Press Release Archives - 559-96 Domestic Violence Shelter Beds

Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 31, 1996

Release #559-96

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Jack Deacy (212) 788-2958

COMPREHENSIVE ACTION PLAN ENDORSED BY 50 PROMINENT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERS; 100 NEW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER BEDS TO BE ADDED

MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVES TO COMBAT FAMILY VIOLENCE

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today released "Public-Private Solutions to Combat Family Violence: Mayor Giuliani's Colloquium Group Report," which contains over 40 new initiatives to combat family violence. The report, which has been endorsed by 50 prominent private and public partners, recommends expansion of the Mayor's campaign against domestic violence beyond the limits of City government to include a public-private partnership and a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to this pervasive probelm.

The Mayor was joined by Mayoral Special Advisor for Health Policy and Chairwoman of the Health and Hospitals Corporation, Maria K. Mitchell, and the Mayor's Criminal Justice Coordinator, Katherine N. Lapp --who are also Co-Chairs of the Mayor's Commission to Combat Family Violence -- as well as prominent public and private sector partners, including the Honorable Joan Carey, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge of the New York City Courts, and Lucy Friedman, Executive Director of the Victim Services Agency.

"Over the past two and half years, New York City has been a pioneer in the area of family violence, advancing new and innovative solutions that empower victims and help them break the cycle of abuse," Mayor Giuliani said. Although we have made significant progress, the enormous scope of this serious problem compels more than government action alone. It requires attention from both the public and private sector. That is why last May officials from the City public and private sector met for the first 'Mayor's Domestic Violence Colloquium to discuss the best way to confront the issue. Today's report outlines the new initiatives we are taking to continue to fight against family violence."

The report contains over 40 initiatives to combat family violence through violence prevention, criminal justice, service intervention, and housing and economic empowerment -- many of them already underway.

"One of our key priorities ," said Maria Mitchell "was to broaden our focus beyond assisting those New Yorkers who are currently experiencing domestic violence to also reach those that might become victims down the line -- like young girls. We believe that by getting at the root causes of domestic violence, and emphasizing violence prevention and early intervention where the vicious cycle of violence is easier to break, we will be promoting much longer-term solutions to this grave problem. Through the Colloquium Group Initiatives, we will teach anti-violence through New York City schools and citywide public education; promote violence prevention program in the workplace; garner free and accessible legal services for victims of domestic violence; advance new safety options for battered women who once had no choice but to flee; and promote long-term solutions to the problem of domestic abuse through empowering employment opportunities which restore dignity to those who have been ravaged by abuse."

Key initiatives of the Colloquium Group Report include:
A Citywide public awareness campaign addressing the increasing violence in teen dating relationships, jointly developed with Young & Rubicam, the advertising firm, and a corps of community providers serving teens and domestic violence victims, will be launched citywide at the start of 1997.

Public School teachers and public health nurses and advisors will receive training in the Board of Education's new anti-violence curriculum to be launched his school year.

A Legal Advocacy Pilot is proposed for the Bronx and Manhattan which will provide assistance for victims in Criminal Court and representation in Family Court.

A partnership with the Association of the Bar of the City of New York to recruit and train a corps of 100 volunteer lawyers to represent battered women in civil matters will bolster Project L.I.F.E. (Legal Initiative for Freedom and Empowerment), a mayoral initiative first launched in March of 1995.

Training initiatives for criminal justice professionals will improve police evidence collection, the supervision of probationers, and the representation of domestic violence victims in the civil courts.

A Department of Correction victim notification system is being developed to alert victims when offenders are being released from jail facilities, enabling them to more effectively plan for their safety.

Over the next two years, New York City will ensure the implementation of appropriate domestic violence protocols in many of the City's health care facilities through contractual agreements.

Mayor Giuliani recently distributed a New York City Department of Health (DOH) Domestic Violence Training Guide to every New York City physician to improve clinical response to patients experiencing abuse.

The Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation & Alcoholism Services is planning to launch a Domestic Violence Intervention Initiative to improve mental health outreach and treatment for victims of domestic violence.

MetLife Insurance Company will be producing 5,000 copies of the New York City Resource Directory to aid the referral of victims to appropriate services.

Pending state approval, a new domestic violence transitional shelter will add over 100 new beds.

The City and State are working together to streamline the domestic violence shelter development process, and conceive a proposal for the addition of new domestic violence shelter beds.

Victim Services, the New York Junior League, and the Mayor's Office will be joining with New York City hotels in a public-private partnership called "Project Debby" which will harbor some domestic violence victims in need of short-term housing placements prior to more permanent relocations.

An intensive, supportive job training and placement program will empower violence survivors and promote long term solutions by integrating them into the world of work.

The report was praised by members of the New York City battered women's advocacy community.

"This report contains the most comprehensive array of initiatives supporting domestic violence victims ever compiled," said Lucy N. Friedman, executive director of Victim Services, who have been providing services to domestic violence victims for eighteen years. "Working together with Mayor Giuliani and the Colloquium Group he has assembled," Friedman added, "we can make these ideas a reality and win the fight against the destructive cycle of violence. We are particularly encouraged by the prospect of adding 100 new shelter beds. They are evidence of the Mayor's commitment to the City's battered women."

"The Criminal Justice system is so complex, and domestic violence is such a multi-layered issue, interdisciplinary coordination is critical to an effective response for domestic violence victims," said the Honorable Joan Carey, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge, New York City Courts. "Mayor Giuliani has brought together a truly impressive array of partners who, together, are equipped to effect real solutions to the problems faced by the victims of domestic violence in our city."

"The Association of the Bar of the City of New York is pleased to joining in the spirit of the City-wide campaign to combat family violence," said Michael A. Cardozo, President of the City Bar. "On November 9th, we will be sponsoring an event to marshal and train some of our finest members to be volunteer lawyers to represent battered women in cases that can determine the quality of their futures."

"Domestic violence is a serious and complex public health issue," said Kenneth E. Raske, President of Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), which represents the hospitals and continuing care facilities in the metropolitan area. "GNYHA supports the Mayor's "Public Private Solutions to Combat Family Violence," and is committed to working in partnership with the City to improve the screening, identification, and referral of victims of domestic violence."

Over the last three years, New York City has gained prominence as a national leader in the fight against domestic violence, and the municipal response system has markedly improved. Past Giuliani Administration initiatives have included:
A comprehensive Police Department strategy to break the cycle of domestic violence including dedicated domestic violence officers and investigators in each precinct, a computer tracking system and an intensive, ongoing training program to ensure adherence to the New York Police Department's (NYPD) pro-arrest policy for domestic violence related crimes.

A domestic violence protocol for every municipal health care facility including dedicated domestic violence coordinators in each facility, training for all hospital staff, and the collection of data for a joint Health & Hospitals Corporation (HHC)/ Department of Health (DOH) Domestic Violence Surveillance Program.

Trained counselors from Victim Services are available around the clock on the City's first 24-hour, multi-lingual, dedicated Domestic Violence Hotline to offer emergency counseling and referrals to all New Yorkers, including the hearing-impaired.

The Citywide Domestic Violence Public Education Campaign has been widely displayed throughout the City's transportation system, and public service announcements have been aired on radio.

By 1997, shelter bed capacity under the Giuliani Administration will have increased by 40%, while innovative alternatives to domestic violence shelter, like the Alternative to Shelter Pilot, have offered victims of violence new safety options.

Project L.I.F.E. (Legal Initiative for Freedom and Empowerment) has increased victim access to free, trusted legal services through a partnership with 17 private law firms.