Crisis Line
1-800-270-1620 or 641-673-5499

	Empowering Our Community
Volume III, Issue 2		July 2003

[ Warning Signs of Domestic Abuse | Keokuk County: One Year Later |
CIS Gains Support of Local Consignment Store | Year End Statistics | Highlights of the Status of Women in Iowa Study | Phones for Funds |
CIS Raffles Donated Mini Van at Fairs | NOW Brings "Merchant of Shame" Campaign Into Wal-Mart Stores Nationwide | Understanding the Mental Health Structure | CIS Joins Community Partnership for Protecting Children | Third Annual Charity Golf Tournament Proves to Be Best Yet | Climbing Out of the Pit of Abuse — Anonymous | A Day in the Life of a Victim Service Agency | Caring and Compassionate Volunteers Needed |
Local Youth Continue to Think of Others ]

Don't forget to read the Press Releases

Warning Signs of Domestic Abuse

One of the most common questions we are asked at Crisis Intervention Services is, “How do you know if your relationship is abusive?” In general, people usually think of physical violence when they think of domestic abuse. In reality, domestic abuse includes a wide range of behaviors from verbal abuse to physical violence and even murder. The Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence has defined domestic abuse as resulting from one person trying to gain power and control over another using acts of intimidation, threats, sexual assault, stalking, isolation, controlling money/bank accounts, physical violence, and other controlling behaviors.

Domestic abuse can take many different forms, but the goal is always the same — power and control. Sometimes, physical or sexual violence may occur without warning. Usually though, there are warning signs or “red flags” that a relationship may become abusive. People who are abusive want to control their partners through fear. A person who is being abused may:

• Worry that their partner will be jealous
• Be afraid of their partner’s temper
• Go along with anything their partner says or does
• Avoid family or friends
• Have low self-esteem
• Apologize a lot for their partner’s behavior
• Let their partner make all of the decisions

Many of the signs that we are taught to interpret as caring, attentive, and romantic, such as jealousy, are actually early warning signs of future abuse. It can be dangerous when one partner tries to control the other.

Domestic abuse almost never stops once the pattern has been established. Rather, it usually increases in frequency and severity over time. Someone who was severely jealous in a dating relationship may become verbally and psychologically abusive in the early marriage and physically abusive as time goes on.

Back to top

CIS Gains Support of Local Consignment Store

Crisis Intervention Services is embarking on an exciting on-going fundraising opportunity with the support and help of Reruns, a well-established consignment store in Oskaloosa.

We receive thousands of articles of clothing, household items, linens, furniture, and other items through donations each year. Even though these donations greatly benefit more than 400 families each year, we still have no room to store the excess donations.

We are now going to place excess donations on consignment at Reruns. We will receive 75% of the sales of our consignment items. The funds will be used to support our operation expenses. This support from Reruns is very timely, as many of you know, because of continuing cuts in funding.

Your help and support with our consignment fundraising is also needed! You can help by donating good quality items that you no longer need and by donating wire clothing hangers in good condition. As always, we will provide you with a receipt indicating the value of your donation. We especially need household items, home accessories, collectibles, and small appliances.

Appliances must be clean and in working condition. Clothing must also be clean, in-style, and free of stains or tears.

You can continue to bring your donations to our office at 500 High Avenue West (west of Hy-Vee) or to Reruns new location at 116 High Avenue West (across from Mathew Carpet Center) on Mondays from 3-5 pm. All clothing except for jeans must be on hangers. Please call us before you make a delivery so that we can have someone available to assist you.

Providing donations for people in need will continue to be our first priority. The women and children we serve at the shelter will always have access to whatever items they need. Our consignments for operating funds will come second to meeting the needs of the people we serve. Many shelter residents are excited about this new venture and have offered to sort, tag, and deliver items to Reruns for us. We are thankful that they understand our precarious funding situation and that they have gone out of their way to be so helpful and supportive. Your support of CIS and Reruns will be greatly appreciated.

Back to top

Highlights of the Status of Women in Iowa Study

Iowa is among the top ten states for women’s voter registration (75.3%) and turnout (59.6%).

Iowa is one of only three states that have not elected a woman to Congress or as Governor. The other two states are Alaska and Mississippi.

Iowa ranks 29th in the nation and fourth in its seven-state region for women in elected office. This ranking is based upon the proportion of women in elective office.

Iowa ranks eighth in the nation for participation of women in the labor force, but women’s median annual earnings rank 33rd.

Iowa ranks 32nd in the nation for women in managerial and professional positions.

In Iowa, 92% of women between the ages of 33 and 44 are in the workforce. These are also predominately women with children under 18.

