Just One Month
Contributed by: Rachel Flores, Henderson House Development Director
The folder you see here is filled with the Henderson House Advocate team’s “pink sheets” for the month of January.
Each page represents a call-in or walk-in client served (these records have no identifying information and we serve our clients with 100% confidentiality).
Each page represents some of the most traumatizing experiences a human can face – some version of, “Female Adult Assaulted & Trafficked Requests Transport & Safety Planning,” or “Female Adult Experiencing DV By Current Partner Requests Safety Planning & Protection Order Assistance.”
This folder represents just one month in Yamhill County.
The amount of people in our community reaching out for help due to abuse they are experiencing is considerable, and perhaps even more discouraging is how the need for resources for survivors is increasing. We have seen this first-hand and have expanded our advocate team from 4 to 6 full-time advocates this year.
We have also heard from a wide range of community stakeholders (including: school administrators, law enforcement, healthcare providers, civic leaders, and students) that the interpersonal violence among our youth has increased considerably as well. We know that abuse dynamics experienced or witnessed by youth is a reliable indicator for future cases in adulthood.
To respond to the need expressed by so many of our partners, Henderson House is reinstating our prevention program this year through a series of groups offered across Yamhill County high schools, with requests to expand to middle schools as well (as students are beginning to experience partner violence and abuse even earlier). The groups focus on empowering students to honor their boundaries and identify unhealthy relationship dynamics.
Henderson House Prevention & Outreach Program Manager Sydney Phillips shares, “I’ve seen lightbulb moments when we discuss ‘when is a time that you have felt hurt by someone?’ — it is usually when someone crossed a boundary. We discuss relationships they have and what appropriate responses are when they express a need or boundary. It helps them see when someone responds inappropriately. Encouraging kids to start thinking critically about their interactions with others, regardless of whether they are in relationships, is foundational for reinforcing confidence and self-esteem.”
“Most kids, even if they’re raised in a safe environment are not necessarily informed about the dynamics of abuse and intimate partner violence. We need to proactively equip young people to spot manipulation, blame shifting, and unsafe dynamics. If you are empowered, there is a ripple effect within your relationships and ultimately in your community.”
We invite you to join Henderson House to be a part of the solution for the rising cases of DV/SA in Yamhill County. Participate in our April activities in honor of SAAM, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, attend the “Roaring Night of Giving” on May 11th, register to attend our Core Advocacy Training (starting Monday, March 4th), or give a financial gift today.
Your partnership makes progress possible.
