Systemic Reform for Survivors of Abuse and Trauma Act (SRSATA)

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Isha Sarah Snow
PO Box 471
Cathlamet WA 98612
February 16, 2025

To: The United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500

Subject: A Plea for Reform – Protect Survivors and Our Children from Systemic Neglect

Dear America,

I write to you today not just as a survivor of domestic abuse, but as a mother who has been failed—again and again—by the very systems designed to protect us. I am exhausted. I am out of options. And I am pleading for your attention, not just for my sake, but for the thousands of women and children trapped in cycles of coercion, neglect, and institutional betrayal.

For over a decade, I lived under the control of a man who used psychological, financial, and legal manipulation to isolate and break me. I escaped, but at a devastating cost: I lost my home, my financial stability, my sense of safety, and, worst of all, my children. The courts gave custody to the abuser. The child welfare system looked the other way. And when my children were finally removed from his home due to extreme neglect, I was handed the impossible task of single-handedly repairing years of trauma with no structural support.

I fought to rebuild my life. I put myself through school. I worked tirelessly to heal my nervous system after the years of coercive control. I tried to become the stable, secure parent my children deserved. But I was never given the chance, because this system does not allow survivors to heal—it forces us to take on burdens that would break anyone.

My children, conditioned by years of emotional manipulation, were raised in an abusive household and see that model of control as normal. Now, as I try to reintroduce love, structure, and safety, I am met with violence, verbal abuse, and a level of emotional exhaustion I can no longer sustain. I am drowning, and there is no one to help. There is no co-parent, no community support, no respite care, no safety net. I am expected to absorb the trauma that this system failed to prevent. And if I collapse under the weight of it? The blame will fall on me.

I am writing to you not as a statistic, not as a case file buried in the bureaucracy of the legal system, but as a mother who has spent every ounce of strength fighting to rebuild a life that was systematically destroyed. I did everything I was supposed to do—I left my abuser, I sought therapy, I went back to school, I tried to create a stable home for my children. But what no one tells you is that leaving isn’t the end of the fight—it’s only the beginning. The trauma doesn’t stop when you escape; it follows you through the courts, through financial ruin, through the broken social services that abandon you once you’re out of immediate physical danger. It follows you in the faces of your own children, who, after years of emotional manipulation, no longer see you as their protector, but as the enemy.

I fought for years to get them back, only to find that I was expected to fix everything on my own. There was no transition plan, no mental health support, no trauma-informed guidance on how to parent children who had been conditioned by an abuser. Every day is a battle—not just for their healing, but for my own survival. I have sacrificed my body, my mind, and my future to try to give them a life free from harm. But what happens when the helper is drowning too? What happens when a mother, who has done everything in her power to do right by her children, reaches her breaking point and there is no one there to catch her? I am begging you—please, do not let this system continue to fail us. Do not let mothers like me be forced to choose between our own survival and our children’s well-being simply because our society refuses to provide the support we need. We cannot keep pretending that love alone is enough to heal the damage that systemic negligence has caused. It takes real action, real resources, and real commitment from those in power. You have the ability to change this. The only question is—will you?

This is not just my story. This is the reality for countless survivors and their children. A legal system that does not recognize coercive control. A child welfare system that removes children from abuse only to return them to it. A government that preaches family values while forcing single mothers to carry impossible burdens alone.

I am pleading with you—do something.

Policy Changes That Must Happen Now:

  1. Recognize coercive control as a form of domestic violence in family courts.
    • Abusers use legal and financial tactics to continue exerting power long after separation.
    • Courts must be trained to understand post-separation abuse.
  2. Provide trauma-informed support for parents regaining custody.
    • Financial assistance for single parents caring for traumatized children.
    • State-funded respite care to prevent caregiver burnout.
  3. Hold CPS and the legal system accountable for child safety.
    • Stop returning children to documented abusers under the guise of “family preservation.”
    • Implement long-term oversight for households with histories of abuse and neglect.
  4. Create accessible co-regulation and community support programs.
    • Parenting alone after abuse is impossible without social scaffolding.
    • Government-funded mental health and caregiving networks must be established.

If you fail to act, you are not just neglecting me—you are allowing the next generation to be raised in trauma, setting them up for cycles of abuse, violence, and mental health crises. You are choosing to uphold a system that tells survivors to “figure it out” alone while their abusers walk free.

I do not want to fail my children but without systemic support that choice has been taken away from me. I do not want to give up on the future that I fought so hard to build. But I cannot do this alone. No one can.

