Michigan’s problem-solving courts have been extraordinarily successful in solving problems and saving lives, thanks in large part to Dr. Barbara Howes. These innovative courts reach 97 percent of our state’s population and help to make communities statewide safer and stronger. Also called treatment courts, they are successful because participants can access treatment and other support needed to address underlying issues affecting persons entering the criminal justice and abuse neglect court...

Valentine's Day: The day "we" celebrate couples. But love isn't always pink hearts, roses and candy. Couple's counseling can help when things aren't right. But what about when you're in an abusive relationship? Can couple's counseling help? Listen to this conversation with DASAS therapist Elizabeth Alderson on why couple's counseling can actually be a problem if the relationship is abusive. Resources: * National Domestic Violence Hotline: Should I Go To Couples Therapy With My Abusive...

This is a survivor story of a teenage relationship gone wrong. Trigger warning: this conversation includes talk of coercive sex and abuse. We open Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month with Sally's story. What began as a happy relationship between two high schoolers became a terrifying nightmare. Behind the good looks and charming nature, the boyfriend was an abusive and manipulative monster. He terrified and abused Sally constantly. The torture that she endured consumed every aspect of her...

Hope for Justice (https://hopeforjustice.org/) exists to bring an end to modern slavery by preventing exploitation, rescuing victims, restoring lives and reforming society. On this episode, Richard Shoeberl, US Investigations Team Leader, joins Dan to explore the mission to prevent, rescue, restore and reform in the face of the global epidemic of slavery and human trafficking. ——————————— If you need resources or help in any way, call our 24 hour hotline at 800-828-2023 or visit...

The Kalamazoo Area Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition was formed in 2012. The group is a community member organization that comes together to raise awareness and advocate for services in the Kalamazoo area. They're a recognized regional task force under the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force. Founder Sara Morley-LaCroix joins Dan Moyle in this second installment of our special series on National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month to discuss this local effort to bring awareness...

This is the first in a 3-part special series for National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. We kick off our series with Keeping Our Kids Safe on Social with Bark Technology and Titania Jordan (https://www.titaniajordan.com/). Titania Jordan is the CMO and Chief Parent Officer of Bark.us, an internet safety solution that helps parents and schools keep children safer across social media, text messaging, and email. In this episode, we hear what parents can do to help monitor their...

In many states, Friend of the Court has a negative reputation. They're seen as a faceless organization with no compassion. In Cass County Michigan, the Director and Deputy, and the rest of the staff, make it their mission to serve and empower families to make children's lives better. In this episode, Dan and Krista are joined by Friend of the Court Cass County (https://casscourtsmi.org/foc/) Director Carol Bealor and Deputy Friend of the Court Cass County Sarah Mathews to open the...

Historically, shelters for victims of abuse were limited to 30 days. However, most of the time when a survivor is transitioning from an abusive home into their own home, it takes longer to make all of the necessary changes. At DASAS, while we work to keep our clients' stays as temporary as possible so they can find their own paths (survivor-led recovery is vital to our mission), we are no longer limited to 30 days. Our DASAS panel discusses the history of the 30-day shelter and what recovery...

Each year as we find ourselves in the midst of the holiday season, we often hear the question, "Does domestic violence increase during the holidays (the time period beginning the week of Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day)?" In short, it's not worse. However, while the holidays are often thought of as the best time of the year, it can be more difficult for victims of domestic violence. The holidays can be a very dark and scary time. Unrealistic expectations, financial pressures, and the...

Maryssa Presbitero, child advocate at DASAS, helps answer the question "How can I tell if my parents are abusive?" Child abuse is more than physical violence or neglect. It can come in many other forms like narcissism, trying to turn the child against a parent, making the child responsible for the parent's emotional well-being and more. Resources used in this conversation: * Healthline (https://www.healthline.com/health/child-neglect-and-psychological-abuse) * 11 signs you have an...

This follow up to "How Does Domestic Violence Affect the Brain? (https://www.dasasmi.org/post/how-does-domestic-violence-affect-the-brain)" brings DASAS therapist Elizabeth Alderson back to explore whether domestic violence, and all abuse, can be a cause of depression. Research shows that victims of domestic violence or abuse are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing a range of mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety,...

Domestic violence (https://www.dasasmi.org/post/what-is-domestic-violence) can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner.​ Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure or wound someone.​ Domestic violence can happen to...

Newton Matos escaped a truly harrowing past - a drug-addicted mother, gang life, homelessness and a criminal record all before he turned eighteen. He joined the Navy to escape and start a new life, but the stress of combat added to his lifelong traumas. He cracked. Suicidal and suffering from the worst case of PTSD diagnosed by Navy and civilian doctors, Newton began therapy and his life began to change. His memoir, Deep Down: Delivered From a Dark Past...

