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Legal Aid hosting conferences to help survivors of violence, prevent evictions
TRACEY BLAIR
Legal News Reporter
Published: March 31, 2022
Community Legal Aid is once again hosting its annual one-day conference that supports the professional development of service providers, law enforcement, attorneys and other advocates who work with survivors of violence.
Then next month, the non-profit law firm will host an all-day summit to deal with the area’s high eviction rate.
Break the Silence
Working with immigrant and refugee survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking is a key focus for this year’s “Break the Silence” conference, which began in 2018.
Charles pointed out that there is a significant presence of immigrants and refugees in and around Legal Aid’s service area. Ohio ranks eighth in the nation for the number of refugees it’s taken in over the past 10 years.
“Survivors who are immigrants and refugees face cultural and language barriers that can limit their ability to receive supportive services,” Jeanne Charles, managing attorney for Legal Aid’s Legal Assistance to Victims Project, said. “Plus there are special legal considerations that must be taken into account when working with such survivors.”
Ohio ranks eighth in the nation for the number of refugees it’s taken in over the past 10 years, with many refugees living in the Akron area, according to Legal Aid statistics.
“As service providers, we recognize there is no ‘one-size-fits-all' solution to the challenges facing survivors,” Charles added. “Learning about the different circumstances and lived experiences of survivors from diverse backgrounds provides advocates with targeted information and support to help survivors determine their best course of action in a situation.”
One conference session topic will be on trauma bonding. Speakers Ashley Kline, director of crisis and clinical services for the Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties and Megan Vermillion, assistant director of the Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties, will explore the dynamics that bond victims to their abusers.
Charles noted trauma bonding is very common – and often misunderstood.
“If I tell someone what my job is, they always ask, `Why do victims stay?’ I always try to tur it around and say, `Why do abusers abuse?’ she said. “It’s a form of victim shaming. There are neurobiological reasons for trauma bonding.”
In another session, Licensed Master Social Worker Crystal Bennet, who is executive director of nonprofit The Lantern Project, will discuss human trafficking and race – including the oversexualization of Black girls and how that leads to sexual exploitation.
Charles said she is looking forward to a session in which attorneys Samantha Salamon and Nathaniel Johnson of Asian Services in Action provide legal tips and considerations when working with non-citizen survivors.
“Immigration status can be used as a way to control survivors by their abuser,” Charles said. “If a (victim) is an immigrant, they can be afraid their abuser will be deported. They want the abuse to stop, but not necessarily that the abuser be deported.”
Near the end of the day, Charles will speak on the advantages of sexually oriented offense protection orders.
“Sexually oriented offense protection orders are under-utilized,” she said. “But it’s a powerful tool.”
This year’s Break the Silence conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thurs. March 31. Participants will have the option of attending online or in-person at the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center, 215 S. Depeyster St. in Kent. For more information, visit www.communitylegalaid.org/breakthesilence.
Eviction Summit
Meanwhile, Legal Aid recently announced details of its 2022 Eviction Prevention Summit to be held April 28 at the John S. Knight Center in Akron.
“For two years, the greater Akron community has been talking virtually non-stop about the problem of evictions,” Legal Aid Executive Director Steven McGarrity said. “We’re ready to stop talking about the problem, and to start implementing solutions.”
The non-profit law firm teamed up with Fair Housing Contact Service and partner agencies to host the city’s first communitywide eviction prevention event.
“Our premise is that eviction isn’t good for anyone,” Tamala Skipper, executive director of Fair Housing Contact Service, said. “Renters obviously suffer by losing their homes, but landlords also suffer financially. Neighborhoods suffer from constant transiency, and the city overall suffers. It would be better for our entire community if renters had more stable, safe, and affordable housing.”
The full-day, conference-style event will offer attendees the opportunity to hear from expert panels and chat with local resources and agencies. Lunch will feature a live interview with Pulitzer-Prize winning author and MacArthur Genius Fellow Matthew Desmond, moderated by Reporter ML Schultze. The afternoon will consist of facilitated community roundtable discussions aimed at drawing out grassroots solutions to the eviction crisis.
“Our goal is to walk away with real ideas our community can implement,” McGarrity said. “Everyone attending will get the chance to share their ideas, and any net revenue from the event will be put directly back into implementing those ideas.”
Four panels will touch on the following topics: housing equity in community redevelopment, the rule of housing law, fostering positive relationships between landlords and tenants, and the intersection of health and housing.
To register, visit www.evictionsummit.org.