence works in conjunction with the already existing Law Enforcement Advocacy Projects and a consultant to determine the most effective method for measuring victim satisfaction. An evaluation tool will be developed and implemented.

Day One evaluates all of its core programs to determine the level of victim satisfaction. Responses to client satisfaction surveys have been very favorable.

The Client Satisfaction Survey for Day One's Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) program has had extremely positive feedback. Sixteen percent of clients surveyed responded. Some of the highlights include:

• One hundred percent of respondents "strongly agree" or "agree" that they were satisfied with SART services.
• One hundred percent of respondents "strongly agree" or "agree" that the SART staff demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge about what could be expected from law enforcement and criminal justice agencies
• One hundred percent of clients responding "strongly agree" or "agree" that SART staff provided emotional support and coping strategies to help them deal with the situation
• Eighty-three percent "strongly agree" or "agree" that case specific information was provided in a timely manner in order to keep them updated.

The feedback from client satisfaction surveys is utilized in the development and improvement of current programs and in the planning of new programs.

Attendees at training programs conducted by the Law Enforcement Advocate will be asked to fill out an evaluation form to determine the effectiveness of the training.

Who are we?

The Sexual Assault & Trauma Resource Center of RI (Day One) is a non-profit organization that provides direct services to victims of sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, and other violent crimes. Day One's mission is to reduce the trauma and prevalence of sexual abuse and violence.

Established in 1973 as the RI Rape Crisis Center by a group of women concerned about the increasing problem of sexual assault and the lack of services and information available to victims and the public, Day One is the only agency in the state organized specifically to deal with issues of sexual assault as a community concern. Day One has been recognized both locally and nationally for its expertise in treating victims, and for its innovativeness in establishing programs that provide services in an efficient and effective manner. Day OneÕs vision is to facilitate and provide leadership in a statewide delivery system that is highly visible, accessible, effective, and responsive to the needs of the community, through advocacy, public policy, intervention, treatment, education, and prevention.

Day One serves victims of sexual assault and educates the public through a combination of paid and volunteer staff. Services include: a 24-hour, statewide Victims of Crime Helpline; crisis intervention; individual and group counseling for children and adults; consultations; advocacy (including legal advocacy); the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), the RI Children's Advocacy Center; prevention education programs and professional training; counseling and psycho-educational services for incarcerated men and women who are victims of childhood sexual abuse; Common Threads, a homicide bereavement program; a Law Enforcement Advocate program; and Fostering Healthy Families, a program for sexually abused children in foster care and their foster families.

Through Day One's Advocacy program, victims receive assistance in seeking available crime victim compensation benefits. Services are provided to victims of federal crimes on the same basis as victims of state crimes.

In 1999, Day One opened the Office of Victim Services in conjunction with the Department of Corrections. This office provides advocacy services to victims whose perpetrators are being released from prison. In addition, the office provides assistance to victim service agencies throughout the state.

Day One's "Building Bridges: A Partnership Against Violence" began in 1992 as a collaborative effort with two of the stateÕs domestic violence agencies. This innovative program was designed to provide counseling and education to victims of domestic violence who are also victims of childhood sexual abuse. We are currently providing services to clients in Woonsocket.

Through the Rural Outreach Project, Day One serves women and children who have been victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault residing in rural areas. In 2003, 82 clients received services through Building Bridges and the Rural Outreach Project.

Established in 1993, the Rhode Island ChildrenÕs Advocacy Center (CAC) is a facility where children, who are the victims of sexual and/or physical abuse, and their non-offending family members, can go for the purpose of evaluation, evidence gathering, and counseling. Based on a national model, the CAC is a community partnership of professionals pursuing the truth in child abuse investigations. Through a comprehensive multidisciplinary team approach, professionals from child protective services, law enforcement, criminal justice, victim advocacy agencies, and the medical and mental health communities come together under one roof so that the child only has to tell of the abuse one time.

Based at Day One's Providence office, the CAC now has three satellite sites in Kent, Newport, and Washington counties. Last year alone, the CAC handled 45 cases of child sexual abuse from the City of Providence.

