The Legal Advocacy Hotline provides information and guidance on a variety of legal and other sexual and domestic violence related issues as well as resources that can assist professionals, survivors, concerned family and friends.
From July– September 30, 2016, the Legal Advocacy Hotline responded to 385 calls. Of which, 326 were Hotline calls and 59 were Technical Assistance requests.
Assistance was provided to:
- 304 female and 22 male survivors
- 49 callers were concerned family or friends
- Spanish speaking advocacy was provided to 20 callers.
Below is a sampling of information and assistance that was provided by Hotline staff and volunteers this quarter.
206 received direct assistance and guidance in safety planning!
154 received referrals to Social and Sexual and Domestic Violence Services. The top referrals provided were:
- 64 for domestic violence counseling and/or support groups (7 were for children)
- 15 for financial assistance and 12 for housing, 6 for transportation, and 1 for childcare
- 6 callers wanted assistance with relocation which has remained consistent this year
- 49 were looking for emergency shelter, consistently higher this quarter, year after year
- 9 survivors received detailed information regarding the Address Confidentiality Program
- 4 were looking for domestic violence related services in a state other than Arizona
117 received information and guidance in Family Law issues. Of these, the top needs were:
- 99 for direct legal assistance,
- 53 for guidance or information regarding Legal Decision-Making, including 13 for Emergency Temporary Custody
- 59 for information around divorce, and 3 around legal separation
- 9 callers wanted information around whether or not they could leave the states with their children
- 8 callers wanted someone to assist with family law document preparation
87 received information and guidance in Criminal Law issues:
- 53 were explained their victim rights in the criminal justice system,
- 40 were provided Arizona’s Victim Compensation Program information
- 17 were provided information about the criminal court processes and procedures.
- 4 were provided explanation on how to file a police report
- 8 for a referral to a criminal law attorney
- 4 were provided information around violation of their crime victim rights, including a referral to our Crime Victim Rights Enforcement program
- 7 were provided a direct referral for advocacy in the criminal process
90 received information about Protective Orders:
- 62 were provided with general information and a description of an Order of Protection or Injunction Against Harassment and the court process
- 47 referrals for direct advocacy in the PO process
- 11 received information and guidance in the Contested Order hearing process
- 0 we spoke to were having trouble with service, down from 7 last quarter
- 6 were having trouble enforcing their protection orders
35 received information and guidance in other Civil Law matters:
- 4 was provided with information on how to terminate their lease early without penalty
- 15 received referrals for direct legal assistance, up again from last quarter
- 6 were threatened with eviction because of domestic violence, double from last 4 quarters.
- 2 called with other landlord tenant disputes
- 3 was looking for information around identity change
- 8 wanted information on filing a civil suit
10 received information regarding Immigration issues and concerns.
- 1 was provided information on U-Visas
- 8 were provided information on VAWA self-petitioning as a battered spouse
- 10 for direct legal assistance
13 received guidance and information in Juvenile Law issues, including when the Department of Child Safety is involved.
- All in need of guidance because of DCS involvement, 4 of which the children were removed from the victim parent. These calls are consistently up since October of 2013
Of those that self-disclosed, 10 needed assistance because of sexual assault
- 6 were adult victims of sexual assault
- 4 were victims of sexual harassment
- Of those that were victims of sexual violence, 8 were not domestic violence, meaning there was no relationship between the victim and the assailant.
56 of our Technical Assistance calls were to assist a survivor they were working with. Some of the most provided information was:
- 14 received assistance in safety planning
- 4 received information or referrals to domestic violence shelter
- 4 received referrals for financial assistance
- 6 for counseling and support groups
- 8 for direction in family law cases
- 5 for direction in protective order cases
- 2 for assistance with the criminal justice system
- 4 for immigration assistance
- 2 for services in a language other than English
- 2 for Best Practices information/guidance
- 2 of the professionals calling are with the Department of Child Safety