The Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk (VIBS)
Abstract
The Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk (VIBS) was established in 1976 with the core mandate being the aiding of victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse. Accordingly, VIBS has been dispensing its duties with the organization assuming an expansionary approach. VIBS has, however, not failed in its activities. It continues to offer humanitarian services. This is despite the financial challenges that it faces. However, even with the society being seemingly educated and informed, it is this paper’s contention that the organizational activities aimed at creating a state of awareness and empowering the victims are critical. In addition, the organization needs to identify the personnel gap it experiences and with immediate effects seek to place a person worthy enough for the role. This submission is of the view that the organizational success is based on its ability to fund its activities. On that premise the manager’s job should include sourcing for funds.
VIBS is a pioneer organization of its own kind intended to create a sense of awareness on the domestic and sexual violence. Ideally, as indicated in its own introductory page VIBS is intended for the support of victims of rape and domestic violence. It is critical to appreciate that this mandate does not stop with the victims, rather, the organization endeavors to access potential victims and those persons who though not directly victims, are affected by the violence visited on their relations. On that premise, VIBS should be considered as an organization intended to offer awareness, rescue and advisory services to violence and rape victims and related people.
History
VIBS was founded exactly thirty seven years ago with a rather lean mandate. It was intended to offer help services to victims of rape and domestic violence. The organization was essentially a hotline with a forum for speakers. In essence, VIBS was intended to create a connection between victims and would be aid givers in response to the violence. This was muted by its Board of Directors in appreciation of the then dicey nature of societal relations in Suffolk and its environs. Three decades later, the organization has since grown past its intended mandate and area of operations. However, it by large still retains its traditional roles of creating awareness of sexual and domestic violence and lending a helping hand to victims to the mentioned vices. It is essential to appreciate that the organizational approach entails collaboration with government agencies and non-profit organization that equally seek to offer aid to victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Mission and goals
Even with its expansion and immense growth, VIBS still maintains it traditional mission decided on upon its conception. It has three broad and related missions. These include the following: offer assistance to survivors and victims of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, give services intended to aid in the prevention of the occurrence of these crimes and raising awareness in the community of the need for justice, and compassion for the victims. Ideally, it should be appreciated that VIBS is intended to offer the victim what government does not offer. It is not upon VIBS to offer justice. Rather, it helps in access of restorative and psychological services. In other words, VIBS primary mandate is to offer help to the victims of violence and rape in the community. It can equally be argued that VIBS seeks to create a societal balance and maintain the moral code by protecting victims of heinous vices such as rape and domestic violence in society.
The goals of VIBS can be derived from its three stranded mission. First, VIBS seeks to offer assistance. In that context, their goal is that all victims of violence and rape access help. The nature of help is diverse. It is not limited to mere first aid given immediately to the victim. More will be discussed in the ensuing discourse. Secondly, VIBS seeks to reduce the occurrence of such vices in society. In that context, the organization leads in offering education and awareness services intended to remind the community of the occurrence of such vices and equally equip members with the requisite knowledge and skills useful in addressing, eliminating, preventing, and arresting such vices. In that vein, their roles are both direct and indirect. VIBS seeks to create a sense of responsibility and maturity among members of the community. In that vein, it is their goal that members would act responsibility in respect of such vices. Thirdly, VIBS seeks to create a sense of awareness. The organization desires of a society that appreciates the need to have compassion for victims of such vices and equally advance justice for them. In advancing justice, VIBS seeks to ensure that the justice department and relevant bodies and agencies play their roles in respect of providing legal relief to victims and undertaking measures aimed at rehabilitating criminals involved. In a nutshell VIBS seeks to ensure a community free from any vices and that equally appreciates the place of equality and fairness to all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and class.
Operating framework
In order to efficiently deliver, the organization operates on a number of platforms. For purposes of this paper, we shall discuss the operations in the following areas advocacy, community education, counseling, elder abuse, sexual assault nurse examiner program, the hotlines, emergency room companions, and the Help Abusers Learn Together programs.
Under advocacy the organization essentially offers legal aid to victims who opt to pursue justice in the courts. Some of the services given include: help in pursuing protection orders from court, informing victims of their legal rights and options, facilitating communication between the police and the victim and between the victim and the prosecution during the subsistence of the court case, and offer accompaniment to court during the proceeding. It is imperative to appreciate that these functions aid in the collective role of ensuring justice for the victims.
In the community education roles, the organization seeks to offer education to community members in some critical topics. The aim perhaps is to create a state of awareness and knowledge of issues on the said topics so that in overall, the community is more prepared to tackle various issues. Some of the topics extensively covered under community education include date rape and dating violence, sexual assault, cases of incest and domestic violence, sexual harassment, elder abuse cases and the interrelationship between domestic violence, and substance abuse. It is in the interest of the organization to have the members of the community educated and informed on such issues. Under counseling, the organization offers counseling to the affected victims and their families. The organization aims at restoring victims back to society and helping them accept the situation as it stands. It is critical for the affected persons to act normally and portent a situation of normalcy that is devoid of denial. In addition, creating an element of social acceptance among affected victims often requires some form of counseling.
