A leading cause of homelessness, victims of domestic violence are often forced to flee their homes in search of safety, many leaving behind all of their possessions with children in tow.
The Gaps & Needs Report is a comprehensive assessment of the community’s response to domestic violence and sexual assault to identify gaps in the Miami-Dade County continuum of care. A collaboration between Miami-Dade County and the Domestic Violence Oversight Board (DVOB), the report highlights the intersection between domestic violence and homelessness, emphasizing the need for pathways to permanent safe housing and supportive services to address trauma.
Findings:
Increased capacity is needed to meet the needs of domestic violence victims/survivors. Domestic violence needs to be recognized as an important public health and safety issue and a priority focus for government, and public and social policy makers at every level. New prevention strategies are needed as the majority of interventions focus to address the devastating consequences to victims after the harm has occurred.
Key Recommendations:
- A centralized community-wide domestic violence hotline, coordinated entry and tracking system.
- A more robust, county-wide centralized information management and reporting system to capture true nature and scope of domestic violence related crimes.
- Additional trauma-informed, supportive shelter beds offering deep protective factors and therapeutic supports for victims, including children.
- Additional trauma-informed, affordable transitional housing options, resources and supportive services to ensure victims of domestic violence are not forced to return to abusers.
- Expansion of existing programs demonstrating successful outcomes for domestic violence victims in law enforcement, prosecution, and the criminal and civil justice system.
- Deeper commitment from law enforcement leadership to continue education of front-line workers and administrative staff on trauma-informed responses.
- Broad based community awareness campaign as primary prevention on a community wide scale.
- New sources of funding to provide a robust domestic violence continuum of care.
STATS:
