SALT LAKE CITY -- A committee that blends Utah and Arizona state agencies, nonprofits and representatives from polygamous groups wants to help service providers learn how to work with plural families.
The First Annual Safety Net Clinical Training Conference will be held in Salt Lake City on Aug. 17. It will provide cultural education for social and domestic violence workers, medical providers and others.
An estimated 37,000 polygamists live across the intermountain West, most in Utah and Arizona. Traditionally, plural families avoid accessing social services for fear of prosecution. Bigamy is illegal in both states.
Utah and Arizona agencies joined with a handful of polygamy advocates to form the Safety Net Committee several years ago to help families get needed services.
