NCADV is excited to share details for our workshop lineup at Recognizing (Y)Our Power!
Click on any topic area below to read more details about workshops or just keep scrolling down this page to read all of them. And ... don't forget to register!
Activism, Social Justice and Community Outreach
Beyond the 911 Call: Achieving Holistic Justice for Domestic Violence Survivors
Presented by Carvana Cloud, The Empowered Survivor Project
The nation's criminal justice reform conversation requires justice professionals to be more trauma-informed and culturally inclusive in order to provide comprehensive victim services for survivors impacted by interpersonal violence. This presentation will explore why victims from underserved communities often "suffer in silence" instead of reporting abuse to law enforcement. Attendees will also gain insight into the harm caused by our country's racially-biased criminal justice system and explore how justice partners can work together to encourage survivors to report violence by implementing outreach efforts to ensure that all survivors receive culturally relevant advocacy and services that facilitate their safety. Attendees will also learn how survivors' views of justice extend beyond the criminal justice system as survivors are seeking long-term services and programming that will allow them to heal in the wake of harm.
Dynamics of Coercive Control and Legislative Success
Presented by Evan Rachel Wood, Phoenix Act
Dynamics of coercive control - Identifying coercive versus healthy behaviors - Raising awareness regarding the lack of judicial protection from coercive control in the United States - Discuss how to create + employ your platform for legislative success.
Join actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood for a deep dive into the dynamics of coercive control and her recent efforts to provide judicial protection for survivors of intimate partner violence. This workshop will address various forms of coercive behaviors and afford attendees a closer look at Evan's path to legislative success.
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Advanced Advocacy Skills
Demystifying The Hotline: Understanding The National Domestic Violence Hotline
Presented by April Jimerson and Wlehdae Moore, National Domestic Violence Hotline
In this session, we will Demystify The Hotline. Our goal is to help domestic violence professionals, service providers, helpers, survivors, and the public understand the services that we provide to fulfill our vision of a world where all relationships are positive, healthy, and free from violence. We will review the history of The Hotline and what contacts can expect when they reach out to The Hotline's highly-trained professional advocates. We will discuss Loveisrespect, our preventative project aimed at reducing domestic violence by educating youth about healthy relationships. We will review some of the myths and realities of The Hotline to provide people with a deeper understanding of everything we can do to support our contacts. And we will also highlight how the demographic and anecdotal information that we gather can be harnessed to identify trending challenges and issues survivors are facing so that we may adapt our services and support to meet their needs.
How COVID Changed Service Delivery
Presented by Mae Bennett, Jewish Family Service Association
COVID-19 has changed many aspects of our lives including the ability to provide support to survivors of domestic violence. We have had to reimagine creative and effective ways to work with survivors and still maintain health and safety guidelines. This training will present a broad understanding of challenges faced in service delivery and present solutions to these challenges.
Tips, Tools, and Community: Best Practices for Holistic Service Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presented by Angela Beatty, Elizabeth Dineen, Sharon Shelton, and June Jimenez, YWCA
YWCA has more than 200 local associations across 45 states and the District of Columbia who have been working hard to meet the needs of the communities they serve during the COVID-19, which has drastically changed the way that domestic violence service providers have been able to work with and care for the clients they serve. This session will provide insights into innovative solutions to service provision for survivors of gender-based violence in three different settings: the pivot to virtual delivery, innovative in-person delivery in response to social distancing guidelines, and through a coordinating function. In addition to providing the best practices that our network has discovered, we will facilitate information of sharing of best practices by participants so that we can continue to grow together as a movement.
When Courts Went Virtual: Helping Survivors in the Epicenter of the Pandemic
Presented by Luba Reife, Sanctuary for Families
Since shutdown orders went into affect across the country, domestic violence has been on the rise. The week of March 16th, days after the novel COVID-19 virus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Association, New York City courts closed their doors to New York City residents, including the most vulnerable: survivors of intimate partner violence and their children. During this webinar, I will address the unique challenges the pandemic has created for victims of abuse, discuss safe ways for to speak with clients seeking protective orders virtually, walk through the process for filing and obtaining temporary orders of protection in New York City, and discuss the challenges of virtual appearances and trials. I will also touch upon the related issues of custody, visitation, and support filings. Additionally, I will speak more globally about the effect of shelter in place on intimate partner violence and what kinds of behaviors increased due to the shutdown.
