Date: March 28th, 2023

Time: 1 PM to 2 PM

Price: Free for members and their staff; $35/Non-members

Description: 

This webinar will provide information about the recently-passed SB 914 (Rubio), the HELP Act to improve how the state’s homelessness response addresses the needs of domestic violence survivors and unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness. This legislation was co-sponsored by the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, Rainbow Services, and Downtown Women’s Center. Speakers from the three organizations will share an overview of what’s included in the legislation and how to support its implementation in your communities.

Presenters:

Krista Colon, Senior Director of Public Policy, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence 

As the Senior Director of Public Policy for the Partnership, Krista oversees the organization’s legislative, budget, and systems change advocacy. In her ten years with the Partnership she has successfully advocated for over $100 million in new funding for domestic violence victim services and prevention and secured the passage of legislation to addressing the wide range of issues impacting survivors. Her work touches on economic justice, housing and homelessness, prevention, immigration, and alternatives to the criminal legal system. Krista also served as a mentor for the Women’s Foundation California Solis Policy Institute for seven years, supporting advocates and activists to build their skills, on behalf of their organizations, to influence public policymaking at the state level.

Carielle Escalante, Associate Director of Community Housing, Rainbow Services, Ltd.

Since 2015 Carielle has worked in different capacities at Rainbow Services. Previously she served as the Domestic Violence Regional Coordinator (DVRC) for Service Planning Area 8 in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (CoC). In the DVRC role she worked towards building and strengthening relationships between domestic violence service providers and homeless service providers with the goal of providing equitable access to resources to survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault. More recently Carielle has transitioned into the role of Associate Director of Community Housing, where she is excited to oversee several grants that support domestic violence survivor’s housing needs. Additionally, Carielle participates as a member of the Los Angeles County Coordinated Entry System (CES) Policy Council, where she oversees the development of policy and implementation procedures that supports the alignment and efficiency of the homeless system.

Amy Turk, Executive Director, Downtown Women’s Center

Amy Turk, LCSW, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC). Amy has held leadership positions in the field of social work and homeless services since 2001. Amy began her tenure at DWC in 2013 as the Chief Program Officer, where she administered all of DWC’s programs and social enterprise. In 2018, Amy served as DWC’s Chief Innovation Officer, providing leadership in the development and implementation of new organizational projects and fostering vital relationships with community partners in efforts to end women’s homelessness. Appointed as CEO in early 2020, Amy has grown revenue by 40%, created a new three-year strategic plan, and is deepening DWC’s focus on social justice. In the 12 years prior to joining DWC, Amy progressively took on more responsibilities to assist women experiencing homelessness from case management to serving for seven years as Director of Daybreak, a project of The People Concern. Amy has held numerous local, statewide, and national leadership positions in efforts to end homelessness, including as a Coro Women in Leadership graduate, USC Barbara Boxer Fellow with the USC Center for the Political Future, John A. Hartford Foundation Practice Change Leader award recipient for her efforts to improve healthcare for older adults experiencing homelessness, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s 100 Million Healthier Lives Campaign Systems Leader, National Trauma Recovery Center Association Advisory Board Member, Los Angeles County Coordinated Entry System Councilmember, and the previous Board Chair for Los Angeles Central Providers Collaborative. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Pepperdine University and a master’s in social work from California State University, Los Angeles. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Pepperdine University and a master’s in social work from California State University, Los Angeles.  

Questions? Please contact Christine Smith, christine@cpedv.org

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