Domestic violence experts describe successes, challenges for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October 16, 2019

As communities across the country recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month,  Multnomah County’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordination Office briefed the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday on domestic violence in Multnomah County and the work that’s being done to stop it.  

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior that can include physical abuse, intimidation, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse and/or other abusive behavior. The office serves more than 1,200 domestic violence survivors through crisis services, emergency relocation, and shelter assistance in partnership with more than 50 local agencies. 

(Left to right): Patricia Rojas, Joint Office of Homeless Services Deputy Director, and Alise Sanchez, Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordination Office Program Manager, brief the board on domestic violence in Multnomah County.

Last year, the Gateway Center for Domestic Violence merged with Multnomah County after a 10-year partnership between the County and the City of Portland. The center fits into the County’s broader efforts to support survivors through counseling, legal services and temporary financial support to help families and survivors whose safety may be at risk. Participants also have access to onsite childcare.

In the last 12 months, Multnomah County and its partners have served 1,270 individuals experiencing domestic violence. Of those, a staggering 81 percent identify as women of color. Multnomah County partners with seven culturally-specific providers to better meet the needs of the community. 

Commissioner Susheela Jayapal, who co-chairs the Gateway Center Advisory Council and the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, asked for the briefing. “It’s such an enormous issue and it’s one that affects all of the systems the County works with,” Commissioner Jayapal said. “When we think about equity and the work that the county does, and the equity lens we all bring to our work to serve the most underserved, we know there’s disproportionality in all areas of our work and it’s particularly disproportionate in this area of work.”

The local numbers are sobering. Last year, at least 29 people in Oregon lost their lives due to domestic violence. One of every seven women aged 18-64 experienced physical abuse by an intimate partner during the past year. That means almost 28,000 women in Multnomah County (13.9%) were physically abused by their partners during the past year.

Alise Sanchez, who manages the Domestic and Sexual Violence Coordination Office, said that domestic violence is a difficult problem to solve. Domestic violence is severely underreported, they said. Abusers frequently tamper with witnesses and victims. And an underfunded domestic violence system is stretching domestic violence workers thin.

“The work of domestic violence is severely underpaid and we are at capacity across the continuum,” Sanchez said. “When we have cuts at the government level it trickles down to our community-based providers. It stresses us at all levels.”

Several County partners appeared along Sanchez, including Patricia Rojas, the deputy director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services, Deputy District Attorney Traci Anderson, Emily Hyde, who supervises the District Attorney’s Office Victim Assistance Program; and Sgt. Ron Mason with the Portland Police Bureau. They talked about how partnership through the shelter and public safety systems are helping to ensure there’s no wrong door for victim, even though there’s always a need for more funding. 

(Left to right): Public safety officials including Portland Police Bureau Sgt. Ron Mason, Deputy District Attorney Traci Anderson, and Victim Assistance Program supervisor Emily Hyde help domestic violence survivors navigate the legal system..

Domestic violence is also one of the leading causes of homelessness in Multnomah County. More than 130 emergency shelter beds are available for people escaping domestic violence. In fiscal year 19, 1,162 participants were served with emergency shelter services and motel vouchers and 90% of clients returned to permanent housing.

“It really is an example of how systems can work together to have a huge impact in our community,” Rojas said. “A survivor’s journey to healing is going to be very difficult if you don’t have a place to live. And the experience and the dynamics that come with surviving domestic violence often lead to homelessness.” 

On the legal side, the District Attorney’s office reviewed almost 3,000 domestic violence cases in 2018. Nearly 80 percent of those cases were crimes against women. More work than ever is being done, they said, to make sure survivors are believed by public safety officials and respected and heard through every stage of the criminal justice office. 

The key takeaway, Sanchez said, is that collaboration is key to properly respond to domestic violence. That collaboration might be the system’s greatest strength as partners navigate financial and workforce obstacles.

“If you take one thing away, it’s this: our system is deeply interdependent and staffed with incredible people who care deeply about ending domestic violence. Our collaborative is innovative and collective and our entire continuum works tirelessly to provide safety to survivors,” Sanchez said.