Welcome to the July 2017 edition of Hope House's Community Education E-bulletin!​

Snapshot of Youth Presentations during the 2016-2017 School Year
Hope House is excited to share that during the 2016-2017 school year we facilitated 521 presentations with 4K-12th grade students in school and after-school settings! We were in at least one school in 20 different school districts in our five-county service area. Many thanks to our school and after-school partners in helping us reach so many students with topics like healthy relationships, internet safety, protective behaviors, bullying and sexual harassment, bystander intervention, dating violence, sexual assault, gender roles and violence, and media literacy! Here are just a few quotes from high school students on their presentation evaluations:

• "Your presentations were absolutely...Wonderful!!!!! I absolutely got a lot out of them. It really brought my attentions to things that I had never really thought about. Like especially how many people are and will be affected by sexual crimes."
• "This presentation was very helpful. I learned a lot about respect and consent, especially in a relationship."
• "Thank you for coming to talk to us. I think that it is very important for teens to be informed about this stuff. I also am really glad that you brought attention to the fact that males get abused, too." 
• "I learned a lot. It helped me through some personal issues that I’ve had."
• "Even though it seemed like we might not have been listening, I was paying attention and learned a bunch of things that I'm sure will help my relationship and my friends in the future."
• "Thank you for coming in and taking questions, I don't think anything could have gone better."
• "I have learned a lot about healthy relationships. It will make me a better partner with keeping things in mind from the presentations we had. I was also helpful to hear about all the stereotypes out there and trying not to use them at all." ​
• "The entire presentation was helpful because it told us how to help someone that has been raped or sexually assaulted and how to talk to someone about it if an of that happened to you."
• "Taught me a lot about what is healthy and what isn't."
• In regards to students having the opportunity to write down anonymous questions that would be answered, one student shared "The answers helped me with questions I was too afraid to ask."

5th Annual Ladies Night Out at the Sauk County Fair
On Tuesday, July 11 from 6-8pm as part of the Sauk County Fair is the 5th Annual Ladies Night Out in the Commercial Building. Free admission to the event. For a partial list of vendors, click here. Be sure to stop by the Hope House booth!

Project Homeless Connect Sauk County Open House

Hope House Donation Needs
​Monetary donations are most needed.  Individuals have the option of donating ​online.  Please note that a portion of your online donation will go towards PayPal fees.  Donations can be mailed to Hope House, P.O. Box 557, Baraboo, WI 53913. We also appreciate gas cards, gift cards (Walmart, Kwik Trip, Walgreens, Kohl’s), taxi vouchers from Baraboo Taxi, and used cell phones, iPods and iPads.  Please note that we are not accepting used stuffed animals/plush toys, used toys, clothes (except for new sweatshirts and sweatpants), shoes, used books, furniture, TVs, bar soap, hats, scarves or travel-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or body wash. Current needs include the following:

• Kitchen:  Pots and Pans, Silverware, and Fresh Produce
• Cleaning supplies: Laundry Detergent, Lysol Spray and Wipes, All Purpose Cleaner, Magic Eraser, and Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• School Supplies: New Markers, Notebooks, Colored Pencils, Pens, and Backpacks         
• Miscellaneous: Deodorant, Tissues, Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Zippered Mattress Protector, Copy Paper, Journals, Pocket Calendars, Wash Cloths, New Flip Flops, and New Stuffed Animals for the Child Appointed Special Advocate Program

Special Note about Travel-Size Items: We encourage those looking to donate travel-size items to donate them to the Backpack Project. The Backpack Project strives to provide Baraboo School District students who are financially challenged to enter the school doors on the first day ‘just like everyone else’ and to show these children the community supports and encourages them to learn and do their best. If interested in donating towards this project, please contact Becky Hovde at 608-963-8230 or hivebiz@centurytel.net.

