Domestic and Sexual Violence in Virginia - Virginia Attorney General

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Virginia Department of Health,Office of the Chief Medical Examiner 67Pursuant to Virginia Code § 32.1-283.3 (B), the Officeof the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) conducts surveillanceof fatal family violence and provides technicalassistance to local teams conducting family and intimatepartner fatality review. Fatal family violence is defined asany fatality attributed to homicide or suicide occurringas a result of abuse between family members or intimatepartners. The OCME collects and analyzes data on fatalfamily violence in Virginia and publishes a yearly reportentitled “Family and Intimate Partner Violence Homicide.”Yearly reports can be accessed at: www.vdh.virginia.gov/medExam/Violence.htm.In addition, as part of its surveillance efforts, the OCMEreceives grant funding from the Department of Healthand Human Services, Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC), for the Virginia Violent DeathReporting System (VVDRS). VVDRS conducts surveillanceof violent death cases for reporting to the CDC.VVDRS cases include, but are not limited to, homicideand suicide cases related to domestic violence.In October 2007, the OCME received two-year grantfunding in the amount of $186,499 as a partner agencyunder The Virginia Partnership Grant to EncourageArrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders(GEAP). Under the GEAP grant, the OCME works withjurisdictions across Virginia as they come together to planand implement local or regional fatality review teams.Fatality review teams carefully examine the dynamicsand circumstances associated with family and intimatepartner-related deaths in order to identify preventionstrategies and strengthen community capacity to respondeffectively when domestic violence occurs.As of October 1, 2008, twelve local domestic violencefatality review teams have been established across theCommonwealth of Virginia. A listing of local fatalityreview teams is provided in Appendix B.Virginia Department of Housingand Community Development 68The mission of the Virginia Department of Housing andCommunity Development (DHCD) is to create safe,affordable, and prosperous communities to live, work anddo business in Virginia. DHCD partners with Virginia’scommunities to develop their economic potential; regulatesVirginia’s building and fire codes; provides trainingand certification for building officials; and invests morethan $100 million each year into housing and communitydevelopment projects throughout the Commonwealth.The majority of these projects are designed to help lowto-moderate-incomecitizens. By partnering with localgovernments, nonprofit groups, state and federal agencies,and others, DHCD strives to improve the quality of lifefor Virginians.DHCD administers four grants to support homelessshelters in Virginia. While none of the grants are targetedspecifically toward domestic violence service providers orprograms, the shelter grant programs (State Shelter Grant,Emergency Shelter Grant, Child Services CoordinatorGrant, and Child Care for Homeless Children Program)are available to homeless shelter providers that targetvictims of domestic violence. Approximately 40% ofthe emergency shelters throughout the Commonwealthfunded by these programs are categorized as domesticviolence shelters.The State Shelter Grant (SSG) and federally fundedEmergency Shelter Grant (ESG) provide funding tosupport the operation and administration of shelterfacilities for the homeless, as well as support services.In fiscal year 2008, 32 domestic violence shelters supportedby SSG and ESG funds provided shelter to 2,467households – a total of 4,456 people. Approximately 15%of all individuals served by SSG and ESG funds weredomestic violence victims. 69 For the upcoming fiscal year,37 domestic violence shelters will receive approximately$1.2 million in SSG and ESG funds.The Child Services Coordinator Grant (CSCG) providessalary support for coordinators of services to ensure thatthe special health, mental health, and education needs ofhomeless children residing in shelters are addressed. Infiscal year 2009, 20 domestic violence shelters will receiveapproximately $400,000 to aid in this effort. In addition,the Child Care for Homeless Children Program (CCHCP)22