What do you do when there's an abusive person in your family? How do you deal with toxic family members? In this episode, Director of Advocacy Services Deborah Hackworth joins Dan Moyle to talk about how to deal with family members who show abusive behavior or who exhibit toxic behavior. ——————————— If you need resources or help in any way, call our 24 hour hotline at 800-828-2023 or visit www.DASASMI.org. Subscribe for a new episode each week. We publish every Wednesday morning at 8:00am....

On this episode, Laura Owens, co-host of the #8 ranked All-Time Bestselling Entrepreneurship show on Apple Podcast Nobody Told Me! (https://www.nobodytoldmeshow.com/), joins Dan to share her survivor story. "Ironically, Nobody Told Me! was created at the darkest time of my life," Laura says. "I was desperate to hear inspirational stories from other people." Laura asked to share her story with you, our listeners, to help break the stigma about this public health crisis that plagues every...

For the last decade, Alisa Divine (https://www.alisadivine.com/) has supported women in feeling empowered. She founded The More Than Beautiful Project™, mentors women, and wrote #SheWins: Harrowing Stories From Women Who Survived Domestic Abuse. Her book captures and shares the irrepressible spirit of survivors, through portraiture and stories. She is also  the co-author of Killing Kate and Vice President of a publishing company, Personal Power Press, providing a platform for individuals to...

September Burton is a survivor who believed her story to be unique. She believed, "It must be my fault that I was being abused and that if only I were better, smarter, skinnier, quieter, wealthier..." She believed if she could live up to a certain standard then he would stop abusing her and they could be happy together. She told us that because of podcasts like ours and books that brave women have written, she eventually came to realize that her story is not unique and that there are people...

Many survivors look back on an abusive relationship, domestic and sexual abuse alike, and ask some variation of "Am I crazy? Was I really abused?" This can come up because the abusive person may call their reality and their sanity into question. It may come up because their abuse doesn't look like what they thought abuse would look like, or wasn't as "severe" as someone else's journey. This question comes for many reasons. If you've asked this, then this episode is for you. ——————————— If you...

At domestic violence vigils across the country, we remember those who did not survive their fight for life. These are the names of the victims of domestic violence in southwest Michigan for the 2019 Domestic Violence Awareness vigils. The names included on this list are those of women, children, and men who died starting in 1971 through this year.  The women, children, and men listed all died because of the determination and desperation of one individual to maintain power and control over...

Whether you're a person of faith or not, going through abuse often brings up the question, "Where was God when I was being abused?" It's a big question and one the staff and volunteers at DASAS have heard over the years. In this episode, Claudia conducts a panel with Krista DeBoer, Elizabeth Alderson and Ellen Higgins. While DASAS is not a faith-based organization and we turn no one away because of their beliefs, many of us in the organization bring some kind of faith to our work. This...

What is spiritual abuse? Spiritual abuse (or religious abuse) is abuse administered under the guise of faith or religion. This can include harassment or humiliation, which may result in psychological trauma. Spiritual abuse may also include misuse of religion for selfish, secular, or ideological ends such as the abuse of a clerical position. It is weaponizing faith to exercise power and control over another person, usually from a position of power or leadership. Tracey is a survivor of...

Attorney Elizabeth McCree, of Benton Harbor, Michigan, fiercely defends children in the court system. She fights for their rights in many areas, including abuse cases. She joins Dan to talk about what it means to be a guardian ad litem, how we can help and much more. Read the Benton-Michiana Spirit article here (http://bentonspiritnews.com/theres-a-new-lawyer-in-town-brbeth-mccree-returns-home-p5712-125.htm) that inspired the discussion. ——————————— If you need resources or help in any way,...

Detective Kevin McNeil is a twenty-year veteran who spent twelve years of his career investigating child abuse cases. He also happens to be a survivor of sexual abuse (https://www.ajc.com/lifestyles/finding-voice-for-pain/aDs5TODkIuz8tzxm3H5cBI/). In this episode Kevin shares his survivor story, his career in the Special Victims Unit and his other work. Kevin also created The Twelve Project to be the bridge between the lack of knowledge and awareness about abuse and people’s desire to learn....

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell made headlines (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53605784) with accusations of sex trafficking. They're accused of providing high-profile people, including world leaders, with access to young women and children in their teens. Epstein died in jail, while Maxwell is still in custody. This brought about a discussion with the podcast panel including Krista DeBoer, Elizabeth Alderson, Claudia Pahls and Dan Moyle. ——————————— If you need resources or...

A survivor of abuse, Tiauna (https://tiaunaross.com/) has turned tragedy into triumph. She's a successful coach, she's finding continuous healing and she's exploring new challenges. Recently she took a songwriting class. The end assignment was to write a song. So she did, performing it on Facebook for the world to hear. "Rewind" tells the story of her abusive relationship and hits the heart. Listen to her conversation with Dan about the healing power of music and more, plus catch the full...