Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence

BUILD NETWORKS OF SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS, AND ADVANCE STATE POLICIES TO ELIMINATE DOMESTIC ABUSE.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & GRANTS PROGRAM - ANOTHER WAY ICADV HELPS TO IMPROVE THE RESPONSE SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RECEIVE FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGENCIES AND OTHER PROVIDERS IS TO OFFER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE FRONT LINE STAFF AND MANAGEMENT LEVEL PROFESSIONALS, ALL FACING DIVERSE CHALLENGES. ICADV RESPONDED TO 888 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CONTACTS FROM LOCAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICE PROVIDERS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS ON TOPICS RELATED TO IMPROVING THEIR RESPONSE TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN, AGENCY ADMINISTRATION, COLLABORATION IN THE COMMUNITY, SERVICE STANDARDS, IMPLEMENTING TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICES, SUPPORTING A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE AND OTHER ISSUES IMPACTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN ILLINOIS. THIS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED IN PERSON, VIA TELEPHONE AND VIA EMAIL. AS A PASS THROUGH ENTITY FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT (VOCA) DOLLARS AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT (VAWA) STOP DOLLARS WHICH FUND VICTIM SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE OF ILLINOIS, WE ARE IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO SUPPORT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGENCIES THROUGH MONITORING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ENSURE THAT SERVICE STANDARDS ARE MET, SERVICES ARE VICTIM CENTERED AND TRAUMA INFORMED, AND GRANT FUNDS ARE USED TO THEIR MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE SO AGENCIES CAN SUCCESS AND INCREASE THEIR OWN SUSTAINABILITY. LAST YEAR 54 AGENCIES WERE FUNDED WITH APPROXIMATELY $21 MILLION ALLOCATED TO PROVIDERS IN VOCA AND APPROXIMATELY $700 THOUSAND ALLOCATED IN VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT FUNDS. IN ADDITION, ICADV PROVIDED SURVIVORS WHOSE HOUSING STABILITY HAD BEEN IMPACT BY THE COVID19 PANDEMIC WITH $944,000 IN SUPPORT FOR RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, AND EMERGENCY SHELTER.

TRAINING AND PUBLIC EDUCATION MATERIALS & ADVOCACY PROGRAM- ICADV IS THE ONLY STATEWIDE COALITION COMPOSED OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES PROVIDERS WHO REACH SURVIVORS IN EACH OF ILLINOIS' 102 COUNTIES WITH MEANINGFUL AND DIVERSE SERVICES. 40,490 ADULT SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND 7364 CHILD WITNESSES SOUGHT AND RECEIVED FROM ICADV MEMBER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGENCIES: EMERGENCY SHELTER, LEGAL ADVOCACY, COUNSELING, AND SUPPORT ACCESSING OTHER ASSISTANCE TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY ON A PATH TO SAFETY. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY VICTIMS WHO NEVER SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROVIDER. SURVIVORS HAVE SPECIFIC NEEDS TO SUPPORT THEIR SAFETY, WHETHER IT BE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHEN THEY LEAVE AN ABUSIVE HOME, JOB TRAINING BECAUSE THE PERSON CAUSING THEM HARM HAS PROHIBITED THEM FROM WORKING OR PARTICIPATING IN SKILLS TRAINING OR FINDING OTHER MEANS TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN. IN THE COURSE OF SEEKING THESE OPTIONS, THEY ENCOUNTER OTHER PROFESSIONALS WHO MAY NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR POLICIES OR PROCEDURES FOR PROVIDING THAT SPECIFIC SERVICE MAY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON A SURVIVOR, PROHIBITS THEM FROM MOVING FORWARD, AND POSSIBLY LEAVING NO OPTION BUT TO RETURN HOME TO AN ABUSIVE ENVIRONMENT. WE HELP BRING AWARENESS AND EDUCATION ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THOSE EXPERIENCING VIOLENCE AND HELP IMPROVE THE RESPONSE SURVIVORS RECEIVE FROM THOSE PROFESSIONALS BY OFFERING TRAINING AND AWARENESS MATERIALS. OUR PRIMARY AUDIENCE FOR TRAINING IS PROFESSIONALS WORKING EVERY DAY IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICE PROVIDER AGENCIES, EXPANDING THEIR KNOWLEDGE TO BETTER ASSIST SURVIVORS WHOSE NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT AND COMPLEX. THESE SERVICE PROVIDERS STEP UP AND RECOGNIZE THE VERY DIVERSE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL SURVIVORS IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE AND WE PROVIDE THEM TO THE TRAINING TOOLS TO STAY UP ON TO DATE ON EMERGING TRENDS, INCLUDING ADDRESSING SPECIFIC BARRIERS CREATED BY THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. FY 22, ICADV HOSTED 35 IN PERSON OR VIRTUAL TRAININGS DUE TO THE CURRENT COVID - 19 PANDEMIC FOR 1800 PARTICIPANTS INCLUDING VICTIM SERVICE ADVOCATES, LEGAL/JUSTICE PERSONNEL, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS, INCREASING THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE DYNAMICS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HOW THEIR WORK IMPACTS A SURVIVOR'S SAFETY AND CONFIDENTIALITY, AND INCREASING THEIR SKILLS FOR RESPONDING APPROPRIATELY TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN. IN ADDITION, ICADV PROVIDED A SERIES OF ONLINE TRAINING MODULES AS WELL THROUGH ITS LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. 1397 ONLINE MODULES WERE COMPLETED 270 PARTICIPANTS. ICADV DISTRIBUTED 19,600 PUBLIC EDUCATION BOOKLETS, BROCHURES AND POSTERS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS RELATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY TO INFORMATION AND RESOURCES. ITEMS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE WORKING WITH SURVIVORS AND THEIR CHILDREN INCLUDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROVIDERS, LEGAL/JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, ATTORNEYS, MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, AND FOR-PROFIT GROUPS.