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Anti-Oppression and Racial Justice
"Woke" Isn't Enough: Move From Awareness to Anti-Oppression Culture Change!
Presented by Fiona Oliphant and Jessica Li, Healing Equity United
This workshop will give participants tools to move from awareness (i.e. being woke) to substantive anti-oppression culture change. The workshop will share a culture change methodology to assist organizations to make the internal shift from aspirational equity to actual anti-oppression spaces.
Is Your Advocacy Whitewashed?: Solutions to Dismantling Racism in the Domestic Violence Sector
Presented by Melody Gross, Courageous Shift
In this session, Melody of Courageous SHIFT will share stories, actionable steps, and questions to consider in order for organizations that work with Black and brown survivors of domestic violence to dismantle racism and white supremacy. She will share stories of survivors' experiences with racism from service providers and organizations that are intentional about becoming anti-racist. There will be concrete takeaways for participants to begin to use within their organizations to make the domestic violence sector more equitable, inclusive, and safe for Black people and other people of color.
Prevention through Liberation: Anti-Oppression Frameworks for Domestic Violence
Presented by Danielle Boachie, The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is caused by global systemic oppression, including gender-based violence, hetero-centrism, racism and socioeconomic inequalities. Yet, many solutions to eradicating this violence often rely solely on carceral methods that do not address DV in a systemic way, and often further traumatizes survivors and those who harm. Therefore, domestic violence advocacy should utilize frameworks, perspectives and methods that not only seek to address specific moments of harm, but also work to transform the conditions that create and perpetuate harm. The workshop will be a beginner conversation to how transformative justice and anti-oppression frameworks can be used in domestic violence advocacy. Learning objectives will include examining implicit and explicit biases, interrogating how systems fail survivors, and exploring transformative justice principles in domestic violence advocacy.
The Voice of Silence: Domestic Violence and the African American Church Response
Presented by Selina Carter, Spirit of Excellence - Leadership Guidance, Inc.
This workshop is intended to address the social inequalities and religious barriers that inhibit African-American women from receiving social services for domestic violence. The workshop is intended to provide African American clergy, church leaders and laity with a training program to support the safety, emotional, psychological, trauma informed care and spiritual well-being of victims/survivors of domestic violence. Learning Objectives: This workshop is intended to address the lack of education among pastors and leaders in the African-American Church to support healthy intimate partner relationships for women congregants. The workshop is intended to bridge theological and educational gaps relating to domestic violence not often addressed in the African-American Church.
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Capacity Building and Leadership
Becoming a Trauma Informed Agency: From the Roots of Trauma to the Flowering of Trauma Informed Care
Presented by Mona Kadeel, Dheeshana S. Jayasundara and Durdana Ahmed, Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation (TMWF)
The process of becoming a culturally sensitive trauma informed domestic violence agency requires a well-organized, systematic process, that begins with an agency self-assessment in relation to trauma informed care practices. This presentation charts the process of becoming a trauma-informed agency, lessons learned, and recommendations to overcome barriers. A resource manual with assessment tools, training material, and resources will be provided to all attendees. a) Introduce the culturally sensitive trauma informed care approach b) Discuss the process involved in becoming a trauma informed agency, changes made, and provide necessary practical tools and guidelines c) Discuss lessons learned for effective implementation and sustainability.
Funding Solutions: A Case Study of the Fundraising Challenges of Domestic Violence Organizations
Presented by Carol Wick, Sharity
Has the pandemic and economic downtown taken a heavy toll on your shelter? Are you worried about being forced to scale back your center’s services just when they are needed the most? You are not alone. Over the past few months, Sharity has partnered to collect information from hundreds of domestic violence organizations across the country to identify and overcome the most significant fundraising challenges. After presenting the findings and analysis, attendees will be provided with practical solutions to overcome their most pressing challenges in these unprecedented times. You’ll discover how to assess and address the critical gaps in your own organization that could mean the difference between thriving and closing your doors forever.