With this high level of workforce participation by women, the demand for childcare is growing. Women in Iowa must use a wide array of approaches to meet their childcare needs, including careful scheduling to enable both parents to take turns providing childcare; taking the child to a parent’s workplace; relying on another family member for childcare; using babysitters in a variety of settings; using a child care center or leaving the child unattended.

In Iowa, only 8% of the children eligible for childcare subsidies under the federal government’s Child Care and Development Fund received these in 1999.

In Iowa, the proportion of women over the age of 25 without a high school diploma is 19.4%.

Iowa ranks 38th in the nation for women with a college degree.

While women owned businesses generated $8.7 billion in sales and receipts (in 2000 dollars), Iowa ranks 25th for women’s business ownership. 55.5% of women-owned businesses in Iowa are in the service sector.

Although Iowa’s poverty rate for single women with children is lower than the national rate (32.5% in Iowa and 35.7% in the nation as a whole), single women with children experience much higher levels of poverty than any other family type.

Iowa is one of 23 states required to provide sex education in the schools. Iowa does not have any specific mandates regarding curriculum content, although provision of information on sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, is required. Implementation of this education requirement is controlled locally within school districts.

Iowa is one of 19 states that requires private insurers to provide coverage for contraceptives.

95 out of 99 counties in Iowa do not have an abortion provider.

African-American babies born in Iowa have an infant mortality rate four times higher than white babies in Iowa.

Iowa women rank in the top 10 for women’s overall mental health. They experience fewer restrictions on activities because of health conditions, and have a lower incidence rate of AIDS. However, Iowa ranks slightly higher than the national median for women diagnosed with diabetes (Iowa: 6.1% with the national median at 5.9%).

There are some strong racial and ethnic differences in the area of health:

African American women in Iowa have a mortality rate from heart disease at 222.1 per 100,000; while white women’s rate is 161.4 per 100,000, and Hispanic women have a rate of 66.1 per 100,000.

(Data for Asian American and Native American women in Iowa were not available due to small sample size.)

Mortality from lung cancer also varies by race and ethnicity. In Iowa, 36.5 white women per 100,000 die from lung cancer annually; the rate of mortality from lung cancer for African American women is 49.4. Nationally, white women are slightly more likely to die from lung cancer than African American women.

(Data for Asian American and Native American women in Iowa were not available due to small sample size.)

The Iowa AIDS rate per 100,000 was 0.9 for white women and 19.5 among African American women. This disparity corresponds with the national patterns.

Reprinted with permission from the Iowa Women’s Foundation winter 2002 newsletter Statistics from the institute for Women’s Policy Research, Washington, DC and the 2002 Status of Women in Iowa Study

Back to top

CIS Raffles Donated Mini Van at Fairs

Thanks to the a generous donation from Mr. Terry Moore, CIS will raffle a 1986 Plymouth Voyager during the month of July.

Staff and volunteers will be selling tickets for the van at the CIS booth at both Keokuk County fairs and the Southern Iowa fair.

The tickets will be available for $2 each at the Keokuk County Fair in What Cheer July 10-11, the Keokuk County Fair in Sigourney July 13-14, and the Southern Iowa Fair July 18-23.

The winner will be announced during the races at the Southern Iowa Fair July 23. Winners need not be present to win.

All proceeds from the raffle will go toward much needed repairs at the Oskaloosa shelter. The Shelter Committee has a list of repairs and maintenance projects, including a porch that is falling down, replacing some of the old copper plumbing, replacing the window air conditioner’s outlet that pops the breaker whenever it’s run, replacing worn carpeting and furnishings.

While we realize that the funds raised from the van raffle will not pay for all projects, it will help at a time when funding has been cut on both the state and federal levels.

This is a great way to get a second or third vehicle at an inexpensive price while supporting the CIS shelter.

Click to View Pictures

Back to top

Third Annual Charity Golf Tournament Proves to Be Best Yet

Thanks to many sponsors and eager golfers, the third annual CIS Charity Golf Tournament turned out to be the best yet.

We had 23 sponsors this year, including six event sponsors who donated $250 or more: Lafrenz Motors, Wal-Mart, First National Bank Midwest, Musco, Industrial Commercial Insulation, and Clow.

Fifty-six golfers showed up for a cool day on greens at Elmhurst Country Club May 31st.

Between the sponsors and the golfers support of our hole games, we PROFITED $3,595.

Lafrenz Motors donated the grand hole-in-one prize of a shiny brand new 2003 car. We also had a new covered golf cart as another hole-in-one prize. Nobody won either of them. Better luck next year.

