Transitioning Times

  Last week, The New York Times published an article about a landmark settlement for domestic violence victims in New York regarding employment discrimination.   A woman was sent home from work after disclosing that her estranged husband threatened to kill her.   The store should have continued with their initial response, which was to work with the woman to create a safety plan, including allowing her to use her cell phone while on the job, have access to a secure room, and park closer to the building.   Instead, the manager told the woman she needed to get a protective order.   Protective orders can be great tools to help someone feel safe.   They are an integral part of many people’s safety plans.   However, they are not for everyone.   Many people’s response when they hear “domestic violence” is to tell the person to get a protective order, commonly known in Pennsylvania as a PFA.   This is not the right thing for everyone and...

7/21/1943 – 11/14/2015 They say it is the dash between date of birth and date of death that matters, that tells the real story of who a person was. We at Transitions know very well how much Vivian Starr mattered to us, her clients, and her community. She shared her gentle, caring, and creative spirit with everyone she encountered. It seems surreal to talk about when she began working with Susquehanna Valley Women in Transition, SVWIT, because she was one of our founding mothers. Vivian was among a small group of women who saw a need and began helping victims of domestic violence right here in the Susquehanna Valley, using their own resources to help and shelter survivors in private homes. It wasn’t until 1975 that SVWIT officially began. Vivian continued her legacy as an integral member of the ‘Women in Transition’ staff for the next twenty-five years. She shared her creativity and nurturing soul with clients and co-workers alike in so many ways: comforting, supporting, a...

November 09 - 13, 2015 is Forensic Nurses Week – designated to celebrate the work of forensic nurses worldwide. Do you know a forensic nurse? Do you know what they do? Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg, PA has 6! During Forensic Nurses Week, we take this opportunity to express our gratitude for the work of our local Forensic Nurses, otherwise known to many as SANE nurses-Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners. In addition to collecting physical evidence for the special ‘kit’ these specially trained nurses conduct a forensic interview, provide victims with professional and compassionate care, and ensure a secure chain of evidence between the hospital and law enforcement. These caring nurses are often the first person to say, “It’s not your fault” and to support individuals to become s urvivors . Having trained forensic nurses in our community provides many benefits. To victims they provide early reassurance that the assault was not their fault, prophylactic treatment for STDs...