A. Emerging Needs

E. Narrative: 2-3 pages a. Emerging Needs: 1. Community-Based CVS Outreach Offices and Services on Campuses: Late last fall, Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) Staff indicated that they required NHCC’s SMSU Program Coordinator to be designated as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) if we wanted to keep our Outreach Office / continue to provide our community- based CVS programming on SMSU’s Campus. We contacted MNCASA and Standpoint to discuss this CSA designation issue as we were concerned that the timely reporting requirement could potentially identify victims, even though CSA’s are not required to provide “identifying” information when completing a CSA report. MNCASA advised that we/NHCC advocates could not be designated as CSAs as they also believed that, based on our small campus and timely reporting requirements, it was possible that victims could be identified – thus violating confidentiality and privilege requirements for our programming. Both MNCASA and Standpoint provided NHCC with letters indicating why our advocates cannot and should not be designated as CSAs. We provided these letters to SMSU Staff and engaged in many emails and conversations about this issue. SMSU Staff maintained that they would not enter a FY18 (July 2017- June 2018) Contract with NHCC or allow NHCC to continue to provide our services on campus in FY18 without NHCC advocates being designated as CSAs as they believed they would be violating Clery laws by doing so. MNCASA maintained we could not be designated and it looked like we would have to close our SMSU Outreach Office in June 2017. However, Standpoint found a contact at BWJP (who was a previous Title IX Coordinator) that indicated that he could help us by having a meeting to discuss this issue with SMSU Staff. NHCC, SMSU, Standpoint, and BWJP Staff met to discuss this issue. After some discussion, it looks like NHCC will be able to keep our SMSU Outreach Office open and services available on campus. Standpoint, on behalf of NHCC, and SMSU Staff negotiated the contract terms. We officially executed our FY18 Contract on Monday, August 21st – just days ago. NHCC is aware of, and has been in communication with, other community-based CVS programs that are still struggling with the issue of keeping their community-based CVS services on campuses due to the CSA designation and related confidentiality issues. NHCC provided a copy of our contract with SMSU to Someplace Safe as they hope to use it as a working example when they meet with University of Minnesota – Morris (UMM) Staff on August 30th to discuss the importance of keeping their outreach services available / accessible on UMM’s Campus. (Someplace Safe’s outreach services on campus at UMM have been suspended as this CSA issue has caused them not to be able to enter a FY18 Contract. If they do not enter into a contract – their UMM CVS services will be discontinued.) 2. Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Youth: As sexual exploitation and sex trafficking becomes a larger and larger known issue around the state of MN, Southwest Minnesota still has very little resources and programing available to address this issue. As such, Southwest Crisis Center (SWCC) contacted a few victim and youth services organizations in Southwest Minnesota to talk about the up-coming (now – already submitted/closed) MDH Safe Harbor funding to see what could be done to have more sexual exploitation and trafficking victim services and programming in our region to assist sexually exploited and trafficked youth and young adults. NHCC engaged in these conversations and considered applying for the MDH funds for Safe Harbor

