1. society
2. crime
3. personal offense
4. assault

Working Together to Promote Victim Rights for a Safer South Dakota
Vol. 17, No. 1 April 2015
April is sexual assault awareness month. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center has a lot of
great resources that can be used to promote awareness and prevention.
Check them out at www.nsvrc.org/saam.
If you are an agency member and are offering presentations in the schools regarding healthy
relationships, safe dating, sexual assault prevention etc., you can request reimbursement from The
Network for those presentations. You can request mileage reimbursement if the school is located
outside of the town in which your agency is located. This reimbursement is possible due to a generous
grant through the Verizon Foundation. Contact Kathy Rutten at The Network for more information and
for the reimbursement forms.
UPCOMING NETWORK MEETING AND TRAINING
April 7, 2015
Network Meeting
4:30pm to 7pm
(Supper will be provided)
Best Western Ramkota
Rapid City, SD
April 8, 2015
LGBTQ Intimate Partner Violence
and
VAWA Non-Discrimination Compliance
Presented by Aaron Eckhardt
(National Coalition of
Anti-Violence
Programs)
8:30am to 12:30pm
SDSM&T Campus
Rapid City, SD
RSVP to Rebekkah at 605-731-0041
or e-mail [email protected].
The Network will pay for one car per membership agency
and one hotel room per membership agency to attend the meetings.
The South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (The Network), South Dakota Coalition
of Citizens with Disabilities (the Coalition), and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) are collaborating on
a project called Bridging South Dakota. Bridging South Dakota is a collaboration of organizations coming
together to improve services for victims and survivors with disabilities or who are D/deaf. We work to improve the
capacity of professionals, both disability agencies and non-disability related, to provide safe, accessible,
comprehensive, and trauma informed services to individuals with disabilities or who are D/deaf who have been
subjected to sexual assault or domestic violence.
We will be canvassing agencies and individuals across South Dakota to share their experience and perspective of
working with individuals with disabilities, D/deaf individuals and/or survivors of sexual assault by conducting
interviews and focus groups. Additionally, we will be facilitating focus groups engaging individuals with
disabilities, D/deaf individuals and survivors of sexual assault on their experience of obtaining services, how to
better access services, and improve their experience.
The notes from these interviews and groups will be combined with notes from other interviews and focus groups,
then summarized in a report. The report will help Bridging South Dakota make changes within our organizations
and design training and technical assistance that will lead to improved services for survivors of sexual assault, D/
deaf individuals and individuals with disabilities.
For more information, contact Rebekkah at 605-731-0041 or by email: [email protected].
2015 LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
By Lobbyist Dianna Miller
The 2015 Legislative Session ended the regular run on
March 13, 2015 and veto day was March 30, 2015. It
was a busy session for the SD Network Against Family
Violence and Sexual Assault. We introduced one cleanup bill and worked on some 30 other bills to make sure
domestic violence victims were protected.
The big bills this session were SB 73—Juvenile Justice
Reform Initiative – which dealt with keeping low risk
kids who commit minor crimes – truancy, chins, less
than $ 200 burglary issues, etc – in community based
programs and out of incarceration. This bill passed the
Senate 35-0 and the House 60-7 and was signed by the
Governor. This program has funding to assist providers
and community based programming.
Jolene’s Law Task Force—SB 71 will continue this
year to study child abuse and make recommendations to
the 2016 Legislature. It will be funded through the
Department of Health. The bill failed in a House
committee, however the Governor decided to continue
the task force under the Department of Health. SB 70
also came from the task force and requires that a
mandatory child abuse reporter be available to answer
questions when the initial report on abuse or neglect is
made to authorities. This bill also passed and was
signed.
SB 82 – Network bill – was to clean-up language to put
the uniform definitions concerning domestic violence
into the warrantless arrest statute and the predominant
aggressor statute. This bill passed the House 64-3 and
the Senate 31-2 and Governor signed the bill.
The Network monitored about six bills dealing with gun
issues and only one passed. We monitored or testified
for other bills concerning/affecting domestic violence:
task force for elder abuse, human trafficking bills, bills
on increasing the look back period for violation of
protection order and increasing the penalty for criminal
violations for protection orders, expungement of arrest
records (HN 1134) and unilateral divorce, which failed
on House floor.
All in all we had a very good session and continue to
have the support of the legislature to protect victims of
domestic violence. It is always a pleasure to represent an
organization that stays focused on our main concerns
and works hard to strengthen the laws on domestic
violence. Thank you for all your help in calling
legislators and working on behalf of victims in our state.
We will continue to monitor the summer study task
forces and Jolene’s Law Workgroup. Have a great
spring!
SAVE THE DATE!
The Network’s Annual Meeting and Training
June 23rd and 24th, 2015
Cedar Shore Resort
Oacoma/Chamberlain, SD
Training will include Coaching Boys to Men, domestic violence
and sexual assault prevention curriculum for schools, and much, much more!
There will be a banquet the night of the 23rd with a special guest speaker!
You won’t want to miss this meeting!
Any individual attending the meeting who will require auxiliary aids and services for
a disability in order to participate in the meeting
(e.g., sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, materials in alternative format)
must submit a request to Rebekkah no later than June 9, 2015.
MEMBER AGENCY UPCOMING EVENTS
Serving LGBTQ Crime Victims
Free Workshop
Presented by OVC TTAC
Sponsored by
Working Against Violence, Inc. and Black Hills
Center for Equality
April 7, 2015
8:30am to 3pm
SDSM&T Campus
Rapid City
Call 605-341-3292 or e-mail [email protected] for
more information or to register
Soroptimist International of Sioux Falls Club
In Collboration with Dress for Success presents:
TRANSITIONS - Women Venturing
into New Opportunities
Saturday, May 16, 2015
First Lutheran Church
327 S. Dakota Ave.
Sioux Falls
8:30am to 4:00pm
For more information contact
The Compass Center at 605-339-0116
The Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter
is hosting the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
May 1, 2015
6:30pm
Downtown Brookings
For more information email [email protected]
For other member agency events and updates, please refer to The Network’s website at www.sdnafvsa.com.