I am asking you, to listen. To act. To ensure that the next mother who escapes her abuser is not abandoned by the very institutions that claim to protect her.

Please—help us before more families are destroyed.

Sincerely,
Isha Sarah Snow

PO BOX 471, Cathlamet WA 98612

pandemicnova@gmail.com

Systemic Reform for Survivors of Abuse and Trauma Act (SRSATA)

A Legislative Proposal for the Protection and Empowerment of Survivors and Their Children

Submitted to:

The United States of America


Submitted by:

Isha Sarah Snow
PO Box 471
Cathlamet WA 98612
February 16, 2025


Date: February 16, 2025


I. Title of Proposed Legislation

Systemic Reform for Survivors of Abuse and Trauma Act (SRSATA)


II. Purpose & Summary

This bill aims to reform family court proceedings, child welfare policies, economic protections, and trauma recovery systems for survivors of domestic violence and coercive control. It establishes legal, financial, and social protections to prevent abusers from using systemic loopholes to maintain control over victims and their children.

The Systemic Reform for Survivors of Abuse and Trauma Act (SRSATA) will:
✅ Recognize coercive control as a form of domestic violence in all legal proceedings.
✅ Establish long-term trauma recovery funding for survivors and their children.
✅ Prevent child protective services (CPS) from returning children to known abusers.
✅ Expand economic security measures for survivors, including housing, financial protections, and employment support.
✅ Create independent oversight bodies for family courts and CPS to ensure survivor-centered decision-making.

This legislation will ensure that survivors are not forced into homelessness, poverty, or retraumatization due to systemic failures.

III. Findings & Justification

1. Family Courts Enable Post-Separation Abuse

Studies show that 70% of abusive fathers are granted custody or unsupervised visitation in family court cases.

Survivors are often denied protection orders, while abusers use legal retaliation tactics (e.g., false restraining orders, parental alienation claims).

Solution: Mandate trauma-informed judicial training and prohibit custody for abusers with a documented history of coercive control.

2. CPS Repeatedly Returns Children to Abusers

Nationally, over 40% of child abuse fatalities occur after CPS intervention has already been initiated.

Many children are removed from abusive parents only to be returned after short investigations, without trauma recovery support.

Solution: Establish long-term safety monitoring and prohibit CPS reunification without evidence of rehabilitation.

3. Financial Abuse Traps Survivors in Cycles of Dependence

Over 98% of domestic abuse cases involve financial abuse, yet family courts do not recognize it as a form of domestic violence.

Survivors face homelessness, unemployment, and legal debt as abusers drain assets or withhold financial support.

Solution: Provide housing support, financial restitution, and employment reintegration programs for survivors.

4. Trauma Recovery is Systemically Neglected

Less than 10% of domestic violence funding goes toward long-term trauma recovery programs.

Survivors and their children face severe PTSD, behavioral issues, and complex trauma but are denied access to mental health services due to funding gaps.

Solution: Create state-funded trauma recovery programs, respite care services, and parenting support for survivors.

IV. Provisions of the Act

1. Legal Reforms to Recognize and Address Coercive Control

Coercive Control Protections: Expand domestic violence statutes to include psychological, financial, and legal abuse.

Custody Protections: Prohibit joint custody or unsupervised visitation for parents with documented abuse histories.

Judicial Training: Mandate trauma-informed training for judges, attorneys, and child custody evaluators.

2. Child Welfare System Overhaul

CPS Accountability: Require external oversight of CPS decisions involving abuse survivors.

Trauma-Informed Reunification Plans: Ensure children removed from abusive homes receive long-term therapeutic support before reunification.

Eliminate Child Return Policies: Prevent automatic reunification with abusive parents without evidence-based rehabilitation.

3. Economic Security & Housing Protections

Emergency Survivor Housing Vouchers—guaranteed housing for survivors leaving abusers.

Financial Restitution for Abuse Survivors—hold abusers accountable for economic damages, lost wages, and medical costs.

Employment & Education Support—expand job training and financial aid for survivors reentering the workforce.

4. Trauma Recovery & Parenting Support

Guaranteed Mental Health Coverage for Survivors & Children—long-term therapy covered by Medicaid and state funds.

Respite Care for Single Parents of Trauma-Affected Children—state-funded caregiving support for overwhelmed parents.

Parenting Support Networks—establish community-based trauma recovery centers for survivors and their children.

