Down the Rabbit Hole

LGBTQ+ inclusive services and policies are essential to help people understand members of the LGBTQ+ community, increase the safety and security of LGBTQ+ people, and ultimately create a more inclusive world. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning as we discuss some sensitive topics such as suicide due to lack of acceptance of gender identity and sexual orientation. Today on Down...

The events of the Uvalde school shooting shocked not only America but also the world. The rise in mass shootings in America in recent years is a great cause for concern and reaching solutions will require difficult discussions to be had. In today’s show, the TCFV Prevention Team takes the time to reflect on the recent events in Uvalde and some of the wide-ranging impacts. Please note that this epi...

Welcome back to Down the Rabbit Hole! During today’s episode, we talk about something we have never talked about - DVHRTs, or Domestic Violence High-Risk Teams. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic violence and related topics. Today’s guest is our colleague, Dr. David Scott. Join us to hear how he came to train officers on Domestic Violence High-Risk Teams befo...

We are joined by wonderful co-workers Erika Reyna-Brodhag and Diane Bocklage to discuss BIPPs—Batterer Intervention and Prevention Programs; we break down what they are, the purpose they serve, and how they’re facilitated. Erika and Diane are on the Support to Services Providers team at TCFV, specifically the Family Violence Services sub-team, which supports BIPP services and other programs in a v...

Grieving is a normal emotion that everyone will experience during their life. However, the complexities of society and the misconceptions around grief compound the problem, leaving people feeling helpless. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for those who are grieving. Tune in to hear us discuss the intersection of grief and intimate partner violence, offering a definition for...

There’s a common dichotomy in the way society thinks about domestic violence and financial independence: survivors are simultaneously expected to “just leave” and are also somehow expected to avoid poverty. Joining us today to discuss economic justice is Mona Muro! Please note that this episode comes with a trigger warning about economic abuse, domestic violence, white supremacy, and colonialism....

All too often, the people making the rules on survivor care and policy don't have personal experience in this area. This week William and cohost Samantha are joined by Liz Bailey to talk about her journey to advocacy and the importance of diverse survivors' voices in this space. A speech therapist by trade, she is a survivor, an advocate, and the host of a podcast herself, The Pretty Truth, and sh...

On today’s episode of Down the Rabbit Hole, William and Kate are joined by Jennifer Mudge and Mohini Lal to discuss reproductive justice and how it intersects with intimate partner violence. Serving as a TCFV Public Policy Coordinator and Public Policy Manager respectively, Jen and Mohini have many years of demonstrated experience in the gender-based violence and reproductive justice movements bet...

Claire and Samantha join William on the podcast today to explore the theme of how masculinity is represented in popular media. Please be aware that this episode includes references to abusive and violent behavior towards women and this may be triggering and upsetting for certain listeners, we advise that if you want to skip certain portions to go ahead and do that. We start off the chat by getting...

This week, in continued recognition of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), three youth leaders take over our podcast to discuss youth leadership advocacy and activism. Tune in to hear about the challenges each of our guests have faced as teenagers advocating for themselves, and what their experience of backlash has looked like. You’ll hear how they have fought back and inspired others to...

Today's episode of Down The Rabbit Hole is about the intersection between traumatic brain injury (TBI) in people who have experienced domestic abuse, and an invaluable healing modality called neurofeedback. Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic violence. Joining us we have two experts who are widely experienced in the field of helping survivors heal: Josh Brown from...

It's a new year, and Sarah is back to visit! You can tell none of us are feeling our best, but we were still excited to be together again. Sarah talks about bringing Prevention into new places and spaces. She shares the challenges that she has faced through transitioning from the macro-scale prevention work she did at TCFV to the micro-scale counseling space, some of the enlightening experiences s...

This week on Down the Rabbit Hole we are joined by one of our star young people, Santino Camacho, who has been engaged with TCFV on multiple levels, to talk about the important topic of youth advocacy and engagement. As adults, we often lose touch with how busy young people can be and the immense pressure they are under. Not only are they occupied with school work, socializing, and getting ready f...

