Helping those affected by domestic violence is woman's calling

Sparta — For the past 15 years, Sparta resident, Mary Houtsma, has been fighting tirelessly on behalf of battered women and their children. In recognition of all her efforts and the impact that she has had across the state in protecting the rights of victims of domestic violence, Houtsma recently received the Beverly Crawford Award from New Jersey Child Assault Prevention at its annual awards reception. Houtsma started out as a legal advocate at Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Intervention Services of Sussex County (DASI) and went on to found the Sussex County Domestic Violence Assessment Center (DVAC). The center provides comprehensive domestic violence assessments of court ordered offenders to enhance batterer accountability and identify victim safety concerns. Houtsma has also served as a member of the State Domestic Violence Working Group for the last ten years, where she has advocated for the needs of battered women and their children and has been instrumental in the development of a best practice protocol for the assessment of risk to children by the battering parent. When a battered woman makes the decision to leave an abusive partner, she often must flee with her children, leaving behind their personal possessions, support systems, and community ties, according to Houtsma. “Domestic violence victims often spend countless hours applying for financial and housing assistance for themselves and their families. Long waiting lists for childcare assistance and the inability to find affordable housing force many women to make desperate choices between returning to an abusive partner to secure financial security or meeting the basic needs of their children.” Keenly aware of the hardships faced by women and children who have extricated themselves from the clutches of domestic abuse, Houtsma is at the helm of a new program that assists women and children at this crucial juncture. Houtsma is the director of the YCS- PALS (Peace: A Learned Solution) Program for Essex County. It is a structured program designed to improve the mental health of children whose mothers have been battered. “PALS is unique in its exclusive use of creative-art modalities — art, music, movement, and play therapy, to assist children heal from their exposure to domestic violence,” says Houtsma. The program also offers mothers assistance with housing, day care, and budgeting, health care and legal issues.