Women's center gets federal grant

COEUR d'ALENE - The Coeur d'Alene Women's Center will receive a $750,000 grant to help prevent and respond to rural domestic violence.

The money from the U.S. Department of Justice will be used to develop the North Idaho Regional Coordinated Community Response Network.

Toby Johnson, rural grant manager, said North Idaho has a high rate of domestic violence.

"Domestic violence affects too many women in North Idaho, and rural communities face special challenges in dealing with this issue," she said.

Johnson said strong, coordinated community response to domestic violence is the goal of this network

The network will join forces with existing programs in the four northern counties in Idaho and focus on education and training programs to reduce domestic violence. 

The project will also coordinate with local agencies to synchronize the response to rural domestic violence. 

"Typical rural challenges of distance and isolation" can contribute to the problem.

"Improving community response to domestic violence ensures that victims and their children will be managed in a cooperative manner in a complex legal and social service system," Johnson said.

Anne Chatfield, Women's Center executive director, said that over the next several weeks it will be placing one rural advocate in each of the four northern counties.

"Benewah, Shoshone, Bonner, and Boundary counties will work to develop a systematic plan to bring individuals working with victims together in an attempt to enhance available services to them," Chatfield said.

She said that will be accomplished by creating and enhancing collaborative partnerships between criminal justice agencies, victim services providers and community organizations, "to respond to crimes of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, and to provide services to the victims of such violence."

Chatfield said community leaders have said they fear there could be a spike in domestic violence.

She said the economic slump hits those in poverty first and most of the time, women who go to their shelter don't have credit, and nothing in savings. 

"A rocky economy can be a trigger for domestic violence, especially among men, Chatfield said. "They feel like they're the ones that are the breadwinners. They're supposed to take care of things and when that doesn't happen, a lot of times it creates more tension in the home."

Information: Chatfield, 664-9303