Volunteers Domestic Violence Response Team taking form in Jacksonhope to make a difference in someone’s life
AMY GOLDSTEIN Mary Pettrow, program director of Providence House, speaks to potential volunteers about Jackson’s new Domestic Violence Response Team at a meeting at the Jackson Senior Center on July 12.
By CLAre M. Masi
Staff Writer
JACKSON — The names of 58,000 servicemen and -women line the wall of the Vietnam Memorial in our nation’s capital, a tribute to their honor, a marker of their time on this earth and a reminder of when that journey ended.
According to information provided by Providence House in Toms River, during that same period, 51,000 American women were killed by their male partners.
Officer Russell Scialpi of Jackson speaks about how to aid victims of domestic violence.
There is no wall dedicated to these women to date.
But members of the Jackson Police Department, in conjunction with Providence House, are doing what they can to keep that invisible wall from accumulating any more names.
As a result, the act of domestic violence will soon have a new force to reckon with in the community: a soon-to-be-implemented Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT).
The two agencies held their first conference to meet with potential volunteers for the newly formed DVRT on July 12. More than 60 people filled the seats of the giant room at the Jackson Senior Center on Don Conner Boulevard. People of all ages and backgrounds came to listen, to help, to learn and to see if they would have the "stuff" a DVRT volunteer member is made of.
Officer Russell Scialpi, domestic violence liaison for the township, introduced potential volunteers to the "nuts and bolts" of both the application they would be filling out and the 40-week training session which, he said, would begin on Sept. 13 and run through Dec. 13. Scialpi said he expected the 24-hour, 7-day-a-week DVRT to be up and running by Jan. 2.
The police officer, who has been working in the domestic violence sector of the department since 1994, explained that Providence House provides the training for both police and volunteer staff as they combine their efforts in response to a crime of domestic violence.
Scialpi said that Providence House, a Catholic Charities agency, provides many services for victims of domestic violence, including a 24-hour hot line, safe emergency shelter, supportive counseling, advocacy services information and referrals, as well as legal advocacy and court accompaniment, all free of charge.
These services will be used in conjunction with Jackson’s Police and volunteer team staff.
Scialpi told potential volunteers that applications would be accepted July 16-18.
The officer gave the group a brief overview of the training program and what the police and Providence House would require as far as criteria for volunteer service. He also discussed the responsibilities of the volunteers.
Scialpi discussed the reason the DVRT was being created.
"It’s the law," he said. "But is that the most important reason? Of course not. As of Jan. 2, legislation determined that we will have a DVRT, but the better reason for the DVRT is to help the victims, and their children," he explained.
Scialpi told the group that he wouldn’t take any applications that night. "We want you to go home and think about it, talk about it. We want you to be sure. We don’t want you to commit to something and then go home with a lot of unanswered questions."
He told the group what the basic response of the five-member team would include.
The trained volunteers would respond to a secured location, usually the police station or a hospital, following an incident of domestic violence. (Volunteers would never be asked to go to a victim’s home, and they will never be in the presence of the perpetrator). The team will begin with five members, but Scialpi said he wasn’t exactly sure how many members on the team would work for sure. It will be done by trial and error. All members will have a pager. Two members will be primary responders and three members will be on call as a backup.
He told the group that they would be asked to respond in different situations: when the offender is arrested; if he or she has violated a restraining order; if there is a warrant out for his or her arrest; if the offender exhibits behavior that puts either the victims or the children in any danger; or just because they want to let the victim know that this support and service is available to them.
"Sometimes victims feel more comfortable talking to someone who is not in uniform," explained the officer. He also told the group that the volunteer would greatly assist the police officer during the time he has to work on the many reports he has to file. The volunteer can work with the victim or the children and provide a safe environment for them. Scialpi said that the department will be providing a safe area for both. One volunteer will remain with the victim while another one cares for the children.
Scialpi explained that there are instances where the victim cannot leave the abusive situation for a variety of reasons. Under those circumstances, both police and volunteers will be providing referrals in the hope that victims will take advantage of the help afforded them
"You’ll be able to give information and referrals to be used as tools for the victim to hopefully make an informed decision when they are ready. You never know how you’ll impact people," stated Scialpi. "You never know whose life you may save, but I can pretty much tell you that it will be someone’s."
"Unless there is an actual threat of danger to either the victim or to the welfare of the child, there isn’t really much we can do," Scialpi explained.
He told the group that a comprehensive background check would be done on each applicant.
"You’ll be responsible for the welfare of the victims and their families. We need to know that the person we are bringing to those victims and children of abusive situations is the right kind of person."
The training program will include time to develop a relationship with both the police department and Providence House. "We want to let you know what we’re looking for," he said.
Jackson had 338 reported cases of domestic violence last year, according to Scialpi. He said that the 40-hour training program will be given according to curriculum requirements recommended by the state.
Scialpi told the group that if they were there to promote peace in their community, then they were in the right place.
Scialpi introduced the group to Mary Pettrow, program director of Providence House.
Pettrow explained domestic violence as "a controlled act of the use of power or coercion over another person in order to control them."
"The volunteer training is quite intense," stated Pettrow. "By the end of it, you’ll have a good idea of what is expected of you." She told the group that the training would include several "field trips" to places like various courts houses and superior court so that volunteers would be able to provide first-hand knowledge to assist victims who needed this information.
"As a volunteer, you’ll bridge the gap between yourself and the victim," Pettrow said. "You’re not going to do any actual counseling, but you’ll be offering support to those in need and offering options. We try to remove barriers which stand in the way of a victim taking advantage of those options."
Providence House provides safe shelter for 30 days but can go up to 60 days, with the average being about 22 days.
"Most victims have ‘burned out’ their family and friends. Your role is most important here. You become their safe person," Pettrow stated.
Pettrow assured the group, in response to a question from the audience, that as volunteers, they would be protected under the umbrella of confidentiality and that the names of the volunteers would never be used. They would be covered by Providence House and their insurance carriers.
"We teach you boundaries. You’ll know what you can say or do, and what you shouldn’t say or do."
She told them that they would not be subpoenaed to court and that they would never have any contact with the batterer.
Pettrow said that after the intensive training that Providence House provides, the agency would like a commitment of at least one year from volunteers.
Those who came to explore the possibility of volunteering included a middle-aged woman who revealed that her sister had been a domestic violence victim for years. "She won’t let me help her, but maybe I can help someone else," the woman explained.
There was also a retired gentleman who has been involved in first aid squads and many other volunteer organizations over the years, as well as a woman who said she was a victim of domestic violence for many years. "My heart cries for the children in these families," she said. "If I can make a difference for even one person, this will all be worth it."