For domestic violence and sexual assault victims, access to economic security programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly known as food stamps), unemployment insurance (UI), are critically important. These essential benefits help survivors afford the basics (like food, housing, and healthcare) and rebuild their lives after violence. This webinar will provide current information about significant barriers survivors encounter in these systems; the role of partnership building across fields; and opportunities to strengthen these programs to benefit survivors and their families.
The discussion will include:
• Data from NRCDV’s recent survey of over 1200 advocates and service providers about survivors’ experiences accessing economic security programs
• Strategies for building stronger relationships with public benefits program staff at the state and local levels
• Current threats to these programs and opportunities to engage in systems-level advocacy
After this training, participants will be able to:
• Describe the role that economic security programs play in survivors’ lives
• Identify the primary barriers and challenges survivors encounter when trying to access these programs
• Name at least 2 strategies for developing and sustaining collaborations across fields
• Name at least 2 opportunities or strategies for engaging in advocacy at the state and federal levels to strengthen economic security programs for survivors
Cost:
Free for members / $25 for non-members
Speaker
Shaina Goodman, Director of Policy at the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV), provides programmatic leadership and oversight to NRCDV’s administrative advocacy and policy-related technical assistance, with an emphasis on the intersection of domestic violence and economic justice, including housing, public benefits, and work-family supports. She also plays a central role in key initiatives, including Building Comprehensive Solutions to Domestic Violence and the DV Evidence Project. Shaina has prior experience in federal legislative and appropriations advocacy, grassroots organizing, and campus-based advocacy and training. She is passionate about social justice work, especially as it relates to privilege, oppression and intergroup dialogue. Shaina received her JD, a Master’s in Social Work and a Bachelor’s degree in Women & Gender Studies from Washington University in St. Louis. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Maryland.