FAMILY VIOLENCE Helping victims at work

An anti-violence coalition is developing a Web site.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR HEALTH WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Workplace policies to help employees who are victims of domestic violence is a major goal of the Tri-County Family Violence Prevention Coalition.
To that end, such a policy is being tested in several agencies to work out the bugs before it is offered to the general public, said Don Dickens, chairman of the coalition's oversight committee.
Speaking Thursday at a coalition meeting, Dickens, who is director of information and crisis services for Community Solutions in Trumbull County, said a survey of security officers at large corporations revealed that 96 percent had no policy to deal with domestic violence that carries over into the workplace.
For instance, Dickens said, in most instances it is not spelled out what security personnel should do when an employee's abusive spouse comes to the workplace and demands to see the employee, or how companies can help protect victims of abuse when they leave the workplace.
The Tri-County Coalition is also developing a Web site with information on family violence and available programs and services. The Web site and a logo were developed and donated by Brandon Miller, son of project coordinator Dorothy Miller. The coalition's slogan is VIP -- "Violence Is Preventable."
More topics
Other topics discussed at Thursday's meeting were how to coordinate fund-raising among agencies possibly competing for the same money, and how to avoid duplicating activities and services.
The Tri-County Coalition is a partnership of agencies, organizations and individuals from Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties focused on preventing family violence.
Family violence encompasses physical and emotional abuse and financial exploitation of children, youth, intimate partners and the elderly.
The project is funded by grants from the Anthem Foundation of Ohio.