TAMPA, Fla. — October is domestic violence awareness month. ABC Action News wants to make sure local survivors know about all of the resources available to them in the Tampa Bay area.
The Spring of Tampa Bay is a certified domestic violence center for Hillsborough County. Our Lauren St. Germain met with leaders there to learn about their legal services program and how it can impact the life of a domestic violence survivor.
Denise Vaughan is the consulting attorney with The Spring of Tampa Bay. Vaughan said the statewide program allows attorneys who are employed at certified domestic violence centers to provide free legal services and help survivors obtain an injunction for protection.
“It is totally free, and it does not matter if there are resources in the home because a big part of power and control is financial abuse. There may be resources in the home, but our client does not have access to it,” said Vaughn.
This program allows survivors to learn what the law is and their rights, have a sounding board for their next step, get help with paperwork, and have a legal expert go to court with them. Eighty-five attorneys work throughout the state at 33 certified domestic violence centers.
“We came on the scene and have been leveling the playing field for domestic violence survivors and their children really ever since,” said Mindy Murphy, president and CEO of The Spring of Tampa Bay.
Murphy said statewide, almost 15,000 survivors receive legal advice and representation every year.
“A domestic violence injunction is just a piece of paper, but what is behind that piece of paper is someone stepping into the arena with you and saying, 'What has happened to you is not your fault. It is not fair. It is not right,'” said Murphy.
Both Vaughan and Murphy said this is a game changer for survivors, and they have seen the impact in real-time.
“At the point that a person calls, they often can be really bad. They are feeling pretty bleak and helpless. Then to see over a period of time, to watch that person start to get their voice back and get their power back and feel empowered to make the decisions that are best for them and/or their children, is so rewarding,” said Vaughan.
The program is funded statewide through the Office of the Attorney General.
Representatives with the Spring of Tampa Bay tell us the following centers have attorneys on staff: The Spring (Hillsborough), CASA (Pinellas), Sunrise (Pasco), Dawn Center (Hernando), Hope Family Services (Manatee), Peace River (Polk, Hardee, Highlands), SPARCC (Sarasota & Desoto) and CARE (Charlotte).
