Sexual and Reproductive Coercion: What Advocates and Healthcare Providers Need to Know
2023-08-24 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Training Center, 1413 W. Main St., Richmond, VA, 23220
This training is open to advocates, reproductive health providers, and clinic staff. Through this training, participants will become familiar with the dynamics of sexual and reproductive coercion and learn the value of taking a trauma-informed, universal education approach to interactions with clients and patients. Participants will increase their comfort and general understanding of reproductive health services available to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence and walk away with an understanding of the importance of building partnerships between sexual and domestic violence agencies and reproductive health providers.
Please only register for this training if you can stay for the whole thing.
Lunch will be provided. Please dress comfortably as this is a long training.

State and Local Partners Meeting, Virtual, Northern Region
2023-09-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual- Zoom
This invitation is open to advocates, preventionists, and other partners serving survivors and/or supporting community education on healthy relationships. Our time together will be spent learning from each other and from speakers, discussion on statewide issues, resources, etc.
The following sessions will be virtual from 10:00 – 12:00pm: September 14 (Northern Region), December 7 (statewide session)
The following sessions will be in person from 10:00 – 2:00 pm: October 5 (Tidewater Region)
**IN PERSON LOCATION TBD**

DO YOU Facilitator Training
2023-09-19 09:30 - 2023-09-20 16:00 | Action Alliance, 1413 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
DO YOU: Building Youth Resilience Through Creative Expression is a primary prevention strategy to address teen dating violence, sexual harassment, and bullying by promoting positive youth development and healthy relationships. This training is designed for adult facilitators and teen mentors (who are peer facilitators) interested in implementing DO YOU in their communities.
This is an in-person training held at the Action Alliance training space from 10A to 4P on both days. There will be an hour lunch each day as well provided by the Action Alliance. Participation in the training will cost $350 (with a reduced fee for members) and includes 21 DO YOU zines, a printed UnCurriculum Facilitation Guide, a package of DO YOU Homework Folders, and access to additional resources and technical assistance.
This is a long training. Please dress comfortably. Lunch and snacks will be provided on both days.
$350.00; discount for Action Alliance Members available with discount code at checkout

State and Local Partners Meeting, Virtual, Tidewater Region
2023-10-05 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual- Zoom
This invitation is open to advocates, preventionists, and other partners serving survivors and/or supporting community education on healthy relationships. Our time together will be spent learning from each other and from speakers, discussion on statewide issues, resources, etc.
The following sessions will be virtual from 10:00 – 12:00pm: December 7 (statewide session)
The following sessions will be in person from 10:00 – 12:00 pm: October 5 (Tidewater Region)

Trauma Informed Lawyering
2023-10-11 13:00 - 15:00 | Action Alliance, 1413 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
A trauma-informed legal practice helps to reduce re-traumatization and recognize the role trauma plays in the lawyer-client relationship. Integrating trauma-informed practices provides lawyers with the opportunity to increase connections to their clients and improve advocacy and outcomes. Training lawyers to be trauma informed in their approach will lead to improved services for survivors. Attendees will also gain an increased understanding of trauma and its impact on individuals and themselves.
$45.00; $20 discount available for members and member agencies.

The Intersection of Firearms and IPV
2023-10-12 10:00 - 16:00 | Chesterfield Central Library, 7051 Lucy Corr Blvd, Chesterfield, VA, 23832
We know that intimate partner violence (IPV) is far more likely to become lethal when abusers have access to guns. We also know that protecting victims from homicide isn’t as simple as just prohibiting access to lethal means. True prevention requires work within our communities and systems to identify the root causes of violence and to develop collaborative victim-centered intervention strategies that create lasting change. This multidisciplinary training – designed for domestic violence advocates, attorneys, victim-witness, law enforcement, judicial and court staff, and community partners – will provide participants with a deeper understanding of Virginia law as well as best practices and tools for implementing homicide prevention strategies in your own community. This training is co-sponsored and co-facilitated by the Action Alliance, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
The Action Alliance supports policies to remove firearms from potentially lethal situations and give law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and courts tools to protect victims, their families, and the broader community.
Please note that registration is from 9:30 – 10:00 with the training starting promptly at 10. Please leave yourself time to arrive and park so we can start on time. This is a long training so please feel free to dress comfortably.
Lunch is provided.

