Local Domestic Violence Services Face Funding Cuts
By Margo Amelong, Executive Director of the Support Center & Kat Goering, Executive Director at Room One
This year, organizations who support victims of crime, like The Support Center in Okanogan County, are expecting a 23%-30% cut in their funding from the State of Washington. These funding cuts mean fewer resources will be available to all survivors of crime in Okanogan County. Victims Services are critical in our rural areas. Without them, people will need to travel at least 2 hours to get help which means they will likely stay in unsafe situations.
Families who have experienced domestic violence will be particularly impacted by these funding cuts. Domestic violence is a complex issue with no simple answers and it is present in every corner of Okanogan County. Domestic Violence is not physical violence alone. It's any coercive patterned behavior intended to gain or maintain power and control over a spouse, partner, girlfriend, boyfriend or intimate family member. It's not caused by anger, mental problems, drugs or alcohol or other common excuses. See the National Network to End Domestic Violence to learn more.
Domestic violence not only affects those who are abused, but has a substantial effect on family members, friends, co-workers, other witnesses, and the community at large. Children who grow up witnessing domestic violence or are abused themselves are among those seriously affected. Growing up in the midst of violence puts people at risk of becoming a victim as an adult or even becoming a perpetrator. Violence of any kind poses significant threats to the health and stability of our communities.
In Okanogan County, we have two agencies who specialize in crime-victim services, The Support Center and Room One. The Support Center is a nonprofit agency in the town of Okanogan that provides 24-hour crisis intervention, medical and legal advocacy, emergency shelter, food and clothing as well as many other services to survivors of crime including Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and other crimes. Room One is located in Twisp and works with individuals and families experiencing violence by creating safety plans, referring them to resources and providing other wraparound services. Room One relies heavily on the expertise of The Support Center when it comes to the legal aspect of crime victim’s services.
To provide their services, programs like The Support Center receive federal, state and county funding. They partner and coordinate with many other agencies, providing referrals for physical and mental health services for survivors as well as crime victim compensation services provided by the state Department of Labor & Industries. From January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022, The Support Center provided services to 201 survivors of domestic violence, 41 survivors of sexual assault and 73 survivors of other crimes.
A network of Coalitions including the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Office of Civil Legal Aid, Children’s Advocacy Centers of Washington, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and the Washington Sexual Assault Working Group have come together to request $132 million from state lawmakers for regular biennium funding for crime victim’s series. Please consider joining this effort by reaching out to your legislators and asking them to support this request.