Thanks to all the volunteers, golfers and sponsors who helped make this event such a great success. Be sure to mark your calendar next year for the Saturday after Memorial Day for the fourth annual CIS Charity Golf Tournament.

Back to top

NOW Brings "Merchant of Shame" Campaign Into Wal-Mart Stores Nationwide

"As the shareholders of the world's richest company gather to count their profits, NOW will be kicking off the next phase of its campaign to bring economic justice to the workers of Wal-Mart," said NOW President Kim Gandy.

NOW's Women Friendly Workforce campaign named Wal-Mart a "Merchant of Shame" last June in response to the company's well-documented unfair labor practices. Wal-Mart is the largest employer in the United States and has been charged in the largest employment discrimination lawsuit in history. The next step in the campaign begins this summer, as NOW chapters and activists take the "Wal-Mart ALWAYS discriminates" message directly into local stores.

"Wal-Mart may have the lowest prices in town, but who pays for those low prices? How does the company make a profit with such cut rates?" asks Gandy. "The answer is women. Women hold most of the low-paying jobs in Wal-Marts across the country and the corporation's abuse of women employees helped it net $8 billion last year, and allows it to continue opening stores at the rate of one per day!"

Just a few of the facts:

• Women employed at Wal-Mart make an average of $1.16 per hour LESS than men, and are promoted at a much slower rate than men.
• Women sales associates make an average of $15,000 per year—at least $1.00 per hour less than the retail industry average.
• More than three out of five Wal-Mart workers cannot afford the company's health insurance.

As part of the "Adopt a Wal-Mart Store" initiative, activists will distribute flyers, notecards and buttons inside and outside of stores in an effort to get the facts directly to customers. Activists will also request meetings with store managers to discuss issues concerning women employees and customers. Participating in the campaign with NOW are the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Coalition of Labor Union Women.

"Wal-Mart workers need a voice. If the corporate big-wigs won't listen, then we will walk right into the stores and talk to the customers," said Gandy.

NOW calls on Wal-Mart to set an example of good business practices. We want their famous smiley faces to represent happy customers and employees."

Press Release, June 5, 2003,
Reprinted from www.now.org

CIS is pleased to note that the Oskaloosa Wal-Mart is among the 10% of stores having a female store manager.

Back to top

Climbing Out of the Pit of Abuse — Anonymous

Some may think it is a piece of cake, but it is not. My story starts some sixteen or seventeen years ago when I met what I thought was the man of my dreams—I was wrong. The next six years became a living nightmare. I experienced every form of abuse there is — physical abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, and sexual abuse, which took my self-esteem down to nothing. I had no confidence, I felt trapped and doomed for life. I drowned myself in alcohol and drugs. This helped me numb the pain I felt deep down inside of me. When our son turned two, my drinking and drug abuse had gotten out of control and I ended up in the hospital. I wanted to die, because I didn’t want to live this way anymore. This is when I started to get professional treatment and counseling. This decisions started opening doors for me; I found out that there were options available and decisions for me to make. The man I thought I loved didn’t love me at all. If he had loved me, he wouldn’t have abused our son and me. I always believed that someday he would change. I stayed with him, did what he asked and wanted, but this didn’t stop the abuse and he was not going to change, because he didn’t see his behavior as being a problem. I had to decide if I wanted to spend the rest of my life living this way. I told him that I wanted to leave and he told me if I left him I would not get out alive and if I did I would never see our son again. That’s when I was given information about shelters for women in domestic violence situations. I was so scared, but I knew that if I didn’t get away he would hurt me badly or even end up killing me one day. During this time I had discovered I was pregnant with our second child and told him that I was. That night I called 911 and left for good, but it wasn’t over. I had to keep moving, because he followed and found me. I went through four shelters in two states before this man finally left me alone. The first year was very hard. My second son was born that year. I was still very much afraid that he would come after me, but I kept seeing my counselors. Laws were passed that help keep my children and me safe. Today, I have a safe life free from abuse, free of drugs and alcohol, and I am happy. I am thankful to all of those who helped us along the way — the shelters for abused women and children, the counselors, and treatments centers. If it wasn’t for their help and support I wouldn’t be where I am today. If you or anyone you know is being abused, there are people who care and will help.

Back to top

Understanding the Mental Health Structure

Many people seeking mental health services for themselves or others often ask us to explain the titles and qualifications of mental health professionals in our area. We asked Dr. Rich Martin, Executive Director of New Directions, to assist us with clarification.

A psychiatrist can be either a Medical Doctor (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). Psychiatrists have graduated from a four-year medical school and have completed an internship and residency in psychiatry. Most residencies last 4-5 years. Psychiatrists are the only mental health professionals who can prescribe medications. Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP) assist with medical management.