Today, we are going to be talking about a housing report that Texas Council on Family Violence has produced. Joining us for this very important topic is Molly Thibodeaux, Public Policy Coordinator at the TCFV. Molly was responsible for spearheading the report titled “Regaining Balance: Safe & Stable Housing for Survivors of Domestic Violence.” In this episode, she sheds light on why it’s so im...

Today we are very excited to share an amazing and hope-inspiring conversation with all of our listeners! We are joined by Dr. Leila Wood and Dr. Jeff Temple from The University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Violence Prevention to talk about the latest research on domestic violence and how this can help us all make meaningful progress in improving people's lives! We get into some of the impact...

Arlene Vassell joins the podcast this week with Roy and William. Together they discuss the importance of understanding and living out that survivor justice is inextricably linked to racial justice. From the personal to the systemic, racial injustice impacts survivors. Listen along and answer some of these questions for yourself and consider which of the calls to action you are able to take on. Her...

Down the Rabbit Hole welcomes Sarah and Mikisha back this year to discuss the most recent Honoring Texas Victims (HTV) report--TCFV's annual intimate partner violence (IPV) fatality report--which was released October 2021. The report identifies the IPV homicides in 2020 in Texas and provides statistics, analysis, and commentary on the victims, the perpetrators, risk and protective factors, and tre...

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time when anti-violence advocates work hard to bring attention to an issue that continues to affect our communities; but it’s also an important opportunity to understand how systems of oppression are interconnected. For the first episode in season two of Down the Rabbit Hole, William and guest host, Rita, are joined by Brenda Sykes, Executiv...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and today is Go Purple Day. We hope you're wearing your purple, and we are excited to announce that after a long break, Down the Rabbit Hole is back! Listen to this quick preview to learn about some of the changes coming this season. Whether you are a regular listener or you're brand new, we look forward to sharing this season's discussions about gender...

Thank you. As this season of Down the Rabbit Hole comes to an end, listen along as Sarah and William reflect on their podcasting journey and express gratitude for the massive amount of support they received. While it's not a blooper reel, his episode is being released (mostly) unedited to give you a small look behind the curtain to give some insight into the podcasting process and a raw glimpse of...

It's PRIDE month! This week Roy Rios--prevention manager at TCFV--joins the podcast to talk about the the intersection of masculinity and the LGBTQ community. Following the rabbit hole where it leads, the discussion morphs into a conversation about the need for queer representation in media and in prevention work. From everyone here at Down the Rabbit Hole, we wish everyone a safe and happy PRIDE!...

Barbra Grimmer and Shellie Ryan--TCFV CPS Policy Team--join Sarah and William this week to talk about Barbra's and Shellie's partnership and the greater collaboration between the domestic violence advocacy and child welfare systems. They discuss their learning journeys, including successes and pitfalls. Together they all reflect on the issues which arise at the intersection of these two, oftentime...

Why is the transition from high school to college so important? This is a critical time in young people's lives which provides an amazing opportunity for growth, learning, and relationship building. How can prevention workers, advocates, and other adults maximize this time period to help young people smoothly begin their transitions into adulthood? Sarah and William welcome Hamza Iqbal and Tiffany...

Vanessa Baum joins Sarah and William this week to talk about the YA--young adult--genre. They discuss why and how this genre is valuable and why so many people get shamed for enjoying it. They consider how YA books, shows, and movies can be used by adults to better engage young people about challenging topics and to reflect on their own adolescent experiences. To support the Quileute tribe's "Move...

Jen Lawson is an Assistant Principal at a high school outside of Texas. She joins Sarah and William this week to talk about the school to prison pipeline--a term that describes the increasing prevalence of schools becoming the settings of young people's first interaction with the law enforcement, criminal justice, and juvenile detention systems. Jen, Sarah, and William share their thoughts on what...