Domestic Violence

• Once Again, a Mass Shooter Has a History of Domestic Violence: “Americans who follow news about public shootings in the country will not be surprised by the biography of James T. Hodgkinson, the 66-year-old from Belleville, Illinois, who shot up a D.C.-area baseball practice for congressional staffers on Wednesday morning.* He is a white man with a legal license to own firearms, for one thing. And, like so many men who attempt mass murder, he has a history of violence against women”…Read more
• Film Depicts One Domestic Violence Survivor’s International Fight for Justice: “The first 20 minutes of Home Truth, a documentary premiering at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival on Sunday in New York, are difficult viewing. Filmed over nine years, the film follows Lenahan, the first domestic violence survivor to successfully sue the United States for violating her human rights. After more than a decade of legal battles, Lenahan’s case has changed federal policies concerning domestic violence victims in ways that are still in effect today”…Read more
• Karl Curtis: Domestic Violence, Homelessness and Brain Injuries Go Hand in Hand: “Knowing this information, it stands to reason a person with TBI might lack income and wind up homeless, or that a person who sustained a TBI via domestic abuse might become dependent on the abuser. So why has it taken so long to make these connections? One reason is people with TBI often appear ‘normal’ on the outside and go undiagnosed...For the Fox Valley social service workers, adding TBI awareness to their toolbox has the potential to create better service delivery to those seeking help. For example, by accounting for TBI-related memory issues they can develop better strategies for ensuring clients remember and attend scheduled appointments. Similarly, making adaptations for TBI-related anxiety or sensitivity to light and sound can make interviews and meetings more successful”…Read more

Children & Youth

• 25 Things You Do as an Adult When You've Experienced Childhood Emotional Abuse: “We wanted to know what kinds of effects childhood emotional abuse can have on adulthood, so we asked our mental health community to share one thing they do now that stemmed from the emotional abuse they experienced in their upbringing. No matter what your experience of childhood abuse was, it is important to remember hope is never lost and there is help out there”…Read more
• More than a Third of Teenage Girls Experience Depression, New Study Says: “A large new study out this week contains some alarming data about the state of children's mental health in the United States, finding that depression in many children appears to start as early as age 11. By the time they hit age 17, the analysis found, 13.6 percent of boys and a staggering 36.1 percent of girls have been or are depressed…The surprise was that the gap is already quite large at age 12, Breslau explained, ‘which indicates that the differences have origins that starts earlier in childhood than was previously thought’”…Read more
• How Can You Make A Non-Sexist Public School Dress Code?: “That policy states, ‘Clothes must be worn in a way such that genitals, buttocks, and nipples are covered with opaque material.’ This language is designed to avoid girls getting penalized for wearing running tights or leggings, or having their tank tops and shorts measured by ‘finger tip tests’ or ‘three finger tests’ or worse. It takes out the assumption that showing the belly or back is inherently sexual. It also avoids having teachers scrutinize cleavage to determine how much is too much (something a male teacher reported being expected to do, which made him intensely uncomfortable)…Most dress codes instead start with the premise that girls’ bodies are rife with disruption and the mere sight of thigh or shoulder could be a problem. This leads to body shaming, sexist enforcement, and victim blaming. Many dress codes and enforcement discussions explicitly call out ‘distraction’ as the problem. What they mean is that boys (and sometimes male teachers, which is disturbing and predatory) may comment on or react to the girls”…Read more

Miscellaneous News

• The Role Of Yoga In Healing Trauma: “The new Georgetown Law report argues that, since the effects of trauma can be physical, ‘body-mind’ interventions, like yoga, may be able to uniquely address them. Regulated breathing, for example, calms the parasympathetic nervous system. Practicing staying in the moment counteracts some of the dissociative effects of trauma. And the physical activity of yoga, of course, can directly improve health”…Read more​
• Study Explores Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence in College Women with Disabilities: “‘Disability-specific abuse manifested in several ways, such as the abuser using disability-specific name calling such as ‘crazy,’ ‘bipolar,’ and ‘moron’; putting women down because of a disability (e.g., ‘[He would say] ‘you always get so emotional, you need your safe space’); saying women are undesirable because of a disability (‘He would call me every name in the book [laugh] and uh similar things like ‘No one else is going to love you’ and like ‘I’m all that you’re going to ever have.’); and blaming women’s prior sexual victimizations on their disability’…The authors recommend that colleges create safe spaces for women on campus and ensure that campus sexual assault programs collaborate with disability services”…Read more