Under the elder abuse programs, VIBS mandate includes visitation, counseling and case management of the elders who are victims of emotional, physical, financial or sexual abuse. The activity is aimed at reaching out to the elderly victims in the modern society. It is imperative to appreciate the fact that it is only within this activity that the mandate of VIBS extends into charitable activities aimed at helping the elderly. On the other hand, under the sexual assault nurse examiner program, VIBS provides resident nurses on a twenty four hour basis to victims who may require examination and consequential first aid after the rape ordeals. The examinations are traditionally carried out in private to retain the confidentiality levels so as to limit chances of stigmatization.
Under the hotlines, the organization provides twenty four hours access to its services including counseling and emergency aid to crime victims. However, the hotlines have been preferred for counseling and advisory services where the victims call and receive information and are advised on the way forward concerning their cases. The emergency room companions on the other hand accompany victims who access health services at the hospital. Participants in this program are often trained and competent counselors who offer counsel to the victims during the healing process. Lastly, the help abusers learn together is a program that trains victims on the ways of eliminating, avoiding and preventing abusive behavior.
Problems facing the organization
The significant problem that VIBS faces concerns funding. Ideally, the organization has traditionally received substantial portions of its budget funding from grants donated by the government. This was perhaps in appreciation that the services they provided were public in nature and as such necessitated the contribution of the government. The government thus at different levels, federal and state, contributed to the funding of VIBS through grants. In fact, according to the financial statements of year 2012, the total grants amounted to 1.760 million dollars. This represented over ninety five percent of the total spending. In other words, the functions of VIBS are mainly funded by grants.
However, with the onset of the global financial crisis and an additional need to reduce of the spending, governments have lately adopted austerity measures which have equally affected VIBS. In that strain, it is noteworthy that the net contribution by government towards the activities of VIBS has been on the decline. This has equally occasioned a reduction in the organizational activities. While the organization has depended heavily on the government as the main financiers, the recent developments have occasioned a change in the script. To cater for the reduced grants, the organization has found itself in the unfriendly territories of partnership. It has had to work in connection with its partners in the overall delivery of their services. Excitingly, such partners are often of the same objectives and coordination of activities does not unnecessarily prove difficult. Some of the recent partnerships the organization has had to undertake include partnerships with UCP Suffolk, Mercy Center Ministries and the Stony Brook University. It is instructive to note that it is these partnerships that have enabled the organization deliver on some of its activities. For instance, through its partnership with the Stony Brook University, the organization was able to train nurses for the sexual assault nurse examiner problems.
However, it is my submission that the organizational inefficiencies and challenges could be managed through an application of better management skills. In fact, in the case of funding, the problem stems from the fact that the organizational structure does not expressly create for clear jobs. This is attested to by the fact that the organization lacks a grant writer otherwise called the development fundraising manager. This position should be purposely created for purposes of sourcing organizational funds for the activities. The organization needs to appreciate the fact that reliance on government grants is at best limiting and at worst frustrating. For that reason, the organization needs to take the giant steps and consider other sources of income. In that vein, it would be essential for the organization to specifically assign personnel for purposes of sourcing for funds. This can best be done by employing the specialization approach. In that vein, the organization may want to select a particular person who is fully trained and informed on matters concerning funding. It is this submission’s view that specialization would enable the organization employ a person who would be able to harness resources for the overall pursuit of organizational objectives. In that same context, it should be appreciated that all activities of the organization are hedged on its financial muscle. In that context, if the organization obtains a regularly supply of income, it would be able to fund all its activities and ultimately serve the victims well.
Ordinarily, a SWOT analysis is conducted on firms that seek profits. It is intended to obtain the position of the firm in the industry in terms of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. For non-profit seeking organizations, SWOT analysis can only have limited application.
SWOT Analysis
The most significant strength of the organization lies within its employee base. It has advocates, counselors and community workers. In addition, the spirit to service in these employees is often overwhelming and one wonders why the organizational success is still elusive despite the strong employee base and commitment. However, in the same organization, the organizational structure serves as the most significant weakness. Organizational departments were not well cut out. In addition, the fact that employees volunteer to work leads to their allocation in any department. It is often common to find several cases of misapplication of the employee skills to the tasks assigned.
On the external fronts, it is instructive to appreciate the opportunities and threats facing the organization. One threat the organization faces entails reduced funding by the government. While the government had committed to funding a large portion of the budget, as it stands currently, the organization has to seek for alternative means of making income for the overall sustenance of the company. On the other hand, the extensive networking by the organization places it in a position that is strategic for any future activities. Its grassroots presence gives its members the opportunities to access the masses and impact on the society for the better.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the VIBS idea was a noble conception meant to provide help to victims of domestic violence, sexual harassment and rape. It is significant to appreciate its contribution in the community thus far. Other than creating awareness, offering counseling and advocacy services, the organization continues to play the appreciated role of maintaining the moral code. This is what in the long run defines a society. A just and conscious society is that which provides for equality for victims and endeavors to instill a spirit of justice and fairness among members. Ultimately, VIBS aims at ensuring that the victimized are restored back to society and not left out in the ghetto of neglect. This approach is critical for a community that is highly dynamic.
Appendix
References
VIBS. (2011). Annual Report . Suffolk : VIBS.
VIBS. (2013, October 3). Assistance, Prevention and Awareness. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from VIBS: ww.vibs.org/mission.html
