From KPRC channel to this is
Houston newsmakers with khambrel Marshall.
Welcome to Houston newsmakers and what is a very special program
at the start of a very special week here on KPRC 2? We’re calling
it breaking free week of specific information, about
the problems and challenges associated. With intimate
partner, violence all week long on all of our platforms. We
providing information about how big the problem is from teens,
to seniors, in our personal lives, and on our jobs and
what we all can do to try to end it, it will be a very important week and I have
the pleasure of kicking it off with Heather bellino, the chief executive
officer of the
The
Texas advocacy project and organization
in existence for more than 40 years with the goal of putting an end
to domestic violence. Good morning to you,
good morning, and thank you for having me here today.
Great to see you here. So how big is this problem and is it
getting bigger?
Or is it getting better?
That’s a complicated question. It’s what I do,
it is a very big problem.
One in three Texans will experience domestic or Dating Violence or
somebody in their immediate family will
and one in four will experience sexual assault. So it
Is a really big problem.
There are some studies that have shown that
during the pandemic and post. Pandemic,
that there has been an increase
in
violence and in The lethality of islands anecdotally, we
are definitely seeing more dangerous cases
than we had in the past. Well, I’ve taken
note of what your organization does this so much organizations doing to
try to make a
It’s and I want to play this PSA from your website.
The really gives a kind of a really good feel for what your organization
is trying to do. Thank you.
911. What is your emergency?
He drugged me by my hair across the living room floor.
He tried to break both of my arms.
I feel like my children were ripped from me.
He had told me he would hurt my little brother, he would hurt my
mom, my attorney with the taxes, advocacy project was
able to help me find out strategies and things that
we could do in order for me to see my children again,
my attorney, help my daughter
to receive a lifelong sexual,
A protective order against her abuser,
my ex-husband,
as a human trafficking, Survivor. My past victimization was
used against me by my job.
No one would help me until I found Texas advocacy project,
they helped me find my voice. Again
I was awarded sole conservatorship. That is
the
single most important thing that’s happened
in my life.
My son and I are safe today because
of Texas, advocacy project.
That paints a real real picture
of what the organization does and how you helped. So
many, how do you work to
make yourself known to the many people who need your support? And
also to the politicians who are making the laws that can affect
what’s going on. In our society, traditionally over the
past 40 years, the main source of referrals had been through
shelters. We have a relationship with every shelter in the state of
Texas and every person that is experiencing
this type of intimacy.
It partner abuse
typically needs a civil legal remedy to help them
to get safety in the long run.
And that’s what we do. We provide those civil, legal remedies,
we have in the past 15 years branched out to find other
access points.
We’re survivors, might find somebody
who would be able to
refer them to us as a resource.
So, medical and Healthcare Providers universities,
isd’s
law enforcement, the Judiciary. Etc. So
we just try to make it known.
As much as possible that we are here and that we do provide
services for free and we can be a resource to everybody
being on. This show
is a very valuable opportunity for us to
be able to spread that information.
So that people that are part of your audience,
that identify as needing help can learn about Texas,
advocacy project. So you’re not just attorneys,
but you’re a little bit of everything including
legal support as well. Absolutely.
So we have a legal
That has social workers involved.
So we are able to help people with their Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs, right? You have to have a roof over your head food
in your belly,
someplace to sleep, in order to be even able to
process what’s going to happen in the justice system.
So our attorneys are
trained on trauma, informed care,
and they have the assistance of the social workers that they can really
wrap you in a holistic approach to get you
to help you.
To walk alongside you
to the safety that
You co-authored a book called intimate, partner, violence and epidemic.
Family Physicians can address, why was it necessary
for
this sort of book
to
interact with Physicians? It sounds like they may be on the front lines and maybe
they didn’t
know what they needed to be looking for write. It was actually an article in
their journal
and it’s very important because when you’re
in an abusive relationship,
oftentimes the only moment that you’re going to get
away
from your abuser
is in the safety of your position.
Is office.
And if a physician is trained to ask the right
questions,
do you feel safe at home
to notice some of the warning signs?
Then they can direct a
patient
to resources in the community that can help them be get safe.
So it’s just really important to continue to open that dialogue around
how with health care providers
and Community Resources.
Your mission statement says you want to end dating and domestic violence
sexual assault and stalking in Texas,
how realistic
Rick. Is that and how optimistic do you have to be to be in your organization?
Knowing you walk in with that kind of mission statement? It’s a Northstar
that’s for sure, right? I mean, I think it’s going to be
difficult to do until we can change societal Norms
around victim blaming and around, what’s acceptable, behavior?
What
is healthy? Conflict resolution,
what is coercive Behavior?
It’s a North star. Let’s be honest, but we can get people safe
in the short term and the long term
with civil legal remedies, we’re going to talk more on our Houston newsmakers
Because there’s more to talk about, but we talked about changing the dynamic
changing, the
way people think about that. That’s a
really takes a Groundswell. There’s a lot
of people who really
kind of push that
agenda and that direction. Oh, absolutely. You know, when I
started working at Texas, advocacy project in 2005,
I
would tell people the work that I’m doing. They’d say, well, I don’t know anybody that’s experienced
that
and I’m like,
let’s look back, and let’s think about what we actually saw
in what we know
at the
Um, was that there? Weren’t enough resources for people to get help, so you didn’t
notice it, but it’s happening everywhere.
I want people to know
how to get in contact with you,
800 set 374, hope
or 800,
three seven, four, four six, seven, three, two number to call. If you want or
need the support of the Texas advocacy project in
all that it provides, you’ve heard about their mission
and the many ways they can help
and how you can help, maybe you can you call it number eight hundred three
seven four,
four six, seven, three that number to call.
Heather Bolin. Oh thank you for your mission.
And for starting out this conversation on this program here
we’re going to do more newsmakers extra stay with us for that went to ask all of
you to go to the newsmakers page on click2houston.com
and pick up our conversation. They’re