Local News

• Steven Rist, 45, of Columbus, was charged with felony child enticement, exposure, misdemeanor lewd and lascivious behavior and two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault following an encounter with a 16-year-old girl in 2015…Read more
• Gary Worthley, 19, of Portage, will serve a 75-day jail sentence followed by probation, bringing a close to five criminal cases including two charges of felony domestic abuse…Read more
• Jared Thurber, 29, of Columbus, faces single counts of felony strangulation, operating a motor vehicle without consent, misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct, all as domestic abuse charges…Read more
• Joshua J. Morales, 34, of Mauston, faces a possible $25,000 fine or imprisonment of no more than 10 years, or both, for the first offense and the same penalties for the second charge. Morales was also charged with misdemeanor battery, domestic abuse, criminal damage to property, telephone harassment and disorderly conduct, domestic abuse…Read more
• Kevin Kroener, 42, a former driving instructor from Tomah, was found guilty June 9 at the Juneau County Justice Center in Mauston of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old student in May 2015…“While instructing a young driver, Kroener allegedly took the student to a secluded area in New Lisbon and forced the student to commit sexual acts. Kroener was previously charged with sexual assault and child enticement in 2012, but charges were dropped”…Read more
• Clifford A. Petrusky, 70, of Lyndon Station, faces four counts of possession of child pornography…Read more
• A domestic dispute Sunday night turned into a standoff with police Monday morning, with both parties involved in the dispute being arrested by Columbia County law enforcement…Read more
• Anthony J. Peterson, 33, of Necedah, faces two domestic abuse charges, along with a felony bail jumping charge…Read more

Parents' & Youth Service Providers' Section

• Watching Gender: How Stereotypes in Movies and on TV Impact Kids' Development: “Our analysis of media focuses primarily on scholarly research on television and in movies. The research brief is complemented by a national survey of approximately 1,000 parents that explores parents' attitudes toward gender as it's reflected on television and in movies. Take a look at the infographic and read our blog post for highlights”…Read more…Read related post Gender Stereotypes Are Messing with Your Kid
• 7 Ways to Calm a Young Brain in Trauma: “The best approach, according to Perry and van der Kolk, is to acknowledge the negative reactions by giving these students a safe place for a few minutes, allowing the brain and body to calm down. Below are some strategies I implement in K-6 classrooms that prepare the brain for sustained attention and reduce distractions. These strategies are beneficial for all students, but especially those who come into the classroom carrying negative emotion. We implement these throughout the day—at the beginning of class, after recess or lunch, or at the end of the day”…Read more
• LGBTQ Youth and Sexual Abuse: Information for Mental Health Professionals: “The NCTSN Child Sexual Abuse Collaborative Group has published a 7-page tip sheet which mental health practitioners will find invaluable in their work with lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans, and queer youth. LGBTQ Youth and Sexual Abuse: Information for Mental Health Professionals provides a short glossary of relevant terms; a chart delineating the continuums of sex, gender, and sexual orientation; brief summaries of issues concerning LGBTQ youth and their parents related to sexual orientation and sexual abuse; a table of common myths and stereotypes about LGBTQ youth and sexual abuse; recommendations for practitioners and agencies on counseling LGBTQ youth; and guidance in treating LGBTQ youth following sexual abuse”…Read the tip sheet here
• ​New Study: Rates of Anti-LGBTQ School Bullying at 'Unprecedented High': “Despite assumptions that today’s youth are more welcoming and accepting of LGBTQ identities, RTI’s analysis concludes the widespread targeting such youth face has ‘not improved since the 1990s’…Statistics from 1992 to the present, she explained, indicate that ‘LGBTQ students are two to three times more likely than their peers to be physically assaulted or threatened at school.’ This victimization doubles and in many cases quadruples the likelihood that a young person will attempt to take their own life, and those rates have remained steady. If RTI claims that LGBTQ people ‘experience violence and victimization in disproportionate numbers throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood,’ the numerous studies that researchers reviewed attest to this fact”…Read more
• Webinar: Dear Stop It Now! Helpline – Is my child safe online? July 26 from 11am-Noon: "Children’s behavior online worries parents and educators. We’ll share Helpline questions from a parent concerned about her pre-teen daughter’s safety online because strangers are contacting her and from a parent who is concerned about his young son’s safety through use of interactive gaming. Exploring our Helpline’s response to these parents, we’ll talk about preventing specific online risks through a prevention-focused lens, learning about risks and prevention tasks for specific developmental ages. Concepts and practices associated with privacy, social media, gaming and parental controls will be discussed. Handouts will be provided. To register, click here. Check back for more information and registration for the next Dear Stop It Now! Helpline webinar in September!"

Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.

