Violence Against Women Community Checklist:

What each of these groups can do!

Religious Organizations
Media
Sports
Law Enforcement
The Workplace

In 1995, Jackie Reed, the Executive Director of the Westside Health Authority began convening meetings with other community based organizations, residents, law enforcement, & businesses around the crime and crisis in the Austin community. Participating in these meetings were such organizations and community leaders as: Leola Spann of Northwest Austin Council, Bob Vondrasek of South Austin Community Coalition Council, Mary Volpe of Northeast Austin Organization, The 15th District Police Department, Loretta Hospital, and Mary Nelson of Bethel New Life.

Strategically the violence prevention consortium realized they could not work on all the problems in the community and decided the approach for Austin should include: creating a safe environment, seeking opportunities and jobs, promoting positive norms and values, and care, support, intervention, and prevention.

• Since 1995, Westside Health Authority has convened meetings with other community based organizations and residents around reducing acts of violence in Austin.
• The Austin Violence Prevention Consortium has 30 plus partners
• Meets every second Friday of each month at 10:00 am at the Westside Health Authority
• The consortium has three primary objectives: Domestic Violence, Ex-Prisoners, & Youth
• It has a strategic plan that includes: creating a safe environment; promoting positive norms and values; seeking job opportunities; providing care, support, intervention, and prevention.
• Is supported technically by the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention
  
• Acting as a clearing house for information, referrals, and support, activities may include:
  

  Safety: community policing, block organizing, crisis intervention network, safe havens, gang intervention. Opportunities: (educational, job, and creative opportunities, options and pathways) increase GED, literacy, and remedial programs, after school programs, job skills, job creation, and linkages to job and educational opportunities. Norms: (promoting positive norms and values) engaging credible leaders and peers, individual and group communication) Care: (intervention, care, and support) support services for victims and their families, individual and family counseling, substance abuse treatment, education, and prevention.

Links to Resources:

Cook County Agency List for legal resources
Cook County Domestic Violence Programs
National "4Women" Violence Against Women Page  

Take a quiz to see if your situation is domestic violence:

What to take when you plan to leave an abuser 
Chicago Abused Women Coalition's Greenhouse Shelter (24 hour Hotline: 312-278-4566)
Hospital Crisis Intervention Project
Pro Bono Advocates (Legal Services) 312-433-2390
Hull House