Licensed Psychologists have graduated from a doctoral program with a Ph.D. They can provide testing, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders. Master’s Level Psychologists (MA) have earned two years beyond the Bachelor’s degree. They can provide assessment and treatment of mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders, usually under the supervision of a Ph.D. Licensed Independent Social Workers (LISW) work independently in private practice or as a member of a partnership or group practice. They diagnose and treat mental, behavior, and emotional disorders.

Substance Abuse Therapists provide counseling to individuals with alcohol of drug abuse dependence and work under the supervision of a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). Substance Abuse Therapists and Certified Chemical Dependency Counselors have been certified by the Iowa Board of Substance Abuse Counselors.

CIS staff members, by contrast, are not mental health professionals but certified Victim Counselors under Iowa Code Chapter 236A. Victim counselors must be certified by both the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Certification requires initial training in specified areas as well as continuing education annually. The programs that victim counselors work for, such as CIS, must also be members of the coalitions. There are numerous requirements for members including the quality and types of services available.

Back to top

Year End Statistics

Other FY03 information:

• Provided 28 presentations or workshops with over 513 people in attendance
• Provided 19 violence prevention programs for 465 junior high students in Mahaska County and Keokuk County
• 29 volunteers contributed 1,478 hours
• Distributed over 15 911 cell phones
• Provided transportation for 209 people
• Provided support groups for 74 people
• Provided bulletin inserts for all churches in Keokuk County

Back to top

CIS Joins Community Partnership for Protecting Children

Crisis Intervention Services is excited to become involved with the Community Partnership for Protecting Children, also known as CPPC. The group has been in Mahaska and Wapello counties for about a year and a half. You may not be aware of what CPPC is about. The name tells a lot. CPPC is looking out for the best interests of children and families in new and innovative ways.

Community child protection is an approach to safeguarding children and supporting families that is based on the premise that many people, agencies, and organizations in a community can—and should—contribute to children’s safety” (CPPC training materials). Families in need of community support or assistance may request a team decision making meeting to explore their options. The family decides who comes to the meetings as a part of their support system. Please consider joining CPPC and supporting our community.

For more information, please contact Tonya at 673-0336 x10.

Back to top

A Day in the Life of a Victim Service Agency

12:00 a.m. The crisis line rings. The on-call staff member talks with a victim of domestic violence who tells her how afraid she is of her abusive husband. She asks if there is room at the shelter if she decides she isn’t safe at home.

3:00 a.m. The hospital calls to request an advocate for a young woman who has been raped. Her parents are there too, and are very upset.

5:00 a.m. A resident returns to the shelter after working the night shift. She’s upset because her abusive ex-husband showed up at her workplace and threatened her. She’s afraid she might lose her job because of him.

6:00 a.m. Women and children at the shelter are starting to wake up and get ready for work and school.

6:30 a.m. The overnight shelter monitor makes notes for day staff who will be coming in at 7:00. Appointments and resident transportation needs have been logged for review.

8:00 a.m. Residents notify staff that a truck driven by the ex-boyfriend of one of the residents has been slowly driving by the shelter for the last hour.

9:00 a.m. The Outreach Office opens. A young woman comes in asking for help filing a protective order following an overnight call to 911.

10:00 a.m. The Court Services Coordinator prepares for a protective order hearing, a DHS staffing, and a human services resource council meeting in Sigourney.

11:00 a.m. The Shelter Coordinator makes changes in room assignments to accommodate a new family who will be arriving shortly. Beds are prepared and cupboard space is made available for the new family.

1:00 p.m. The Sexual Assault Services Coordinator covers the shelter and crisis line while the Shelter Coordinator completes work on her statistics report. The Rural Outreach Coordinator is posting flyers in the community.

2:00 p.m. The Child Advocate begins preparing activities for the children who will be arriving at the shelter after school. The Shelter Coordinator has just completed a group meeting for the residents. A practicum student from a local university arrives to complete her training requirements to become a volunteer advocate.

3:00 p.m. The Shelter Coordinator meets with a resident who has just learned that her ex-husband has gotten behind on electric bills that were also in her name.

5:00 p.m. Staff at the Outreach Office complete paperwork and check in with the shelter before leaving for the day. There’s a full weekend ahead training new volunteers, working shifts at the shelter, and giving presentations in the community.

6:00 p.m. The crisis line rings. An officer requests that an advocate come to the police station to talk with a woman who has been badly beaten.

