The MNADV will honor the work of six outstanding community leaders, recognize the contributions of three domestic violence program honorees, and present the annual Lethality Assessment Program Law Enforcement Award.
The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV) will highlight the work of outstanding community leaders and domestic violence program providers at the 2017 Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on Thursday, October 26, 2017, 6:00-9:00 pm at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Annapolis.
2017 Legislative Award
Delegate Shelly Hettleman is being honored with the 2017 Legislative Award for her leadership on the Health Care Decisions Act – Advance Directives and Surrogate Decision Making – Disqualified Individuals. She worked closely with domestic violence and health care advocates to develop legislation to enhance protections for victims by preventing an abuser from making health care decisions for someone they have abused and who may have caused a patient’s injuries. Her advocacy and collaborative efforts resulted in the successful passage of this bill in 2017.
2017 Leadership Award
Colleen Moore, the Coordinator of the SAFE Domestic Violence Program at GBMC and President of the Maryland Health Care Coalition Against Domestic Violence, will receive a 2017 Leadership Award for her work with hospital-based domestic violence programs at both GBMC and Mercy Medical Center, and her 15 years as a member and leader of the Health Care Coalition. She has also been an active member of the Baltimore City and County Domestic Violence Coordinating Councils, Sexual Assault Response Teams, and Baltimore City’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team. She is a teacher and mentor to service providers, a compassionate advocate for countless victims, and a leader in training health care providers around the state to improve their response to domestic violence victims.
Barbara, “Bobbi,” Elliott Harvard, Senior Special Victim Assistant at the Prince George’s County Office of the Sheriff, will also receive a 2017 Leadership Award for her many years of domestic violence advocacy and services to victims in Prince George’s County. Bobbi worked for over six years on the Prince George’s Family Justice Center Task Force to establish the state’s third family justice center, has been a member of the local Domestic Violence Coordinating Council since 2005, has been an active member of the MCASA-Women of Color Network for over 10 years, makes presentations to students and adults throughout the county, provides leadership for community education activities and events, and created and facilitates the Stay-In-Touch (SIT) program for survivors.
2017 Community Partners Award
Kira Doar, AWARE Program Manager at the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA) in Montgomery County, will receive a 2017 Community Partners Award for her commitment to creating curricula for teens and young adults on dating abuse, stalking, sexual assault, and harassment that is culturally sensitive and trauma-informed. She has worked tirelessly on the Choose Respect Montgomery Conference, a partnership of the Montgomery County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council and JCADA, which in 2017 provided education to over 500 teens, parents, and youth professionals. She also works with the county Family Justice Center, the State’s Attorney’s Office, Men Can Stop Rape, and Break the Cycle on prevention education and oversees partnerships with 25 other programs in the area.
Anthony Owens, owner of Anthony Owens Remodeling and Repair in Frederick County, will also receive a 2017 Community Partners Award. He is a local building contractor who volunteered his company’s labor to remodel and repair parts of the Heartly House building, which has saved the domestic violence program thousands of dollars and renovated and repainted several spaces, including the staff lounge, group therapy room, shelter bedrooms, waiting room, and a new office for the child therapist. He has also facilitated discounts with other local plumbers, electricians, and flooring vendors. In 2014, he facilitated the creation of a mosaic with shelter children, which was auctioned, raised thousands of dollars, and was donated back to the shelter where it hangs in the shelter’s living room. He is an active member of the Heartly House board and serves as chair of the development committee.
2017 Domestic Violence Service Provider Award
Marcia Bowie, Shelter and Operations Assistant at Heartly House in Frederick County, will receive the 2017 Domestic Violence Service Provider Award for her support of clients and the agency. For more than six years, she has utilized her outstanding skills and ability to juggle multiple tasks to maintain and improve Heartly House. Recently, she worked 16 hour days to address a plumbing malfunction which spread black water throughout the building, required the relocation of shelter residents to a hotel, worked with contractors to clean up the building, and helped dislocated staff to find work spaces.
2017 David M. Sargent Lethality Assessment Program Law Enforcement Award
The MNADV will present the 2017 David M. Sargent Lethality Assessment Program Law Enforcement Award to the Maryland State Police for their outstanding leadership in developing and implementing trainings for troopers throughout the state as well as their commitment to and promotion of the LAP, implementation in barracks throughout the state, and achieving an outstanding record of screenings and referrals to local domestic violence programs.
2017 Domestic Violence Program Honorees
Three domestic violence program honorees have been nominated by their programs to receive special recognition this year:
Sofia Hameline, Domestic Violence Case Manager at Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland, Baltimore County, provides trauma-informed crisis intervention, court accompaniment and legal advocacy, domestic violence education, shelter placement, and safety planning. Her ability to speak Spanish and her understanding of Latin American culture has enabled her to provide special assistance to Spanish-speaking survivors.
Ashley Parkent, Lead Case Manager at the Domestic Violence Safe House at Family and Children Services of Central Maryland, Carroll County, provides treatment plans, advocates with other agencies, and assists survivors to realize their goals and transition to permanent safe housing. She facilitates the safe house domestic violence support and education group, educates clients, answers the 24 hour hotline, and attends community events to raise awareness of domestic violence.
Katelyn Kennell, Coordinator of the Safe Haven Program at the Family Crisis Resource Center in Allegany County, provides safe exchange and supervised visitation for children in domestic violence situations. She provides crisis intervention and advocacy and works with community partners and law enforcement to provide services to these families.