Sanctuary for Families, Inc.

Transcription

1 Sanctuary for Families, Inc. Overview of Achievements, Last year, Sanctuary for Families Center for Battered Women s Legal Services ( the Legal Center ) provided integrated, holistic civil legal services to over 4,400 victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other related forms of intimate partner violence in over 8,000 cases, with over 4,100 total cases closed benefiting more than 7,700 victims. Hundreds of victims received brief assistance, consultations, and referrals; and adult victims and their children were provided with extensive direct financial assistance, clothing, holiday gifts and back to school kits. Among closed cases, the Legal Center achieved the following outcomes: An estimated $400,000 in back awards/ settlements and $19,000 in monthly benefits. 2,002 victims benefited from our assistance in family law-related matters including judgments of divorce, stay away orders of protection, child/spousal support. Over 4,500 victims benefited from our assistance in immigration proceedings including: work authorization, U-Visas, T visas, VAWA Self-Petitions, Battered Spouse waivers, asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Temporary protected status, deportation proceedings, and Naturalizations. We are currently assisting a number of victims in filing DACA applications. In addition to providing many victims with brief information, advice, referrals only, we were able to assist hundreds victims in accessing, preserving, increasing and/or reinstating their health, housing and/or public benefits. Service Area: New York City Metrop olitan Area This Provider At a Glance Population Served: Low Income Women and Families Area Served: New York City Metropolitan Area Total Funding: $3,982,902 Total IOLA Grant: $150,000 Staffing - Full Time Equivalents Total Staff: Lawyers: Paralegals: 9.65 Other Staff: 3.70 Types of Services Provided Direct Civil Legal Representation Brief Services Extended Services Hotlines and Other Phone-Based Services Technology and Other Innovations Community Legal Education Pro Se Assistance Collaborations With Other Service Providers Major Cases or Other Advocacy Projects Sanctuary for Families, Inc. - 1

2 Outcomes 7,783 Individuals Benefited from 4,152 Closed Direct Civil Legal Cases Extended Representation Outcomes 707 Immigrants obtained employment authorization or obtained or replaced Green Card 395 People obtained legal status (e.g., U visa, T visa, VAWA, etc.) 310 People obtained protection from domestic violence 176 People obtained a divorce, legal separation or annulment 1,517 People obtained benefits from other "extended representation" Brief Representation Benefits 4,667 People benefited from legal advice and counsel 9 People benefited from non-litigation advocacy services 2 People benefited by referral to other sources of help* *While not the main benefit of the case, many referrals were also received by clients as an additional benefit to legal services provided by Sanctuary for Families. Dollar Benefits Achieved for Clients - Total $2,504,711 Other Federal Benefits: $5,239 Family Law - Child Support: $2,029,672 Family Law - Maintenance/Spousal Support: $76,800 Family Law - Equitable Distribution of Assets: $369,000 Other Benefits: $24,000 Total includes back awards and total monthly benefits, estimated over 12 months (other federal benefits, equitable distribution of assets, and other benefits), or 120 months (child and spousal support). Examples... Outcomes for Clients n October 6th, 2012, the Legal Center s O Immigration Intervention Project (IIP) helped Evelyna, a Jamaican immigrant, reunite with her 21 year old son, Diego, after more than 10 years of separation. Evelyna had been married to an extremely abusive U.S. permanent resident and in 2008, with assistance from IIP staff, she filed a VAWA self-petition. IIP also filed immigration petitions on behalf of her two children, Diego and Delia, both still in Jamaica. While Delia s case went through without an issue, the National Visa Center refused to process Diego s application, citing the fact that he had turned 21 prior to applying for a visa. After an intensive advocacy campaign by IIP s Family Reunification Project with the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica, Diego s application was processed and approved in September Through a generous private donation, Sanctuary was able to purchase airfare to fly Diego to the U.S., where he was reunited with his mother and sister. elanie, a childcare professional with a M background in early childhood education, contacted the LGBT Initiative in March 2012, soon after she received an order of protection against her wife, Angie, whom she had married in Soon after, however, Melanie discovered that Angie was abusing drugs. Shortly thereafter, it became clear that she was also selling drugs. When Melanie confronted Angie, the situation escalated into violence, not only jeopardizing Melanie s personal safety, but Examples continued on last page Breakdown of Cases by Legal Problem Area People Cases Total 7,783 4,152 Individual Rights 4,553 2,438 Family 2,002 1,055 Income Maintenance Housing Other Sanctuary for Families, Inc. - 2 Individual Rights 59% Family 25% Income Maintenance 6% Housing 1% Other 9%

