Volume 2, Issue 2 of the quarterly Virginia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Newsletter
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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA--The budget passed by Virginia’s General Assembly includes the largest increase ever awarded in new funding for domestic violence victim services. Victim advocates worked tirelessly this session to educate legislators about an $18 million funding gap brought about by 5 years of funding cuts and increased demand for services. The Action Alliance applauds Virginia legislators for listening to victim advocates and working to close those gaps.
The new budget provides an additional $1 million in domestic violence services in 2015; and $2.1 million in 2016. The additional $3.1 million included in the state budget will enable Virginia’s local domestic violence agencies to recover from recent cuts in funding and restore lost services. More victims of domestic violence will get the services they need when they make the courageous call to work toward building a violence-free future for themselves and their children.
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[RICHMOND, VIRGINIA]--Across the Commonwealth, people are turning their cars into vehicles for change by sporting the Virginia’s newest specialized license plate: "Peace Begins at Home".
It's a simple message that reminds us all that violence is preventable. It's a small purchase that can have lasting change.
Proceeds from the new “Peace Begins at Home” special license plates will support Virginia's Building Healthy Futures Fund, which will help pay for violence prevention programs to educate Virginia's children about how to have healthy relationships.
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House Republicans called for major reforms Thursday to how Virginia funds its domestic and sexual violence intervention, prevention and counseling services and introduced House Bill 1 at a press conference in Richmond. Legislators also announced that the House Budget proposal will include $10.6 million in new funding for domestic and sexual violence treatment and crisis prevention centers. Delegate Barbara Comstock (R-McLean) will serve as Chief Patron and Delegate Chris Peace (R-Hanover) will be the Chief Co-Patron for House Bill 1.
House Bill 1 is phase one of a reform process that will streamline existing and new funding for intervention, prevention and counseling services. This legislation dedicates a funding stream for Sexual & Domestic Violence Agencies in order to increase access to the important treatment and crisis services they provide.
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RICHMOND, VA--Due to a funding shortfall, two out of three domestic violence victims in Virginia will not find shelter when they need it. But lawmakers in Richmond are on a mission to make necessary services available.
They want more funding for sexual and domestic violence services, and want to make it easier to access that funding, all to address an issue with potentially fatal consequences.
Four years after Lisette Johnson’s husband attacked her and turned the gun on himself, she says it's her responsibility to speak out.
“I almost died,” she said. “I lost two liters of blood. I still have a bullet in my liver.”
But Johnson says she doesn’t think the public is aware of how many people are affected by that kind of violence. One in three women will be directly affected by sexual or domestic violence, but local funding is tight, and prevents many from getting help.
“A lot of these agencies live grant to grant, and that's no way to survive when you're trying to help other people survive,” said 97th District Delegate Chris Peace (R).
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RICHMOND — House of Delegates Republicans want to put money where their mouths are with symbolically significant House Bill 1, setting up a new funding stream for the state's domestic violence crisis centers.
As instances of domestic and sexual assault keep rising, "We need to step up now," said Del. Barbara A. Comstock, R-Fairfax, sponsor of HB1.
Stepping up translates to a $10.6 million budget amendment to ease a growing funding problem for Virginia's crisis centers. Nearly half of Virginia's 57 crisis centers can no longer manage round-the-clock access to hotlines or shelters, according to the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance.
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NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Participation is lagging in an anonymous survey geared to learning how big of a problem sexual assault is in the Navy and Marines.
The Navy said earlier this month that it had only received about half as many responses as it did to its last survey, conducted in 2011. The current online survey opened on Oct. 15 and closes Jan. 6.
Getting sailors to voluntarily fill out the surveys is important to determine how wide a discrepancy there is between the number of sexual assaults that occur and those that are officially reported.
The Navy says that in the 2012 fiscal year, more than 10,000 sailors reported that they were victims of unwanted sexual assault. But only 700 formal complaints were filed.
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The Virginia Anti-Violence Project is excited to announce a partnership with the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance to offer new services for LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual violence, and stalking in the Greater Richmond area.
The recent collaboration of these groups is part of a larger push called the Richmond Area Partnership(RAP) which is made up of seven partners to expand sexual and domestic violence services to the LGBTQ community. Southerners On New Ground,ROSMY, Safe Harbor, Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders, Action Alliance and the Fan Free Clinic are also voices of this partnership.
The efforts made by these groups have resulted in Virginia’s first LGBTQ Helpline for Partner Abuse and Sexual Assault. The helpline is aimed to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning callers looking for information or help with a free and confidential telephone service.
Communications Director for the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, Kate McCord says the helpline could serve to bridge the gap between the LGBTQ community and service providers.
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Every month, Fairfax County Police receive nearly 1,000 domestic calls for service and on average make more than 160 related arrests.
That information is listed in a new 2013 annual report prepared for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors by the Domestic Violence Prevention, Policy & Coordinating Council. The council, established by the Board of Supervisors in 2003, is a multidisciplinary group of senior-level public officials and community leaders.
“This report, our first ever, highlights the state of domestic violence in Fairfax County as well as our coordinated efforts to prevent and respond to this violence in the county over the past year,” said Fairfax County Attorney and DVPPCC Chairman David P. Bobzien.
Statistics in the report are compiled from selected organizations. Both county government agencies and community nonprofit organizations all work to prevent and intervene in cases of domestic violence.
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WARSAW, VIRGINIA – Congressman Rob Wittman, leaders from the Virginia General Assembly, and local leaders gathered at the Administrative Offices of The Haven Shelter and Services, Inc. for a presentation and reception to learn more about the history of the organization, the services it provides throughout the Northern Neck and Essex County, and the challenges it faces in providing such services.
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