Utah Domestic Violence Council

THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO CREATE A STATE WHERE DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE ARE INTOLERABLE. THE ORGANIZATION IS THE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED NONPROFIT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COALITION FOR THE STATE OF UTAH.

PREVENTION THE ORGANIZATION ADVOCATES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT ENHANCE VICTIM SAFETY AND EMPOWERMENT WHILE RAISING AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION. RESPONSES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HAVE HISTORICALLY FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON INTERVENTION AFTER THE PROBLEM HAS ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AND HARM HAS OCCURRED. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, NEW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION STRATEGIES EMERGING, AND PREVENTION APPROACHES FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD CAN SERVE AS MODELS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THESE STRATEGIES. THE ORGANIZATION IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING THESE NEW APPROACHES TO UTAH AND HAS ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED TWO SUCH PROGRAMS: THE LETHALITY ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL (LAP) IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED TOOL DESIGNED TO REDUCE RISK AND SAVE LIVES. MODELED AFTER A SIMILAR PROGRAM IN MARYLAND, THE LAP INVOLVES A STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT OF IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS AT THE GREATEST RISK OF LETHAL DOMESTIC ABUSE, AND CONNECTING THOSE AT RISK WITH COORDINATED, ESSENTIAL VICTIM SERVICES. FUNDING IS USED TO TRAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, VICTIM ADVOCATES, VICTIM SERVICE PROVIDERS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO USE A STANDARDIZED, EVIDENCE-BASED PROTOCOL TO REDUCE HOMICIDES. HOMESAFE IS ANOTHER PILOT PROGRAM ROOTED IN THE HOUSING FIRST APPROACH, WHICH FOCUSES ON RAPIDLY GETTING PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS INTO PERMANENT HOUSING, A CHALLENGE IN UTAH DUE TO LIMITED INVENTORY AND FURTHER COMPLICATED BY THE NEEDS OF HIGH-RISK, HIGH BARRIER INDIVIDUALS LIKE THOSE INDICATED BY THE LETHALITY ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL TO BE AT RISK OF INTIMATE PARTNER HOMICIDE. THE THEORY IS THAT ANY ISSUES THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY BECOMING HOMELESS CAN BEST BE ADDRESSED AFTER THEY ARE STABLY HOUSED. FOCUSED ON INCREASING SURVIVORS' ACCESS TO AND RETENTION OF STABLE HOUSING, HOMESAFE IS GUIDED BY THE SAFETY AND SELF-DETERMINATION NEEDS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS AND THEIR CHILDREN. RECOGNIZING THE COMPLEXITY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE, THE MAIN COMPONENT OF HOMESAFE IS WRAP AROUND SUPPORT FROM QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL ADVOCATES AND FLEXIBILITY IN PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES TO SURVIVORS AND THEIR CHILDREN.

OUTREACH OUTREACH IS AN ACTIVITY OF PROVIDING SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE SERVICES. IN ADDITION TO DELIVERING SERVICES, OUTREACH HAS AN EDUCATIONAL ROLE, RAISING THE AWARENESS OF EXISTING SERVICES FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS AND THEIR CHILDREN. IN UTAH, THOSE COMMUNITIES INCLUDE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, AND PLURAL MARRIAGE COMMUNITIES.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES TRAINING, EDUCATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO A VARIETY OF PROFESSIONALS IN THE STATE TO ENABLE THEM TO PROVIDE THE BEST QUALITY SERVICE TO VICTIMS OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE. THE ORGANIZATION UTILIZES ITS OWN IN-HOUSE SPECIALIZED TRAINING TEAM TO DELIVER TRAINING, AS WELL AS HOSTING NATIONAL PARTNERS AND TECHNICAL ADVISERS TO ENSURE THAT UTAH IS CURRENT WITH THE MOST RECENT EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACHES AND NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO COLLABORATES WITH LOCAL EXPERTS AND PARTNERS TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES IN OUR STATE.

LINKLINE THE HOTLINE WAS ESTABLISHED AS THE FIRST AND ONLY STATE-WIDE, TOLL-FREE, CONFIDENTIAL AND ANONYMOUS LINE THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN CALL TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUES. THE LINKLINE IS RECOGNIZED AS A STATE-WIDE CLEARINGHOUSE WHERE CALLERS CAN RECEIVE CRISIS INTERVENTION, SAFETY PLANNING, INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICES ON SAFE SHELTERS, COMMUNITY RESOURCES, LEGAL ASSISTANCE, VICTIM ADVOCATES, COUNSELING AGENCIES AND OTHER NEEDS. ALL CALLS ARE ANSWERED BY TRAINED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVOCATES. THE LINKLINE OPERATES 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK.