Although the overall number of domestic violence incidents
doesn’t seem to be on the rise in South Santa Clara County, the
need for services to help the victims has become
”
more intense,
”
according to local professionals who administer such
services.
Although the overall number of domestic violence incidents doesn’t seem to be on the rise in South Santa Clara County, the need for services to help the victims has become “more intense,” according to local professionals who administer such services.
For example, more women – and, in some cases, their children – are using the region’s domestic violence shelter for the maximum stay of 45 days until they find long-term housing arrangements, Perla Flores of Community Solutions said. In all of last year, the shelter, which is at an undisclosed address, turned away 100 women, and already this year its staff have turned away 63 women.
“There is not enough affordable or transitional housing (in the area). They’ll stay for the maximum stay and then go to one of the other four shelters in the county,” explained Flores. “That is a huge challenge.”
In turn, that means the local shelter is filled to capacity more often than it has been in the past. Flores said so far this fiscal year the facility has been at full capacity about 90 percent of the time, while last year it was full about 70 percent of the time.
Community Solutions, a nonprofit organization that is the county’s largest provider of victims’ services, serves about 600 domestic violence victims per year. In 2005, a Santa Clara County Grand Jury report noted that Morgan Hill had the highest per capita incidents of domestic violence of any other community in the county, and Gilroy was second, Flores said.
“We saw that as positive because it means people are actually calling law enforcement, and they feel safe enough to call and request services,” she said.
That’s one reason Community Solutions will recognize Morgan Hill Police Cmdr. David Swing and victims’ advocate Debbie Ruiz at its annual Helping Hands and Healing Hearts Awards Luncheon March 27.
“This is our opportunity to honor someone in the community who has really worked hard on behalf of clients we have served,” explained Community Solutions Director of Development Lisa DeSilva. The nonprofit also uses the event to raise funds.
Ruiz is a special honoree as she is “a former client who has faced significant challenges, and (managed to) meet them, and surpass them,” DeSilva said.
Ruiz now works in Community Solutions’ Hollister office as a case manager for the organization’s Solutions to Violence program. She counsels victims, advocates for them in court and teaches a self-defense class for women. Ruiz, who said she was once married to “a very abusive person,” described her job as a a crucial effort to empower domestic violence victims to help themselves and their children without being threatened or blackmailed by a violent spouse.
“My focus is to let people know they’re not alone in their situation,” Ruiz said. “It’s rewarding when people realize in themselves that they can move forward. You can be free from fear and create a happy lifestyle for yourself and your children.”
Ruiz, a Gilroy resident, noted that she feels “blessed” because three of the clients she has worked with now tell their stories and conduct presentations in front of large groups of people.
From the law enforcement side, Cmdr. David Swing said the MHPD has worked in recent years to make domestic violence calls a priority. They have focused on ensuring officers are trained to handle such calls and routinely review the department’s responses to incidents.
DeSilva said one notable aspect of Swing’s service was his effort to procure a federal grant, with MHPD as the lead agency, that funds staff positions in organizations throughout Santa Clara County to provide domestic violence victims’ services.
Swing, a Hollister resident who also serves as a school board trustee on the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District, described how the ongoing problem of domestic violence requires a multi-disciplinary approach and cannot be treated by law enforcement alone.
“Domestic violence is not just a police problem. It affects different aspects of society, so it’s essential to collaborate with community partners that can work with victims in different ways,” Swing said. “The police department is one piece of the puzzle. Without people like Community Solutions, we wouldn’t be as effective.”
Community Solutions, which also serves San Benito County, helped about 6,000 people find mental health services, assistance for teen mothers and assistance for overburdened families, DeSilva said.
More information about Community Solutions and the upcoming awards luncheon can be found at the Community Solutions Web site, www.communitysolutions.org.
