Through the eyes of an advocate

I work in DVSSP’s legal advocacy department, and a large part of my job is helping clients file Protection from Abuse orders (PFAs). Every day, I sit with clients who are scared for themselves and often for their children, and they just don’t know what to do. Sometimes they want to file a PFA, other times they’re not so sure.

There are a lot of opinions about PFAs and how effective they are in preventing future incidents of domestic violence. A lot of people say they are just a piece of paper. Some people feel they can escalate things and make a difficult situation even worse. My advice is always the same. Yes, it is a piece of paper and it’s not the right solution for everyone, but it does hold a lot of weight for many survivors. It gives law enforcement more tools to be able to help the survivor. Usually, I will safety plan with clients and explain the process of filing a PFA, and then they can decide. Many clients will find the person who is abusing them will follow the PFA order and stay away, and that is a good thing. 

However, DVSSP strives to make the process more effective. Our legal advocacy team supports our local police departments, and we provide information and work closely with them to make sure the officers have everything they need to help people who have experienced domestic violence. Beyond PFAs, our agency offers many tools for survivors that a lot of people don’t know about. We will help survivors create a safety plan for what to do if the person who is abusing them violates the PFA. We can accompany survivors to court to support them when it comes time to go before a judge. There is also help for children who are experiencing domestic violence in the home through the Watchful Shepherd program.

This past week was busy for PFAs. In four days, I filed 20 PFAs. Normally I may have two or three in a day. The pandemic has made things harder for a lot of people, and that’s part of it. Even when clients come in and they’re not sure if they will be granted a PFA, I encourage them to at least try. I tell them it is a step in the right direction to protect yourself. 

I am glad that people are reaching out to our agency for help. Before I worked here, I didn’t know about all the services our agency provides to help survivors and their kids. I didn’t know we offered counseling, or that we could help them find safe, permanent housing. Sometimes clients will tell me that they’ve been in an abusive relationship for so long and are glad they have somewhere to go for help. Nobody deserves to be abused, and I’m glad I can help them start to rebuild a life that is free from violence.

#DomesticViolence #DomesticViolenceAwareness #LegalAdvocacy #PFAs #ProtectionFromAbuseOrders