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"Community Solutions to Abuse in Orange County" <br />6 <br />FIVE MOST COMMON FACTORS IN ABUSE OF THE DISABLED <br />1. Inadequate knowledge of the healthcare needs of the disabled adult <br />2. Substance abuse by the caretaker <br />3. Mental and emotional impairment of the caretaker <br />4. Inadequate financial resources for the family <br />5. Lack of support for the caretaker <br />*Informal findings of the Adult Protective Services agency <br />In summary, Ms. Fuller believed that certain things must occur to truly <br />address the needs of disabled adults <br />^ The community needs more awareness; <br />^ Service providers need the training to assist victims with disabilities; <br />^ Services for disabled adults should be bolstered and made available in <br />every North Carolina community; <br />^ Respite care for primary care providers should be made a priority. <br />Domestic abuse. Ms. Radcliffe spoke about the experiences of the year-old <br />Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County. She encouraged forum <br />participants to get the word out about the agency and its services, including a <br />24-hour crisis line staffed by volunteers who have prepared via an intensive <br />forty-hour program. Support groups are available in both English and <br />Spanish and the agency includes a bilingual staff member. The Center urges <br />agencies, the community, and individuals to get involved - it cannot do it <br />alone. <br />Ms. Radcliffe also spoke about a stumbling block she has run up against in the <br />last year the pervasive belief that domestic violence does not exist in Orange <br />County. Discussions of family violence should occur before deaths occur and <br />bring the issue to the forefront. She concluded, "A message needs to be sent <br />to survivors, victims and batterers alike from the community that this is not <br />acceptable behavior, you don't deserve this, you deserve better, there is help <br />available for you and we are available for you." <br />Child abuse. Ms. Moore began by stating that 102,000 cases of abuse or <br />neglect were reported last year in North Carolina. Orange County saw 1,027 <br />(FY02) cases. The majority of the substantiated cases (85 percent) were for <br />neglect. These reports come primarily from human services providers, law <br />enforcement and the courts, and the school system. Orange County's <br />Community Child Protection Team, as reported by Denise Shaffer, has found <br />that issues common to child abuse include substance abuse, family illness, <br />3 <br />