Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence

TO END GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND PROMOTE EQUITABLE RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE.

IMPROVING FUNDING & PUBLIC POLICY THIS YEAR THE COALITION RALLIED ADVOCATES, SURVIVORS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO AMPLIFY THIS MESSAGE: ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE PANDEMIC, RACISM, AND GENDER INEQUITY, SURVIVORS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE NEED MORE SUPPORT AND OPTIONS THAN EVER BEFORE. IN 2021 WE: MOBILIZED REPRESENTATIVES FROM MEMBER PROGRAMS TO ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED EMERGENCY AND ON-GOING FUNDING TO ADDRESS THE SKYROCKETING DEMAND FOR SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS. OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL RESULTED IN A 2.5 MILLION INCREASE IN SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY FUNDING FOR SURVIVOR SERVICES, AND OUR PARTICIPATION IN STATE AND NATIONAL ADVOCACY EFFORTS PREVENTED DEVASTATING CUTS TO EXISTING FUNDING STREAMS. THIS MEANS THAT THOUSANDS MORE SURVIVORS IN OUR REGION WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO ESCAPE AND HEAL FROM ABUSE AND VIOLENCE. CONTINUED TO ADVANCE THE ONGOING WORK TO BUILD MEANINGFUL ALTERNATIVES TO THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING PUBLICLY ADVOCATING FOR FUNDING FOR THE KING COUNTY REGIONAL PEACEKEEPERS COLLECTIVE AND INCREASED SEATTLE FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES TO PUBLIC SAFETY. THROUGHOUT THESE EFFORTS, WE EMPHASIZED THE FACT THAT SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE NEED ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO THE UNIQUE HARMS THEY'VE EXPERIENCED AND THE ONGOING DANGER THAT THEY FACE. ADVOCATED FOR MULTIPLE EMERGENCY AND ONGOING FUNDING INITIATIVES TO RESPOND TO OUR COMMUNITIES' HOMELESSNESS CRISIS, AND WE MOBILIZED MEMBERS TO SUPPORT MUNICIPAL, COUNTY, AND STATE EVICTION MORATORIUMS AND OTHER TENANTS' RIGHTS LEGISLATION. CONNECTING WITHIN AND ACROSS DISCIPLINES SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE NEED THEIR COMMUNITIES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS TO BE COORDINATED AND WORKING TOGETHER TO RESPOND TO VIOLENCE AND ADDRESS THE GENDER, RACIAL, AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES THAT DRIVE VIOLENCE AND ABUSE. SOME OF OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TOWARDS OUR VISION OF SAFE AND JUST COMMUNITIES IN 2021 INCLUDED: THE FAMILY LAW WORK GROUP SERVED THE CRITICAL ROLE OF BEING THE MAIN CONDUIT FOR INFORMATION FLOW BETWEEN THE COURT, GBV ADVOCATES, AND ATTORNEYS, AS SCHEDULES AND PROCESSES WERE CONTINUALLY CHANGING, COURTS WERE BACKLOGGED, AND THERE WAS LESS OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE COURT ABOUT LONGER-TERM IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED IN FAMILY LAW POLICIES AND PRACTICES. WITHOUT THE FLWG, INDIVIDUAL ADVOCATES AND ATTORNEYS WOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT SCRAMBLING ON THEIR OWN TO STAY APPRISED OF CURRENT COURT PROCESSES, AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO CENTRAL PLACE TO DOCUMENT ISSUES, PROBLEM-SOLVE, AND COMMUNICATE CONCERNS BACK TO THE COURT. WE REPRESENTED THE PERSPECTIVES OF OUR MEMBERS, AND THE THOUSANDS OF SURVIVORS THEY SERVE, TO KING COUNTY AND CITY OF SEATTLE DEPARTMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING HUMAN SERVICES AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, AND TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS TO WEIGH IN ISSUES SUCH AS SURVIVORS NEEDS AND DATA CONFIDENTIALITY. WE CONTINUED SIGNIFICANT COORDINATION WITH OTHER REGIONAL HUMAN SERVICE GROUPS, INCLUDING THE SEATTLE HUMAN SERVICES COALITION, THE KING COUNTY ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN SERVICES, AND THE SEATTLE/KING COUNTY COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS. WE CONVENED REGULAR MEETINGS BETWEEN DV HOUSING PROVIDERS AND FAMILY EMERGENCY SHELTER PROVIDERS TO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS, COORDINATE SERVICES, AND TO PROVIDE A UNIFIED VOICE TO FUNDERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. WE DEEPENED THE REGION'S TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE AND PREVENTION WORK, CONNECTING 45 SURVIVOR ADVOCATES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN A VIRTUAL "LEARNING COHORT" TO LEARN ABOUT, PRACTICE, AND INTEGRATE TRANSFORMATIVE AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES INTO THEIR WORK. WE COMPLETED A GROUNDBREAKING PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH PROJECT FOCUSED ON TRANSFORMATIVE STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE THROUGH A RACIAL JUSTICE LENS, DRIVING NEW RESOURCES TOWARDS COMMUNITY-LED AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT PREVENTION STRATEGIES. IN ADDITION, WE CONNECTED OUR WORK WITH THE WORK OF GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY GROUPS WORKING FOR RACIAL AND GENDER JUSTICE. EQUIPPING PEOPLE WITH HELPFUL INFORMATION & TOOLS WE PROVIDE TRAINING AND RESOURCES COALITION MEMBERS, OTHER PROFESSIONALS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE EFFECTIVE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS THAT CENTER SURVIVOR WELL-BEING. IN 2021: WE LAUNCHED THE NEW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOUSING COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM (DVCHAP), INCLUDING A SPECIALIZED HOUSING ASSESSMENT AND A NEW COLLABORATIVE DECISION-MAKING MODEL THAT INCLUDES PRIORITIZATION GUIDELINES AND CASE CONFERENCING. IN TOTAL, 25 DIFFERENT AGENCIES ENGAGED IN THE NEW PROCESS, SUBMITTING A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 235 ASSESSMENTS INTO 40 HOUSING PROGRAM OPENINGS BETWEEN MAY - DECEMBER OF 2021. WE TRAINED OVER 150 ADVOCATES ON THE DV HOUSING ASSESSMENT AND PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND WE PROVIDED TRAINING ON THE INTERSECTION OF DV AND HOMELESSNESS TO SEVERAL HUNDRED HOMELESSNESS SERVICE PROVIDERS AT A DOZEN DISTINCT AGENCIES AND ENTITIES. WE LAUNCHED THE "NEW DAY" GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE RESOURCE DATABASE WORKED WITH DOZENS OF PROVIDERS TO UPDATE THEIR SERVICE INFORMATION, AND TRAINED HUNDREDS OF ADVOCATES ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM. TOGETHER WITH DVCHAP AND THE REGIONAL DV HOPELINE, THESE COALITION LED EFFORTS HAVE MADE ACCESS TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR SERVICES KING COUNTY BECOME MUCH MORE STREAMLINED. WE COORDINATED TRAINING FOR MORE THAN 130 MENTAL HEALTH, CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND SEXUAL ASSAULT PROFESSIONALS THROUGHOUT KING COUNTY ABOUT STRENGTHENING THERAPEUTIC RESPONSES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, RELIGIOUS ISSUES AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND INTER-GENERATIONAL TRAUMA FOR ADVOCATES AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS. WE TRAINED A SECOND COHORT OF PARENTING EVALUATORS TO USE THE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IMPACT ASSESSMENT (IPVIA), AND HOSTED A MONTHLY CONSULT GROUP TO SUPPORT THEM. WE ALSO PROVIDED TRAINING FOR FAMILY LAW CASA STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS TO INCREASE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON SURVIVORS AND CHILDREN TRYING TO ACHIEVE SAFETY. WE PROVIDED MULTIPLE TRAINING TO OVER 220 ATTORNEYS, ADVOCATES, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN FAMILY LAW CASES THROUGH THE WASHINGTON STATE AND KING COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATIONS, THE INSTITUTE ON VIOLENCE, ABUSE, AND TRAUMA, THE KING COUNTY DV SYMPOSIUM, AND OTHER AGENCIES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSISTENT AND EARLY SCREENING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN CHILD CUSTODY-RELATED CASES, THE IMPACT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND FAMILY COURT ON SURVIVORS AND THEIR CHILDREN, AND HOW TO SUPPORT SURVIVORS ENGAGED IN CUSTODY MATTERS.