Down the Rabbit Hole

Welcome to the final episode of Down The Rabbit Hole Season 2! Today, Sarah and Victoria join Samantha and William in a battle royale of MSWs and MPHs (Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health)! In all seriousness, in this episode we explore the differences and similarities in the ways the public health and social work fields approach advocacy and violence prevention. Tuning in you’ll hear about our failures during our studies, the paths we took following receiving our Master’s degrees, how to become a licensed social public health worker, and how you can tailor your own journey. We also delve into working before receiving your degree, the benefits of doing so, the dangers of lack of community-based research, the different types of research used, and why the collaboration of the entire system is imperative to end violence. Finally, we share some tips for anyone looking to get their MPH or MSW. To hear all this and more, press play now!

Firearms are a big topic of conversation right now in the country, particularly in Texas, and so, in today’s episode, we take a deep dive into their impact on domestic violence survivors and their communities. Joined by Mikisha Hooper and Mohini Lal, we discuss the Honoring Texas Victims Report and what it tells us about firearms and their role in domestic violence. We talk about firearm prohibitions and transfer protocols that are already in place, pitfalls related to the enforcement of these, why it’s so easy for prohibited possessors to legally buy firearms, the problem of accountability when it comes to the sellers, and how the current system puts first responders at risk. We also share our views on the need for community understanding of domestic violence and social support for victims. We discuss how to move from an approach of response or intervention to one of prevention and share some additional resources on the intersection of firearms and domestic violence. To hear more about some of the preventative measures, strategies, and tactics that we can use to address this serious issue, tune in today!

Please note that this episode carries a heavy trigger warning for domestic violence as well as firearms with references to mass shootings.

LGBTQ+ inclusive services and policies are essential to help people understand members of the LGBTQ+ community, increase the safety and security of LGBTQ+ people, and ultimately create a more inclusive world. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning as we discuss some sensitive topics such as suicide due to lack of acceptance of gender identity and sexual orientation. Today on Down The Rabbit Hole, we are joined by Leslie McMurray. Leslie, among many things, is the Transgender Education and Advocacy Associate at Resource Center--the largest LGBTQ+ service organization in Texas. Tuning in this pride month you will hear about the policies Leslie uses to help businesses become more LGBTQ+ inclusive, the importance of accepting people for who they are, as well as why empathy and compassion is essential. We also discuss why there is no ‘right time’ to come out and the importance of having support systems for people of all ages discovering their gender identity and sexuality. Finally, we delve into gender care for children and how it is handled. Join us to do your part in filling the world with love and pride!

The events of the Uvalde school shooting shocked not only America but also the world. The rise in mass shootings in America in recent years is a great cause for concern and reaching solutions will require difficult discussions to be had. In today’s show, the TCFV Prevention Team takes the time to reflect on the recent events in Uvalde and some of the wide-ranging impacts. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning, as we cover topics related to trauma, mass shootings, and other difficult topics. Listener discretion is advised. We discuss how people are feeling after the recent tragic events, why some people feel guilty, and why the proposed solutions will not work, as well as the role of privilege in accessing mental health support, how mass shootings are an intersection of other larger societal problems, and some of the current challenges facing the Uvalde community. We also talk about the stigma that surrounds mental health and why holistic solutions and broader cultural and policy shifts are needed, plus we share some helpful resources for people who need support, as well as how you can help the Uvalde community. Make sure to tune in today for this important conversation.

Welcome back to Down the Rabbit Hole! During today’s episode, we talk about something we have never talked about - DVHRTs, or Domestic Violence High-Risk Teams. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic violence and related topics. Today’s guest is our colleague, Dr. David Scott. Join us to hear how he came to train officers on Domestic Violence High-Risk Teams before becoming a policy coordinator. We discuss what a DVHRT is and why leaving domestic violence incidents to the police to manage is insufficient. Dr. Scott shares the goal of DVHRTs - which is to take the guesswork out of domestic violence cases - and reveals how he goes about matching teams to specific cases. We touch on funding, community resources, and dive into some meaningful statistics as well as how these statistics show us the importance of DVHRTs. TW: For listeners who wish to avoid detailed statistics around domestic violence, please skip audio between [00:40:38] and [00:41:51].

