Welcome to our updated website! We hope that this site will be a source of information, and inspiration, to those who desire to see an end to domestic violence in our lives and in the lives of those we love. Our thanks to graphic artist Sara Kauk for designing the site, and to Judith Bromley for the beautiful photographs of our lovely Lake County/Flathead Reservation home.

I am going to use this homepage as a sort of Director’s Report, and will try to update it as much as possible. We also have, thanks to Sara, an RSS feed which will provide the latest information from some of the best sites that address domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.  Just click on the links in the purple box to get to this information.

My thoughts these days are about how so many people do not really understand just what domestic violence is, beyond hitting someone.  “Power and control.”  That pretty much says it all.  Most people think of bruises when they hear the words “domestic violence.”  What a lot of folks don’t realize is that those “bruises” can be hidden away, on the inside of people who have been verbally and psychologically beaten down to the point that they lose their sense of self, let alone self esteem. The staff here at DOVES, including the amazing mental health professionals we contract with, work on a daily basis to empower women to get away from unhealthy situations and move on with their lives, free from violence.

I recently became really excited over a book entitled Spark, by Harvard professor John Ratey, which speaks to how empowering and healthy – even for our mind, exercise can be. The statistics are compelling, and have led me to work towards the possibility of  DOVES sponsoring exercise classes for anyone who wants to take them. I hope to start discussions soon on how this could become a reality, and will report back here on the progress of this idea becoming a reality.

The Valley Journal recently asked nonprofit directors to write a column for publication, and following is what I submitted.  Thought it may be of interest.  If you have any questions/concerns, please give us a call or stop by our offices in St. Joseph Medical Center – as we are here to help!

DOVES column for Valley Journal:

A young woman comes into the DOVES office and tells us that she needs an Order of Protection (commonly known as a “restraining order”) for herself and her children, because her husband has repeatedly beaten her in front of her children. She says that because she had no resources to allow her to be able to leave him, she has put up with it for years, but now her husband has hurt one of the kids, and she just won’t allow that to happen to their children.

She can get an Order of Protection in Justice Court, but Justice Court does not have jurisdiction over children; for that she will need to get a parenting plan, and possibly an Order of Protection, through District Court. She needs an attorney. She has no money, as her husband will not permit her to have her own spending money, and he makes her account for every penny she spends on groceries and clothes for the kids.

Thanks to a grant from the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), there is assistance available to her. A 2007 Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) grant has enabled DOVES and CSKT to each hire a civil legal attorney to handle family law cases, when stalking, domestic and/or sexual abuse are involved, in Lake County and Tribal courts.

Having recently submitted two grant applications requesting renewal funding for the programs DOVES initiated just over a year ago – including the LAV program mentioned above –  the staff at DOVES has been able to reflect upon the progress that has been made, and see hope for the future for families members who are victims of domestic violence.

Through another OVW grant, known as the Rural grant, we have seen just how resilient these survivors can be. This grant funds, among other things, the women and children’s weekly therapeutic groups. Over the weeks, we see both moms and their kids slowly coming out of their shells, learning that life can be safe, that they can be cared for and supported, and that there is reason to be optimistic for a future free of violence.

DOVES (Domestic Violence Education & Services) is a private nonprofit dedicated to serving the needs of victims of domestic and sexual violence in Lake County and the Flathead Reservation.  Along with our sister organizations, the CSKT Victim Assistance Program, and SAFE Harbor, the area’s domestic violence shelter, we provide emergency shelter, assistance with obtaining Orders of Protection, crisis intervention, support groups, information and referral and personal advocacy, including serving as liaisons between victims and the law enforcement and court systems.

