This quarter we spoke to Rhonda Pick, the Executive Director of Family Crisis Resource Center, to learn more about the services they provide. Visit their website here.
What makes the Allegany County community you serve special?
Allegany County is nestled in the mountains of Western Maryland. While the scenery is beautiful, the topography and rural environment create barriers for victims to access services when they live in the outlying areas. Cell phone service is spotty or non-existent in portions of the county, public bus transportation does not provide daily services to all areas of the county, and taxis do not run after 12:00 am Monday through Thursday, and 1:00 am on Fridays or Saturdays. They do not run at all on Sundays. While taxis are in service from 6:00 am to 12:00 am through the week, they are costly to use on a regular basis to access services. The lack of affordable housing is also a hindrance for victims in our county. Private landlords charge an exorbitant amount for rent and the lists for public housing are lengthy, sometimes spanning years. While staff at FCRC are accustomed to working around these issues, it can be very frustrating for victims.
While there are barriers and frustrations working in a rural environment, FCRC has some strong community partnerships that need to be highlighted: the Forensic Nursing Program and Local Law Enforcement. Our agency’s relationships with these partners are amazing. We work closely with all police agencies in our county by doing follow-ups after domestic violence incidents and 2 agencies providing security during Supervised Visitations. The Forensic Nursing Program works with not only SART members, but the Advocacy Specialist also to provide an array of services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The relationship between FCRC, Law Enforcement, and the Forensic Nurses allows for seamless services for victims. We consider ourselves to be extremely lucky to have such good working relationships.
Tell us about FCRC’s current community prevention efforts.
FCRC’s Prevention Advocates facilitate empowerment groups in all middle and high schools in our county. The Prevention Advocates also oversee groups at the YMCA, Salvation Army, and Boys and Girls Club. Other prevention efforts are through community education with local groups, health fairs, National Night Out, speaking during high school Health Classes, and providing information for local college classes.
FCRC AIP staff also participate in Project Connect. This is a monthly event sponsored by the Cumberland Police Department. The event allows for many county agencies to be housed in one place and available for those on probation or parole who need to connect with county services.
Why are you a member of MCASA?
We are a member of MCASA for the awesome support we receive from the Coalition through policy work, lobbying, and being the voice for service providers and victims with government agencies.
What called you to your work?
I was hired for the System Advocate position in Bedford County Pennsylvania’s District Attorney’s Office. This position was created to ensure victims’ voices were not forgotten throughout the criminal justice process. During my time there, I found my passion for advocacy for survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. In 2000, I was hired at FCRC as an Advocacy Specialist and held the position for 22 years before being named the Executive Director in April 2022.
As we emerge from the pandemic, what are FCRC's biggest challenges?
The biggest challenges are multiple years of level funding and staffing issues. During the past fiscal year, we replaced two thirds of our staff. All staff that left accepted positions with for-profit or state entities. With inflation rising and stagnant funding, FCRC has not been able compete with the pay, fringe benefits, and student loan forgiveness being offered by other agencies and businesses. Also, it has been difficult to not only retain staff, but to hire for vacant positions as well. Prior to the pandemic, it would not be unusual to receive 15 to 20 resumes for each open position with most applicants being highly qualified. Since emerging from the pandemic, we are lucky to have 3 to 5 resumes and have maybe one applicant be qualified.