Based on the success of the CAC, Day One's Adult Advocacy Services have been streamlined into a multidisciplinary team approach with the implementation of the Sexual Assault Response Team, (SART). The SART members are comprised of staff from the Sexual Assault & Trauma Resource Center, law enforcement, and the Department of the Attorney General. SART members provide general information and support regarding what victims can expect as they navigate the criminal justice system. In 2003, Day One hired an Adult Advocacy Case Manager to provide more comprehensive services to adult victims of sexual assault.

Also, the Adult Advocacy Case Manager tracks the progress of each case within the court system in order to keep the victim informed. The team approach facilitates better communication between professionals involved, which will result in an increase in the number of sexual assault cases recommended for prosecution.

Day OneÕs Clinical Program provides counseling services for child and adult victims of sexual abuse, domestic violence and other violent crimes. Both individual and group counseling is available.

Currently, Day One employs 28 staff members. The racial/ethnic background of the staff is 93% Caucasian, 3.5% African-American, and 3.5% Latina. Day One is an equal opportunity employer. Every effort is made to recruit minority individuals. In addition, the volunteer Helpline staff includes older women, men, and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

Day One relies heavily on its volunteer advocates to provide crisis intervention and advocacy services, including staffing of the 24-hour statewide Victims of Crime Helpline. Advocates provide crisis intervention and support, outline legal and medical options, and provide information and referrals. Advocates are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to accompany victims to hospitals, police stations, and judicial proceedings. They also make follow-up contact with victims to ensure that their needs are being met.

In addition, volunteers work with both the Adult Advocacy Program and the RI ChildrenÕs Advocacy Center staff to assist clients in understanding the criminal justice process, and to provide support to victims and parents of child victims. Volunteers also staff informational tables at community events, providing information about sexual assault issues and agency services.

Day One, through the Victims of Crime Helpline program, offers three 36-hour core-training sessions each year on issues relating to sexual assault and domestic violence in order to maintain its active volunteer corps at 45-65 individuals. In 2003, Day One volunteers contributed more than 9,000 hours to filling shifts on the Helpline. Currently, we have 48 active volunteer advocates.

Day One has staff members and volunteer advocates (available on an emergency basis) who are able to converse in Spanish, French, Chinese, and Farsi. Currently, 6% of the volunteer advocates are bilingual (English/Spanish.) A brochure describing agency services and sexual assault information has been printed in Spanish. The "Victim Information Booklet", which is used by advocates meeting victims at hospitals and police departments, is currently being updated. It will be printed in English and Spanish. Efforts to recruit additional bilingual volunteers are ongoing.

The population receiving services from Day One is as culturally diverse as the state population. In 2003, the ethnic populations served included:

• White 63%
• Hispanic 15%
• African-American 12%
• Asian 2%
• Native American < 1%
• Multiracial/Other 1%
• Unknown 7%

Day One is located at 100 Medway Street, Providence. The building and Day One's suite of offices are accessible to people with disabilities.

Day One receives substantial financial support from non-federal funding sources, including the State of RI, private foundations, individuals, corporations and associations, the United Way, special events, and program revenues.

Strict client-counselor confidentiality is maintained. All employees and volunteers are required to sign an agreement regarding this issue.

The following staff will be directly involved with the program

Law Enforcement Advocate (LEA)

The LEA provides crisis intervention, information and referral, support, and advocacy services (including legal advocacy) for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the City of Providence.

Linda Ciolfi, LICSW, Director of Program Services

Ms. Ciolfi provides overall management of the program and direct supervision to the Coordinator of Adult Advocacy and the Adult Advocacy Case Manager. She has over twenty-five years experience in treating trauma survivors and has been on staff at Day One since 1992. As the Director of Program Services, she is responsible for the Adult Clinical Program, the Prevention Education Program, the Adult Advocacy Program, and the RI Children's Advocacy Center.

Melissa England, Coordinator of Adult Advocacy Services

Ms. England is responsible for the coordination of all adult advocacy services including the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART.) She directly supervise the Law Enforcement Advocate. Ms. England was the Program Coordinator for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivors Services Program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health prior to joining Day OneÕs staff in 2003.

