LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Experts in the domestic violence survivor space say culturally competent care is vital in working with that vulnerable population.
However, one industry leader and multiple former employees question cultural competence at SafeNest, which has them concerned as the nonprofit prepares to kick-start a major project funded by millions of federal tax dollars.
The only time SafeNest CEO Liz Ortenburger went on camera with me was a little over four months ago when I first launched my investigation into concerns about safety, sanitation and services at SafeNest.
But she did post a video statement on YouTube on Jan. 27 after we asked for — and she declined — an interview for this story.
"In October, thanks to an incredible investment by the State of Nevada, we're opening One Safe Place, a centralized hub for survivors to access critical wraparound services," she says in the video.
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As 13 Investigates reported, funding for One Safe Place came at a considerable cost because, after the legislative Interim Finance Committee in June gave SafeNest $9 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, none of that money was left for any other domestic violence nonprofits in our state.
"We are concerned about equity distribution throughout the state," said Elizabeth Abdur-Raheem, executive director of the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. "I think SafeNest had a very good proposal. They are proposing a Family Justice Center. Family Justice Centers are known to work for a certain set of survivors. I think that we have to be careful when we say that any answer is the one answer for all survivors. We know, just on the face of it, that that is not true."
As part of SafeNest's proposal for the project, they will offer services for victims and abusers on the same campus, whereas now, they do not.
"For a lot of victims that does not feel safe," Abdur-Raheem said. Also, "It tends to not be culturally competent."
In this case, culturally competent care is the practice of providing quality care to domestic abuse survivors from a variety of cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. It involves understanding and respecting survivors' values, beliefs, and behaviors, and tailoring care to meet their needs. It's something that we're told doesn't always happen at SafeNest. That's according to 10 former employees we've spoken with, all of them saying that problem starts at the top.
"There are so many people that are unhappy and aren't able to provide the best services that they can, and the lending ear that they should, because of the culture of the organization," said a former employee — one of two who worked at SafeNest over the past two years and went on camera with us — asking for anonymity due to fears of retaliation from SafeNest leadership.
They say Ortenburger has made derogatory and racist comments that they reported to SafeNest's human resources department.
"You know what? It's shameful," said a second former employee. "Liz referred to the ladies in shelter as 'apes' or 'gorillas.' That really hurt. It really hurt the morale of the staff, because it spread. The news spread, and over 80 percent of the ladies in shelter are people of color."
They also described a culturally insensitive incident during a staff team-building exercise led by Ortenburger.
"There was an activity where we had to sit at different tables and she said 'OK, for each table, select which country you want to be.' And so, let's say that one table said, 'OK, we're from El Salvador.' Maybe another table said, 'We're from Guatemala.' And it was just a lot of countries, I guess, from Central America and she said, 'Oh, so you guys are a bunch of refugees.'"
We've tried to ask Ortenburger about all of that. In an email, we specifically told her that multiple former employees were making serious allegations about racially-charged comments they heard her make about shelter clients and staff.
"I had even brought this up to HR because it was a concern of mine," one of the former employees said.
In an emailed response, SafeNest's outside public relations firm denied our interview request and ignored the racism allegations.
The employees we spoke to believe success and growth at SafeNest hinge on a change in leadership.
"I think that SafeNest needs someone who's willing to lead with compassion for the survivors and have empathy," a former employee said.
No member of the SafeNest board of directors will agree to an on-camera interview, but some state agencies with limited oversight over SafeNest are seeking accountability by checking up on how the nonprofit is handling some of the government grant money it receives.
I've learned both the Nevada Attorney General and the Department of Child and Family Services are conducting audits at SafeNest this week. We look forward to learning more about that and sharing details with you in future reports.