issues such as immigration,domestic violence <strong>in</strong> theworkplace, <strong>and</strong> improv<strong>in</strong>gcollaborative efforts.In 2008, the OFV alsocont<strong>in</strong>ued promotion ofthe “<strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong>:It’s Closer Than YouTh<strong>in</strong>k” public awarenesscampaign. This campaignsends the message to thepublic that anyone, regardlessof age, race, sex ordiversity, can be a victim of abuse. Posters, flyers, <strong>and</strong>brochures were sent to domestic violence programs, localdepartments of social services, local health departments,<strong>and</strong> many community groups throughout the Commonwealth.The electronic version of the campaign materialswere made available to local domestic violence programsfor their personalization. Additional <strong>in</strong>formation <strong>and</strong>resource materials for this campaign can be found onl<strong>in</strong>eat: www.closerthanyouth<strong>in</strong>k.org. 73<strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> Action TeamThe OFV coord<strong>in</strong>ates the <strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> Action Team(DVAT), a multi-discipl<strong>in</strong>ary team represent<strong>in</strong>g the Virg<strong>in</strong>iaDepartment of Social Services, the Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Department ofHealth, the Office of the <strong>Attorney</strong> <strong>General</strong>, the Departmentof Hous<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> Community Development, the Virg<strong>in</strong>ia<strong>Sexual</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> Action Alliance, the Departmentof Crim<strong>in</strong>al Justice Services, local domestic violenceprograms <strong>and</strong> local departments of social services. DVATfocuses on the statewide response to victims of domesticviolence. In 2008, DVAT addressed the need for greatercollaboration between local domestic violence programs<strong>and</strong> local departments of social services, particularly withregard to the issue of elder abuse <strong>and</strong> the service needs ofelderly victims. As a result of DVAT discussions, a successfultra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g curriculum is be<strong>in</strong>g modified to address thisspecific need. DVAT is also work<strong>in</strong>g on the developmentof guidel<strong>in</strong>es for home-based advocacy. These guidel<strong>in</strong>esshould be available for distribution <strong>in</strong> 2009.Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Department of State Police 74In addition to its role as the state law enforcement agency,the Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Department of State Police (VSP) serves asthe central repository for crime data reported by locallaw enforcement agencies. Through the Uniform CrimeReport<strong>in</strong>g Program, VSP collects <strong>and</strong> analyze crime statisticson selected crimes. VSP produces a report of crimestatistics each year, Crime <strong>in</strong> Virg<strong>in</strong>ia, available onl<strong>in</strong>e at:http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Crime_<strong>in</strong>_Virg<strong>in</strong>ia.shtm.In 2008, VSP also received fund<strong>in</strong>g as part of the Virg<strong>in</strong>iaPartnership of the Grant to Encourage Arrest Policies<strong>and</strong> Enforcement of Protection Orders (GEAP), a collaborativeeffort of five state agencies <strong>and</strong> one non-profitorganization. In October 2007, VSP was awarded a totalof $222,912 <strong>in</strong> GEAP fund<strong>in</strong>g for a two-year grant cycle,end<strong>in</strong>g September 30, 2009. VSP’s grant fund<strong>in</strong>g supportstra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> technical assistance to law enforcementagencies across the Commonwealth regard<strong>in</strong>g protectiveorder issues <strong>in</strong> domestic violence cases. In addition, VSPaudits local law enforcement agencies’ protective orderfiles to ensure accuracy <strong>in</strong> the Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Crim<strong>in</strong>al InformationNetwork (VCIN) <strong>and</strong> National Crime InformationCenter (NCIC) systems. VSP also provides tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g onnew software used by law enforcement (Messenger) <strong>and</strong>magistrates (E-Magistrate). Further, VSP works closelywith the Office of the Executive Secretary of the SupremeCourt of Virg<strong>in</strong>ia to ensure accurate <strong>and</strong> timely entry ofprotective order <strong>in</strong>formation <strong>in</strong> the court case management<strong>and</strong> VCIN systems.Virg<strong>in</strong>ia <strong>Sexual</strong> <strong>and</strong><strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> Action Alliance 75The Virg<strong>in</strong>ia <strong>Sexual</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> ActionAlliance (VSDVAA) is a recognized leader <strong>in</strong> Virg<strong>in</strong>ia’sresponse to domestic <strong>and</strong> sexual violence. VSDVAA isa non-profit organization dedicated to <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g publicaccess to resources <strong>and</strong> services, offer<strong>in</strong>g opportunities forprofessional development for victim services providers<strong>and</strong> victim advocates, <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>itiat<strong>in</strong>g legislative <strong>and</strong> policychange. VSDVAA is the statewide coalition, or alliance,of 47 domestic violence programs, 39 sexual assault crisiscenters, allied organizations provid<strong>in</strong>g services to victimsof domestic violence <strong>and</strong> sexual assault, <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals.24
