Governor’s Council to
Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Releases Biennial Report
BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Chair
of the Governor's Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence,
released a biennial report highlighting the Council’s accomplishments for 2019-2020
and recommendations for the next two years. In April 2019, Governor Baker
issued Executive Order No. 586, reaffirming the Baker-Polito Administration’s
commitment to helping individuals, children, and families in the Commonwealth
live a life free of sexual assault, domestic violence and
exploitation.
“Since 2015, the Governor’s Council to Address
Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence has collaborated with advocates, partners
and key stakeholders and worked tirelessly to support survivors throughout the
Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I am grateful to
Lt. Governor Polito and the Council for its continued commitment to this important
effort.”
“Now more than ever, as we continue to combat
COVID-19, it is critical that individuals and families experiencing violence at
home have access to resources and support,” said Lt. Governor
Polito. “This Council and its essential partners are dedicated to
ensuring that survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence know that they
are not alone, and that they are able to lead safe and healthy lives through
access to these vital services.”
Following the December 2018 release
of its End of Term Report, the
Council issued its 2019-2020 Action Plan outlining
the Council’s goals and deliverables. Over the past two years, the Council has
focused on the 2019-2020 action plan, while also pivoting to meet the demands
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report released today outlines major
accomplishments and provides recommendations from the Council’s five
subcommittees: Assessment and Response; Human Trafficking; Military, Veterans,
and Families; Housing Stability and Self-Sufficiency; and Prevention and
Education. The report also includes a status update on the COVID-19 response
relative to sexual assault and domestic violence (SDV) providers and the
RESPECTfully public awareness campaign.The Council's most notable achievements over
the past two years include the following:
Human Trafficking: Combatting Commercial Sexual
Exploitation in the Commonwealth
In October 2019, the Commonwealth was awarded a
three-year, $1.5M grant from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ),
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to combat commercial sexual exploitation in
Massachusetts. The goals of the grant are focused on strengthening law
enforcement coordination, home-based placements for child and youth victims,
and supporting a coordinated approach for responding to cases of human
trafficking across counties. Currently in the first year of the three-year
grant, work is underway to enhance the Commonwealth’s response to cases of
commercial sexual exploitation and support for victims to prevent further
exploitation and abuse.
Response to COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
Administration partnered with SDV providers and other stakeholders to ensure
victims and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence had access to
resources. Specific efforts included expanding and promoting the statewide 24/7
domestic violence hotline (SafeLink) to triage calls to local area rape crisis
centers, standing up 6 Isolation and Recovery sites for individuals in shelters who tested positive for COVID-19, distributing
personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, and creating appropriate
health and safety policies for SDV providers.
Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Tracking System
In 2018, An Act Relative to Criminal Justice
Reform granted the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) the
authority to establish and maintain a statewide sexual assault evidence
collection kit tracking system. After extensive engagement with state agencies
and stakeholders, the Track-Kit system was implemented in every county by March
2020. The Track-Kit system provides survivors with a confidential and
secure way to track the location and status of their kit, from the point of
collection to its final storage location.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Handbook: An Overview for Housing Providers:
In January 2020, MassHousing published a
one-of-a-kind, free resource outlining the complexities related to VAWA’s
housing policy for housing professionals and SDV providers across the
Commonwealth. The Handbook outlines information on legal obligations and rights
afforded to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
RESPECTfully Public Awareness Campaign
Through partnership with the Legislature, the
FY19 and FY20 GAAs included a combined $1M of funding to develop a statewide
public awareness and prevention campaign. In May 2019, the Administration
launched RESPECTfully, which promotes healthy
relationships among Massachusetts youth aged 12-18. Developed with extensive
input from youth and subject matter experts, RESPECTfully promotes short,
animated videos and organic content where youth spend their much of their
time—on social media platforms and online. Phases 1 and 2 of the campaign
resulted in 34,867,622 total impressions. Additional advertisements were
placed in areas visible to youth across the state, including MBTA stations,
MassDOT billboards, Bank of America ATM screens and at Logan Airport.
Healthy Relationship Grant Program
To enhance the RESPECTfully campaign, the FY20
GAA included $1M in grant funding to promote healthy relationships and prevent
sexual assault and dating violence through direct prevention education. In
February 2020, DPH awarded funding to five organizations to develop innovative,
evidence-informed prevention strategies that are tailored to one or more youth
populations disproportionately impacted by sexual assault and dating violence.
Subcommittee Recommendations for 2021-
2022
· Assessment and Response: The Subcommittee recommends focused
attention to domestic violence homicide prevention and the Domestic Violence
High Risk Teams, enhancing previous efforts to break down barriers for
communities that have been traditionally marginalized, particularly areas with
the highest lethality.
· Human Trafficking: The Subcommittee recommends enhancing
primary and secondary prevention efforts, continuing efforts to develop Human
Trafficking Guidelines and a statewide law enforcement training, and expanding
survivor supports.
· Military, Veterans, and Families: The Subcommittee recommends strengthening
partnerships among federal and state agencies, SDV providers, and healthcare
providers to enhance hospital response for military-affiliated survivors and
share information related to military benefits and human services more broadly.
· Housing Stability and Self-Sufficiency: The Subcommittee recommends collecting and
reviewing data, expanding trainings and services for housing providers, and
creating a new subcommittee devoted to economic self-sufficiency.
· Prevention and Education: The Subcommittee recommends continuing its
collaboration with the Department of Higher Education to address issues
involving sexual assault and domestic violence affecting colleges and
universities across the Commonwealth.
For the full report please click here.
The Council, under Lt. Governor Polito's
leadership, will continue to partner with the Baker-Polito Administration to
continue the ongoing implementation of the efforts outlined by each
subcommittee.
The Council is chaired by the Lt. Governor and
membership consists of up to 40 individuals appointed by the Governor and Lt. Governor,
plus more than 80 subcommittee members. Council members represent advocacy
organizations, direct service providers, criminal justice agencies, and reflect
the state’s geographic and cultural diversity. The Secretaries of Health and
Human Services, Housing and Economic Development, Public Safety and Security,
Education, Labor and Workforce Development, Transportation, and Veterans’
Services each appoint staff members to the Council. The Governor and Lt.
Governor appointed an Executive Director, who is responsible for the
administrative functions of the Council, organizing subcommittees and executing
the Council’s responsibilities.