Soup, Soap and the Circus: Making an Impact through Community Partnerships
Presented by Jessica Hill and Kim Dixon, Safe House for Women
Opportunities for partnership are everywhere! Our agencies depend upon the partnership of all kinds of organizations/agencies/businesses within the community for support and cooperation. How do we identify potential players, generate interest in working with our agency, cultivate mutually-beneficial relationships, and build on partnerships to create community goodwill? In this session, we will explore methods and strategies for establishing and enhancing community-based partnerships, and learn how community partnerships can advance your agency, impact client service and affect social change in your local context. Participants are guaranteed to come away with fresh ideas and proven approaches for reaching new partners in a wide variety of sectors, including business, education, government, and the community at large.
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Children, Teens, and Young Adults
Addressing the Impact Adultification Has on Child Survivors of Trauma
Presented by Jacqueline Miller, Healthy Actions Intervening Responsibly (H.A.I.R.)
This training addresses the impact adultification has on children who experience trauma, with an emphasis on black girls. Studies show that adults view black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than their counterparts, especially between the ages of 5-14. This long-overlooked issue is frequently passed down from one generation to another while overlapping issues go unrecognized and unaddressed. Youth who viewed their experiences as unfair and inequitable, found their outcomes detrimental to their health. Adultification often overlaps with poverty, violence, addictions, incarceration and homelessness. Research shows, this can further lead to negative outcomes associated with children’s mental health.The adultification of African American girls Shedding light on adultification and its affect on one's well-being will connect the dots between generational adultification and resilience. Dignity and cultural resilience frameworks will be utilized to create "Build & Share" Action Plans.
Creating Meaningful Access for Underserved Youth in Rural Communities
Presented by Dalton Dagondon Tiegs, Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence
Creating Meaningful Access For Underserved Youth in Rural Communities was developed for rural community or tribal domestic violence and/or sexual assault programs or youth serving organizations that want to design and implement services and programs that are relevant, meaningful, and accessible to youth ages 13 to 18 of all backgrounds who have experienced or are at risk of teen dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
Creating Safe and Workable Parenting Plans when Domestic Violence is Present
Presented by Alexandria Ruden and Diane Palos, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
When domestic violence is present, both courts and attorneys fail to develop safe parenting plans. Utilizing the Ohio Supreme Court's guidelines on parenting, participants will examine implications for practice and create safety focused parenting plans in the context of a divorce, custody or civil protection order case. Participants will focus on risk and lethality in domestic violence relationships, apply that knowledge to statutory best interest factors to evaluate specifically detailed plans and structure safe and appropriate parenting plans that enhance survivor and child safety within the confines of a family court system. participants will apply Ohio's model to answer the following: How do the dangerous factors impact the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities? How do acts of domestic violence relate to a state's best interest factors? How does the presence of domestic violence impact meaningful parenting arrangements and the enforcement of those plans?
Developing the Next Class of Violence Prevention Educators: A Case for Targeted Peer Education Training Modules
Presented by Suzannah Rogan, Doane University
As the need for university campus violence prevention efforts grows, universities have an opportunity to provide education through credible messengers – their students. Utilizing highly trained credible messengers can increase student contacts, satisfaction, and skills while partnering in the production of materials, programs, and education. This discussion will help practitioners describe the role peer educators can play in a comprehensive violence prevention program. During the session, they will identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities within their current approach. And participants will leave this interactive session with a plan to execute a peer education strategy on their university campus or a campus with which they work.
