2012 Annual Report--Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance Published August 2013 | Page 11

STRENGTHEN partnerships among the Action Alliance, our member agencies, and individuals to sustain and build capacity to effectively address sexual and domestic violence. We envision a Commonwealth in which a unified coalition works together as a powerful and respected force. Project Connect Partnership We worked with the Virginia Department of Health, home health care workers, and several local Sexual & Domestic Violence Agencies to pilot a new screening and assessment tool to help identify and provide resources to victims of intimate partner violence who have experienced sexual coercion. Four local agencies acted as pilot sites to test the new screening and assessment tools. Pilot results are promising: • The amount of providers assessing for reproductive coercion at pregnancy test visits and STI test visits more than doubled after training. • 82% of patients reported their provider discussed healthy and unhealthy relationships with them. • 71% of patients reported feeling safe coming to the clinic, and 62% believed their provider would know what to do if she was in an abusive relationship. We are grateful to Futures Without Violence for their leadership on this national project! Sustainable Funding Workgroup The Action Alliance convened a workgroup of our Public Policy Committee to develop a long-range plan to secure adequate funding for basic domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy services. The Workgroup held a series of 3 listening sessions to gather information from the field about gaps in services and what is needed to address the gap with respect to funding. The workgroup compiled key points, current funding capacity and need, and a strategy for a funding campaign. We will be using this valuable information as the basis of our funding campaign in 2013-2014. Action Alliance Public Policy Committee members hard at work. Women of Color Network/FVPSA Expanding Leadership for Underrepresented Groups Action Alliance staff participated in the development and implementation of the Leadership Academy as part of the Women of Color Network / FVPSA Expanding Leadership for Underrepresented Groups Project. Two staff participated as staff leads to the project, 2 staff participated in the Leadership Academy, and 4 staff participated in the Aspiring Allies project. The Leadership Academy Fellows graduate in April 2013. 2012 ANNUAL REPORT VIRGINIA SEXUAL & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACTION ALLIANCE WWW.VSDVALLIANCE.ORG