News Story: "Green Bay Police are calling it possibly the worst case of child abuse they've ever seen. A Brown County man has been booked on charges related to the death of a 16-month old girl in Green Bay. Police say the little girl was the victim of 'extreme' abuse. Juan J. Maravilla, 30, is facing charges of 1st Degree Reckless Homicide and Child Abuse - Intentionally Cause Harm"...Read more

Obituary: "Wade, Teresa Age 24. Alpha August 5, 1992 and Omega May 28, 2017. Beloved mother of baby Amari C. Gillum and loving daughter to Lori Toles. She is preceded in death by her father Earlie C. Wade"...Read more



​
News Story: "A woman drove into a vehicle driven by the girlfriend of her child's father before the girlfriend retrieved a gun and fatally shot her at a north side gas station, according to a criminal complaint.

Jasmin D. Troutman, 24, was charged Thursday with second-degree reckless homicide-use of a dangerous weapon in the death of Teresa L. Wade, 24, according to a criminal complaint and Milwaukee police.

Wade was shot about 5 p.m. Sunday at the Citgo station in the 4800 block of N. Teutonia Ave., according to police.
According to the complaint:

Troutman began dating the father of Wade's son in August, when Wade was still pregnant with the boy.

Wade was driving when she spotted Troutman driving the father's car and pulled behind her after Troutman pulled into the gas station.

Wade began to threaten Troutman before backing up and then driving into the passenger side of the other car.

Troutman then retrieved a gun from the car and fatally shot Wade, who drove off before losing consciousness several blocks away"...Read more

News Story: "MILWAUKEE -- A 35-year-old woman was the victim of a homicide that happened near Palmer and Concordia on Saturday night, June 3rd -- a home in the area set on fire. The victim, Shakira Hicks, allegedly died at the hands of her own brother.After setting the fire, police say the 30-year-old man turned himself in. As you might imagine, the family is heartbroken. A sister said Shakira Hicks struggled all of her life as a result of health issues, and she suffered even more during the last moments of her life. 

'I'm broken. I'm torn apart. It's like my heart was ripped out my chest. My sister couldn't defend herself,' Malayka Pitts said.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a baby, Shakira Hicks was wheelchair bound her entire life.

'Only one arm was mobile,' Pitts said.

Pitts said Hicks relied on family for help.

'She couldn't do nothing for herself,' Pitts said.

Pitts and her sister, Primrose Hibbler said on Saturday night, their brother, Nasif Hibbler was supposed to be taking care of Hicks. 

'You locked her in the house. You set her on fire. You hurt her. Your sister. How could you do this to her?' Hibbler said.

Despite the suspect's past criminal history involving violence and drugs, the sisters said his alleged actions were unimaginable.

'No one thought that he would ever harm her in no type of way, so we don't know what was his state of mind was when he did that. She loved him and he loved her, so I don't know what triggered in his head to make it want to hurt her,' Hibbler said...

In tears and full of grief, they said their sister was full of life.
​
'She was a loveable person,' Hibbler said. 'She was always happy, wanted her family around. She liked the outdoors. She liked going outside,' Pitts said"...Read more

News Story: "A man accused of beating a 1-year-old girl to death on Sunday is being held on a 150,000 cash bond.21-year-old Tamio Shipman-Allen is also charged with abusing a 3-year-old.

He made his first court appearance Monday.

There are heartbreaking details in the criminal complaint indicating the children's mother and neighbor suspected abuse but no one stepped in to stop it.

Appearing in court Friday, Tamio Shipman-Allen sat with his head down. The victim's family watched, heartbroken...

Tamiya died at the scene, an autopsy showed she suffered broken ribs and massive internal injuries.
​
Her 3-year-old brother was taken to the hospital with bruises and internal injuries. Family says he's doing okay"...Read more

Obituary: "Brian Michael Baldwin, 23, of Kenosha passed away on June 7, 2017. 

Born in Williamsburg, Va., on July 24, 1993. 

He is the son of Glenn A. Baldwin and Mary A. Larson a native of Kenosha. Brian graduated from Tremper High School. He worked a couple jobs in his young life, but mostly the last eight months was with Amazon and before with Greskoviak Rentals for 2.5 years. 