One Love: An Innovative Approach to Relationship Health Education
Presented by Annie Forrest, One Love Foundation
Participants will learn what engaging resources One Love creates about the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors and how they can incorporate these resources into their own organization's prevention education. They will be exposed to One Love’s full content library, which is provided at no cost to schools and organizations, beginning with an overview, an interactive 10 Signs of a Healthy and Unhealthy Relationship activity, and large group discussion. This session is based in One Love's five key learning objectives (recognizing signs of an unhealthy relationship & emotional abuse, practicing healthy behaviors, communicating boundaries and practicing consent, helping a friend, and navigating breakups), including new activities about how peers can support others.
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Cultural Implications of Violence Against Women
Violence Against Women: Representations, Interpretations, & Education
Presented by Lisa Fiore, Sonia Pérez-Villanueva and Meenakshi Chhabra, Lesley University
The representation of suffering is gender biased, & cultural representations of violence against women are mystified, eroticized, & depicted as heroic, camouflaging and trivializing the act of violence as a norm in society. This session will provide participants with examples of artwork & activism that provide a platform for collaboration between community providers, artists, educators, & those who identify as victims and/or survivors in a collective call for action. Learning Objectives: 1) To transform awareness of the global concern of violence against women through art & representations of "beautiful" violence; 2) To demonstrate a model for consideration of how such art/representations impact humanity & sustain cycles of trauma; 3) To activate connections & community resources.
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Economic Justice
Serving the Whole Survivor: Economic Advocacy from an Anti-Oppression Framework
Presented by Janée Johnson, FamilyForward
As advocates, we know that survivors of domestic violence come to us with myriad experiences in regards to their family history, childhood experiences, as well as past, current, and future histories of oppression. In order to understand how to provide economic advocacy services, such as building credit, creating a cost of living plan, or gaining access to banks, we must first understand how oppression has created barriers and has impacted survivors’ decision making and ability to access economic resources. In this workshop, participants will learn to understand the histories of oppression that the survivors we serve have experienced, recognize the impact of oppression on ability to access resources, and develop strategies to assist survivors in overcoming oppressive barriers to achieving economic independence.
Supporting Survivors: Understanding State and Federal Policies Relating to SNAP Benefits
Presented by Rob Valente and Casey Goldvale, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)
Many survivors rely on SNAP benefits for financial stability. Over 80% of DV survivors and service providers identified SNAP as a critical resource in a 2017 National Resource Center on Domestic Violence survey. Women who experienced food insecurity were more than three times as likely as women who did not experience food insecurity to experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner (National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 2010). However, federal and state policies create complex work requirements that create obstacles for many survivors, especially those in shelter. This workshop will address the state and federal policies that impact survivor safety and success. Attendees will learn: * How SNAP can specifically address survivors' needs * About work requirement policies on the federal and state levels * How these policies can negatively and positively impact survivors' move towards financial independence
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Emergency Preparedness and Intervention
AZPOINT - Expanding Access to the Criminal Justice System for Victims
Presented by Anthony Coulson and Marc Peoples, Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
This session is designed to show how automating Protective and Restraining Orders allows Victims of Domestic Violence safer and more effective access to the criminal justice system. In 2020, the Arizona Supreme Court and the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission implemented AZPOINT, Arizona's automated Order of Protection and Injunction Against Harassment process. Arizona was averaging 25 days from issuance to when an Order was legally enforceable and when the firearms prohibition began. The system is designed to give petitioner/victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence) the ability to prepare their petition on-line and submit that petition to the court. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Arizona victims had seamless access to the courts from their safe remote shelters or homes.
Coping with Working Remotely
Presented by Wendy Blanco, Peace Over Violence
This training was developed after the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shifted the culture drastically and with change comes challenges and resistance. This training addresses the challenges that mental health providers and advocates face in the time of social distancing, the collective trauma that is experienced, and the way technology is allowing us to be creative. Technology doesn’t always cooperate, but as we become more comfortable with it we can take treatment to new heights. This training will discuss virtual interventions and ways to keep ourselves engaged as providers and ways to engage our clients. This training will be interactive, so that after this training you will feel more confident in providing telehealth/virtual services.