Carly Rivers, Adult Advocacy Case Manager

Ms. Rivers provides case management and advocacy (including legal advocacy) services to victims of sexual violence through the SART program. She has a BachelorÕs degree in Sociology. Prior to joining Day OneÕs staff in 2003, she was an intern in the Superior Court Probation Office.

Jeanine Alvarez, Advocate Coordinator

Ms. Alvarez manages the Volunteer Advocate program. She recruits, trains and supervises all volunteer advocates. She joined Day OneÕs staff in July 2003 and was previously employed with the Massachusetts Department of Social Services and the Arizona Supreme Court.

What is our Challenge?

The City of Providence has an urgent need for this type of project. In 2002 alone, there were 1,335 reports of domestic violence and/or sexual assault in the capital city (from DV/SA forms, Uniform Crime Report, RI State Police.) Currently, due to the large number of sexual assault and domestic violence cases in the City of Providence, Providence police officers are overburdened and do not have adequate time to provide comprehensive advocacy services to victims.

One of the most difficult decisions victims of all crimes face is whether or not to report the crime to law enforcement. Many victims fear the criminal justice process and are concerned that they will be re-victimized by the system. Those who do enter into the process are confronted with the complex and bewildering maze of interviews, court proceedings, and directives with little explanation or consideration of what they are experiencing. They may have to repeat their account of the crime several times as they work their way through the criminal justice process. Often the prolonged processes within the criminal justice system actually inhibit the healing process for victims.

The Law Enforcement Advocacy Project provides the victim with support and advocacy services throughout the criminal justice process. Without information and support, victims often become confused and frustrated with the legal process and may decide not to pursue the case. Without safety planning, crisis intervention and support services, victims of domestic violence will often return to their abuser.

In 2003 alone, Day One provided advocacy services through the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) to twenty-nine residents of Providence. Overall, throughout the state of Rhode Island, SART served 83 clients last year, an increase of 80% over the previous year. With the increased outreach efforts of a Law Enforcement Advocate, we expect the number of SART cases from Providence to increase dramatically in the coming year.

Day One works in collaboration with the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence and local domestic violence member agencies to provide staffing of the 24-Hour Victims of Crime Helpline by a trained corps of volunteer advocates from all areas of the state. The Helpline answered 2,805 calls last year from victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, hate crimes, and other violent crimes. The Helpline is available 24 hours, 7 days a week to provide crisis intervention, information and support to victims involved with the Law Enforcement Advocacy Project. The Helpline is also serve as a referral source for the Law Enforcement Advocacy Project.

Funding from VOCA for the Law Enforcement Advocacy Project for the City of Providence ensures that victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the City of Providence receive the support and advocacy services that they urgently need.

What is our action plan?

The Law Enforcement Advocate (LEA) works closely with the Providence Police Department detectives to provide enhanced advocacy services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. The LEA acts as liaison between the victim and the police department and is available for one-on-one contact with the victim.

The overall goals of the Law Enforcement Advocacy Project are as follows:

• Reduce the trauma to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
• Assist victims with accessing the criminal justice system
• Ensure that victims of sexual assault and domestic violence receive appropriate support services

To achieve these goals, the Law Enforcement Advocate is responsible for achieving the following objectives:

• a) Provide crisis intervention and support to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence
• b) Provide information and appropriate referrals to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence
• c) Work with the victim to develop a safety plan to ensure that the victim is protected from subsequent violence by the perpetrator
• d) Provide advocacy services, including legal advocacy, to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence
• e) Meet with victims one-on-one, accompany them to the hospital or court proceedings, and provide emotional support throughout the process
• f) Track the victimÕs case as it proceeds through the criminal justice system and provide information and updates to the victim throughout
• g) Provide assistance and training to Providence police detectives responding to cases of sexual assault and domestic violence
• h) Serve as a liaison between the victim and the Providence Police Department, Day One and Sojourner House
• i) Ensure that the victim's rights are maintained throughout the entire process
• j) Provide victims with information regarding the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act and the Violent Crime Indemnity Fund, including eligibility requirements and filing procedures, and assist victims who choose to seek available victim compensation benefits

The LEA works with the Providence Police Department's Sex Crimes Unit and the Special Victims Unit. The two detectives in the Sex Crimes Unit and the five detectives in the Special Victims Unit provides referrals to the LEA.