Brian was a wonderful young man, full of promise. A kind, truely chivalrous man filled with empathy and compassion. He had a passion and love for working on Honda Turbo powered cars, and the community of those like him with those same interests. He touched the lives of far more than he and surely even his family could have even imagined, but we arent surpized by that for we knew Brian was someone special. The outpouring and beautiful stories of his kindness, and silly goofy ways, and things he would do just to make someone's day brighter that are flooded across facebook give us moments of peace. He truely was one of 'The Good Guys' on this old earth"...Read more

News Story: "Police identified on Thursday, June 8th the victims of a double fatal shooting in Kenosha.The victims are 23-year-old Brian Baldwin of Kenosha and 23-year-old Anthony Kerrill of Waukegan, Illinois. Baldwin’s father told FOX6 News his son was killed in a murder-suicide...A firearm was located inside the home and secured by officers. Police said this case appears domestic violence related"...Read more

Welcome to the June 2017 edition of Hope House's Community Education E-bulletin!
​

Presentation Availability Over the Summer Months
Are you looking for a free presentation or activity for your child/teen summer program, such as summer school, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4H, or church youth group? Hope House can cover topics such as respect, bullying, internet safety, protective behaviors, and healthy relationships. Would your civic group, organization, church, or business be interested in a free presentation or training for adults? We can cover topics such as Hope House services, domestic violence and sexual assault, elder abuse, childhood domestic violence, child sexual abuse, teen dating violence, and bystander intervention. Please contact us at 608-356-9123 or email us to learn more.

Boys & Girls Club Girls' Group Wrap-Up
This school year Hope House's Prevention Project Coordinator, Nola, gave several presentations and group sessions to the Baraboo Boys & Girls Club Tween Girls' Group (or GIFT, Girls Inspiring Fun & Trust). For one of their last groups of the year, they watched a clip on media literacy from the documentary Miss Representation and discussed the impact of media messages about gender on our lives and society. Then they produced their own messages “talking back” to the media about what real beauty looks like. Below are just a couple examples. Thanks girls for inspiring us!

Thank You to All Who Participated in Denim Day in April!
Last month we told you about the many organizations that participated in Denim Day in April to show support of sexual assault survivors. Several of these organizations also decided to raise money for Hope House as part of their Denim Day event. We've been promoting Denim Day since 2012, and this year we've received the greatest donation amount totaling over $3,600! Thank you for your support. These funds will go towards our sexual assault services. To hear one of the Denim Day PSAs that ran in April on WRPQ in the Baraboo area, please click below. To hear our Prevention Project Coordinator Nola give a radio interview at WRPQ on the various Sexual Assault Awareness Month events that were held in April, click here. 

Support & Wellness Group in Mauston
Has abuse affected your life in some way? Do you seek connections with supportive individuals who have similar life experiences as you? If so, please consider attending Hope House’s support group at Hatch Public Library in Mauston from 11am-noon on Tuesdays, June 13 and June 27. All are welcome! To learn more, call Hope House at 608-356-7500 or 1-800-584-6790.

Hope House Donation Needs
​Monetary donations are most needed.  Individuals have the option of donating ​online.  Please note that a portion of your online donation will go towards PayPal fees.  Donations can be mailed to Hope House, P.O. Box 557, Baraboo, WI 53913. We also appreciate gas cards, gift cards (Walmart, Kwik Trip, Walgreens, Kohl’s), taxi vouchers from Baraboo Taxi, and used cell phones, iPods and iPads.  Please note that we are not accepting stuffed animals/plush toys, used toys, clothes (except for new sweatshirts and sweatpants), shoes, used books, furniture, TVs, bar soap, hats, scarves or travel-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or body wash. Current needs include the following:

• Kitchen:  Pots and Pans, Silverware, Non Perishable Food Items, and Fresh Produce
• Cleaning supplies: Lysol Spray and Wipes, All Purpose Cleaner, Magic Eraser, and Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• School Supplies: Notebooks, Colored Pencils, Pens, and Backpacks                                         
• Miscellaneous:  Tissues, Toilet Paper, First Aid Kits, Zippered Mattress Protector, Copy Paper, Journals, Pocket Calendars, Towels, and Wash Cloths

Special Note about Travel-Size Items: We encourage those looking to donate travel-size items to donate them to the Backpack Project. The Backpack Project strives to provide Baraboo School District students who are financially challenged to enter the school doors on the first day ‘just like everyone else’ and to show these children the community supports and encourages them to learn and do their best. If interested in donating towards this project, please contact Becky Hovde at 608-963-8230 or hivebiz@centurytel.net.

