SCWAC Presents the 2024-2025 Annual Report Before the Legislative Seniors & Human Services Committee

Twila Silverman, Chair of the Suffolk County Women's Advisory Commission and Stacey Caggiano - Director, Suffolk County Office of Women’s Services presented the 2024-2025 SCWAC Annual Report along with Sub-Committee Leaders before the Legislative Seniors & Human Services Committee this week.

Each year the SCWAC makes recommendations to the Suffolk County entity charged with the oversight of SCWAC Suffolk County Division of Women Services, the County Executive, and the County Legislature for executive or legislative action to eliminate discrimination against women, ensure equal opportunity for women and promote the equal status of women in the private and public sectors of the County. (Excerpt from the Bylaws of the SCWAC)

The SCWAC acts in an advocacy role within the Suffolk County government for women’ s issues and works with the Suffolk County entity charged with its oversight for the purpose of implementing and coordinating the initiatives that arise from its recommendations.

This years report included recommendations to enhance the lives of Suffolk County:'

Women in Transition

"The committee’s purpose was to define key ways that the Suffolk County Legislature can enact
changes that will provide increased stability and self-sufficiency for women in transition.
Whether a woman is, for example: a new young mother, recovering from addiction, released
from prison, a veteran, going through a divorce, or becoming a senior citizen, we concluded that
the inability to obtain and maintain affordable permanent housing affected women across the
board, no matter the crossroad they may face. Our suggested recommendations, in complement
with the “Steps to Success” program, can improve the lives of women in Suffolk County." (Campanelli)

Veterans

"The Suffolk County Women’s Advisory Committee, through its Veterans Sub-Committee, is
dedicated to addressing the unique needs and concerns of women veterans across Suffolk
County. The purpose of this sub-committee is to advocate for and support all women veterans,
ensuring that their voices are heard and that their challenges are addressed with actionable
solutions. Women veterans represent a growing segment of the county’s veteran population, and
their experiences often differ from those of male veterans due to gender-specific challenges,
family responsibilities, and service-related trauma. This report reflects the sub-committee’s
research, findings, and recommendations to better serve women veterans in areas such as
housing, healthcare, nutrition, and cost of living." (Maura)

Human Trafficking

"The Human and Sex Trafficking Subcommittee met throughout the year to assess the current
landscape of trafficking prevention, intervention, and recovery efforts in Suffolk County. We
gathered insights from members across the Women’s Advisory Committee and held in-depth
discussions with representatives from the Human Trafficking Investigations Unit, the
Department of Social Services, and the Sheriff’s Anti-trafficking Initiative. Our assessment
revealed that while Suffolk County does an excellent job of collaborating among the departments
and agencies; however, we see the need for two specific areas regarding awareness and housing."(Wakefield)

Legal Reform

"The legal system is failing women and victims of Domestic Violence. There is a lack of
accessible legal guidance. Survivors report confusion about court processes, protection orders,
custody implications, funding for attorneys, and their Constitutional rights. There is no clear,
centralized guidance for families navigating Family Court, Supreme Civil Court, or Criminal
Court in Domestic Violence cases. There is also limited trauma informed court advocates or
interpreters. Survivors are falling through the cracks and victims are retraumatized by the
system by either not being believed or taken seriously. The perpetrators with the guidance of
their attorneys are manipulating the legal process and filing retaliatory claims. Children are
being left in the abusers hands, and without specialized services despite being exposed to abuse.
Underserved populations face barriers and distrust of authorities. Unequivocally, the Court
Systems are overburdened and there is a lack of coordination between the courts for the same
related case . Family Court, Supreme Court, Criminal Court, and Child Protective Services
(CPS) proceedings operate independently, creating confusion and inconsistent protections.
Survivors often receive no followups, referrals, or connections to community support. However,
we have provided potential solutions for Suffolk County." (Silverman)

Special Thanks to the 2024-2025 SCWAC Membership for coming together for the benefit of all Suffolk County Women

Twila Silverman, Chair - Legislative District 16, Rebecca Sanin
Claudine Campanelli, 1st Vice Chair - Legislative District 10, Trish Bergin
Kristin Alfano, 2nd Vice Chair - Legislative District 3, James F. Mazzarella
Katilia Maura, Secretary - County Executive Appointee
Rev. Tina Norton - County Executive Appointee
Maria Rodriguez-Mejia - County Executive Appointee
Beena Kothari - Human Rights Appointee
Joy DeDonato - Human Rights Appointee
Vacant - Legislative District 1, Catherine Stark
Vacant - Legislative District 2, Ann Welker
Teresa Sullivan - Legislative District 4, Nick Caracappa
Elisabeth Zamarelli - Legislative District 5, Steven Englebright
Vacant - Legislative District 6, Chad Lennon
Regina Hunt - Legislative District 7, Dominick Thorne
Vacant - Legislative District 8, Anthony A. Piccirillo
Vacant - Legislative District 9, Samuel Gonzalez
Brianne Wakefield - Legislative District 11, Steven J. Flotteron
Gina Coletti - Legislative District 12, Leslie Kennedy
Meg Shutka - Legislative District 13, Robert Trotta
Lori-Anne Novello - Legislative District 14, Kevin J. McCaffrey
Terry Morris - Legislative District 15, Jason Richberg
Cheryl Haiken - Legislative District 17, Tom Donnelly
Sharon Richmond - Legislative District 18, Stephanie Bontempi

For more information visit:

https://suffolkcountyny.gov/Elected-Officials/County-Executive/Womens-Services