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Health and Domestic Violence
Addressing the Intersecting Issues of IPV, Mental Health Issues, SUD, and HIV through Coordinated Service Provision
Presented by April Schweinhart and Ashley Simons-Rudolph, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
We will show how a Collaboration Action Plan can be a first step to build relationships and a shared community vision that extends beyond that of any single service agency. At the end of the session, participants will be able to identify the intersection of violence with mental health issues, substance use, and sexually transmitted infections and create their own Collaboration Action Plan. Participants will form small, diverse teams and practice writing their own Collaboration Action Plan to tackle real-world issues. Service providers express desires to deliver comprehensive services to survivors but are challenged and limited by circumstance. Collaboration Action Plans are one way to address the complex needs of IPV survivors by translating desire to work together into reality.
SAFETY FIRST! IPV Screening During COVID-19 & Beyond: Best Practices for Primary Care Providers
Presented by K. Tony Korol-Evans, Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence
This interactive session is designed to assist intimate partner violence (IPV) outreach and training specialists in educating health care professionals in best practices when using telehealth with possible survivors of IPV. Disseminating this information on IPV to health care professionals will allow them to reach more survivors of IPV so they can attain the services they need. By the end of the session, attendees will be able to train health care professionals in SAFETY FIRST best practices including explaining the benefits and risks in using telehealth with possible survivors of IPV, determining safety of location, generating basic screening questions, and creating an appropriate list of distributable resources for survivors whether they are staying in the relationship or leaving.
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Involving Men and Boys in the Movement
Bringing Men Into the Movement
Presented by Toby Fraser and Richie Schulz
Men who react to the rise of the #MeToo movement with curiosity rather than defensiveness can be reached and mobilized into action—but how? We will describe our work over the past two years designing and running the Socha Program, a multi-month training and organizing program for masculine identified folks that is answering this question for us here in Philadelphia. Through a series of interactive activities and group discussions, the workshop will explore ways to organize masculine-identified folks that can be applied in any setting. Participants will leave with their own next steps to organize masculine folks into community building efforts for social change, as well as a deeper understanding of experiential education and profeminist facilitation strategies.
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Resilience and Self Care
Dismantling the Myth of the Strong Black Woman
Presented by Ciera Jones, Office of the Attorney General of the District of Columbia
This session is designed to explore the phrase people hear often: Strong Black Woman. What does it mean? Does this concept exist? What does it mean for those of us who are a part of this identity and have to live with it every day? How do we live the life of a black woman, and a black woman who serves others in our work? We will answer all these questions, and more. Finally, we will discuss how we take care of our unique self, because it is so important to be able to do so in a way that is culturally relevant. This session will be heavily interactive—Let’s Talk!
Healing the Helpers: Identifying & Preventing Compassion Fatigue in DV Professionals
Presented by Bridget Glass, Glass Counseling Services, LLC
Domestic Violence professionals are often at the front lines of crises and have dedicated their lives to the physical and emotional well-being of survivors. As a result, many of these individuals experience the detrimental impact of reduced compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. Additionally, those who are exposed to high levels of trauma within their work are vulnerable to elevated rates of employee turnover and a decline in job satisfaction. This presentation will offer an in-depth explanation of trauma and it's impact on those working in the field of domestic violence, risk factors of compassion fatigue, and self-care practices to reduce the negative impact of work related distress and promote healing in the lives of these helpers.
Real Life Resilience: Using Your Tough Life Stories to Build Strength
Presented by Stacy Brookman, Real Life Resilience
Your tough stories are valuable! If you’ve ever wanted to unearth the hard-won wisdom you’ve learned from your stories and put it into action, now is that time. Join Stacy as she guides you through the four simple steps to getting those tough stories out of your head and on to black and white, so you can gain power over them. Writing creates a resilience and joy that defies the boundaries of our experiences. In this session you’ll discover how to leverage your tough life stories to boost your resilience. Learn how to Embrace, Enable, Enhance, and Elevate your stories. Discover why science proves that writing can help you mentally, emotionally, and even physically. Uncover the best way to enjoy writing (even if you’re not a writer), and get started writing your first story during the talk!
