Decades of work in Maine to build up a network of civil services for those fleeing domestic violence and sexual abuse could be in jeopardy this year without more state and federal funding.

Much of that work — establishing 24-hour helplines, emergency shelters, advocacy and free legal representation for survivors — has historically relied on federal funds and some state funding, at nearly the same level every year.

Now that those federal dollars are either declining or in question, advocates fear that a network that’s already in overdrive could fall apart.

Maine lawmakers are weighing several emergency bills this session to make up for foreseeable federal cuts. Some legislation — including proposals to increase funding for domestic violence centers and sexual assault services — have failed in previous sessions. And this is a difficult year for the state budget, so it’s still unclear what will actually pass.

“The state has articulated on many occasions the importance of the services for survivors of domestic violence that our network provides, but has failed to invest an adequate amount of state funds to ensure the sustainability of these services,” Amanda Cost, the director of Partners for Peace, an advocacy center for domestic violence survivors in Bangor, told lawmakers in March.

“If we are forced to continue this way … (it) will harm the safety net that survivors and our communities have come to rely on.”

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services does not yet know the final amount of funds it’s slated to receive from the federal government, spokesperson Lindsay Hammes said Friday. Without that number, Hammes said, agency doesn’t yet know how much money will be disbursed to victim service providers.

ALREADY NOT ENOUGH

Since the state last increased its budget for these services in 2019, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence has lost nearly 40 employees and half the volunteers for its eight regional resource centers, said Executive Director Francine Garland Stark.

A similar issue has plagued the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, which oversees sexual assault support hubs and child advocacy centers that work with children who have experienced sexual abuse. After a bill failed last session that would have increased the base-level salary for sexual assault advocates to $45,000, Policy Director Melissa Martin said, nearly half the people staffing their centers left.

“I think our centers are just constantly faced with the choice of cutting positions or having to cut services,” said Martin. To prioritize crisis services like the hotline, some centers have had to scale back on educational programming at schools, support groups for survivors and outreach to local health care facilities.

“The outreach piece, I think that is one of the areas that is most concerning,” Martin said. “It’s closing off one pathway that people in crisis use to get connected to those services.”

Some other agencies that also support victims, including civil legal aid providers, are also at risk of losing funds and need state investment.

Next Step, one of the domestic violence advocacy centers serving Washington and Hancock counties, said it has had to reduce in-person advocacy so it could keep the phone lines open. The center also dropped from two full-time attorneys to one, and risks losing a Child Protective Services liaison this fall without further funding.

“Our community will continue to have this need for all our crisis services,” Director Kelly Brown testified in March. “And we know that when our services are not available, people feel they are forced to stay in the scary situation or leave but feel compelled to return, unable to find a way to live on their own, giving more power to the abusive partner with every attempt that they are unsuccessful.”

In York County, Caring Unlimited staff can only accompany domestic violence victims to the courthouse in high-risk situations. They also had to cut a parent support program that connects kids to special services and offers training to families.

“Domestic violence victimization sits at the intersection of so many other important issues in our communities — child abuse and neglect, homelessness, unemployment and underemployment, and public health,” Caring Unlimited Director Susan Giambalvo testified in March.

“Without increased investment in domestic violence services, more victims will not get a service they need at the time they need it most,” Giambalvo said. “Maybe, they won’t even know that help is available.”

FEDERAL EFFECTS

These service providers rely heavily on federal funds through the U.S. Victim of Crimes Act, which has been collecting less money through fines and fees from those sentenced for federal crimes.

As a result of that uncertainty, Stark said the coalition is anxiously waiting to see if the Legislature will approve two emergency bills.

One bill in the Health and Human Services committee would offer $4 million for MCEDV’s centers on an annual basis.

A bill in the Judiciary Committee proposes $1.8 million annually for the state’s sexual assault support centers and child advocacy centers. Another bill offers roughly $6 million annually to the domestic violence coalition and other providers that have traditionally relied on VOCA funds.

Stark said MCEDV is focusing most on making up for lost VOCA funding. That decline isn’t tied to any one administration. But there’s also concern other federal grants through the Department of Justice might not be available. 

“This whole concept of a ‘safety net’ is a real thing. If you take any one of those threads out, the net can unravel,” said Stark. “If you’re the last one standing, but none of the other services are there, your ability to really help a person is really limited to what you actually have, the actual ability to provide. And none of us provide everything. We need each other.”

HOW TO GET HELP 

IF YOU or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, you can call the statewide Domestic Abuse Helpline at 1-866-834-4357 to talk to someone who can help. You can learn more online here.

IF YOU or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, you can call the statewide Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Line at 1-800-871-7741 to talk to someone who can help. You can learn more online here.