1. Sharing Our Success: Building Capacity for Communication, Conflict Resolution and True Collaboration Harvesting Hope: Creating Communities that Counter Violence Against Women with Disabilities A Montana Project Focused on Women with Cognitive and Psychiatric Disabilities COLLABORATION TEAM Bill Heinecke – State of Montana DPHHS Developmental Disabilities Program Cindy Flom – Montana Center on Disabilities Heather Torrence Mattson - Montana Center on Disabilities Nicole Gray – Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Tina Hoagland – Montana Center on Disabilities Tracy Velazquez – Montana Mental Health Association Planting Seeds…Raising Awareness…Harvesting Hope

2. Spring Retreat – Cross Training and Capacity Building Participants – Montana Collaboration members, VERA staff Nancy Smith and Alissa Yarkony and Facilitator Roberta Sick Highlights –Discussion of 7 Habits of Defective and Effective Teams and Members –Gradient decision making concept was introduced to team –Key shared concepts: all collaboration members and organizations are committed to this project as a social justice issue; all saw “denial” from community members, families and professionals as an important challenge –Intensive cross-training sessions on domestic violence and sexual assault, developmental disabilities, mental health, and the general disability service system –Final session – Intense, emotional session focused on shared concepts, definitions and goals…work toward answering the question “What Next?”

3. Harvesting Hope: Creating Communities that Counter Violence Against Women with Disabilities Spring Retreat The issue feels immense, endless sometimes…

4. Harvesting Hope: Creating Communities that Counter Violence Against Women with Disabilities Spring Retreat We are a team of individuals, each with a separate set of ideals and motivations…… United by our passion for our work and our unceasing commitment to justice and safety for all.

5. Harvesting Hope: Creating Communities that Counter Violence Against Women with Disabilities Spring Retreat We build trust and open, honest lines of communication.

6. Harvesting Hope: Creating Communities that Counter Violence Against Women with Disabilities Spring Retreat We are committed to progress and change

7. The vision of the Project is that women with cognitive and/or psychiatric disabilities in Montana who have experienced sexual or domestic violence will receive full access to services and treatment, both at the time of crisis and in the months and years that follow – services and treatment that are needed, appropriate, and desired by the woman herself and provided with compassion and an open mind. The mission of the Project is to bring together individuals with a personal understanding of violence against women with cognitive and/or psychiatric disabilities with professionals and volunteers working in the fields of domestic and sexual violence, disability services, mental health, and other areas of medicine, health and human services in specific communities to raise awareness, improve services, develop more inclusive policies and create community-wide systems change. These partnerships will be built in specific communities and will increase knowledge and understanding of both clinical and individual issues, and result in the formation of a community of people deeply committed to making this issue a priority and providing the best possible services to those in need.

8. Retreat Accomplishments Project name Cross Training Identification of organizational and system challenges Creating an atmosphere of trust and openness Achieving honest communication in times of conflict and high emotions Renewal of energy and enthusiasm for the exciting work ahead