Staying Safe and Well While Supporting Survivors: Boundaries for Advocates
Presented by Lauren Taylor and Brenda Jones, Defend Yourself
Those who work in domestic violence, often survivors themselves, are dedicated to their work. But it exposes them to loss, crisis, and trauma. Their boundaries often are challenged by clients, clients’ family, the agency, and community partners. Lack of resources also pressure staff to compromise their well-being for the good of the mission. This can lead to reduced quality of services, (re)traumatization, and burnout. This workshop offers tools for reclaiming your power: from communicating boundaries to healing trauma, from asking for what you want to resisting intimidation. You'll gain options for communicating your needs and limits in stressful situations, learn strategies you can use individually, and examine organizational changes to support yourself and your work.
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Survivor Focus
All And Nothing: Meeting Survivors Where They Are
Presented by Harmit Kaur and Mallika Kaur, Sikh Family Center
The presentation will highlight community-based interventions on family violence attempted by Sikh Family Center (SFC) and how such interventions can be strengthened for the benefit of survivors and their families. While most victim-survivors SFC works with often show an interest in alternatives to police, courts, shelters, public hearings etc., some do not. Participants will learn how SFC, the only organization focused on Sikh American victims of gender-based violence, has worked to combine ‘traditional’ (e.g., involving legal systems) and ‘non-traditional’ (e.g., prioritizing grassroots interventions) responses to family violence. By narrowing in on the experience of a small community-based organization, participants can engage at the intersections of spirituality; articles of faith; immigration status; cultural values; violence; activism. Participants will explore the larger questions of community solutions, best practices, and common complications to improving services.
College Women and IPV: How They Explain It
Presented by Kelly Gentry, Kelly M Gentry Counseling LLC
More than 40% of college women report experiencing abuse by an intimate partner, making it a significant cause for concern on college campuses. This session will focus on sharing how college women define and describe their experiences with IPV, in their words. The presenter will share information from interviews conducted with college women who have self-identified as having experienced IPV. Understanding how college women articulate their experiences with IPV within the context of being a college student can help to increase and improve campus screening procedures, as well as prevent the negative mental health, academic, and career outcomes that often accompany living through IPV in college.
DVERT (Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team)
Presented by Wayne Williams
How did the collaboration begin: will provide history of the initial collaboration and information sharing. We will also discuss the following: who was involved, what steps were taken, and why was it viewed as a priority? What is included in the collaboration now: will describe how the collaboration has grown since it’s beginning and go into specific positions of law enforcement advocates, personal crimes advocates, and response teams. We will describe how the sharing of police reports within 24 hours and reading/following up on those reports. We will talk about what is a domestic violence enhanced response team: definition, general overview of basic structure/functioning of the team and te Importance of immediate follow up and follow through. We will provide time for initial feedback or thoughts/clarification.
Lessons from COVID-19: Becoming More Survivor-Centered
Presented by Kelli Owens, New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV)
While systems like healthcare and education will never be the same after COVID-19, neither will services supporting survivors of domestic violence. This pandemic reinforced what we already knew about effective domestic violence service delivery: a comprehensive, survivor-centered response is essential to ensuring that victims can access essential services to address their immediate needs and their long-term safety and independence. In this session, the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence will share lessons learned from the ways in which COVID-19 accelerated our response to domestic violence and helped shape the future of service delivery statewide, and highlight the importance of establishing a survivor-focused response. Participants will understand how to adopt and these protocols, adapt alternative methods to service delivery, and forge partnerships that foster coordination and collaboration among state agencies, service providers, and external stakeholders.
Stalking in the Digital Age: How to Prevent Victimization
Presented by Karen Adams and Jared Beek, Appriss Insights
Abuse doesn’t always come in the form of physical threats or violence. Online behavior is also abusive if it makes you feel scared or threatens your safety. In a world where we're always connected, the potential for cyberbullying and digital stalking is more prevalent than ever. Over 200 apps and services exist that offer would-be stalkers a variety of capabilities, from location tracking, to harvesting text messages -- and even secretly recording video. Education surrounding these evolving technologies is greatly needed to prevent victimization in the Digital Age.