CVS 2018-19 New Horizons Crisis Center 1 comprehensive services. SWCC also provided a Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children 101 Training in Marshall, MN, in February 2017 of which all of NHCC’s CVS Staff attended the 2 day training. We also promoted the training and encouraged all NHCC criminal justice and community partners to attend the training. Ultimately due to capacity issues and confidentiality services to youth concerns, NHCC decided not to directly apply for MDH’s Safe Harbor comprehensive services funding. However, NHCC did/does feel that we have some vital services and programming to help sexually exploited and trafficked youth and young adults. As such, NHCC met with United Community Action Partnership (UCAP) who provides services to youth throughout NHCC’s 4 county service area. UCAP also felt they, as a youth service provider, have some services and resources to help address this issue and that they were at capacity to apply for the funds. As such, UCAP applied for Safe Harbor comprehensive services funds – and plans to partner/collaborate with NHCC to meet some of their grant goals/provide some of the necessary grant services. If UCAP is funded by MDH to provide Safe Harbor comprehensive services, NHCC will provide UCAP’s required crime victim services to victims and 24-hour crisis line support services, and portions of their school-based education programming. Update – on August 23rd, I was informed by UCAP that they were not selected to receive Safe Harbor funding from MDH. However, SWCC and the Reach (other programs within our region) did receive Safe Harbor funding. We will still work with other programs in our region to best meet the needs of sexually exploited and trafficked youth in our area. To further address sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, NHCC is a network partner / has signed MOU with SWCC. As a network partner, we work with SWCC’s Regional Navigator and other network partners to identify and provide services to sexually exploited youth, as well as to evolve and change our systems response to at-risk and sexually exploited youth. 3. Services to Youth: Minnesota laws are silent to the issue of crime victim services to youth without parental permissions. This makes it very difficult to serve youth in cases in which the youth do not feel comfortable disclosing their victimization to their parents – thus allowing for the needed parental permission to provide on-going services to youth/minors. As a best practice in victim services – advocates need to be very forthcoming with victims about their rights –specifically about confidentiality parameters. (Even if a parent consents to services, there are laws that seem to allow for parents to know about the needs of victims and services provided to victims – so youth can’t be guaranteed confidential services.) It would be ideal if CVS Coalitions would seek specific statutory language as to what, if any, CVS services youth can access on their own / without parental permission. b. Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Capacity: NHCC does not currently have any multilingual staff or volunteers. As such, priority is given to any employee or volunteer applicants who are fluent in English and Spanish and/or Hmong.

Since we do not have any multilingual staff or volunteers, when victims seeking NHCC services present with LEP, we currently have two primary responses to assist them in identifying, understanding, and meeting their needs. 1. Short Term/Crisis and Initial Need Response: The first time a victim with LEP has contact with our program – whether in person or via phone – we contact Day One for

CVS 2018-19 New Horizons Crisis Center 2 their translation services to make sure we can explain our services and complete a needs assessment to make sure that the victims emergency safety needs are met in a timely and effective manner. 2. Long Term/On-going Services Response: To assist victims with LEP beyond our initial/needs assessment conversation/meeting, we use two interpreter agencies – ARCH Language Network and Language Line Solutions. Both agencies provide quality, cost effective interpretation services so that we can communicate with victims; however, ARCH is the preferred agency for on-going, intensive services as they have an office in Willmar, MN. As such, they can provide in-person interpretation services, if preferred or needed. c. Collaboration and Cooperation: NHCC collaborates and partners with criminal justice systems partners and other crime victim service agencies in variety of ways to ensure an effective and consistent, victim-centered response throughout our four county service area.

Criminal Justice System: 1) NHCC collaboratively works towards systems change through coordinating the Lyon County Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Action Response Team (SMART). SMART is comprised of representation from, but not limited to: the Lyon County Attorney’s Office; the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office; the Marshall Police Department; the Department of Corrections/Probation; Women’s Rural Advocacy Programs (WRAP), Southwest Health & Human Services (SWHHS); Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU); Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); and Avera Marshall Health Center. SMART works to ensure a consistent, victim-centered response to victims of sexual assault. 2) NHCC partners with the following criminal justice agencies to enhance their overall response to victims of crime: Law Enforcement; County Attorney’s Offices; the Department of Corrections/Probation; and Court Administration. 3) NHCC is a member of the following criminal justice groups: the Redwood County Children’s Advocacy Center’s Advisory Board and Adult and Child Protection Teams in Lyon, Redwood, and Murray counties. We are a member of these groups to make sure that victims’ needs and voices are represented throughout our systems collaborative efforts and responses.

Other crime victim agencies: NHCC partners with the Minnesota Indigenous Women’s Society and the Redwood County Children’s Advocacy Center to ensure that victims of crime are best served – we partner together to ensure that we understand the similarities and differences in each of our programs, make appropriate referrals, and provide seamless, unduplicated services to victims in Redwood County. With OJP’s assistance, we are currently working on efforts to better provide seamless services to victims in collaboration with WRAP. NHCC also partners closely with Southwest Crisis Center – Regional Navigation services provider and Safe Avenues – shelter services provider for our region to ensure that victims of crime are best served. (E.g., make appropriate referrals and provide seamless, unduplicated services; assist with conflict of interest referrals to ensure all victims receive consistent, effective services; share programming and administrative resources; generate effective evaluation ideas and tools; etc.)

CVS 2018-19 New Horizons Crisis Center 3