3 Other Services Hotlines and Other Telephone Based Legal Services The Legal Center s largest preventive/early intervention legal resource is the Legal Helpline, operated from 9am to 5pm by staff attorneys with a wide range of knowledge of family law, immigration, and criminal law. During the reporting period, staff attorneys assisted over 800 Helpline callers with advice, including safety planning and referrals to non-legal services that in many cases help victims avoid court involvement. Additionally, a senior immigration staff attorney at the Queens Family Justice Center, and an Equal Justice Works Fellow, frequently (one day per week) participate in the Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) hotline responding to callers with questions about the immigration consequences of contact with the criminal justice system. Technology and Other Innovations Sanctuary is in the process of enhancing its technology infrastructure. This summer, we will upgrade to a sophisticated cloud-based system a customized Salesforce database, which will significantly improve case and outcome tracking abilities, streamline workflow, and manage upcoming court dates through a wide range of new functions which can be customized to different legal practice areas. The new system s clear layout and enhanced reporting features will increase the usefulness of the system from a staff perspective by allowing display of both client-level and program-wide information (for supervisors). While the current Legal Tracking System is accessible remotely via a remote access feature, the new Salesforce database will be accessible to staff anywhere with internet access. Legal Services Other Than Direct Legal Representation The Legal Center provides a range of services besides direct legal representation, including civil legal and immigration screenings, law student trainings, know your rights sessions targeted at victims and potential victims, community awareness-building and training workshops, as well as direct victim services including referrals, translation/interpretation services, and in-kind and financial assistance. Collaborations With Other Service Providers The Legal Center is an active participant in the Lawyers Committee Against Domestic Violence (LCADV), a coalition of lawyers from the public and private bar who work with victims and join forces to sensitize the legal system to their needs. Staff attorneys participate in the LCADV s Judges Working Groups in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, and in its annual conference at Fordham Law School to improve the court system s response to domestic violence. The Legal Center s Assigned Domestic Counsel Project collaborates with Safe Horizon, with the support of the Appellate Division Second Department. Legal Center staff collaborated with New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), Safe Horizon s Domestic Violence Law Project, and In Motion in expanding and hosting the Family Justice/Domestic Violence Practice Area of a website that provides information and technical assistance to pro bono lawyers. Backup or Support Services Resources for Volunteers/Pro Bono Lawyers: Last year, the Legal Center recruited, trained and mentored over 1,500 pro bono and volunteer lawyers and law students. Back-up services provided include intensive trainings, comprehensive practice manuals, in-court mentoring, and ongoing consultations with Legal Center staff attorneys; as well as access to the Center s legal tracking system (LTS) for volunteer attorneys allowing them access to records of all Sanctuary services being provided to their clients, facilitating seamless service provision. All paralegals, pro bono attorneys, and other volunteers had access to the Legal Center s LexisNexis subscription, enabling them to conduct legal research. Number of People Benefited by Legal Services Other Than Direct Legal Representation Total: 36,608 People Community Legal Education: 6,630 People Web Usage: 29,094 People Legal Hotline Services: 884 People Sanctuary for Families, Inc. - 3

