Asheville Buncombe Coalition for Prevention of Family Violence (ABCPFV)
MINUTES
WHEN: FRIDAY, June 9, 2006
PRESENT: Anne Parker (Mountain Allergy & Asthma), Janet Harvey (AOC Custody Mediation), Denise Miller (Family Treatment Court S.O.A.R.), Amy Saunooke (Bunc. Co DSS), Lyn Clarkson (Bunc. Co DSS), Aleece Hiller (Family Court), Gary Cash (Judge), Blan Minton (Legal Aid of NC), Joel Misler (A Clear Path), Todd Weatherly (The Mediation Center), Barbara Marlow (Mission Hospital), Katie Wiles (Family Visitation Center), Kim Webb (Family Visitation Center), Lois Bernard (Child Abuse Prevention Services), Renee Collette (Mission Hospitals/ SANE), Lisa Marie Walter (Pisgah Legal Services), Zahra Coleman (Pisgah Legal Services), Kim Wright (Healers of Conflicts), Ivy Schoff (Asheville Police Dept). (19 in attendance)
CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED GRANTS:
Renee Collette (Mission Hospitals): They have a two year grant beginning 7/1/2006 to create a “forensic timeline” of the domestic or family violence. They hope to show the history of violence in the patients, including where they have gone for care and help.
Katie Wiles (FVC): FVC received a United Way grant.
Todd Weatherly (TMC): TMC also received a United Way grant.
Barbara Marlowe (Mission Hospitals) and Zahra Coleman (PLS): A grant was received for PLS to work with Mission Hospitals.
Janet Harvey (TMC): She reported that Kate Dreher (DA’s Office) has received a grant in the amount of $184,000 for gang prevention.
OTHER UPDATES:
Kim Webb is the new casemanager at FVC.
Todd Weatherly is the new Executive Director at TMC.
Kim Granelle will begin on 7/15/06 in Alan’s position in Access & Visitation Program - Family Court.
Lisa Marie Walter is a new staff attorney at PLS.
Barbara Marlow (Mission Hospitals) – Barbara is on a statewide DV committee working on workplace issues.
FAMILY COURT – Judge Gary Cash and Aleece Hiller
A handout on Family Court was prepared for our meeting reviewing the key components. (It is attached) Family Court began in Buncombe County in the Spring of 2005 as a way to speed up families working through the system by having one judge work with the family. It can be challenging with the volume of cases they have and the limited amount of time they have to give everyone. To be efficient, it is helpful to know the resources that are available for the families. It is important to understand that all issues in a family cannot be heard on the same day because there are different days for different issues and different deadlines.
There is a help desk: self serve center – staffed by Dianne Kennedy, on the ground floor of the courthouse. Packets are available for people to buy, ranging from $1.00 - $5.00, that will then need to be filed in court. They may still need some legal help to make sure the paperwork is filled out correctly. Some of the packets are quite lengthy. Blan says they have currently have custody ProSe clinics are on alternating Tuesdays – call to see which Tuesday it is.
Parenting Coordinator – This role is an impartial mediator between families. It can be appointed in high conflict custody cases. These custody cases have the potential of going to court often to resolve numerous issues. The Parenting Coordinator role is used as a mediator to resolve some of these issues to try to keep them out of court (or cut down the time spent in court). It can be very expensive for the parents.
Permanency Mediation – This is something that can be ordered (i.e. in the placement of a child) where everyone is sitting at the same table and hears the same thing (Parents, Mediators, DSS). Ideally, the case is settled with a plan agreed upon at that time. It does allow the parents to have a voice during the mediation.
Gaps in the Community – A question came up about a list of attorneys who offered a reduced fee for legal services, or sliding scale. Some people leave mediation and still need certain things done, i.e. help in filling out a form. It would be nice to offer them a place to go at a reduced cost.
It was brought up, wondering if family court has something to help people navigate through their system. No flow chart is currently available. A copy of the family court rules is available on their website www.nccourts.org. (To see the Buncombe county family court rules, go to the favorites column on the right hand side of the page, click on 'local rules' and select Buncombe County. The rules are 21 pages long.)
It was suggested to work on a diagram to help us (the agencies) and the victims to understand how to get around in the system. We could also have a brochure available with a list of the resources listed. This can be placed on the ABCPFV website for all to use. Other agencies that currently have websites can be directed to the ABCPFV website for this information. Some agencies are currently updating their website and would be willing to link to our site. Janet is willing to help work on something if others are interested.
Sincerely
Anne Parker
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