We are joined by wonderful co-workers Erika Reyna-Brodhag and Diane Bocklage to discuss BIPPs—Batterer Intervention and Prevention Programs; we break down what they are, the purpose they serve, and how they’re facilitated. Erika and Diane are on the Support to Services Providers team at TCFV, specifically the Family Violence Services sub-team, which supports BIPP services and other programs in a variety of services. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning; the focus is on offender services and batterer intervention programs, thus we mention domestic violence. The goal of BIPPs is behavior change and accountability, that’s a given, but the true goal is safety in communities and survivor safety. In our conversation with Erika and Diane, we discuss the importance of BIPPs, who the programs are designed for, and how they’re structured in Texas, specifically. Tune in to find out more about the society-driven factors that lead to violence and why getting to the root of anger is far more valuable than anger management in putting an end to domestic violence.

There’s a common dichotomy in the way society thinks about domestic violence and financial independence: survivors are simultaneously expected to “just leave” and are also somehow expected to avoid poverty. Joining us today to discuss economic justice is Mona Muro! Please note that this episode comes with a trigger warning about economic abuse, domestic violence, white supremacy, and colonialism. Feel free to take a break as needed, but we hope you can join us to learn about what defines economic justice, how we develop our concepts and contexts of economics and finances, and how our movement can challenge the systems in place that perpetuate economic abuse. We delve into the money messages that we have been exposed to throughout our lives, and how what we have internalized about finances can impact our responses to economic abuse. Mona describes the importance of having the conversation about economic justice in bringing the movement to those who most need it and why she is driving for a shift in the narrative from a place of scarcity to that of abundance. We wrap up the episode with Mona’s view of where the movement is going and the changes that need to be implemented to both the tax and the credit systems. For all this and so much more, tune in today.

All too often, the people making the rules on survivor care and policy don't have personal experience in this area. This week William and cohost Samantha are joined by Liz Bailey to talk about her journey to advocacy and the importance of diverse survivors' voices in this space. A speech therapist by trade, she is a survivor, an advocate, and the host of a podcast herself, The Pretty Truth, and she is currently writing a book about her experiences. In this episode, Liz shares the steps she found most useful in the lifelong process of regaining self-trust after leaving an abusive relationship, before shedding light on the value of getting quiet inside and how this action helps build a solid relationship with yourself, from the inside out. We then dive into her passion for advocacy in order to address a system that is broken, and the need for diverse and inclusive survivor voices to fully inform policy and care that is supportive. We also discuss the opportunity to address systemic change and prevention with the next generation, and discuss some all-too-familiar scenarios where education of officers of the law and court is crucial in creating a trauma-informed lens. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic abuse. We hope you can join us to hear Liz's vision for the future, plus the perceptive and realistic advice from a friend that allowed her to take the first steps toward empowerment!

On today’s episode of Down the Rabbit Hole, William and Kate are joined by Jennifer Mudge and Mohini Lal to discuss reproductive justice and how it intersects with intimate partner violence. Serving as a TCFV Public Policy Coordinator and Public Policy Manager respectively, Jen and Mohini have many years of demonstrated experience in the gender-based violence and reproductive justice movements between them. Listen in as we reflect on the intersectional nature of reproductive justice and how it encompasses not just the right to choose if, when, and how to have children, but also broader social issues such as environmental justice, domestic violence, and gender-affirming care. We also touch on common taboos and misconceptions, how reproductive coercion is rooted in systems of oppression, and Jen and Mohini share some helpful resources for survivors and listeners in Texas and beyond. Reproductive justice is a complex topic that can be difficult to talk about. As such, please be aware that today’s episode carries a trigger warning for trauma related to reproductive justice, reproductive coercion, and abortion, as well as domestic and sexual violence. We hope that you find this conversation insightful and informative, but please feel free to take a break should any of today’s content be triggering for you.

PATH Framework (path-framework.com)

Jane’s Due Process (janesdueprocess.org)

Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE) (urge.org)

Avow Texas (avowtexas.org)

All-Options (all-options.org)

Center for Reproductive Rights (reproductiverights.org)

National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) (napawf.org)

Black Women’s Health Imperative (bwhi.org)

Sister Song (sistersong.net)

National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (latinainstitute.org)

Reproductive Abuse and Coercion- WomensLaw (womenslaw.org)

Power to Decide's Once Key Question Campaign (powertodecide.org/one-key-question) [previously mentioned in the "Pregnancy & DV" episode]

Every Body Texas (everybodytexas.org)