4 Other Services, continued Professional Trainings: Last year, Legal Center staff organized and conducted over 200 trainings and workshops on domestic violence, family law and immigration law, and other specialized areas including trafficking and asylum law for professional audiences including volunteer attorneys, law students, CBO staff, public interest attorneys, prosecutors, social services providers, and members of the judiciary. Major Cases or Other Advocacy Projects Legislative Advocacy leading to passage of, and guidance in drafting of, the 2013 Transport for Female Genital Mutilation Act Among the thousands of clients Sanctuary assists each year, hundreds are women and girls who have survived or are at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). For the past several years, Sanctuary s asylum attorney, with the Clinical Department s African Community Specialist, worked closely with U.S. Congressman Joseph Crowley s office on legislation to ban the transport of girls to their home countries for the purposes of subjecting them to female genital mutilation. This work culminated in the successful passage of the Transport for Female Mutilation Act, which President Obama signed into law earlier in January Estimated Impacts: This new law will help to protect an estimated ,000 girls in the U.S. who risk FGM. In February 2013, Sanctuary released a 37-page report, Female Genital Mutilation in the U.S.: Protecting Girls and Women in the U.S. from FGM and Vacation Cutting. (see report at documents/report_onfgm_w_cover.pdf). Pro Bono Volunteer Involvement Legal Center staff attorneys supervised over 500 pro bono attorneys who worked on cases on behalf of clients, logging over 48,500 hours. In addition, over 300 other volunteers worked on cases on behalf of Legal Center clients, logging approximately 7,000 hours of service. New pro bono partnerships with the law firms of Greenberg Traurig and Stroock Stroock & Lavan have been established to assist in pursuing civil remedies for trafficking victims, to help destitute clients obtain damages/restitution from traffickers. Pro Bono Highlights: Last year, the Legal Center had the benefit of an attorney with deep experience in abuse and neglect cases; her work on several Article 10 cases, as well as additional assistance on complex cases including contested divorce (which pro bono attorneys rarely take on), has proven a tremendous help to family law staff attorneys. Volunteer Attorney Highlights: A volunteer attorney, working under the supervision of the Legal Center s Public Benefits Legal Advocate, is advocating intensively with the City s Human Resources Administration (HRA) to put in place a waiver from the public assistance work requirement for trafficking victims, parallel to the waiver available to domestic violence victims addressing a grave safety concern for these victims, many of whom are very much at risk of being located and abducted by their traffickers. Sources of Funding Total $3,982,902 IOLA Grant $150,000 City and County Funding $1,432,615 State Funding $983,904 Foundations $742,500 Other $673,883 Foundations 18% Other 17% IOLA Grant 4% City and County Funding 36% Sanctuary for Families, Inc. - 4 State Funding 25%

5 Other Services, continued Law Student Volunteer Highlights: In Spring 2013, five Brooklyn Law School students participated in a project supervised by the Public Benefits Legal Advocate, receiving an intensive training and working with domestic violence victims to prepare for and appear at fair hearings to reinstate public benefits which have been denied, reduced, or cancelled mistakenly ring. Pro Bono Support in the Distribution of Outreach Materials: With the assistance of a pro bono graphic designer from the Legal Center has been able to distribute posters and palm cards (in Russian) about the various services at Sanctuary for Families and in particulate the Legal Center which are now displayed at a variety of businesses in Brighton Beach neighborhood, including pharmacies, day care centers, and grocery stores, enabling us to intensify our outreach efforts to Russianspeaking immigrant victims of gender-based violence. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP covered the costs associated with the printing of these outreach materials. Employment Waivers for Victims of Trafficking on Public Assistance: New York City s Human Resources Administration regularly waives the public assistance work requirement to victims of domestic violence, but it lacks any such system for trafficking victims. Without the waiver, trafficking victims face an agonizing choice: remaining safe but not getting the financial support they need to survive, or getting the support but exposing Pro Bono Statistics During , the following volunteers provided services in our program: Attorneys: 558 Volunteers 48,546 Hours Law Students: 327 Volunteers 7,188 Hours Other Volunteers: 10 Volunteers 360 Hours Total Cases Completed by Attorneys: 385 Cases Dollar Value of Attorney Services*: $12.14 million *estimated at $250 per hour themselves to retribution from their traffickers. Through advocacy, we hope to change the standard in New York to allow trafficking victims a waiver from PA s work requirements. This new advocacy effort is led by an in-house full-time volunteer attorney, working under the supervision of the Legal Center s Public Benefits Advocate. The volunteer attorney recently presented on this new project during a meeting of the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition and has subsequently received referrals for advocacy. Outcomes for Clients continued from page 2 also her employment. Angie had created a profile on the same childcare website as Melanie, and supported herself through childcare jobs around the city. When Melanie confronted her partner about the danger to children posed by her drug abuse, Angie attacked her, chasing her out of a client s house and leaving two young children unattended. When the childcare website learned of the incident, it removed both of their profiles, cutting off Melanie s primary means of financial support. Over the next few months, Sanctuary s LGBT Initiative staff attorney worked with Melanie to help her obtain protection from Angie. He made a referral to the LGBT Liaison at the Brooklyn DA s Office after Angie was arrested for several misdemeanors, including unlawful imprisonment, menacing, and harassment, and an order of protection was issued for Melanie. Afterwards, the attorney explained legal options with Melanie, including an order of protection from Family Court, divorce, and advocacy with the website through which she sought employment. Due to his advocacy, Melanie received a full order of protection and her profile on the childcare website was restored. She will continue her career as a childcare provider, and Sanctuary will continue to assist her as she seeks a divorce. Sanctuary for Families, Inc. - 5