We are learning as we go with this grant funding. Lesson number one: it took over a year to establish a core group of attendees for the women’s and children’s groups. But over time the gals and kids got to know and like the people who run the groups, so they kept coming back, and families are now feeling the benefits. We are so glad that we hung in there and showed up, even when no one or only one person came. The comments we are receiving from those who have benefited so much from the compassion and dedication of the facilitators have made it all worth it, and then some. Kudos to art therapist Kim Campbell, MA, EdS, ATR, LCPC, who drives up from Missoula every Tuesday on alternating months.  Our thanks also to Abigail Eyre, MSW, LCSW, who facilitates the group every other month, in addition to her duties as a mental health therapist with CSKT’s Tribal Health and Human Services Tribal Behavioral Health Program.

And then there is Margaret Kearney, MSW, LCSW.  Those of you from the Polson area know of Margaret; she has an amazing ability to connect with kids immediately, and she knows that when a child acts out, there is sadness and fear beneath the aggression, and she counters it with tenderness, understanding, and compassion. Margaret’s years of experience working with homeless children and those who have witnessed domestic violence bring a possibility for hope to children whose world views have been so very damaged.

Another therapist DOVES was able to hire through grant funding is Penni Raymond, LCPC, who also makes a weekly trek from Missoula to facilitate the Men’s Accountability Program, or MAP group. More on the MAP group in a future column. This ground-breaking pilot program deserves a space of its own.

Part of the reason DOVES received these federal grants is because the grant application included a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by over two dozen members of the Lake County and Flathead Reservation community; this MOU stated that those who signed support and actively participate in the projects and programs that address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in our communities.  Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes the village to say that violence will not be tolerated in our homes, in our workplaces, in our faith communities.  These are the individuals and agencies whose signatures on the MOU represent a collaborative spirit and dedication to addressing these problems: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation (CSKT), CSKT Department of Human Resource Development, CSKT Victim Assistance Program/Prosecutors Office, SAFE Harbor, Lake County Justice Court Judge Chuck Wall, Polson City Court Judge Doug Olsen, Lake County Prosecutors Office, Lake County Probation/Parole, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Child Protective Services, Lake County Office of Public Assistance,  Lake County Health Department, the Polson Police Department, New Life Christian Church, Polson Ministerial Association, Working Innovations, Helping Hands, St. Joseph Medical Center, the Community Conference on Domestic Violence, St. Luke Hospital, Sunburst Community Foundation Family Concepts, the Ronan Police Department, and the Flathead Reservation and Lake County Coalition for Kids.

DOVES hosts a monthly Community Conference on Domestic Violence meeting at which interested parties share their perspectives, their ideas, and their programs with each other.  The goal is to ensure that social services are not duplicated and that as many people as possible know what is going on in the area to address and prevent domestic violence and its related problems.  This is an open meeting held the second Wednesday of each month at noon in a third floor conference room at the Lake County Courthouse in Polson.  Everyone with an interest in addressing family violence and their related issues is invited to attend; it’s a great place for networking and many collaborative projects have grown out of these meetings.

And last but definitely not least, there is the Legal Assistance for Victims program, through which DOVES and the CSKT Victim Assistance Program have been able to hire two graduates of the University of Montana School of Law to provide civil legal assistance to victims of domestic and sexual abuse. In just over a year, the LAV program has provided assistance to almost 50 women and 2 men.  Services have ranged from advice for pro se litigants (those who file the documents on their own) to advice-only appointments, also known as “brief services” to full representation at dissolution and custody hearings.

Both attorneys came highly recommended; the victims of domestic and sexual abuse in this area can only be grateful that these two women have chosen to provide legal assistance through a grant-funded program, rather than choose one of the many other (and more lucrative) options available to them.

DOVES staff is here to help; we are available in the office 9-4 (appointments are appreciated, but not necessary) every weekday, and are on-call for emergencies during other times.  We would like to remind everyone that domestic abuse is not always physical; there are many other ways people can exert power and control over their intimate partner.  We are available to listen and can provide information and referral in addition to being a sounding board for those who are experiencing confusing and/or fearful times.  We have many services to offer – just ask! DOVES can be reached at 883-3350 or toll free at 1-800-891-9987.

~ Jenifer Blumberg
Executive Director
DOVES