Respect First Expands to Brooklyn!

📰RECENT NEWS📰

ENDGBV and the Collaborative for Restoring Healing & Transforming Communities

NYC Mayor's Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) joined community-based organizations, survivors, advocates, and Restorative Justice practitioners, collectively known as The Collaborative, on Wednesday at the Restorative Justice Convening, hosted at Women Building Up in Brooklyn. The event was a reflection of the last five years of restorative justice initiatives in addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) in New York City, a sharing of best practices and experiences in the field, and a visioning of strategies and next steps to build on into the future. This work traces back to  “Seeding Generations” a report from 2017 by Collaborative member, Purvi Shah developed from the experiences and wisdom of survivors of intimate violence and people who have caused harm, the Coalition on Working with Abusive Partners (CoWAP), and the Interagency Working Group on NYC’s Blueprint for Abusive Partner Intervention (IWG), of which ENDGBV was a part, and advocates in the field. Since then, NYC has made the largest municipal investment in free, voluntary programs for people who have been abusive in their relationships.

ENDGBV supports two of these restorative justice abusive partner intervention programs (APIP): Respect and Responsibility an adult APIP program, and Respect First, a similar program for teens and young adults aged 13-21 who have been abusive in family, dating relationships and friendships. These programs give people more options to define and create justice and accountability outside traditional law enforcement systems to understand the root of harmful behaviors, heal from trauma, and learn new ways to relate, process, and change behaviors to end cycles of violence. We look forward to continuing this work, and thank The Collaborative, and all our partners for their commitment to this work, and our community as a whole.

Respect First is operated by RISE, a team under the Center for Justice Innovation , and launched in January 2025. The program is now operating in the Bronx and Brooklyn, with other boroughs coming soon. See the feature in this week’s newsletter!

Respect & Responsibility is offered through three community-based providers and is live in all 5 boroughs. Learn more by visiting this link: https://www.nyc.gov/site/ocdv/programs/initiatives.page

Bronx FJC Attends Community Baby Shower

ENDGBV’s Bronx Family Justice Center (FJC) met with local families and expectant parents to talk about family resources for the 2nd Annual Community Baby shower hosted by FORDHAM BEDFORD COMMUNITY SERVICES INC . Robust pregnancy healthcare and parental services are vital resources for families and communities alike, but resources for domestic and gender-based violence can be an equally important resource for expectant mothers as pregnant people can experience a high risk of violence at home.

The Bronx FJC answered a lot of questions from new parents and families about the services we offer at our centers, including safety planning, mental health services, childcare during appointments, and community events like backpack drives and trauma-informed yoga.

Respect First Expands to Brooklyn!

Our APIP program for youth, Respect First, is now enrolling in Brooklyn! Respect First is a free, city-wide program for young people ages 13-21 who have harmed others or been unhealthy in their relationships. It focuses on healing, self-reflection, and taking responsibility for actions. The program includes a 16-week group experience, one-on-one case management, and connections to other helpful resources. The goal is to address the root causes behind harmful behavior and help participants make positive changes in their lives.

Features of the program include:

-          Stipend for participants

-          Voluntary, community-sourced referrals or court-mandated participation

-          Program focuses on all types of relationships (family, dating, friendships)

-          One-on-one case management is provided

If you or a loved one are interested in attending for the program, register here. Program has limited availability.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

Intro

May is Mental Health Awareness month, and ENDGBV is committed to ending the stigma against mental health services, starting conversations, and promoting emotional well-being. For many survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, mental healthcare can be a crucial step of healing. All five of our Family Justice Centers host in-house mental health and counseling services for survivors and their children through our partnership with NYC Health & Hospitals, along with wellness activities such as trauma-informed yoga and arts-based programming. Our FJC’s also utilize a vast referral network of providers with mental health services available including culturally informed providers which can be vital in alleviating cultural or language barriers in receiving services.

To learn more:

-          Call 311 or visit the NYC Family Justice Center (FJC) in the borough where you live (or one where you feel safest) to get connected. All Centers are open for in-person or remote services, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

-          NYC’s 24-Hour Hope Hotline: 1 (800) 621-HOPE (4673).

-          Chat with an Advocate: on.nyc.gov/Hotlinechat.

-          Search services from community-based providers in the NYC Hope Services Finder.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Crossroads Convening on the Future of Public Safety at John Jay College

May 13-14 | 9:00 A.M. - 5:30 P.M.

Join us at John Jay College (CUNY) later this evening as Commissioner Sethi will be speaking with fellow survivor advocates on the Repairing Harm – Supporting Victims & Healing Communities panel. The panel seeks to discuss strategies being used to reduce harm both within and outside of the criminal justice system, best practices to support survivors of crime, and how communities are a key part of both the reduction of and recovery from harm.

Panelists joining Commissioner Sethi on-stage will be:

-          Bernadine Y. Waller, Assistant Professor, Principal Investigator (DIVAA Lab), Director of Community Engagement, ENGAGE, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

-          Liz Roberts, President and CEO, Safe Horizon

-          Kira Shepherd, Vice President of Organizing and Policy, Common Justice

The panel will be moderated by current Director of the New York State Office of Victim Services and former Special Advisor to ENDGBV, Bea Hanson!

