>>> DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURGED BY 30% ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST HIT.

IT IS HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR BETTER PROTECTION FOR SURVIVORS.

ALSO, THE NEED FOR CREATING A BETTER NETWORK OF CARE.

DOZENS OF ORGANIZATIONS IN CHICAGO ARE WORKING TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS, WHILE GETTING TO THE ROOT CAUSES.

JOINING US, A HUGE GROUP.

THIS IS THE SECOND DIRECTOR AT THE CONNECTION POINT.

COFOUNDER AND CODIRECTOR OF THESE ACTIONS.

WE HAVE THE MANAGING DIRECTOR.

THEY HAVE LAW AND PRACTICE.

THEY HAVE THE OTHER CLINICS.

THEY WERE JOINING ALL OF THESE THINGS.

HOW COMMON IS IT FOR SOMEONE WHO EXPERIENCES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

HOW ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS EXTREMELY COMMON.

IT IS THE UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE THAT IS DIFFICULT FOR THE SURVIVORS TO COME FORWARD AND EXPERIENCE WHAT THEY NEED.

IT IS NOT AS AN INDIVIDUAL PROBLEM, OR A PROBLEM THAT A SURVIVOR HAS HAD TO FIGURE OUT ON THEIR OWN.

IT IS A COMMUNITY PROBLEM THAT WE ARE ALL TRYING TO CREATE.

IF THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY CAN COME FORWARD, OR THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY CAN SHARE SOME OF THAT THEY TRUST, THEY KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO THEM.

THERE IS NOT A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

THEY ARE SHARED BY EVERYONE.

IT IS REALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR IT SURVIVOR TO COME FORWARD.

APPEALING TO ACTION AND ALL THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WILL BE HEARING FROM THIS CONVERSATION, WE ARE WORKING TO CREATE A COMMUNITY RESPONSE.

WE HAVE THE GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE TASK FORCE, AS PART OF THE ISSUES.

WE HAVE A POWERFUL NETWORK OF PEER SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO COME FORWARD.

THEY ARE ACCESSING TRUSTED POINTS OF CONTACT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

>> WE RECENTLY SAW THE CASE OF A LITTLE VILLAGE DAUGHTER, AND A MOTHER, FATALLY SHOT IN THEIR HOME, TWO WEEKS BEFORE SHE HAD FILED AN ORDER OF PROTECTION AGAINST HER HUSBAND AFTER HE THREATENED TO KILL HER.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE WENT WRONG IN THIS SITUATION?

>> IT IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE THAT WENT WRONG.

AS YOU SAID, SHE DID ALL THOSE THINGS.

WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE?

WHY DON'T YOU GET AN ORDER OF PROTECTION?

SHE DID THAT.

WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE REMEDIES.

THEY HAVE THE ORDER OF PROTECTION.

IT IS STILL JUST A PIECE OF PAPER.

MOST OF US WERE WORKING IN THIS FIELD, UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES THEY CAN CONTROL THE DYNAMIC.

THEY DON'T CARE THAT IT IS A PIECE OF PAPER.

UNFORTUNATELY, KILLING HIS DAUGHTER AND SHOOTING HIS SON.

THEY SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT THE PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT IS MOVING FORWARD.

THEY HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY.

THEY ARE SURRENDERING ALL THAT.

>> WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE CHALLENGES.

WE ARE SERVING THE REVOCATION OF CARS, AND SELECTING A WEAPON.

THIS WOULD GIVE THE POLICE AUTHORITY TO IMMEDIATELY REMOVE A GUN AFTER THAT ORDER OF PROTECTION IS ISSUED.

THEY WOULD GIVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 48 HOURS TO DO IT.

WHAT A BILL LIKE THIS HAVE HELPED GONZALES AND HER FAMILY?

>> EVERY SINGLE LAYER OF PROTECTION THAT WE CAN WRAPAROUND SURVIVOR, HELPS THE SURVIVOR.

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.

WHERE WE PUT IT IN THE SURVIVORS WAY, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITIES.

WE HAVE LEGAL ACTIONS.

BY THE TIME SHE DECIDES THAT SHE IS GOING TO REMOVE HERSELF FOR HER OWN INDEPENDENCE, SHE IS NOT SCARED OF COMING TO SEE AN ATTORNEY.

THEY ARE REMOVING FIREARMS.

ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO WRAP OUR MINDS AROUND SURVIVORS, INCLUDES INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT STEPS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THIS IS A BIG MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.

YOU CAN HELP, AND YOU CAN PARTNER WITH US TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER.