7:00 p.m. The Executive Director gives a presentation on domestic violence to a local civic group. She explains that many women do leave abusive relationships.

8:00 p.m. A Shelter Advocate leads a support group for residents interested in learning parenting skills.

10:00 p.m. The woman who just came to shelter has learned that her day care arrangements for tomorrow have fallen through.

Back to top

Phones for Funds

Crisis Intervention Services receives numerous donations of cellular phones each year. Many of these phones are distributed to people who need access to 911 due to abuse, age, or health problems.

We also are able to recycle used cell phones as a fundraiser through two different programs: Midwest Wireless and Shelter Alliance.

Midwest Wireless raised $100 last year by recycling old cellular phones and donating the proceeds to CIS, the local charity of their choice. Shelter Alliance is a similar program, but CIS sends the phones to them and receives the money directly.

If you have cellular phones or accessories which you no longer need, please take them to Midwest Wireless or to the office of Crisis Intervention Services (west of Hy-Vee). Crisis Intervention Services will also take donations of cellular phones at their booth during the local fairs.

Back to top

Caring and Compassionate Volunteers Needed

Crisis Intervention Services is fortunate to have so many community-minded people as part of our organization. Volunteers play a key role in helping us meet the needs of those we serve. The 24-hour a day management of our safe shelter and crisis line would not be possible without them. Collectively, volunteers contribute over 500 hours each year. Individually, volunteers contribute from four to twelve hours a month working four-hour shifts at the shelter, answering the crisis line at the shelter or on cellular phones, providing transportation, helping with yard work and maintenance, watching children, and more. Volunteers choose the days they work and the number of hours they want to contribute. Before becoming a volunteer, everyone who will provide direct services participates in a twenty-hour training program plus four hours of “job shadowing” with a staff member. Training covers such topics as crisis counseling, the battering relationship, safety plans, affects of abuse on children, sexual assault, suicide intervention, and the laws on domestic abuse and sexual assault. When all requirements are completed, individuals are certified by the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence as volunteer advocates. The training doesn’t end with the first twenty-four hours, though. Following certification, volunteers continue to learn about all aspects of domestic abuse and sexual assault through monthly meetings. Many of our volunteers choose to go beyond these requirements by educating themselves through books, videos, seminars, conferences, and regional and state workshops. As the number of people we serve continues to grow, new volunteers are needed and welcome. If you have always wanted to help in a meaningful way, please consider calling us for more information. We will send you information explaining more about volunteering with us. It’s not too soon to express interest in our next training session which will be held during two weekends in September (two hours on Friday evenings and eight hours on Saturdays). You can download a volunteer application at our website (www.cismc.org). Please help us make a difference!

" The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
Albert Einstein

Back to top

Keokuk County: One Year Later

As many of you know, CIS began providing services in Keokuk County a year ago. The Ottumwa Crisis Center had served the county for over 10 years. Getting the word out in a small community is not always easy, but we want those in the area to know we are here to help. We are trying in many different ways to reach those in the community who need our services. We have an office located in the hospital that is open from eight to noon on Thursdays. We take appointments or arrange to meet people anytime the need arises. This year, we began providing prevention programming in the Sigourney schools for the first time. We presented a program about healthy relationships to all the health classes. We have also provided presentations for many civic groups and training for hospital and law enforcement personnel. During the months of April and October you may have seen us as we promoted Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Awareness. We had different displays at the courthouse including the clothesline project and silent witness display. We also provided a self-defense class at the high school. The most important thing we have done so far is to help survivors of abuse. If you know someone who has been abused, please listen without judging and refer them to our free and confidential services. Please invite us to provide a presentation about our services so that others know our help is available 24-hours a day.

Back to top

Local Youth Continue to Think of Others

The Oskaloosa Junior High Student Council again organized a supply drive for Crisis Intervention Services (CIS) this spring. The student council has now organized collections for CIS during the past three years. Junior high students brought a wide variety of household supplies to school from March 19 through March 26. “The amount of supplies collected was overwhelming. We were barely able to load it all in our van when we were called to collect the items,” recalled Karen Lafrenz, office coordinator. “We received light bulbs, laundry baskets, paper and hygiene supplies, garbage bags and cleaning items, linens and towels, and kitchen supplies.”

The Junior High Industrial Technology class also spent many hours during the last weeks of school making a Silent Witness Display for CIS. The display will be unveiled during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month next October. It is wonderful to see our local youth doing so much for those who have so little.

Back to top

Don't forget to read the Press Releases

Crisis Intervention Services
Design by ArrowQuick Solutions
Send all Design Comments to Info@arrowquick.com
Send all other comments to crisisintervention@mahaska.org