Gundersen Lutheran Health System Inc.

06/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/09/2025 12:23

Funding cuts put vulnerable community members at risk

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Funding cuts put vulnerable community members at risk

Monday, June 09, 2025

The impact of violence is complex and far-reaching, lasting well beyond the moment of harm to touch nearly every aspect of a victim's life. While the journey from trauma to recovery isn't without challenges, specialists from Crime Victim Services at Emplify Health by Gundersen have seen firsthand how the right support can help survivors rebuild their lives.

"The counseling I have received through the Crime Victim Services' Sexual Abuse Counseling & Support Program has been an invaluable experience...," says one survivor. "I have grown and changed into a more positive life. I honestly don't know what I would have done without the help provided by your program."

In 2024 alone, 679 survivors of violent crimes, such as domestic abuse, assault, sexual assault, robbery and fraud, were helped by Crime Victim Services with a total of 6,474 services. These services, provided to both adults and children, can include counseling, help navigating the legal system, supportive listening or referrals to other community resources (for legal services, housing, transportation, etc.). Crime Victim Services also provides essential education to medical personnel, law enforcement agencies and other community organizations.

For decades, Crime Victim Services has been jointly funded by the healthcare system and through a number of state and federal grants. Unfortunately, deep cuts in grant funding have put the support offered by Crime Victim Services at Emplify Health by Gundersen-and at other community-based organizations across the nation-at risk.

FUNDING CUTS IMPACT SERVICES
According to Stephanie Young, MPH, clinical manager of Outpatient Behavioral Health and Crime Victim Services, funding for victim services in the United States has historically come from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). This non-tax revenue is generated by fines, penaltiesand bond forfeitures from convicted federal criminals. Beginning in 2016, a decline in federal prosecutions and convictions began drastically reducing the VOCA funds available.

Each year between 2019-2024, $44 million in VOCA funds were allocated to victim services programs in Wisconsin. From 2025-27, though, only $13.5 million in VOCA funding will be annually distributed to Wisconsinprograms. The impact of this 70% decrease in funding is that some programs are cutting services, laying off staffor closing entirely.

The End Domestic Abuse WI Coalition recently addressed funding cuts in a news release, stating, "Thousands of victims statewide will lose access to lifesaving and life-sustaining child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and other victim services. Without access to these critical services, the real-time impact will not only be felt by individuals and families but will also ripple through communities statewide."

This year, the annual VOCA support for Crime Victim Services at Emplify Health by Gundersen was reduced by more than 75%, from $411,486 to $97,986, an amount that will significantly impact the department and its patients. "Our programs are possible because Gundersen believes in and supports this work," says Stephanie. "However, the cuts in federal funding have been severe in a healthcare environment that is already financially challenging."

As a result of the drastic cuts in federal funding, the department has had to make some adjustments. In February, the separate clinic that Crime Victim Services operated inon the main campus in La Crosse was closed, and the services were relocated toinside the Hospital. In March, the program had to begin billing patients for individual therapy, services that had previously been provided at no cost since the program's inception.

"Sadly, some of our patients will not be able to continue receiving therapy, either because they cannot afford it or because billing insurance or receiving a bill could create an unsafe situation at home," explains Stephanie. "Our most vulnerable community members may be even more at risk."

A MODEL WORTH FIGHTING FOR
The National Domestic Violence Helpline identified that people in abusive relationships, on average, make seven attempts at leaving before being able to do so for good. Factors like fear of bodily harm or homicide, the threat of harm to children and lack of financial resources are only a few of the complicatingfactors which, with the elimination of support services, could get worse.

The End Domestic Abuse WI Coalition calls domestic violence homicide a "public health crisis," sharing in a news release that "1 in every 6 domestic violence homicides in the U.S. is committed in Wisconsin" and calling Wisconsin "among the worst states in the country for domestic violence."

These statistics not only underscore the importance of victims' services in general, but they also demonstrate that the medical model used in Crime Victim Services is a model worth preserving. While embedding services for crime victims into a healthcare setting is a common practice nationwide, the Crime Victim Services department at Emplify Health byGundersen is only one of three such programs in Wisconsin.

According to Janis Elder, MS, LSW, LPC, therapist for the Sexual Abuse Counseling and Support Program of Crime Victim Services, these models are less common because not all healthcare organizations are willing to make a financial commitment. "The support we have received from Emplify Health by Gundersen illustrates the organization's deep care for our community and a willingness to provide funding that aligns with our mission, even when it's difficult," she says.

Janis joined Gundersen in 1981 as a social worker and educator when there were no services available for survivors of abuse. As an early advocate, Janis was instrumental in the 1987 creation of the Sexual Abuse Counseling program. In 1997, advocacy services were added to create Crime Victim Services as it existstoday. After more than 40 years of service, Janis will retire in June, leaving a lasting impact on area survivors and the victim services landscape.

Today, it's clear that the department's efforts to create "on-ramps" to services by educating medical staff and normalizing the screening of all patients for abuse make a measurable difference. "Traditional models provide abuse survivors with connections to services after abuse has already occurred, often for years," explains Janis. "The medical model provides opportunities for early intervention, increasing the odds a survivor can establish a violence-free life."

With no resolution to the federal funding issue on the horizon, Crime Victim Services at Emplify Health by Gundersen is seeking community support. If you are interested in offering financial support, click hereand direct your gift to "Crime Victim Services." Or, if you are interested in volunteering as a victim advocate, please contact Volunteer Services at (608) 775-3697.

A lifeline for survivors

In 2005, Gundersen Medical Foundation partnered with a generous group of donors to establish the Carilee Fund, a fund that provides emergency financial assistance to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Funds from this program have been used to help with the first month's rent for a new home, a bus ticket to a safe destination, legal fees, childcare expenses or even a new front door lock or Ring doorbell camera.

In 2024, the Carilee Fund provided $33,338 to help 70 survivors of violence take their first step toward safety. The Carilee Fund is one of very few-if not the only-financial resource available to area survivors.

Kim Salwolke is the daughter of the fund's namesake, Carilee Salwolke, and a payroll specialist at Emplify Health by Gundersen. "Abusers often seek to control everything in the victim's life, including finances, so this fund is important," shares Kim. "Financial support can be a catalyst for hope, helping a survivor establish safety and live a violence-free life."

Support the Carilee Fund by clicking here.

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