grant assists homeless families in shelter facilities with thecost of childcare while working or participating in aneducational or job training program. These funds are verylimited ($300,000 statewide for all homeless facilities) andare requested on an as needed basis.Virginia Department of SocialServices, Office of Family Violence 70Pursuant to Virginia Code §§ 63.2-1611 through 63.2-1615, the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS)is responsible for the coordination and management ofdomestic violence prevention and service efforts acrossthe Commonwealth. In accomplishing its statutory mission,the Virginia Department of Social Services, Officeof Family Violence (OFV), funds local public and privatenonprofit domestic violence programs that address theissue of domestic violence within their community andprovide services to all people in that community whohave experienced or been impacted by domestic violence.The OFV’s primary goals are to support local domesticviolence programs; to provide leadership and coordinationwithin DSS on domestic violence as it relates to child andabuse and neglect and other DSS service areas; to educatelocal DSS agencies, community organizations and thegeneral public on the effects of domestic violence; andto work collaboratively with the state domestic violencecoalition and other state agencies. The OFV endeavorsto provide consistent and reliable services through localservice providers for victims and children in every localityof the Commonwealth. 71Domestic Violence Prevention and ServicesProgram - Support to Domestic ViolenceProgramsIn 2007, OFV awarded approximately $6.7 million ingrant funding to 46 local domestic violence programsand to the statewide domestic violence coalition, theVirginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance(VSDVAA). 72 In 2008, the OFV continued funding tothese programs through 2009, awarding funds totalingapproximately $6.4 million.Through contracts with local domestic violence programsand the VSDVAA, OFV funds enable local programs toprovide an array of direct domestic violence services tovictims and their children, including crisis hotline services;shelter services to victims and their children; transportationservices; translation services for limited and non-Englishspeaking victims; services for children and youth exposedto domestic violence; legal advocacy services, includingcourt accompaniment, explanation of legal options andreferrals to attorneys; assistance with applications for socialservices; and safety planning and counseling services forvictims in crisis and noncrisis situations.In addition to funding local programs that provide servicesto victims and their children, through a contract with VSD-VAA, the OFV also supports the Virginia Family Violenceand Sexual Assault Hotline, the Virginia Data CollectionProject (VAdata), the provision of technical assistance forlocal programs and communities, as well as the provision oftraining for local domestic violence advocates.Services to ChildrenExposed to Domestic ViolenceDespite a reduction in overall grant funding to localprograms in 2008, additional funding from the FamilyViolence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) was usedby the Office of Family Violence to offer a one-timeopportunity for currently funded local programs to increasetheir capacity to provide services to children and youthwho have witnessed domestic violence. Due to limiteddomestic violence funding, many programs were providingonly very basic services to children. This one-timeproject distributed $986,000 in funds that would otherwisebe returned to the United States Department of Healthand Human Services. It gave programs an opportunityto creatively provide additional services to children andyouth who reside in domestic violence shelters or in thecommunity. Programs are using the funds to obtain specifictraining for staff; provide a mentoring program for children;purchase child-friendly materials for their program to use;and provide a higher level of children’s advocacy. Thediversity of the project proposals illustrated a tremendousneed for ongoing child-specific funding.Public AwarenessIn an effort to increase awareness regarding domesticviolence issues, the OFV develops and distributes resourcematerials to local domestic violence programs, localsocial services departments, and the public. In 2008, theOFV produced a quarterly newsletter for local domesticviolence programs, as well as a separate newsletter forlocal departments of social services. Both newslettersprovided an opportunity to share valuable information on23
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Page 6 and 7: ExecutiveSummaryOn a daily basis, d
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Page 11 and 12: Table 1: Children Present During Fa
Page 13 and 14: Source: Domestic Violence Services
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Page 23 and 24: tims of domestic violence who have
Page 25 and 26: developed pursuant to Senate Bill 2
Page 27 and 28: improve the functioning and effecti
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Page 33 and 34: To accomplish its mission, VSDVAA r
Page 35 and 36: COLLABORATIVE EFFORTSIn addition to
Page 37 and 38: 2008 LegislativeUpdateDuring the 20
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Page 48 and 49: Domestic Violenceand Sexual Assault
Page 50 and 51: Carroll CountyFamily Resource Cente
Page 52 and 53: Greene CountySexual Assault Resourc
Page 54 and 55: Mecklenburg CountyMadeline’s Hous
Page 56 and 57: Total Action Against PovertyWomen
Page 58 and 59: Crisis CenterP.O. Box 642Bristol, V
Page 60 and 61: Local FatalityReview TeamsChesterfi
Page 64: The design and printing of this Ann

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