Unique & Powerful: Becoming the Former Survivor of Domestic Violence & Thriving Warrior in Life (Moving, Guiding, & Empowering Beyond “Survivory”)
Presented by Doctoral Candidate and Researcher - KayLa N. Allen, Expert on Shaping Thriving Futures
Do you ever get that feeling that there is so much more to life than being a "survivor"? We are all unique and have amazingly powerful stories to share with the world; these can be a gift at many levels for survivors and those leading and guiding survivors. When we can empower ourselves and love the person living inside of us, there is a hope that we can become better versions of ourselves and lead thriving lives. There is a power that lives inside of you; it is one that no one can take away from you. Challenge yourself to become the next and best version of yourself. Conquer your successes, grow in your leadership, evolve from the inside-out, and achieve your goals so that you can be a voice and source of true empowerment for those who are currently the "voiceless".
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Systems Change
A County Capacity Building and Planning Process to Prevent Multiple Forms of Violence
Presented by Hisham Alibob and Alexandra Madsen, Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse
Contra Costa County’s Alliance to End Abuse, in partnership with the Contra Costa Family Justice Center and other key partners, began a County-wide violence prevention initiative aimed at systems change in 2017. Since then the Alliance, a collaborative of multiple cross-sector agencies (including law enforcement, prosecutors, community advocates and service providers), has created a County-wide violence prevention Call to Action (a tool to guide change), and successfully guided their partners to value, support and lead innovative prevention work rooted in racial equity across the county.
Centering Racial Equity in Safe Housing
Presented by Shenna Morris, Collaborative Solutions
Communities of color and survivors of color are disproportionately impacted by housing insecurity and homelessness in our country – and in our housing systems – due to historic oppression and still-existent structural racism. During COVID-19 addressing racial inequities in health, safety, and housing must be front and center to our homelessness and housing response. Join us for an important 90-minute conversation with providers from Black culturally specific organizations, survivors, and a HUD national technical assistance provider who will discuss how these inequities impact their communities and programs, share their wisdom and lessons learned in developing safe housing responses, and describe their pathways to accessing HUD funding and other housing resources. Survivors and their families are embedded in communities that lack meaningful access to safe, affordable housing – frequently caught in a repetitive cycle of housing insecurity that is difficult if not impossible to exit.
Identifying High Risk Victims Through The Lethality Assessment Protocol and Other Intervention Tools: Ways That First Responders and Community Members Connect With Victims​
Presented by Emily Stoinski, ALIVE (Alternatives to Living In Violent Environments)
Intimate partner homicide is a growing issue in the United States, disrupting and often traumatizing communities and families. This presentation seeks to answer the questions, "What if we could predict these homicides and identify who is at risk in our community?" and "What could community collaboration to prevent homicide look like?" Participants will learn about the prevalence of intimate partner homicide from an intersectionality perspective. The indicators of possible homicide will be discussed in detail, and participants will learn about the Lethality Assessment Protocol, created by the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence and how it is used in St.Louis County and the City of St.Louis. Presenter will share how ALIVE in St.Louis and other community agencies and system supports are working together to prevent homicides. Lastly, participants, in a discussion, will identify alternative interventions and outreach opportunities to take back and apply to their agencies and area.
Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T): A Life Saving Initiative
Presented by Allie Phillips, Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T)
Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T)® is a global initiative guiding shelters to create on-site pet housing with the only written guidelines for shelters. With 68% of American homes having a pet, the requests for pet housing is on the rise. But when shelters are overwhelmed with resource limitations and numerous programs, the SAF-T Program helps with simplicity and eliminated this barrier to safety. Learn the research supporting SAF-T, how the human-animal bond can help families with pets with the recovery process, 4 different SAF-T housing models, how to receive sustainable financial support, and how to overcome common concerns for a sustainable thriving program. Existing pet-housing programs will be featured.
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