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Technical Assistance |
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Technical Assistance Providers: In furtherance of its vision, OVW also funds six collaborative partners, including the Family Violence Department (FVD) of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, to provide technical assistance to Supervised Visitation Program grantees. The collaborative partners work in partnership with grantees to develop thoughtful and deliberate plans that address both the needs related to opening a supervised visitation and safe exchange center and the unique nature of each community. The collaborative partners are: - Family Violence Department (FVD) – The FVD provides two specific types of technical assistance to Supervised Visitation Program grantees: (1) Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Planning Grantee Targeted Technical Assistance Program (Planning Grantee Technical Assistance) and (2) Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Technical Assistance for Court Specific Activities (Court Technical Assistance). The Planning Grantee Technical Assistance focuses on working directly with grantees to assess individual community needs, establishing peer relationships, building the capacity of criminal justice and victim advocacy organizations that address domestic violence, and facilitating involvement and education of the courts and legal community partners. Technical assistance provided by the FVD to grantees includes hosting monthly audio teleconferences on topics of interest to the grantees, facilitating peer-to-peer consultations, providing supervised visitation and safe exchange center site visits, and hosting conferences on supervised visitation and safe exchange. The Court Technical Assistance is provided by the FVD, in collaboration with the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) and OVW, for all Supervised Visitation Program grantees. Its purpose is to assist with court and legal issues that arise with the development of supervised visitation and safe exchange centers. Examples of Court Technical Assistance include: providing guidance with identifying and addressing issues that arise with court involvement; hosting teleconferences and trainings to address the identified issues; and providing judicial education opportunities on domestic violence and related issues.
Alliance of Local Service Organizations (ALSO) - ALSO is an alliance which brings organizations, businesses, churches, government agencies, and community members together to support children and families. ALSO utilizes a comprehensive approach to provide opportunities for change through needs assessments and securing and delivering appropriate programs and resources. ALSO’s mission is to enable children, youth and families to become productive, responsible members of the community. ALSO develops partnerships between community-based organizations, residents, clergy, law enforcement, business and civic leaders, and corporate and philanthropic organizations. Together, these diverse groups focus on a single goal: to reduce violence in all forms. Duluth Family Visitation Center (DFVC) - The DFVC provides training and technical assistance to all Supervised Visitation Program grantees. The DFVC was begun in 1989 and is part of Minnesota Program Development, Inc., a non-profit corporation that works towards the elimination of violence in the lives of women and children. Their mission is to provide a safe place where children can build and maintain positive relationships with their parents. The DFVC offers supervised visitation, monitored visitation, and monitored exchange services to families affected by domestic violence. It also collaborates with many other community agencies and accepts referrals from the courts and social services. - Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) - The FVPF provides technical assistance to Supervised Visitation Program grantees on the implementation of the fathering after violence initiative. The goal of the technical assistance has been to enhance safety of victims of domestic violence and their children by developing strategies for working with non-custodial fathers who use supervised visitation centers. The FVPF's Judicial Education Project is a groundbreaking initiative that is giving judges the education, guidelines, materials, and online resources they need to make sure that their courtrooms provide real help to victims of family violence. The project helps judges make the best possible decisions in support of women and children facing violence in their homes. In partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Judicial Education Project's National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence offers education seminars for judges from around the country, helping them develop or enhance their skills in handling a wide range of criminal and civil cases involving domestic violence. These hands-on interactive seminars offer information on the dynamics of domestic violence and related issues, as well as practical advice on how to handle all aspects of these complex cases fairly and effectively.
The Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community (IDVAAC) - IDVAAC is an organization focused on the unique circumstances of African Americans as they face issues related to domestic violence - including intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder maltreatment, and community violence. IDVAAC's mission is to enhance society's understanding of and ability to end violence in the African-American community. Within this context, IDVAAC works with African-American communities, including families, individuals, and organizations serving the target population; legal and criminal justice systems; family and community violence practitioners; researchers; and policymakers around efforts to build the knowledge base regarding African Americans and domestic violence and to develop strategies to meet the service needs of this population. The organization has become a national expert on domestic violence among African Americans, a resource to communities, and a strong presence in the field of domestic violence. Praxis International, Inc. (Praxis) – Praxis provides technical assistance to Supervised Visitation Program grantees on overall implementation of grant policies and practices. Praxis is a non-profit organization working toward the elimination of violence in the lives of women and children by, in part, shifting the practices of supervised visitation and safe exchange centers to better account for domestic violence. Praxis works with local, statewide, and national reform initiatives to bridge the gap between what people need and what institutions provide. Since 1996, they have worked with advocacy organizations, intervention agencies, and inter-agency collaborations to create a clear and cooperative agenda for social change in their communities. Contact Us: For more information about the Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program or Technical Assistance please call the FVD at (800) 527-3223 and ask to speak with a Supervised Visitation Technical Assistance Provider. Next Topic
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