Protective Orders in VA: Centering Survivor Safety and Autonomy in the Legal System
Protective Orders are essential tools to prevent future violence and to support safety for survivors and their families. Virginia’s laws offer a variety of Protective Order relief, but for each of these, effective issuance, service, and enforcement is critical to ensuring safety and preventing escalating and lethal violence. It takes mutual work and understanding between and amongst survivors, advocates, law enforcement, courts, policy makers, and communities to achieve optimal effectiveness.
Join the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance for a two-day, multidisciplinary conference to hear from survivors, judges, attorneys, advocates, and state and national leaders in the implementation of protective orders as a civil option for violence intervention. Workshop and keynote offerings include a closer look at firearms relief and domestic violence homicide prevention, improving current response practices within the community, safety planning, enforcement and prosecution of violations, substantial risk orders, policy and systems change, enhancing current collaborations, etc.
This Conference will offer opportunities to reflect, connect, and think critically about how to strengthen your community’s capacity to utilize Protective Orders, in partnership with survivors and community practitioners, as a tool to prevent future violence and to enhance the lives of survivors of sexual and domestic violence here in VA.
We hope all sexual and domestic violence agencies will plan for a group of staff, volunteers, and interns to attend.
Have questions? Please contact us by email training@vsdvalliance.org.
Please note that the schedule and sessions are subject to change.
Wednesday, May 22
- 8:00 to 9:00am: Check in
- 9:00 to 10:30: VOICES Keynote
- 10:45 – 12:00: Breakout #1
- Substantial Risk Orders: What to Know
- Safety Planning When Protective Orders are Involved
- 12:00 – 1:00: Lunch
- 1:15 – 2:45: Breakout #2
- Back to the Basics- Understanding Protective Orders
- Prosecuting Protective Order Violations
- 3:00 – 4:15: Judicial Panel: Question and Answer Session with Judicial Leaders
Thursday, May 23
- 9:00 to 10:30: Workshops, Keynote, VOICES-Victims Rights
- 10:45 to 12:00: Breakout #3
- The Role of CCRT’s in PO Enforcement
- Communicative Autonomy for Survivors Inside and Outside the Courtroom
- 12:00 to 1:00: Lunch
- 1:15 to 2:45: Breakout #4
- If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it; POs, Policy, and System Change
- Issues Around Implementation and Enforcement of Protective Orders
- 3:00 to 4:15: Battered Women’s Justice Project
COST:
SDVA, Professional, Lifetime, and Affiliate Member Registration is $115.00 per person.
Individual and Non Member Registration is $140.00 per person.
Registration does not include lodging, but does include lunches, snacks and drinks. Click here to register!
More information coming soon!
Get ready for creative workshops to build advocacy, prevention, and social change skills.
Wednesday, May 22
- Substantial Risk Orders: What to Know
- Safety Planning when Protective Orders are Involved
- Back to the Basics, Understanding Protective Orders
- Prosecuting Protective Order Violations
- Thursday, May 23
- The Role of CCRT’s in PO Enforcement
- If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it: POs, Policy and Systems Change
- Issues around Implementation and Enforcement of PO’s
- Communicative Autonomy for Survivors Inside and Outside the Courtroom
- Plenary with the Battered Women’s Justice Project
We have secured room blocks at the two following places. You may stay at one of these hotels or one of your choosing.
Tru by Hilton – 650 Simons Run, Lynchburg, Va 24502
Sweet Briar College, The Elston Inn and Conference Center Please call 434-381-6207 to speak with a member of the Conference Team to secure your room onsite.
When registering or submitting a proposal to present, please tell us what you need to participate at the retreat, and be as specific as possible. Having this information as early as possible helps us make arrangements with plenty of advance notice! The Action Alliance will make every effort to meet any accommodation requests made during registration. Please note that we may not be able to guarantee any requests made on site.
LANGUAGE: At this time, our programs and trainings are in spoken and written English. Portable interpreting equipment is available for groups that would like to provide spoken language interpretation.
WORKSHOP MATERIALS: All presenters will be briefed on recommended accessibility practices and expectations prior to the retreat. Workshop materials and handouts will be shared with retreat attendees; however, the Action Alliance may not be able to review all materials for document accessibility in advance.
SCENTS: Many people are sensitive to fragrances and have immediate allergic reactions. Please keep this in mind when preparing for the retreat to be respectful of others! This can look like using scent-free lotion or using products with fewer synthetic ingredients.
FOOD: When the Action Alliance provides food for trainings and events, we strive to meet all dietary needs. When you register, please let us know of any restrictions or food-based allergies you may have so we can make appropriate arrangements and ensure that food is labeled.
The Action Alliance is grateful to the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS), the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) for their support.