Referrals may also come from Day One, Sojourner House or through the 24-hour Victims of Crime Helpline. The Law Enforcement Advocate is available to meet the victim at the hospital, the police station, Day One, or Sojourner House.

The LEA supervises directly by Day One's Coordinator of Adult Advocacy. The Coordinator of Adult Advocacy holds monthly supervision meetings with the Law Enforcement Advocates and also provides individual supervision as needed. The LEA for the City of Providence is also receive peer support and assistance from the other four LEA's.

In addition, the LEA is a member of the statewide Law Enforcement Advocacy Project Coordinating Council, comprised of all of the LEA's, law enforcement representatives from all ten police departments, and representatives from the Office of the Attorney General. The council meets quarterly.

The LEA is required to attend the Victims of Crime Helpline 36-hour training. The LEA s also attends the Violence Against Women Law Enforcement Training. The Providence Police, Day One, and Sojourner House each instructs the LEA on their agency's policies and procedures.

The Victims of Crime Helpline is a valuable resource to the Law Enforcement Advocate, providing crisis intervention and support 24 hours/day, seven days a week. The LEA has a beeper and is available 24 hours/day, seven days a week to respond to emergency situations. Day One and Sojourner House provides services to victims and provide the Law Enforcement Advocate with supervision, guidance and assistance as necessary.

The LEA is often accompany the detective to the crime scene. The LEA is available to meet the victim at the police station, the hospital, a shelter, or at another social service agency.

During the initial contact with a victim, the Law Enforcement Advocate provides crisis intervention and support, assess the victimÕs needs and make any appropriate referrals (including referrals to community-based social service agencies, shelters, counseling, support groups, the Sexual Assault Response Team, etc.) and answers any questions that the victim may have. Specific services may be offered depending on the particular needs and requests of individual victims.

The Law Enforcement Advocate informs the victim of their rights within the criminal justice system. The LEA provides information about the criminal justice process and what the victim can expect if the case proceeds. When appropriate, the LEA puts the victim in touch with a court-based advocate and ensure that the court advocate receives the criminal incident information in an expedient manner. The LEA is available to accompany the victim to court or any other legal proceedings.

If the victim has been sexually assaulted, the LEA provides information on the services available through the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and the RI Children's Advocacy Center (CAC). If the victim is referred to the SART program for a SART interview by the multidisciplinary team, Day OneÕs Adult Advocacy Case Manager is then able to provide more comprehensive case management and advocacy services as the case proceeds though the criminal justice system. If a child victim is referred to the CAC for a forensic interview, the CAC staff provides the follow-up advocacy and victim support services as the case proceeds through the criminal justice system.

There is an enormous benefit to having an LEA work at the police station with detectives investigating cases of sexual assault and domestic violence. Often victims do not access services available at Day One or domestic violence agencies. Having an LEA available to make the contact immediately following the crime often helps to connect victims with available services. As a result of this project, we expect referrals to Day OneÕs RI ChildrenÕs Advocacy Center and SART program to increase dramatically.

How do we measure ourselves?

The program will be evaluated on how well it achieves the desired goal outcomes, which are:

• Reduction in the trauma to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
• Victims feel more supported throughout the criminal justice process
• Victims receive assistance accessing the criminal justice system
• Victims of sexual assault and domestic violence receive appropriate support services

The level of victim satisfaction is critical to assessing all of the goal outcomes. The four Law Enforcement Advocacy Projects already in existence do not currently utilize victim satisfaction surveys. However, the Law Enforcement Advocacy Project in the City of Providence works in conjunction with the already existing Law Enforcement Advocacy Projects and a consultant with expertise in program evaluation to develop and implement an effective method for measuring victim satisfaction.

In addition to measuring victim satisfaction, the project tracks the following: number of victims served; referrals to SART and the CAC; quantity and type of advocacy services provided; and the number of referrals to support services.

For more information contact:
Christine Holmes, Program Director
Homicide Bereavement Program
Day One
Sexual Assault & Trauma Center of Rhode Island
100 Medway
StreetProvience, Rhode Island 02906
Telephone: (401) 421-4100
Web Page: www.dayoneri.org
E-Mail: info@DayOneRI.org