Domestic Violence

• NFL Draft Shows Teams Still Don't Care about Domestic Abuse: “Potential draft picks convicted of domestic abuse, sexual assault, weapons-related charges or other violent crimes are now barred from the combine and other NFL-sponsored events. But there is no comparable penalty for a team that drafts or signs a player with a history of abuse”…Read more
• Teen Accused Of Killing Allegedly Abusive Father Fights For Freedom Before Trial: “A lawyer for Bresha Meadows, an Ohio teenager accused of killing her allegedly abusive father, is asking a judge to release her on bond until her trial, citing ‘cruel and unusual’ conditions at the Trumbull County Juvenile Detention Center where she is jailed. Bresha, 15, is charged with aggravated murder in the death of her father, Jonathan Meadows. She has been incarcerated since her arrest on July 28, 2016, over nine months ago...Her lawyer, Ian Friedman, maintains that Bresha acted in self-defense after witnessing her father abuse her mother, Brandi Meadows, for years…Bresha’s trial date is set for May 22. She has pleaded ‘not true,’ which is equivalent to a not-guilty plea. She is being tried as a juvenile, which means that even if she is convicted, she can only be kept behind bars until age 21”…Read more​

Local News

• Maurice Withers, formerly of Lodi, was convicted of forcing, threatening or coercing five different women, including two minors, into commercial sex…Read more
• Donald Coughlin, 60, was charged with 21 counts of child sexual assault in a trial ending May 9 in Mauston…Read more​
• Steven Smolek, 59, of La Crosse, a former Catholic school administrator from La Crosse and former Mauston School District Administrator, has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy in Marathon County…Read more
• Stewart Thompson, 25, a former Mauston teacher charged with sexual assault of a student, child enticement-sexual contact, and exposing a child to harmful material, was in court May 2 to waive a preliminary hearing and plead not guilty…Read more
• Lindsey Harwood, 35, of Rio, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child as a persistent repeater, which immediately followed a case with three counts of failure to update sex offender registry information…Read more
• Travion Kimball, 18,  of Portage, has been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, felony bail jumping and second-degree forced sexual assault…Read more
• Anthony Greene, 37, of Randolph, appeared in Columbia County Circuit Court on Wednesday on one count of exposing a child and one count of fourth-degree sexual assault…Read more
• Darren E. Brookins, 24, of Mauston, was charged on April 28 with physical abuse of a child-intentionally cause bodily harm for alleged incidents in mid-April…Read more
• William Henthorn, 48, of Portage, was arrested Friday on charges of second-degree sexual assault, second-degree reckless endangerment, strangulation, battery, disorderly conduct and illegal possession of a prescription drug…Read more

Parents' and Youth Service Providers' Section

Resources

• IPV Health: “Futures Without Violence is excited to announce two new online resources for health providers and domestic and sexual violence advocates: IPVhealth.org. A project of the National Health Resrource Center on Domestic Violence, IPVhealth.org serves as a clearinghouse for everything you need to address domestic and sexual violence in health settings and promote survivor health and wellness at domestic and sexual violence advocacy agencies. IPVhealthpartners.org - A step-by-step toolkit for community health centers and their domestic violence advocacy partners aimed at establishing and expanding partnerships."
• Enhancing Police Responses to Children Exposed to Violence: This toolkit "is designed to equip law enforcement professionals with trauma-informed, developmentally-appropriate tools to identify and minimize threats to child safety, foster closer engagement between law enforcement and youth, and maximize both officer safety and positive outcomes for children and families. The toolkit contains protocols, checklists, and other field-tested and research-informed resources."
• “Safe Housing Partnerships is a collection of strategies, resources, case studies, reports, and statistics that providers and advocates can use to enhance services and better meet the housing-related needs of survivors. Domestic and sexual violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and children, and the need for safe and affordable housing is one of the most pressing concerns for survivors of violence and abuse. Many survivors face unique barriers to accessing shelter and affordable housing due to the power and control dynamics involved in these types of abuse and the economic and trauma impacts that result. At the same time, housing programs can provide critical services for survivors and are often a key component in helping survivors find safety and stability. ‘The Safe Housing Partnerships website will continuously provide up-to-date information and best practices,’ says Peg Hacskaylo, CEO of the National Alliance for Safe Housing. ‘It will serve as the primary vehicle through which providers can request assistance and support in strengthening their work at this critical intersection.’ The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) and the National Alliance for Safe Housing (NASH) partnered to develop the website. They, along with the National Network to End Domestic Violence and Collaborative Solutions, Inc., are part of the Domestic Violence and Housing Technical Assistance Consortium, an innovative, collaborative approach to providing training, technical assistance, and resource development at the critical intersection of domestic violence, homelessness, and housing.”
• Ending Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work in the United States: “Sex- and gender-based violence (GBV) against women in the world of work is an epidemic that requires a systemic response. The purpose of this report is to clearly define GBV, describe its prevalence and explain the circumstances that allow it to persist. The report concludes with recommendations to effectively prevent and address GBV in the workplace”…Download the guide​
• Domestic Violence Counts: This May, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) released the 11th annual Domestic Violence Counts census report. The 24-hour count of services provided to adult and child victims offers a unique glimpse into the untold story of our nation’s domestic violence shelters. In Wisconsin, domestic violence victim service providers served 1,716 survivors on the census day, almost 1,000 of whom were living in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program. There were 486 crisis hotline calls answered, and over 500 Wisconsinites attended community education sessions to hear about prevention and early intervention strategies. These numbers shed light on the heroic work of domestic violence programs and advocates across Wisconsin who help survivors accomplish amazing things every single day. 