Department of Health hosts convening on TGNCNBI health

ENDGBV Deputy Commissioner for External Affairs and Community Initiatives Tesa Arózqueta will be speaking at the NYC Health convening on Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, Non-Binary, Intersex (TGNCNBI) health on May 20th. ENDGBV is being invited to speak about TGNCNBI survivors of domestic and gender-based violence and best practices on how to provide support and assist in the healing of survivors. The conference at large will focus on barriers to care, and the strides NYC has been taking to ensure our TGNCNBI New Yorkers are healthy and have access to the resources they need.

Check our Instagram @nycendgbv for updates on this event.

ENDGBV Attending Office of Nightlife Town Hall

New York City is known for its nightlife, and ENDGBV wants the nightlife community to know we are here for you!  ENDGBV will be participating in an informational panel for nightlife professionals, hosted by the NYC Office of Nightlife , a subsidiary of the NYC Department of Small Business Services ,  to share resources and information for staff, patrons and community members about what domestic and gender-based violence looks like and how to respond. Our office is here to help support fun and safe nightlife spaces for all!

Check out the Office of Nightlife Town Hall:

🗓  Wednesday, 5/28/2025 🕓 4P.M.- 7P.M. 📍 415 5th Ave

👩💻VIRTUAL TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS🖱️

🔍Identifying and Addressing Secondary Trauma

May 21, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. | Register Now

Are you a supervisor or caseworker for clients who are dealing with the impacts of domestic and gender-based violence? It can be common for caseworkers in our field to have their own past with dv/gbv. How can we empower social workers to help other survivors while ensuring they are well supported and equipped to handle triggers in the work environment? What should a caseworker do if their personal features or environment are a trigger for their client? This training provided by ENDGBV addresses these questions with the goal of increasing awareness and support for secondary trauma in the workplace and going over best practices to address complex client needs.

📲CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES📥

🏗️Brownsville Multi-Service Center Request for Proposal – Due May 29th, 2025

Department of Social Services and Human Resource Administration (DSS/HRA) are seeking a nonprofit vendor to oversee maintenance and operation of the new DSS/HRA Brownsville Multi-Service Center (MSC) located at 444 Thomas Boyland Street, Brooklyn, NY. Interested vendors should submit a proposal and prequalification application through PASSport by no later than May 29, 2025. DSS/HRA anticipates awarding one (1) contract. The request can be accessed here. 

The anticipated contract start date is July 1, 2025, and the center is expected to open to the public as of Summer 2026. 

Fatality Advisory Commission Submissions

The Advisory Committee on Domestic and Gender-Based Fatalities (FAC) will review case-level data on domestic and gender-based violence fatalities that have occurred in New York City. The FAC is comprised of City agencies and will seek input from the families and friends of the homicide victim and perpetrator. The FAC will conduct up to two case reviews a year.

Through the review of fatalities, the FAC will develop policy and program recommendations that improve the City’s response to gender-based violence survivors who are seeking services. Ultimately, the goal of the FAC is to reduce the number of domestic and gender-based homicides that occur in New York City. 

The FAC is accepting case referrals from the public, government agencies, and non-government entities. To be eligible for review:

1.            The fatality must be related to domestic or gender-based violence. Domestic violence can involve two types of relationships:

a.    Intimate partner: individuals who are currently or formally married, divorced, dating, boyfriend/girlfriend or who have a child-in-common.

b.    Other family: individuals who are related by marriage or blood, such as parents/children, siblings, grandparents/grandchildren, aunts/uncles, cousins, and in-laws. Gender-based violence includes a fatality that was due to the victim’s gender or perceived gender.

2.            All criminal and civil justice involvement must be completed; and 

3.            The fatality must have occurred in New York City. 

To refer a case for review, please complete this form. If you have any questions please contact Edward Hill, Deputy Commissioner for Research, Evaluation and Training at Ehill@cityhall.nyc.gov.

⚖️POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATES⚖️

State

📜New Bill will require shelter allowances to keep up with local rent

S1454/A1507 Through this bill, temporary monthly shelter allowance for qualified individuals must be able to receive up to 100% of the fair market rent for their area. This can provide a more stable living environment through which recipients can work to secure permanent housing and other necessities.

📜New bill gets rid of rent for homeless shelters

S3787/A745 will prohibit the collection of any form of payment as a requirement to stay in a homeless shelter across the State of New York. Currently, homeless shelters run by providers, businesses, and municipalities are able to collect a percentage of income from homeless individuals and families in order to stay.

🔍INCLUDE YOUR ORGANIZATION IN THE NYC HOPE SERVICES DIRECTORY🛜

The Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) has updated NYC HOPE Services, an online directory of services and information to support survivors of gender-based violence and crime (see: nyc.gov/hopeservices). This web portal will allow all crime victims to visit one website to find services in their neighborhood.

If you would like your organization to be listed on NYC HOPE Services please complete to submit the appropriate information. If you have any questions please contact Edward Hill, Deputy Commissioner for Research, Evaluation and Training at Ehill@cityhall.nyc.gov