5. Oversight & Accountability for Family Courts and CPS

Office of Survivor Advocacy (OSA)—establish a federal oversight body to audit family court decisions and CPS interventions.

Survivor Advisory Panels—ensure survivors have a direct role in policy reform and implementation.

Legal Penalties for Systemic Negligence—hold courts and CPS liable for failures that result in harm to survivors or children.

V. Implementation & Funding

1. Legislative Process

Introduce the Coercive Control Protection Act as an amendment to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Establish state-level Survivor Protection Commissions to oversee family court and child welfare cases.

2. Funding Allocation

Reallocate existing domestic violence prevention funds toward long-term trauma recovery programs.

Establish federal and state survivor support grants to provide housing, economic assistance, and mental health care.

3. Agency Collaboration

Partner with social services, law enforcement, and survivor advocacy groups to implement trauma-informed reforms.

Mandate inter-agency coordination between family courts, CPS, and survivor organizations.


VI. Expected Outcomes & Benefits

✔ Survivors will have financial, housing, and legal protections that prevent economic entrapment.
✔ Family courts will prioritize child safety over automatic parental rights.
✔ CPS interventions will focus on long-term trauma healing instead of bureaucratic timelines.
✔ Trauma-informed support networks will prevent caregiver burnout and ensure survivors are not isolated.
✔ Children removed from abusive homes will receive the therapeutic care they need to break cycles of generational trauma.

VII. Conclusion: A Moral & Policy Imperative

Survivors of coercive control and domestic abuse cannot continue to be abandoned by the systems meant to protect them.

The Systemic Reform for Survivors of Abuse and Trauma Act (SRSATA) is a critical step toward ensuring that victims receive legal, financial, and emotional support instead of being retraumatized by the courts, child welfare agencies, and economic barriers.

We urge immediate legislative action.

It is time to end the cycle of trauma, protect survivors, and hold our institutions accountable for failing those they are meant to serve.

VIII. Next Steps for Advocacy

Legislators: Introduce the Coercive Control Protection Act and related amendments.

Community Organizations: Advocate for CPS and family court reforms.

Public Awareness: Launch education campaigns on coercive control and systemic failures.

Survivor-Led Advocacy: Establish advisory panels to ensure survivor voices shape policy implementation.

White Paper: Systemic Reform for Survivors of Abuse and Trauma

Addressing Legal, Economic, and Social Failures in Family Court, Child Welfare, and Survivor Support Systems

Prepared for: The United States of America
Prepared by: SpiroLateral
Date: February 16, 2025
Contact Information: Isha Sarah Snow

Executive Summary

Domestic violence survivors and their children face systemic failures at every level of institutional support. Family courts, child protective services (CPS), and economic policies fail to protect victims, often empowering abusers through legal loopholes, financial abuse, and inadequate trauma recovery resources.

This white paper examines critical failures in legal, child welfare, and survivor support systems, and presents policy recommendations to address coercive control, financial security, trauma recovery, and systemic accountability.

Key Proposals

✅ Recognizing Coercive Control as Domestic Abuse → Expand legal definitions of abuse to include psychological, financial, and legal manipulation.
✅ Family Court Reform → Prioritize child safety over automatic parental rights, and mandate trauma-informed judicial training.
✅ CPS Overhaul → End the practice of returning children to documented abusers without rehabilitation.
✅ Economic Protections → Provide housing, financial support, and employment reintegration for survivors.
✅ Trauma Recovery Support → Guarantee long-term therapy, respite care, and parenting assistance for survivors and children.
✅ Accountability Measures → Establish independent oversight for family courts and CPS, and hold institutions liable for systemic failures.

Impact

  • Reduces the cycle of post-separation abuse through legal protections.
  • Prevents retraumatization of children by ensuring safety-first child welfare policies.
  • Strengthens survivor independence through financial stability and social support.
  • Improves public safety by reducing domestic violence recidivism rates.

Immediate policy action is needed to shift from a punitive, bureaucratic system to a trauma-informed model of survivor protection and recovery.

I. The Problem: Systemic Failures Impacting Survivors & Children

1. Family Courts Enable Post-Separation Abuse

  • Issue: Abusers use the court system to retain control over survivors and children through legal intimidation and custody manipulation.
  • Facts:
    • 70% of abusive fathers receive custody or unsupervised visitation.
    • Survivors often lack legal representation, while abusers exploit financial and legal loopholes.
  • Solution:
    • Recognize coercive control as domestic violence in all family court decisions.
    • Prohibit custody and visitation for parents with documented abuse histories.
    • Mandate trauma-informed judicial training for all family court judges.

