Organizing A Rockwall Co. FV Task Force
Last week I again conducted the second monthly meeting of the new Rockwall County family violence task force. Roxana was also able to attend. This is an effort which we organized and are spearheading after learning that no meetings were currently being held locally to coordinate efforts to stop and prevent family violence in our own backyard. Sixteen public officials, social service professionals and citizens met jointly and heard guest speaker Tonia Cunningham, victim assistance counselor with the Frisco PD. I invited her because she is a leader of the Collin Co. Council On FV which we joined in June. She offered us suggestions and tips about how and why we should meet regularly to better coordinate our efforts as they do in Collin Co. which is just North of our community.
What we've thus far learned is that meetings are being currently held to address better supporting victims of child abuse and sexual assaults, but little is being done to support victims of physical assaults or teen dating violence in the schools. Neither are there any efforts ongoing to PREVENT family violence - in schools, jails or other places that anyone knew of. Everyone agreed we should expand the task force by inviting representatives from the schools, churches and other organizations in order to expand prevention efforts.
Last month fifteen people attended our first meeting and unanimously agreed that we should meet monthly through at least the end of the year to better coodinate efforts to help all victims as well as abusers of all forms of family violence - including physical and sexual assaults, child abuse/neglect/maltreatment, teen dating violence and elder abuse.
The task force currently includes law enforcement officers from the County Sheriff's dept. and each city's police dept., the County DA's office, CPS, Lake Pointe Medical Center, Women In Need women's shelter and NE TX Crisis Center - both based in Greenville, Helping Hands relief agency, plus the Soroptimist Women's Club.
Anyone interested in attending is welcome. Just contact me.
What we've thus far learned is that meetings are being currently held to address better supporting victims of child abuse and sexual assaults, but little is being done to support victims of physical assaults or teen dating violence in the schools. Neither are there any efforts ongoing to PREVENT family violence - in schools, jails or other places that anyone knew of. Everyone agreed we should expand the task force by inviting representatives from the schools, churches and other organizations in order to expand prevention efforts.
Last month fifteen people attended our first meeting and unanimously agreed that we should meet monthly through at least the end of the year to better coodinate efforts to help all victims as well as abusers of all forms of family violence - including physical and sexual assaults, child abuse/neglect/maltreatment, teen dating violence and elder abuse.
The task force currently includes law enforcement officers from the County Sheriff's dept. and each city's police dept., the County DA's office, CPS, Lake Pointe Medical Center, Women In Need women's shelter and NE TX Crisis Center - both based in Greenville, Helping Hands relief agency, plus the Soroptimist Women's Club.
Anyone interested in attending is welcome. Just contact me.
posted by J.J. Smith @ 4:18 AM
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