Brownwood BIPP Program & Austin LAN

Members, Allen Brown and Brenna Troncoso, of the SSDVTF were present at a community meeting to discuss implementation of Brownwood's BIPP program. The meeting was hosted by Family Services Center, Inc., of Brownwood, Texas, and facilitated by Al Dostal of Family Services Center. A good showing was made by local law enforcement and judiciary; there were also some social service providers present. A brief overview of the BIPP meeting will be given at our next task force meeting. In the meantime:

Highlights of discussion:

-Cost and duration of program
-BIPP curriculum & state guidelines
-Role for faith-based initiatives
-Role of drugs & alcohol
-Judges see increase in need for bi-lingual services

BT spoke with Dostal, who said he will mail a copy of the curriculum to us.

Task force members will also be present at TCFV's LAN meeting in Austin on February 1. Details to follow.

New Year - Events

Happy New Year wishes to all!

We had an extremely successful January meeting, with at least 9 individuals in attendance and with the additional good news that Legal Aid of Northwest Texas will be joining our task force on a regular basis.

Highlights:

• There will be a BIPP event at Family Services Center, Inc., in Brownwood on January 25, 2pm (325.646.5939 for information),
• A law enforcement workshop, in San Saba, led by Officer Allen Brown of the San Saba Police Department, February 6, 1-3pm (contact the Dove Project for details, 325.372.4357),
• Next SSDVTF meeting, February 13, 2008, noon-1:00pm.

The complete minutes of the January 9, 2008, meeting are listed below.

January 9, 2008 Minutes

Minutes from San Saba Domestic Violence Taskforce

January 9, 2007

Ma & Pa’s Restaurant

11:30am – 1pm

In attendance at the meeting were: Tonnie Robbins with Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, San Angelo office; Brenna Troncoso, Political Asylum Project of Austin; Lora Llenado, Political Asylum Project of Austin; Shirley Herring, Central Texas Council of Governments; LA Brown, San Saba Police Department; Dee Vickery, Off the Beaten Path Ministries; Cathie Lehman, New Horizons; Melissa Switzer, Family Services Center of Brownwood; and Georgia Harris, City of San Saba, Dove Project.

The minutes from the December 12, 2007 meeting were read and B.T. motioned to approve the minutes and A.B. seconded. The status of action items from the previous meeting was as follows: 1. B.T. still needs to send Kathy Dixon with the D.A.’s office regarding the work of PAPA. 2. B.T. did develop a contact information sheet for taskforce members by way of a draft of a proposed brochure. 3. G.H. did get the notice of taskforce meeting in the San Saba News and a PSA was sent to the radio station. 4. G.H. and A.B. reported that since school was out they were unable to get anything started by way of a youth initiative regarding teens and violence due to the Christmas holidays. However, they will try to get with the superintendent as soon as possible G.H. would like to present information that the Texas Council on Family Violence has developed regarding dating violence – a special project for the month of February.

Law enforcement update was given by A.B. He would like to assist us in providing a training about how to work with law enforcement in a crisis situation. A date was set for Feb. 6, 2008, 1-3pm at the City Hall council chambers unless there is a conflict. He also wants to do a defense class for victims at some point.

Melissa Switzer with Family Services Center stated that she is offering a domestic violence support group on Thursdays in Brownwood. She also encouraged those present to attend the inaugural kick off of the development of a batterer intervention program (BIPP) on Jan. 25 @ 2pm.

Dee Vickery of Off the Beaten Path Ministries stated that she has several outreach events scheduled for the month of January and in February (in Liberty Hill, Georgetown, and Waxahachie, among other places). She is also providing some drug and alcohol classes that is a Christian alternative program in her home.

Shirley Herring with CTCOG brought information about the Options Class that is being used effectively in Bell County. With Options the victim must attend a class in order to drop charges. Hopefully, with this in place, county attorneys and district attorneys will be more willing to prosecute dv cases and give protective orders. Shirley will send info to G.H., who distribute to other members of taskforce.

Tonnie Robbins with Legal Aid reported on a new program that has been implemented in San Saba County that pays a private attorney $40 an hour to represent victims of domestic violence in court. They have partnered with the Dove Project and currently have one attorney from Lampasas assisting us once a month. It is the goal to get more local attorneys involved in the assisted pro se programs and possibly develop a pro se clinic, maybe once a month.

B.T. with PAPA brought an article that was in the Austin American Statesman on philanthropy in Central Texas and will follow up on getting the SSDVTF featured, ASAP. Brochure development underway – those wanting to be listed should contact Brenna with their contact information, to make sure their agency gets listed on the brochure. Also, those agencies and individuals wanting to be listed on the blog (www.sansabadomesticviolencetaskforce.blogspot.com) should also contact Brenna Troncoso at PAPA. Anyone encountering an immigrant victim of domestic violence, should feel free to contact PAPA for assistance.

Next meeting: February 13, 2008, Ma & Pa Diner, San Saba, Texas, 11:30 – noon (lunch), meeting Noon – 1pm.

ACTION ITEMS:

ALL MEMBERS will write up 1-3 primary expectations for the task force, what they’d like to accomplish or see in the protocol.

ALL to update contact info with BT

AB and GH to contact superintendent to set up youth initiative, particularly something for the month of February for teen dating violence month.

SH to forward information to GH about the Options Program

MS to forward information about the BIPP Program

AB to prep training for February 6, 1-3 pm

BT to up-date flyer and send KD info on PAPA

NEXT MEETING: February 13, 2008, Ma & Pa Diner, San Saba, Texas, 11:30 – noon (lunch), meeting Noon – 1pm.