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CALIFORNIA INDIAN LEGAL SERVICES
Bishop ♦ Escondido ♦ Eureka ♦ Sacramento
Escondido Office: 609 S. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, CA 92025
Telephone: (760) 746-8941 ♦ Toll-free: (800) 743-8941 ♦ Fax (760) 746-1815
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Monday, April 6, 2015
California Indian Legal Services Announces New Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
Project
California Indian Legal Services (CILS) and our partner, Strong Hearted Native Women’s
Coalition (SHNWC), will provide holistic, comprehensive, culturally appropriate advocacy and
legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking in
San Diego County. CILS and SHNWC’s VAWA Project is funded through a $500,000, three
year grant for Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) from the U. S. Department of Justice.
Through this project, CILS is able to provide victims with a safety plan, crisis intervention
assistance, a danger assessment, or assistance in obtaining restraining orders. The goal and
objective of the grant is to provide the victims with permanent protection and long term legal
relief in the areas of a divorce, child custody and visitation, division of community property and
child and spousal support.
This program will serve survivors of domestic violence from San Diego County, the nine Native
American reservations in North San Diego County (Rincon, Pauma, Mesa Grande, Santa Ysabel,
La Jolla, San Pasqual, Los Coyotes, Pala, and Inaja/Cosmit) as well as surrounding communities.
Through our Native American domestic violence and sexual assault shelter the number of
reservations served has increased to all 18 reservations in San Diego County (the highest number
of reservations in a single county in the U.S.)
California Indian Legal Services is proud to announce and welcome two new staff members
under the VAWA Project. Our new Domestic Violence Advocate is Yvette Morales, who brings
three years of advocacy experience to CILS. Susan Platt Dalati will serve as the VAWA
Project’s Domestic Violence Attorney. Ms. Dalati has represented individuals in domestic
violence and family law cases for over twenty seven years. Both Ms. Dalati and Ms. Morales
come to us from North County Family Violence Prevention Center.
We are pleased to have Yvette and Susan on board, and look forward to a productive future
meeting the needs of the community.
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California Indian Legal Services is the largest non-profit Indian law firm in California with four
offices statewide and has been in operation for 48 years. CILS represents California Tribes,
tribal organizations, and low-income individuals on matters of Indian law.
Celebrating Over 48 Years of Advocacy for the Rights of Native Americans and Indian Tribes
Further information:
Nicole Scott
Director of Marketing and Development
California Indian Legal Services
nscott@calindian.org
T: (760) 746-8941
www.calindian.org
Celebrating Over 48 Years of Advocacy for the Rights of Native Americans and Indian Tribes