Stakeholder Group Meetings

MAG's Human Services Department deals with several issues regarding sensitive populations such as domestic violence and homelessness issues. Also, we work with several members of the community on methods to improve services for each of these populations and others as well. These include other non-profits organizations, shelters, other government agencies, and private citizens that are involved with these issues. The composition of those from the community also collectively come together to form stakeholder group which conduct meetings at MAG. Some of the stakeholders include Autumn House, the Sojourner Center, the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Department of Economic Security, local police departments in the Valley and many other organizations.

These stakeholder meetings occur about once a month. We discussed a couple of the projects that the MAG is working on with these community members. One is the Youth Empowerment Project, which is for teenagers. The Youth Empowerment Project allows for those participants to create concepts for public service announcements speaking to other teens about dating violence and electronic invitations to visit the Web of Friends website. YEP was created out of learning that many local teenagers who were surveyed by MAG stated that they did not always feel safe in their dating relationships. Also, about fifty-one percent stated that they either were in or knew someone that had been involved in a violent dating relationship. So YEP and the Web of Friends was created for teens to have an outlet to peers about these issues.

Also, there was discussion about teen anger management and social skill classes to help with teen dating violence, as well as the feedback from focus groups that MAG had conducted. These focus groups go to various places (schools, communiy events) in the Valley in an attempt to understand what teens thought about healthy relationships. I find that these focus groups are very useful for not only MAG, but those around the area in understanding what the youth thinks about domestic violence.

It is intriguing to find that some people view dv differently, and do not understand other types of dv other than sexual or physical abuse. Economic, psychological, and emotional abuse are also very prevelant. In my research these all preceed the physical or sexual abuse. Economic abuse in my opinion, with the economy suffering will most likely be the most readily form, however it is so tough determining where it is happening. Also, in the cases the victim cannot escape and find an outlet.

These among many other issues are discussed at these stakeholder meetings, and can shed light to many members within the community on issues at hand or potential issues.