Taken from Missouri Coalition Against Domestic And Sexual Violence

REDUCING RULES IN

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

SHELTERS

WHY DO WE HAVE RULES

1. TO PRESERVE CONFIDENTIALITY

2. INSURE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL SAFETY FOR CLIENTS AND STAFF

3. TO ASSURE HEALTH STANDARDS ARE MET

4. TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT OF MUTUAL RESPECT FOR CLIENTS AND STAFF

TO LIVE IN A COMMUNAL SETTING

THERE MUST BE SOME RULES,

REGULATIONS, OR GUIDELINES

COMMON BELIEF

IF WE DON’T HAVE RULES

THERE WILL BE CHAOS

F E A R

GOOD THING ABOUT RULES

IS THE DESIRE FOR THE SHELTER TO BE A

SAFE AND

SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

FOR WOMEN AND CHILD

RULES BECOME BAD

1. WHEN THEY ARE TOO RIGID TO ALLOW FOR UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES…NO FLEXIBILTY

2. WHEN THERE ARE TOO MANY TO BE REALISTICALLY AND EVENLY ENFORCED OR REMEMBERED

RULE ARE UGLY

WHEN SHELTER WORKERS ARE

NO LONGER ABLE TO BE ADVOCATES

BUT HAVE RATHER BECOME THE

“RULE POLICE”

THE UGLIEST

IS WHEN THE CLIENT

WHO IS SEEKING TO ESCAPE AN ABUSIVE,

OPPRESIVE ENVIRONMENT

FINDS HERSELF IN AN EQUALLY

OPPRESSEIVE ENVIRONMENT IN SHELTER

THE SHELTERS IN MISSOURI FOUND THAT

OVER 30 YEARS

SOME SHELTER PROGRAMS

HAVE EVOLVED

INTO A RULES-DRIVEN ENVIRONMENT

AND MANY RULES

HAVE BEEN CREATED

IN RESPONSE TO

SINGLE A INCIDENT

OR

THERE MAY BE SOME THAT

ARE SIMPLY

‘UNWRITTEN RULE’

PROBLEM WITH RULES

FOR RULES TO BE EFFECTIVE,

THEY MUST HAVE CONSEQUENCES

IF NOT FOLLOWED

OFTEN FOR SHELTER’S

ONLY REAL CONSEQUENCE

IS TO DENY

OR

TERMINATE SERVICES

1. DO SOME OF OUR RULES CONTRADICT THE VERY PURPOSE OF

THE SHELTER? – SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT – PROMOTE SELF-DETERMINATION

2. CAN WELL INTENTIONED RULES BE PERCEIVED AS THE NEED TO CONTROL?

– A REASON WHY THE CLIENT MAY HAVE LEFT HER ABUSIVE ENVIRONMENT

3. IS IT REASONABLE TO EXPECT A CLIENT WHOSE LIFE HAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN BE ABLE TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE RULES WHEN STAFF SOMETIMES CAN’T?

4. ARE WE PUTTING CLIENTS AT GREATER RISK BY ENFORCING SOME RULES?

– MEDICATION – LOCATION OF SHELTER

5. IF WE TERMINATE SERVICES CAN WE DEFEND OUR DECISION

TO THE COMMUNITY? WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO DEFEND THAT DECISION AS REASONABLE?

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

TO START STAFF DISCUSSION

1. WHY DO WE HAVE RULES?

2. HOW DO NEW RULES GET ADDED?

3. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE INFORMAL AND UNWRITTEN RULES AND WHAT IMPACT DO THESE HAVE ON THE ATMOSPHERE AND CULTURE OF THE SHELTER?

4. WHAT RULES DO YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ENFORCING?

5. WHICH RULES DO YOU ENFORCE CONSISTENTLY?

6. WHICH RULES DO YOU ENFORCE INCONSISTENTLY? WHY?

7. DESCRIBE HOW THIS RULE HAS OR HAS NOT DONE WHAT IT WAS INTENTED TO DO.

8. WHICH RULES COULD YOU NEVER IMAGINE NOT HAVING IN PLACE?

9. WHICH RULES WOULD YOU ELIMINATE TODAY?

10. WHAT DO SHELTER RESIDENTS THINK ABOUT THE RULES AND THEIR ENFORCMENT? HAVE THEY BEEN ASKED?

11. HOW WOULD YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SHELTER RESIDENTS BE DIFFERENT IF YOU DID NOT HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MONITORING AND ENFORCING THE RULES?

12. IF YOU DID NOT HAVE A RULE FOR _________ WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?

TO START STAFF DISCUSSION CON’T

BEFORE IMPLEMENTING OR REDUCING RULES

1. IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE YOUR AGENCY’S MISSION, VISION, VALUES AND PHILOSOPHIES.

2. DISCUSS HOW CURRENT PRACTICES AND RULES SUPPORT OR CONFLICT WITH THOSE CORE VALUES AND

PHILOSOPHIES.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME