The Lake Today

The Citizens Against Domestic Violence/Victim Outreach Center (CADV/VOC) staff is hopeful to restart the construction bidding process March 1 and move forward with building their new facility in Camdenton.

In mid-December they accepted construction proposals for the new building, however, some complications with the state architect process prevented the not-for-profit organization to pursue their original plan.

“It (the construction bid) was never awarded; we had to pull the bid because of some issues with the State Architect process,” said Angie Fiene, CADV/VOC executive director. “They have it now and we are waiting for clearance from the state architect and the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) so that we may re-start the bid process.”

Fiene said she was informed in early February the organization might have clearance by March 1 to send out to bid again, however, it has not been confirmed.

However, Fiene is hopeful this process will move forward and depending on the weather, the organization can see about a nine-month construction completion of their new facility.

The new facility, which is designed for 6,500 square feet, will greatly expand the capacity of the current 3,500 square foot, mid-century home in which the CADV/VOC resided. The new facility will also be named to honor CADV/VOC past board president, the late Dave Severson, who served as Osage Beach Chief of Police for many years before his passing.

“Dave Severson as an vital part of this new building and organization,” CADV/VOC Executive Director Angie Fiene previously told The Lake Today. “We wanted to name the new facility in his honor.”

Currently, the CADV/VOC has temporarily been housed at the Culligan building on west Highway 54 in Camdenton since late spring. Fiene said the organization saw 410 victims last year, and 429 victims in 2010.

“The numbers would have been significantly larger then 2010 but due to the beds spaces going from 22 to 14 it has effected how many victims we were able to house,” she explained. “We turned away more than 40 plus victims from April 2010 until now. We had 1,913 bed nights in 2011 and 392 hotlines answered.”

According to Fiene, the organization’s building fund has more than half of its overall goal to completely finance the new facility project at $808,000.

“What we have in our fund now is largely from our fundraisers, donations and tax credits; we also receive a $100,000 USDA grant,” she explained. “We are still applying or a few grants, but none that would total more than $75,000 to contribute to the fund. We didn’t want to finance more than we have to.”

In 2011, the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) awarded the City of Linn Creek a $452,600 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for a water system improvement project, which was the same grant CADV/VOC applied for to go toward its building fund and new facility. The project is the final phase of a citywide water system improvement, which will complete a full system upgrade for Linn Creek.



“They don’t allow the one county to have two active grants,” Fiene previously explained to The Lake Today. “This year, their focus was more on water systems instead of community projects.”

However, the community is assisting in other ways to help CADV victims, organization and ultimately the building fund. Fiene noted that more than 300 guests attended and supported one of its largest fundraisers, its annual Brunch, which was held in the fall and raised $14,000. With a variety of small fundraisers and another increasingly popular event benefiting the CADV/VOC, its annual Chili Cook-off coming up in early March (see story on page 14), the organization continues to garner additional financial support from the community.

In addition, Lake Regional Health System in Osage Beach recently completed renovations on a room specifically equipped to treat victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. The room is fully stocked with pharmaceuticals and lab supplies, as well as new clothing, a private shower and toiletries for use by victims following an exam.

Registered Nurse Dee Ballard and colleagues Stacy Sederwall, Jamie Wheat and Anne Wilson are sexual assault nurse examiners with the Lake Area Sexual Assault Response Team, commonly referred to as SART. Began in 2007, SART is a victim-centered response team that includes medical and law enforcement personnel and professional advocates. SART works with victims at Lake Regional Hospital and Kids’ Harbor, a local program that responds to reports of child abuse.

Services are available 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Professionals staffing the program are highly trained to provide quality, compassionate care and promote safety. They perform thorough examinations, preserve forensic evidence and help victims begin the healing process.

“I am a board member on the SART team and was one of the original members who helped Dee (Ballard) establish the protocols for a SART team at the Lake. CADV's part in the team is to have a victim advocate present at every call and to follow up with aftercare services,” Fiene said. “The new room, however, is only designated for sexual assault cases. We are still unable to secure a private location for domestic violence victims during the examination process. Although we still utilize the SART team services for domestics.



Fiene added, though, it is vital for the SART team to have this new room, equipment and privacy. It allows CADV to meet with victims and their
families in a private secure location, she said.

“I think the most memorable moment for us all is when had are first successful prosecution from a SART call. Then we knew we had created something very beneficial to the Lake Area,” she added.

Over the last 20 years, the CADV/VOC has assisted thousands of victims of domestic violence, acquiring its current center in 1994. In 2008, CADV/VOC provided first time services to 137 women, one man and 188 child victims of domestic and/or sexual violence, answered 344 hotlines and provided 1,623 bed nights of safe shelter at its facility. Fiene added that since moving into the temporary location in spring, they had to start turning people away in June.

CADV/VOC also provides services in its SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) who respond to organization partner Lake Regional Health System to provide support and aid to victims of sexual assault. They also help in court advocacy, support groups, crime victim compensation and on-going advocacy in the tri-county area.

For more information on the proposed project, upcoming CADV/VOC fundraising events, or to donate to the organization, contact Angie Fiene at the CADV office at 573-346-9630 or visit www.cadv-voc.org.