Changing Systems - Partnership para Paz

25th Anniversary

Changing Systems
PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE COUNTY
National Impact
& Training
Take Action!

Crisis Line: 651.772.1611

Partnership with the County

Casa de Esperanza and Ramsey County (St. Paul) have ventured into a variety of cooperative efforts that are resulting in sensitizing the county to Latino cultures and experiences.

We broke ground in 2000 with Partnership Para Paz, training probation officers about Latino cultures and domestic violence.
The county is currently funding promising and innovative initiatives to help families on public assistance move into employment; we are assisting them in hearing the community voice and understanding Latinas' realities.
Casa de Esperanza conducts training for various county departments--such as Corrections, Human Services, Mental Health, and Public Health-to increase their understanding of Latino issues and domestic violence.

Our experience has resulted in invaluable learning for the continuation of our Systems Change work. We recognize that in order to create a successful partnership with a large system:

leadership (at all levels of the organizations) must "buy in"
relationships must be established as the foundation for change
patience is necessary-change doesn't happen overnight
continued evaluation is required-- to allow for flexibility, refocusing, change of direction, and more evaluation.

Partnership Para Paz

Research shows that domestic violence in the home is the leading indicator of juvenile delinquency.

From 2000 to 2003, Casa de Esperanza and Ramsey County Community Corrections: Juvenile Division collaborated to create Partnership Para Paz. We had two goals:

to build understanding of Latino cultures among probation officers
to heighten probation officers' awareness of the signs and dynamics of domestic violence.

Research indicates that domestic violence in the home is the leading indicator of juvenile delinquency, so increasing probation officers' knowledge of domestic violence is critical in reducing delinquency and offering help to battered Latinas. We trained probation officers about the signs of domestic violence and what to do when they observe them. When an officer enters a Latino home where there is evidence of domestic violence, the officer is prepared to know how to react, what to say, and what kind of help to offer. With a knowledge of domestic violence, the officer is also better prepared to understand the youth's environment and to provide appropriate support and resources.

Results: our manual, Latino Families and Domestic Violence, and our newest video, Stepping into Latino Realities, are direct results of Partnership Para Paz. These tools complement each other and are designed to assist individuals and organizations to understand Latino cultures and communicate more effectively with Latinos.