10/8/2020 Fireside CharLA - Featuring Karen M. Gonzalez & Susan Rubio
Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills (Senate Bill 1276 and Senate Bill 1141) authored by Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) that provide protections and services for domestic violence survivors.
Senate Bill 1276 ensures domestic violence service providers are able to keep services accessible during and after COVID-19 by removing the 10 percent cash or in-kind matching requirement for state grants awarded to domestic violence programs that provide essential resources. In addition to state requirements, domestic violence service providers must also meet match fund requirements for federal funding sources.
It is expected, with ongoing social distancing requirements and possible economic downturn, that domestic violence service providers will continue to be negatively impacted. This bill now eliminates the match requirement and will provide some flexibility and relief to programs providing essential services in our communities.
Senate Bill 1141 expands protections for domestic violence survivors by allowing them to use descriptions of psychologically damaging and abusive behavior, referred to as coercive control, as supporting evidence in California family court hearings and criminal trials. This behavior of coercive control includes: Isolating the victim from friends, relatives, or other support; depriving the victim of basic necessities; controlling the victim’s communications, daily behavior, finances, economic resources, and many other behaviors that cause severe emotional distress.
FEATURING KAREN M. GONZALEZ
Karen .M. Gonzalez is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. These experiences prompted her to train through Echo Parenting and Education to become a trauma-informed nonviolent parent educator. She is a public speaker and uses her voice to empower others to live a violence free life.
Karen is also the founder of Helping Hands Resource Center. In addition, she is trained as a healing art leader and a wellness advocate. Her passion is to inform others about the challenges trauma creates in our daily lives and what can be done to overcome trauma
FEATURING SUSAN RUBIO
Senator Rubio was first elected as City Clerk in Baldwin Park in 2005, where she focused on providing equal service, transparency, best practices, and protecting democracy for city residents. In 2009, she was elected to the Baldwin Park City Council, where she helped balance the city budget during the recession while protecting vital services like public safety. She also worked on policies that gave women equal representation on city commissions, creating domestic violence programs, and implementing tougher environmental rules.
Senator Rubio represents District 22 in the San Gabriel Valley, which is in the eastern portion of Los Angeles County. She is Chair of the Senate Insurance Committee and Committee Member of Energy, Utilities, Communications; Health; Transportation; and Governmental Organization. She is also a Senate Select Committee Member of the Governor's 2019 Report: Wildfires and Climate Change - California's Energy Future; The Social Determinants of Children’s Well-Being; Asian Pacific Islander Affairs; Mental Health; California-Mexico Cooperation; and California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange.
WHEN
October 08, 2020 at 5:30pm - 6:30pm
CONTACT
Richard Corral · info@unitedlatinxfund.org