Cybele K. Daley, Acting Assistant Attorney General
Office of Justice Programs
Department of Justice’s Observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Washington, DC
October 23, 2007
Good morning.
I’m happy to see so many of you here this morning.
We’re here because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Before we begin the program, I need to follow the rules and make a housekeeping announcement!
In the unlikely event of a situation requiring emergency evacuation of this building, the following procedures should be followed:
If you hear an alarm from anywhere in the building, you should begin evacuation.
Stay calm and gather any personal belongings such as purses, briefcases, etc.
Do not take any beverages or food you may have with you- leave them behind.
Unless otherwise directed by a stairwell monitor, exit through the door in the back of the room- do not exit using the door through which you entered the room.
Exit in a calm, orderly manner. You will exit the building on Eye St. Move away from the building, following instructions of OJP designated employees. Designated OJP employees will notify you when it is all clear to return to the building. Now, back to the reason we’re here…Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The Department of Justice administers many programs related to holding perpetrators accountable, offering victims resources for safety and security, and recognizing the effect of domestic violence on all of its victims. We’ve organized this program today to show our ongoing commitment to preventing and reducing domestic violence.
Our speakers, Kiri Rowe Phillips, Principal Deputy Director of the Office on Violence Against Women; Mary Claire Landry, director of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services for Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and Dr. Ludy Green, President and Founder of Second Chance Employment Services, here in Washington, DC will be introduced in a few minutes.
I’m sure that many of you are familiar with the alarming statistics about domestic violence.
It is estimated that about 1.3 million women and 835,000 men experience domestic violence annually. Victims of domestic violence can be of any age, sex, race, culture, religion, educational background, or employment or marital status. Children in the homes where domestic violence occurs are more likely to be abused and or neglected.
The Office of Justice Programs is committed to building partnerships for safer communities, including reducing the harm to communities and individuals caused by domestic violence.
Our bureaus provide information on the nature and extent of domestic violence, and deliver resources, training, and technical assistance to address domestic violence.
OJP resources include the Office for Victims of Crime’s VOCA formula grants to states for Victim Assistance and Compensation Programs.
VOCA Victim Assistance subgrants support various types of services to victims of domestic violence and their families, including crisis counseling, therapy, shelter, criminal justice support, and emergency legal and financial assistance.
Our Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Safe Start initiative provides mental health services for children who witness violence, and professional education for the mental health professionals who serve them. Under the Safe Start initiative, the National Center on Children Exposed to Violence teams up with the Safe Start Center to provide communities and service providers throughout the United States with tools, content expertise, consultation and evidence-based practice information on working with families living in violence.
In addition, our National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and OJJDP conduct research, evaluate prevention and intervention programs, collect data, and disseminate information to help us better understand the scope, causes, and consequences of domestic violence.
NIJ, through its Violence Against Women and Family Violence Research Program, also funds research on domestic violence among under-studied populations such as the elderly, Native Americans, and racial, ethnic, and linguistic minorities.
The Office of Justice Programs and our colleagues at the Office on Violence Against Women share a commitment to providing information, programs, and assistance that make families and communities safer. We are determined to reduce the harm of domestic violence, enforce accountability for perpetrators, and to uphold the dignity and security of all victims.
Now, it’s my pleasure to turn the program over to
Kiri Rowe Phillips.
Kiri is the Principal Deputy Director of the Office on Violence Against Women. Kiri has a law degree from Tulane University and more than 15 experience in law, federal government relations, and executive management. With respect to issues related to violence against women, Kiri has witnessed domestic violence in her family and in her former marriage.
Kiri…
Thank you, Kiri.
Now, I’d like to introduce Mary Claire Landry. Mary Claire is a licensed clinical social worker with a Masters of Social Work from Tulane University and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of New Orleans.
She is the current Director of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans. And in 2006, Mary Claire served as the President of the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Mary Claire…
Thank you, Mary Claire.
Our third speaker today is Dr. Ludy Green. Ludy is the President and Founder of Second Chance Employment Services (SCES), a not-for-profit organization serving financially at-risk women with free training and employment placement services in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. SCES is a no-fee placement agency that connects victims of domestic violence with human resource professionals in an innovative effort to find them employment with full health benefits.
Since SCES was founded in 2000, it has served more than 1,600 domestic violence victims, including 1,200 domestic violence victims who were provided direct and referral services and 400 domestic violence survivors who found employment.
Ludy…
Thank you, Ludy.
I want to thank all of our speakers and thank you for coming today. If you have questions, our speakers will be available for a few minutes. We also have resource materials available for you.