To accomplish its mission, VSDVAA relies upon federal<strong>and</strong> state grant fund<strong>in</strong>g, membership fees, <strong>and</strong> privatecontributions. In 2007, VSDVAA received 45% of itsapproximately $2.3 million budget from federal grantprograms, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g fund<strong>in</strong>g from the Office on <strong>Violence</strong>Aga<strong>in</strong>st Women. VSDVAA received 44% <strong>in</strong> fund<strong>in</strong>g fromstate appropriations for the operation of the Virg<strong>in</strong>ia<strong>and</strong> <strong>Sexual</strong> Assault Hotl<strong>in</strong>e, for statewide data collectionthrough the VAdata system, <strong>and</strong> for statewide tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g,technical assistance <strong>and</strong> resource development. F<strong>in</strong>ally,11% of VSDVAA’s fund<strong>in</strong>g was from private sources,<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g membership fees, tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g fees, <strong>and</strong> privatecontributions. 76In addition to its operation of the Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Family<strong>Violence</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Sexual</strong> Assault Hotl<strong>in</strong>e, VSDVAA providesmany unique <strong>in</strong>itiatives to the Commonwealth of Virg<strong>in</strong>ia<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g: a Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Institute on <strong>Sexual</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong><strong>Violence</strong>; a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer &Question<strong>in</strong>g Task Force; a Women of Color LeadershipConference; <strong>and</strong> public awareness <strong>in</strong>itiatives such as theBeat<strong>in</strong>g Hearts Display, the Art of Surviv<strong>in</strong>g Exhibit, theRed Flag Campaign, <strong>and</strong> Rural Outreach Enhancementof <strong>Sexual</strong> Assault Services Project (ROESAS). Informationfor some of these <strong>in</strong>itiatives is provided <strong>in</strong> this Report;however, additional <strong>in</strong>formation can be found onl<strong>in</strong>e at:www.vsdvalliance.org.Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Family <strong>Violence</strong> <strong>and</strong><strong>Sexual</strong> Assault Hotl<strong>in</strong>eThrough a grant from the Department of Social Services(DSS), VSDVAA operates the statewide Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Family<strong>Violence</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Sexual</strong> Assault Hotl<strong>in</strong>e. The Hotl<strong>in</strong>e l<strong>in</strong>ksthous<strong>and</strong>s of survivors <strong>and</strong> professionals to the appropriateservices <strong>in</strong> their communities. The Hotl<strong>in</strong>e providescrisis <strong>in</strong>tervention services, referrals to community domestic<strong>and</strong> sexual violence resources, <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation <strong>and</strong>resources for victims, families <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals throughoutthe Commonwealth. The Hotl<strong>in</strong>e also ensures thateach community <strong>in</strong> Virg<strong>in</strong>ia has the resources it needs toeffectively respond to sexual <strong>and</strong> domestic violence <strong>and</strong>educates professionals, communities, <strong>and</strong> legislators on howto stop sexual <strong>and</strong> domestic violence from happen<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong>how to help those who have been hurt by violence. In2007, the Hotl<strong>in</strong>e received 48,051 calls, an average of 132calls per day.Public Policy <strong>and</strong> Legislative InitiativesPublic policy is a critical component of comprehensive <strong>and</strong>effective victim advocacy. VSDVAA monitors the development<strong>and</strong> implementation of state <strong>and</strong> federal laws thataffect victims of sexual <strong>and</strong> domestic violence, non-profits,<strong>and</strong> sexual <strong>and</strong> domestic violence programs. VSDVAA alsoworks collaboratively with state agencies <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g theDepartment of Social Services, the Department of Crim<strong>in</strong>alJustice Services, Department of Health, Departmentof Hous<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> Community Development, Office of the<strong>Attorney</strong> <strong>General</strong>, Office of the Chief Medical Exam<strong>in</strong>er,State Crime Commission <strong>and</strong> others. VSDVAA also holdsan annual Legislative Advocacy Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Day <strong>and</strong> LobbyDay <strong>in</strong> order to <strong>in</strong>form members <strong>and</strong> elected representativesabout legislation related to sexual <strong>and</strong> domestic violence.Help<strong>in</strong>g Children Who Are Exposed to<strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong>Statewide, a significant number of children are exposedto domestic violence, which has a profound impact ontheir lives. VSDVAA has been an active agent for theenhancement of services for these children throughoutthe Commonwealth.In 2006, VSDVAA, <strong>in</strong> partnership with the Virg<strong>in</strong>iaDepartment of Social Services, Office of Family <strong>Violence</strong>(OFV), accepted a three year grant from the United StatesDepartment of Health <strong>and</strong> Human Services to develop aprogram to improve services to children who have beenexposed to domestic violence <strong>and</strong> their non-abus<strong>in</strong>g parents.In addition to the OFV, VSDVAA developed partnershipswith three local domestic violence programs: ACTSTurn<strong>in</strong>g Po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong> Dumfries, Family Resource Center <strong>in</strong>Wytheville, <strong>and</strong> Samaritan House <strong>in</strong> Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Beach, todevelop <strong>and</strong> test new service enhancement strategies. AnAdvisory Council was also formed to oversee the grantprogram.In 2006, dur<strong>in</strong>g the first year of the program, a statewideneeds assessment of all certified domestic violence programs<strong>in</strong>dicated a concern<strong>in</strong>g gap <strong>in</strong> services for Virg<strong>in</strong>iachildren who have been exposed to domestic violence<strong>and</strong> a lack of necessary resources <strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong>ed advocatesto provide comprehensive services to this population. Asa result, the Advisory Council developed new servicesfor children <strong>and</strong> their non-abus<strong>in</strong>g parents <strong>in</strong> domesticviolence shelters as well as with<strong>in</strong> communities. TheAdvisory Council also worked with VSDVAA to develop25