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SUBSTANCE ABUSE & MENTAL ILLNESS IN DOMESTIC & SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Substance Abuse & Mental Illness How to have a Voice in this arena "Harvesting Hope" Project - Violence Against Women w/Pyschiatric Disabilities There is a growing body of research and programs aimed at documenting and addressing the needs of domestic violence survivors who also struggle with mental illness and/or substance abuse. Nationally, these issues are calling shelters and all relevant providers to be part of the solution. During five regional meetings held in 2006, the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCADSV) member programs identified a critical need to improve services to these survivors. The Montana Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence (MCADSV) therefore applied and received a grant focusing on the co-occurring issues of domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health. Following that effort, we are now the lead organization in a collaborative partnership for a Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women Disabilities Grant. This "Harvesting Hope" Project on Violence Against Women with Psychiatric Disabilities collaborates with the MSU-Billings Montana Center on Disabilities (MCD: www.msubillings.edu/ovs) and Mental Health America of Montana (MMHA: www.montanamentalhealth.org). Our goal is to create meaningful and sustainable systemic change in targeted organizations that provide services to women with psychiatric disabilities and/or women who have experienced domestic/sexual violence in Miles City and Great Falls, Montana. This reflects the Project's vision that women with psychiatric disabilities in Montana who have experienced sexual and domestic violence will recieve full access to services and treatment, both at the time of crisis and in the months and years that follow- services and treatment that are needed, appropriate, and desired by the woman herself and provided with compassion and an open mind. Please feel free to contact our Substance Abuse & M ental Health Coordinator, Natalie Bolon at 406-465-5991 or email at nbolon@mcadsv.com. Substance Abuse & Mental Illness MCADSV members also cited a dramatic increase in the number of these survivors seeking services, due in part to the state’s growing methamphetamine problem, a problem that is particularly pervasive in rural states. Several of our member programs report that most of the domestic violence survivors seeking shelter are meth-addicted. This is especially true of the state’s urban shelters, as well as those serving the seven Indian reservations in the state, where approximately 25% of the adult population is substance abusing or addicted (MT DPHHS 2001). While expressing the desire to serve meth-addicted women seeking shelter, many shelters say they are not equipped to do so, citing concerns for the safety of other shelter residents. As a result, these survivors are frequently either denied services or provided with limited services (basic shelter in a hotel, for example, rather than the array of services available within the domestic violence program). When attempting to serve survivors with mental health or substance abuse issues, many advocates and victims struggle with how to do so without compromising the victim's right to child custody and other entitlements. Montana’s mental health and substance abuse service system is severely under-funded and fragmented. There are no inpatient psychiatric services in Helena for individuals undergoing a mental health crisis, and the city’s domestic violence shelter is not equipped to serve survivors experiencing a mental health crisis. Typically, these individuals are transferred by law-enforcement in shackles to the state mental health institution an hour away, although a short stay in a community setting would be sufficient to address their crisis. As in most of the state, Helenans face long waiting periods before they can enter detox, inpatient or outpatient treatment for substance abuse. The state only has a handful of inpatient beds where women can receive treatment while residing with their children. Thus most women who want to address their substance abuse are forced to leave their children, jobs and lives behind to do so. The state recently formed regional service area authorities (SAAs) where individuals living with a mental illness, their families, state legislators, service providers and others are coming together to address regional needs. Local needs are addressed by Local Advisory Councils (LACs) focused on mental health service needs in their area. Currently, violence is not represented at these meetings … MCADSV is encouraging all members to attend their LAC and Regional SAA meetings. Contact Natalie for an initial introduction to these resources. You may be hearing from her inviting you to go with her, please make every effort to do so. The state received a three-year grant from US HHS in 2005 to improve services to individuals addicted to meth, and 50% of those served must be women. The state legislature allocated funds in 2005 to improve local mental health crisis services, and many communities, including Helena, are actively developing new policies and programs. These developments present an opportunity to engage in systems change, creating policies and practices at the state and local levels that are innovative and improve services to domestic violence survivors. Leadership at the National level is available from SAMHSA. How to have a Voice in this Arena The state has formed regional service area authorities (SAA's) where individuals living with a mental illness, their families, state legislators, service providers and others are coming together to address regional needs. Local needs are addressed by Local Advisory Councils (LAC's) focused on mental health service needs in their area. Currently, violence is not represented at these meetings . . . MCADSV is encouraging all members to attend their LAC and Regional SAA meetings. Contact DPHHS Addictive and Mental Disorders Division (AMDD) for contact information to these resources.
These goals are closely linked to the following Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recommendations:
The main goals of MCADSV for Mental Health & Substance Abuse issues are that:
After intense research, discussions with experts and input from our members, we plan to create training modules for DSV Shelter Staff and Victim Witness Advocates on Substance Abuse & Mental Illness such that they improve their basic knowledge, enhance their skills to successfully interact with addicts and the mentally ill, and have samples of policies, procedures and protocols necessary to effectively serve this population. We want any door they come in, to be the right door to get them help (and hopefully into treatment). The project will conduct activities such as:
As a result of the above work, we now have a better idea of the various needs and what to implement for training programs for domestic violence program service providers and others who collaborate with them to better meet the needs of Montana domestic violence victims with these issues. The work has also provided base evidence concerning the importance of allocating adequate resources to these programs to assure that they are able to address the many and diverse needs of their clients. We are grateful for any help you can give as re-creating the wheel has never made sense, only building on it!
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION! SAFETY ALERT: Home computers can pose a safety threat if you are being abused. When you visit this or any other site about domestic or sexual violence, it is possible for your abuser to find out that you have been getting information on domestic or sexual violence. There are some precautions you can take (click here for more information). There is always a computer trail, but you can leave this site quickly if you click ESCAPE on the navigation bar or press CTRL W on your keyboard.
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| Last modified: 2007-08-13 By: webmaster | ||