2. Child Protective Services (CPS) Fails to Protect Children

  • Issue: CPS investigations often result in children being returned to abusive parents due to bureaucratic inefficiencies and legal mandates prioritizing reunification.
  • Facts:
    • Over 40% of child abuse fatalities occur after CPS has been involved.
    • Many children removed from abusive homes receive no trauma support before reunification.
  • Solution:
    • Eliminate automatic child return policies for documented abusers.
    • Implement long-term safety monitoring and therapeutic interventions before reunification.
    • Increase oversight and transparency in CPS decision-making.

3. Economic Barriers Trap Survivors in Dependency

  • Issue: Financial abuse is not legally recognized, leaving survivors without access to economic resources to rebuild their lives.
  • Facts:
    • 98% of domestic violence cases involve financial abuse.
    • Survivors often experience homelessness, unemployment, and legal debt.
  • Solution:
    • Provide emergency housing and financial restitution for survivors.
    • Expand employment and education support for financial independence.
    • Establish legal protections against financial manipulation by abusers.

4. Lack of Trauma Recovery Services for Survivors & Children

  • Issue: Survivors and their children face lifelong trauma without sufficient mental health support.
  • Facts:
    • Less than 10% of domestic violence funding goes toward long-term trauma recovery.
    • Children exposed to abuse are 15x more likely to develop PTSD, addiction, or criminal behavior.
  • Solution:
    • Guarantee mental health coverage for survivors and children (therapy, PTSD treatment).
    • Provide state-funded respite care for single parents of trauma-affected children.
    • Establish community-based trauma recovery programs.

II. Policy Recommendations

1. Legal & Family Court Reforms

✅ Coercive Control Protection Act → Recognize psychological, financial, and legal abuse as forms of domestic violence.
✅ Trauma-Informed Family Court Mandates → Require judges, attorneys, and custody evaluators to receive coercive control training.
✅ Restrict Custody for Abusive Parents → Prohibit custody and unsupervised visitation in documented abuse cases.

2. Child Welfare & CPS Accountability

✅ No Automatic Child Returns → Require long-term trauma recovery before CPS reunification.
✅ Survivor-Centered Child Placement → Prioritize kinship care and trauma-informed foster placements over unregulated family reunification.
✅ Oversight & Appeals Board for CPS Decisions → Ensure external review of child welfare interventions.

3. Financial & Housing Stability for Survivors

✅ Emergency Housing Vouchers for Survivors & Children → Prevent homelessness and economic dependency.
✅ Economic Restitution from Abusers → Hold perpetrators financially accountable for damages.
✅ Employment & Education Support → Expand job training, financial aid, and career reintegration programs.

4. Trauma Recovery & Parenting Support

✅ Guaranteed Mental Health Coverage → Provide long-term PTSD treatment for survivors and children.
✅ Respite Care for Trauma-Affected Families → State-funded caregiving support to prevent parent burnout.
✅ Trauma-Informed Parenting Programs → Support non-abusive parents in raising trauma-impacted children.

5. Accountability & Oversight

✅ Office of Survivor Advocacy (OSA) → Establish an independent body to audit family court and CPS failures.
✅ Survivor-Led Policy Advisory Panels → Ensure victims have a voice in shaping policy changes.
✅ Penalties for Systemic Negligence → Hold courts, CPS, and law enforcement accountable for failures that result in survivor harm.

III. Expected Outcomes

For Survivors:
✔ Economic stability, reducing dependence on abusers.
✔ Legal protections preventing post-separation abuse.
✔ Emotional and psychological support for long-term recovery.

For Children:
✔ Guaranteed safety from abusive households.
✔ Access to trauma-informed interventions to break the cycle of abuse.
✔ Structured education and social support for resilience.

For Society:
✔ Lower rates of mental health crises, homelessness, and incarceration.
✔ Strengthened domestic violence prevention infrastructure.
✔ Cost savings by reducing reliance on crisis intervention services.

IV. Conclusion & Call to Action

The Systemic Reform for Survivors of Abuse and Trauma policy recommendations are designed to eliminate institutional failures, protect survivors, and prevent intergenerational trauma.

We urge immediate legislative action to break the cycle of coercive control, child endangerment, and economic dependence. Survivors should not be forced to fight the same system that failed them.

The time for reform is now.

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