Resources
Services for Victims and Survivors
Many agencies mentioned that they have clients who often need and are eligible for a variety of government services and supports, in addition to those related to assault or abuse. I know you will havea good handle on local and state programs, so what follows are some potentially interesting resources that are a little off the beaten path.
Information for Survivors
The Benefits Bank, a project of Solutions for Progress, simplifies the process of applying for federal (and some state) benefits to ensure that clients are able to access, quickly and effectively, all of the services and programs that they are entitled to by law.
Emergency contraception is still unavailable in many areas. The Emergency Contraception Website (also at www.not-2-late.com) provides links to providers across the country who do prescribe and/or provide emergency contraception.
Information for Agencies
The Alliance for Justice Nonprofit Advocacy Project provides wonderful materials about nonprofits and political activities. Do you wonder whether you can comment on an election for your local prosecutor? Is your county facing a citizen initiative to ban emergency contraception? How much lobbying is too much? Their publications page provides links to information about what kinds (and how much) of political activities, including lobbying, voter education, and election issues, are legally permissible for 501(c)(3)s. And most of the materials are free!
Do you want to know how your state or county compares to others on measures like women’s education, employment, political representation, and health care? The Institute for Women’s Policy Research publishes data on The Status of Women in the States. They also provide a toolkit to gather data needed to assess the status of women in your own county.
My former colleague from John Jay College, Natalie Sokoloff, has compiled a bibliography of sources on domestic violence and multicultural issues.
What other kinds of resources would be useful to you? Drop me a line!