Training Opportunities

• Responding to Survivors in Underserved Communities: Imagine not being able to hear anything, and being a victim of domestic violence, where no one can communicate with you, except for your perpetrator. Perhaps English is not your first language and communication is a struggle so you’re afraid to reach out for help because of your past experience of oppression, which happens more often than not. As professionals who respond to domestic violence calls, this training will help us better understand how to work with victims from often underserved communities while recognizing our own biases and privileges. It will be held on Friday, June 16, from 8 AM – 4:30 PM at the Milwaukee Area Technical College Oak Creek Campus, 6665 S. Howell Ave. Speakers invited from Asha Project, Deaf Unity, Hmong American Women’s Association, the Menominee Nation Tribal Police, and UMOS. To register, click here. For questions, please email Keeley Crowley.
• Paths to Healing Conference: On June 22 from 9:00am – 3:00pm in Madison, the Paths to Healing is a day-long conference that provides support and explores what we need to do as a community to respond to the needs of sexual abuse survivors. It is intended for child sex abuse survivors – particularly male survivors – supportive allies, advocates, health and mental health professionals, and law enforcement. To register, click here.
• Webinar: Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and People with Disabilities: On June 27 from 10-11:30am, Disability Rights Wisconsin Attorney Jodi Hanna joins End Abuse and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault for this webinar. Jodi will explain the unique ways in which people with disabilities are a vulnerable population, particularly susceptible to domestic abuse and sexual assault. We will discuss the dynamics of violence against people with disabilities, and ways to decrease sexual and domestic violence against people with disabilities. This webinar is designed for a multi-disciplinary audience. Advocates and members of CCR/SART teams are encouraged to attend! To register, click here.​

Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.

Obituary: "Tyvitta was a Granddaughter, Daughter, Mother. Tyvitta lived life positively; her favorite saying was 'Do what makes you happy, life is short.' Her ability to see the positives was incredible because of the diversity she experienced in her early childhood. Tyvitta had an infectious smile and had a huge heart for helping others in their time of need. She loved people, but her greatest love was for her son, James Tyzeree. He was her life, the apple of her eye, and her hero. She put all of who she was into little James and was so proud of how intelligent he was. Not only was she raising a son and working, but she was also attending MATC. Because of her desire to help others, Tyvitta was considering Counseling as a career. She had an entrepreneur desire, like that which runs on her dad’s side, and she was seeking to start her own restaurant or even a cook wagon. Tyvitta also loved to Travel to different places with her family. Despite her life of diversity she was an overcomer and rose up to elevate others. She became a very strong, beautiful, independent woman, mother, daughter, and friend of many. Someone with a heart larger than any could imagine. What a wonderful woman she became and was growing into"...Read more

News Story: "Prosecutors say Hutchins, 49, shot Tyvitta Dischler, 26, twice in the head before burning her body — and that their son witnessed the killing.Hutchins was charged Sunday with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Dischler and with felony child abuse in connection with allegedly hitting their son with a gun.

According to the complaint:

Hutchins dropped his son off at his aunt's house last Wednesday, telling her 'I got to go.' His aunt noticed the child had large bruises on his head, and the boy said his parents had been fighting"...Read more