IF YOU WANTED TO DECREASE THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE MASS SHOOTINGS, YOU CAN INCREASE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

BEHIND EVERY MASS SHOOTING IS A STORY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

WE ARE TRYING TO TACK ON THE ECONOMY.

THEY HAVE THE DIRECT IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY.

THEY SHOULD NOT BE PARTNERING THIS TOGETHER.

THEY SHOULD NOT BE HOLDING HANDS.

THEY HAVE HISTORICALLY SEPARATED EACH ONE OF OUR AGENCIES.

THEY ARE TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER, TO TAKE DOWN THE THINGS THAT PUT THESE BARRIERS BETWEEN SURVIVORS, AND IS GETTING THEM HELP TRADE THEY HAVE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND ABUSERS.

>> I WANT TO GET THEM IN HERE BRIEFLY.

WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU AS WELL.

WHAT KIND OF PROTECTIONS ARE ARTIE AVAILABLE FOR WOMEN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER OPTIONS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> IS A SOMEONE THAT YOU MENTIONED.

WE WERE LOOKING AT PROTECTIVE ORDERS.

WE KNOW HOW THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK.

THESE ARE INTENDED TO KEEP SOMEONE SAFE.

SOMETHING HAS BEEN HARMING THEM, AND IT OFTEN HAPPENS AWAY FROM THEM.

IT PREVENTS HIM FROM HAVING ACCESS TO A DANGEROUS WEAPON.

WE HAVE OTHER LEGAL AVENUES.

THEY ARE FILING A PARENTAGE CASE.

WE WERE LOOKING AT THE OTHER PROCESS.

IT WAS PART OF THE WORKMAN SURVIVORS.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT WHEN ONE THING WAS GOING TO SOLVE THE ISSUE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

THEY WERE TAKING ANOTHER ACTION.

THEY WERE GOING TO WORK FOR EVERYONE.

WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR CLIENTS.

WE PROVIDE LINKS TO OTHER PROVIDERS.

THIS INCLUDES COUNSELING.

WE DO SAFETY PLANNING.

WE ARE TRYING TO HELP OUR CLIENTS ACCESS AVAILABLE FINANCIAL RESOURCES.

THIS IS SO THAT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT IT.

THIS IS FROM A WIDER LENS.

>> THIS SUMMER, YOUR TEAM HAS BEEN LEADING VIRAL ACTIONS LED BY WORKSHOPS IN THE COMMUNITY.

>> THOSE CONVERSATIONS, SURVIVORS ARE SPEAKING FROM THEIR OWN EXPERTISE.

THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF LEAVING ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS.

THEY ARE TRYING TO GET AT THE HEART OF THESE ISSUES.

WHAT ARE THE TRADITIONAL GENERALS?

WHAT IS THE UNDERSTANDING OF CONSENT?

WHAT IS A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE?

WE KNOW WHAT SURVIVOR LED JUSTICES ACTIONS WILL LOOK LIKE.

THEY HAVE ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

THEY ARE GOING AND TALKING TO CERTAIN PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

THEY HAVE NEVER HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE.

THIS IS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION.

WE ARE STARTING TO OPEN UP THOSE DIALOGUES AGAIN.

SO THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN COME FORWARD.

SOMEBODY CAN COME FORWARD.

THIS IS SOMEBODY THEY CAN TRUST.

WE CAN SUPPORT THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT.

THIS IS ALL TODAY.

>> I WANT TO GET ONE MORE QUESTION.

WE HAVE 45 SECONDS LEFT.

THE ORGANIZATION STARTED 24 HOURS WITHIN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS.

THIS WAS ALL HERE SOME YEARS AGO.

HOW IMPORTANT HAVE THESE RESOURCES BEEN PROVEN TO BE?

>> THEY ARE LITERALLY LIFE-SAVING.

THEY REALLY ARE LIFE-SAVING RESOURCES.

THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN.

WE ARE ABLE TO RESPOND.

SOMETIMES, IT IS THE MOST VULNERABLE AND DANGEROUS TIMES.

THEY HAVE DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS.

IT HAS BEEN PIVOTAL.

THIS IS ALL BEFORE THEY CAME IN.

THERE REALLY WEREN'T ANY LAWS.

THEY WERE REALLY TRYING TO PICK UP PHONES LIKE THAT.

>> WE ARE GOING TO SHARE A NUMBER OF THINGS IN JUST A SECOND.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE OUT OF TIME.

THANK YOU TO ALL