VAWnet Event Calendar

Creating safe and supportive environments for LGBTQIA+ communities is an integral part of sexual and intimate partner violence prevention and Health Equity. According to the Centers for Disease Control, LGBTQIA+ youth experience higher rates of sexual and dating violence than their cisgender and heterosexual peers. Additionally, homophobic bullying at a young age has been linked to sexual and intimate partner violence prevention at a later age. 

Abusers are often experts at manipulating peers, at presenting a charismatic facade that hides the abuse they may perpetrate against their victims on a regular basis. Often, serious and tragic incidents of domestic violence are portrayed in the media as anomalies, wherein an otherwise 'lovely person' just 'snapped'. Entertainment can still be seen portraying control, jealousy, and abuse as romance. The ways society speaks about domestic violence leaves victims at risk, hampers prevention efforts, and removed responsibility from perpetrators.

Despite advocates' best efforts, many cases of forced marriage go undetected by first responders and other service providers as there is a lack of understanding of the problem and its dynamics. Our goal is to equip service providers at all levels to fill this knowledge gap through comprehensive supportive training and resources.

How do we balance our mission to provide safety and empowerment for victims of interpersonal violence, with the knowledge that our staff absorb the stories of those that they serve and over time may exhibit the same trauma symptoms we see in our clients? What does it mean to make our supervision with staff as trauma-informed as our work with victims? Is it possible to preserve our duty to victims while weighing our concern for staff?

The holiday season, while often filled with joy and celebration, can also be a challenging time for survivors and service providers alike. This skills-based webinar will delve into practical tools and techniques to enhance your wellness practices during this period. Participants will learn strategies to manage holiday stress, foster self-care, and support survivors more effectively. Join us to explore adaptive approaches that you can integrate into both your personal wellness routines and professional work with survivors, ensuring a healthier and more balanced holiday season for all.

The Partnership will hold a one-day Symposium designed for the sustainability of Domestic Violence programs and service providers across the State. This event will bring together leaders, advocates, funders, foundations, and other Grantmakers to explore and workshop key strategies to diversify funding for critical programs and services. Participants will gain essential tools for crafting strategic development plans, explore current and emerging initiatives; such as Cal-AIM, and workshop innovative approaches to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.