When Health and Domestic Violence Intersect
Futures Without Violence is proud to announce the launch of DVHealthPartnerships.org, a site that was designed to both showcase the accomplishments of the 19 teams who participated in the three-year Domestic Violence and Healthcare Partnership project (DVHCP) and also serve as a resource for domestic violence agencies and healthcare settings looking to address and improve their response to the health impacts of violence and abuse.
Funded by Blue Shield of California Foundation, the DVHCP project was a statewide initiative to integrate healthcare and domestic violence response systems throughout California. The 19 partnerships of domestic violence agencies and healthcare settings from across California have improved organization-level systems making trauma-informed changes to standard practice, procedure, environment, and policy in both healthcare and advocacy settings, recognizing the needs of staff, patients, and clients.
“On behalf of those who need help the most, these organizations all stood up and worked incredibly hard together to make a difference. They are an exemplar of what it looks like, and what’s possible, when we are willing to bridge divides, think bigger, and reach further.”
–Lucia Corral-Peña, Senior Program Officer, Blue Shield of California Foundation
Through their innovations—such as monthly health celebrations and co-located DV advocates—DVHCP teams have demonstrated impact and long-term sustainability of this work, and are positioned to advance broader systems-level change needed to better serve survivors.
“It’s not a program that we run, it’s part of what we do.”
—John Bridges, Clinic Director of Family Health Centers of San Diego
DVHCP teams are now working to promote practice and policy change at the state level to improve access and health outcomes for Californians. The California Intimate Partner Violence & Health Policy Leadership Cohort is a network of over a dozen representatives from DVHCP teams, and local and key state organizations; it is designed to bring together diverse voices to initiate, inform, and advance California-based health and DV work.
“Both DV and healthcare partners are poised to share and scale their successes through actionable policy strategies. We are in conversation with key state level stakeholders who are excited and committed to working together to develop new policies and reinforce current policies that address the intersection of DV and health.”
—Virginia Duplessis, Program Director, Futures Without Violence
Although the DVHCP project officially ended in October 2017, it has sparked leaders with a relentless drive to scale this body of work. Together, DVHCP partners and key stakeholders continue to contribute to a broader movement to forever change systems of care across sectors, make the case for sustainable funding, and ultimately improve the health and safety for individuals, families, and communities.
