What we do at CCFV&SAS

Kayleigh Gould:

Crook County Family Violence & Sexual Assault Services, Inc. (CCFV) officially began providing services to the public when it was established back in 1983. Throughout the last 36 years, volunteers have been working side-by-side with CCFV, donating thousands of hours providing services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

From 2017-2018 alone our volunteers have donated more than 1162 hours in the pursuit to one day end intimate partner violence. No two clients are ever the same. Each client and their situation bring strengths and weaknesses that require the skills and services of our volunteers to be just as multidimensional.

Some of the more common services provided by our volunteers: taking crisis calls, transportation, counseling, legal services, shelter maintenance. It should be noted that this is only the tip of the iceberg.

The volunteers at CCFV have done so much more than what’s listed above and cannot be summed up in a job description alone. They provide our clients a person in that very moment with them, listening and believing their story. The most important service they provide in my opinion is the gift of respect and the genuine connection with another human being, which we all deserve.

CCFV would like to thank our volunteers for all they have done for our clients and staff for the past 36 years and for years to come. We are truly grateful for all the help and support you’ve given to CCFV and the community. We would like the members of Crook County to meet the people behind the scenes in the partnership to end domestic violence.

Carol Bui:

Sandy Stevens and I trained together at the Gillette Abuse Refuge Foundation (GARF), when she asked me if I wanted to help with Crook County Family Violence (CCFV). I was honored! Being a survivor I hope to inspire our clients that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it just takes baby steps to change things but in the end it will be worth it.

Volunteering with CCFV is rewarding in so many ways! We’re not just a group of people: sometimes it’s a listening ear, a “hey, you’re doing a great job” or just someone to talk to. But most of all CCFV appreciates the things a volunteer does and I’m grateful to be with this group.

Cheryl Wales:

I have volunteered for CCFV/Crook County Victim Witness (CCVW) for decades. For one thing, I believe wholeheartedly in the mission and goals of the organization, and secondly I have great respect for the professionals who provide the really, really important services offered by CCFV/CCVW.

I am old enough to remember when being a victim of sexual assault or relationship violence meant that you often were completely alone in dealing with those devastating experiences. Early in my career (32 years and counting) if a person was assaulted by their partner they would have to press charges against that person or the assailant would have no legal consequences.

It was the Family Violence Organization that was largely responsible for change; meaning that the state would then press charges so the victim was no longer tasked with taking legal action against a loved one. Now, as the awareness of sex trafficking becomes more and more of an epidemic, this organization is leading the charge in awareness, prevention and treatment of the victims and identification of the predators who fuel the industry.

The Family Violence Organization has helped us, as mental health professionals, in myriad ways over the years. It is one of the most trusted and vital arms of my network as a family counselor; I know that if I have a client needing resources that they will be treated with great respect and concern, and that the professionals will provide them with any and all resources that they might need.

I am very proud to work alongside the CCFV/CCVW team.

Kay McKim:

“More often than not those seemingly minuscule efforts make a huge difference” – Alex Elle

Most of us in Crook County are blessed everyday because we are able to rise in the morning and look forward to the day ahead. Sadly, that is not the case for some men, women and children who never know what their day or night will look like.

They live in fear for themselves or loved ones. I have learned that Crook County actually attracts “abusers” because of the ability to live in isolation in our less populated county. 

As a semi-retired resident of Crook County, I am proud to volunteer for the CCFV office. There are all sorts of needs and large and small tasks that can be done to suit each helper’s interests and talents.

The tasks that I do are varied, but the act and art of active listening may be the most important one to the victims. “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say” – Bryant McGill. If I can show respect to those in need, then hopefully they will move toward rising each morning and looking forward to their day ahead.

Kayleigh Gould:

For many years S.T.A.R.R. Communication has been providing real people on the other end of CCFV’s phone when the office is closed or when staff are unable to take calls. S.T.A.R.R. makes it possible for CCFV’s phone number to be a 24/7 year-round crisis line. In the event our agency is needed for an emergency, callers are treated with kindness and respect as they are connected to the appropriate department or individual.

S.T.A.R.R. Communication

Arnie Davis:

I enjoy helping people; making their life better. Volunteering for an organization providing the service to the community that you provide makes it all seem right.

Why CCFV/CCVW? They provide a much needed valuable service to the community. Those that are not involved in this type of service work have no idea the pain, fear and danger in other’s lives.

Staff at S.T.A.R.R. Communication: Nancy Yarnell, Carole Donato, Brendan Matteson, Lana Muller, Robin Shipley, Amber Ommen.

Attempting to explain employee roles at CCFV&SAS

Lisa McGuinness:

We often get asked “So, what do you do?” in reference to our work at CCFV&SAS. If you’ve gotten a blank look in response, rest assured it isn’t because we don’t know what we are up to, it’s just very hard to distill it into a reasonably short answer.

Like many small organizations and non-profits, we all ‘wear multiple hats.’ By the same token, we all overlap in some of our duties. Anyone who works or volunteers at CCFV has had comprehensive domestic violence and sexual assault training.

Following that, we strive for as much continuing education as possible. We attend as many trainings as are feasible and we do internal research and development, diligently.

Day to day interactions with clients, legal and law enforcement agencies and many local subsidizing agencies is perhaps our most direct education. We all want to be of service to the next person who comes through our door so we all work to maintain the expertise to do that.

We all contribute to social media, advertising, fundraising and fostering community relationships. As much as we overlap, we also have specific and defined responsibilities.

In a small office it is important to be able to step in and out of roles as much as possible, but we have our duties outlined and those alone fill in all the minutes of any average work day. Certain tasks, such as the all-important grant writing, are primarily the responsibility of the executive director.

In a given year, hundreds of grant pages are written, re-written, submitted and then we all cross our fingers. Smaller grants and portions of larger ones are sometimes delegated to other employees, but it takes many long hours to format the massive grants that keep the agency running.

The executive director is well versed in the complicated world of grants, but she is just as capable of walking a client through a safety plan or visiting with elementary students about bullying. Despite these skills, the vast majority of client work is shouldered by the advocate and school programs are spear-headed by the prevention coordinator. Is it beginning to make sense that we struggle to encapsulate our jobs?

None of this is a complaint by the way. We rely on our co-workers and we hope to be versed in all aspects of this work because we believe in its significance. Some separation is, of course, important.

Although the work load can be overwhelming, the advocate is predominantly responsible for all client care, because we see that that approach tends to be most beneficial for the client. The more time spent with a specific person, the stronger the rapport can become.

The prevention coordinator teaches free classes on a regular basis so it makes sense that she would create/revise curriculum. Though it is a tedious and time consuming process, the outcome furthers our purpose.

From running to the food pantry to get someone help when they have need, to attending meetings in the capitol – it comes down to fulfilling our mission of creating a community free from violence. We consider our volunteers and boa rd members an intrinsic portion of our staff and they help in a multitude of ways that should probably be its own article.

We probably don’t discuss our jobs nearly to the extent we passionately lay out our cause, but rest-assured we are working, and will continue that hard work until we are finally put out of business. On that day, despite the heart and soul we’ve put into this profession, we will all walk out smiling.