The South Dakota Network Against
Family Violence and Sexual Assault
P. O. Box 90453
Sioux Falls, SD 57109
Non-Profit Org
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Sioux Falls, SD 57109
Permit No. 7745
The Network Leadership
President…………………………………Aaron Wimmer
Vice President…………………….………….Gina Karst
Secretary……………………………...…...Dawn Sikkink
Treasurer……………..………...…Janet Kittams-Lalley
Ex-Officia…………………………………..Mary Corbine
Staff
Executive Director……………..Krista Heeren-Graber
Financial Director ……………….………Lora Ronning
Administrative Services Coord………..Kathy Rutten
Rural Outreach Coordinator……….Verzella Bauman
Training Team Coordinator…………….Raina Boyum
Disability Project Coordinator……..Rebekkah Kruse
Project Coordinator………………….Cynthia Bautista
Financial Assistant………………….Bonnie Tschetter
Follow us on Facebook at The South
Dakota Network Against Family
Violence and Sexual Assault and
Twitter at
TheNetwork@TheNetwork99.
SUPPORT THE NETWORK
The Network Information
Sioux Falls Office
605-731-0041
Mailing Address
PO Box 90453
Sioux Falls, SD 57109
Physical Address
Join us in furthering our mission with a monetary donation.
Please complete this form and return with your donation or
membership fee to:
SDNAFVSA, PO Box 90453, Sioux Falls, SD 57109
Additional information regarding membership can be found on our website.
_____ Donation: _____________
_____ Individual membership: $45
_____ Agency membership: $200
1704 S. Cleveland Ave., Ste. 5
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
Name _________________________________________________
Office fax
Address _______________________________________________
605-977-4742
Toll free
Organization (if applicable) _______________________________
City/State/Zip __________________________________________
1-800-670-3989
Daytime Phone __________________ Fax ___________________
Website
E-mail address __________________________________________
www.sdnafvsa.com
Find us on Facebook
2014-2015 Network Agency Membership
Artemis House--Victims of Violence Intervention
Program, Inc.
Spearfish, SD
605-642-7825
Domestic Violence Safe Option Services
(DVSOS)
Vermillion, SD
605-624-5311
Beacon Center
605-886-4300
Watertown, SD
Family Crisis Center
605-460-2059
Redfield, SD
Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter
Brookings, SD
605-692-7233
Family Service, Inc.
605-336-1974
Sioux Falls, SD
Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter Board of
Directors
Brookings, SD
605-690-1476 or 605-697-5627
Brookings Police Department
Brookings, SD
605-692-5303
Call to Freedom
605-261-9664
Sioux Falls, SD
Family Visitation Center
Sioux Falls, SD
605-275-2071
First Circuit CASA Program
Mitchell, SD
605-996-1212
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Domestic Violence
Program
Flandreau, SD
605-864-0296
Catholic Family Services
Sioux Falls, SD
605-988-3775
Goodwill of the Great Plains
Sioux Falls, SD
605-731-1932
Central South Dakota Child Assessment Center
Pierre, SD
605-224-3229
Helpline Center
605-334-6646
Child Advocacy Center of the Black Hills
Rapid City, SD
605-341-7337
Child’s Voice
605-333-2226
Sioux Falls, SD
Children's Inn
605-338-0116
Sioux Falls, SD
Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD)
Sioux Falls, SD
605-367-5760
Communities Against Violence and Abuse
(CAVA)
Lemmon, SD
605-374-5823
The Compass Center
605-339-0116
Sioux Falls, SD
Domestic Violence Network of the Lakes Region,
Inc
Madison, SD
605-427-7233
Sioux Falls, SD
Hope Incorporated of South Dakota
Hot Springs, SD
605-415-5911
Jan Manolis Family Safe Center
Huron, SD
605-554-0398
Journey Therapy and Consulting
Sioux Falls, SD
605-351-1545
LSS Outpatient Counseling Services
Sioux Falls, SD
605-444-7631
Missouri Shores Domestic Violence Center
Pierre, SD
605-224-0256
Mitchell Area Safehouse
Mitchell, SD
605-996-6622
2014-2015 Network Agency Membership
Pennington County Sheriff's Office
Rapid City, SD
605-394-6113
Working Against Violence, Inc. (WAVI)
Rapid City, SD
605-341-3292
Rapid City Regional Hospital
Sexual Assault Response Team
Rapid City, SD
605-390-7855
Yankton Police Department
Yankton, SD
605-668-5210
River City Domestic Violence Center
Yankton, SD
605-665-4811
Safe Harbor
605-226-1212
YWCA Family Violence Program
Huron, SD
605-352-2793
Aberdeen, SD
Safe Harbor Board of Directors
Aberdeen, SD
605-226-1212
South Dakota Coalition of
Citizens with Disabilities
Pierre, SD
605-945-2207
South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation
Pierre, SD
605-773-3331
The Wholeness Center Flandreau, SD
605-997-3535
Winner Resource Center for Families
Winner, SD
605-842-2736
LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAININGS
Academy in Pierre
April 7, 2015
8AM to 5PM
&
April 8, 2015
8AM to Noon
Reciprocity in Pierre
April 8, 2015
1PM to 5PM
Academy in Pierre
April 14, 2015
8AM to 5PM
&
April 15, 2015
8AM to Noon