Basic Advocacy Trainings, Farmville
2023-11-02 09:00 - 2023-11-03 16:00 | Moton Musuem, 900 Griffin Blvd, Farmville, Va, 23901
You may register for one training or both. Please note that the Basic Sexual Violence Training does contain material from the Basic Domestic Violence Training session so it is recommended to take both but you don’t have to. Please dress comfortably as these are long trainings. We will break for lunch and attendees will be responsible for their own lunch.
You may register for one or both trainings at check out.
THIS TRAINING WILL BE HELD IN FARMVILLE, Moton Museum, 900 Griffin Blvd, Farmville, 23901
Basic Domestic Violence Advocacy Training
Participants will be able to identify and define domestic and intimate partner violence; learn the building blocks for a trauma informed response and broaden their understanding of risk assessment and safety planning. Participants will also learn about resources in VA for supporting survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence.
This training will be held on November 2 from 9:00 – 4:00 with a required Zoom follow up training on November 8 from 10:00 – 11:30 am. The zoom link will be sent to you after registration.

Basic Sexual Violence Advocacy Training
This training is designed for advocates in their first year of work in the field of Sexual Violence Advocacy. Participants will learn how to recognize sexual violence, it’s root causes and its impact on individuals and communities; they will learn about the Cultural Context that supports sexual violence and an advocate’s role in changing that culture. Participants will also learn about the building blocks for a healing centered approach to sexual violence and be able to identify resources in VA for an effective response.
This training will be held on November 3 from 9:00 – 4:00 with a required Zoom follow up training on November 9 from 10:00 – 11:30 am. The zoom link will be sent to you after registration

Quarterly Training Series- Trauma Informed Grant Writing
2023-11-13 10:00 - 15:00 | Action Alliance, 1413 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
How do you make the grant writing process safe, transparent, collaborative, and grounded in historical and cultural context? We’ll talk about a variety of strategies that will serve your agency well as you engage in preparing grant applications–and offer tips for making those applications successful.
$30 for members/$65 for non members
To register, please click on the link below.

Trauma to Prison Pipeline, Training for Trainers
2023-11-15 10:00 - 16:00 | Action Alliance, 1413 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
The vast majority of youth referred from school to law enforcement and into the juvenile justice system are survivors of trauma. The justice system typically fails to address, and often deepens, trauma. This 6-hour training will cover the connections between toxic stress and behavior issues in school, how trauma connects with system-involved youth, how and why restorative justice differs from traditional discipline, and simple tips for responding to students in trauma-informed ways.
Participants will be given a brief “training in a box” to take back to deliver to your local schools and task forces to start conversations about simple steps that schools can take to significantly reduce the number of youth referred to law enforcement by responding to students in more trauma-informed ways.
Intended audience: Preventionists, youth advocates, teachers, community organizers working on disrupting trauma-to-prison pipeline, and anyone working within their local schools on building healthy relationships and improving school climate.
Lunch is provided.
Cost: $60 for Basic and Non Members of the Action Alliance, $35 for SDVA Members, $40 for Affiliate, Professional, and Lifetime Members (Please put in member discount code at check out.)

Legal Advocacy Training
2023-11-16 09:00 - 16:00 | Action Alliance, 1413 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
Survivors who engage with the criminal or civil legal systems need advocates who understand and can explain the ins and outs of the laws that impact their clients. The objective of this training is to strengthen attendees understanding of IPV/SV laws and how to provide effective legal advocacy. This training explores the multitude of available civil/criminal legal system remedies and resources, the unique needs of underserved survivors, and nuances related to the Virginia Code, Protective Orders, and Victim’s Rights. Participants attending this training are required to have a basic understanding of sexual and domestic violence
Lunch will be provided. Please include any dietary needs that you may have when you register.

State and Local Partners, Statewide Session, Virtual
2023-12-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual- Zoom
This invitation is open to advocates, preventionists, and other partners serving survivors and/or supporting community education on healthy relationships. Our time together will be spent learning from each other and from speakers, discussion on statewide issues, resources, etc.
The following session will be virtual from 10:00 – 12:00pm: December 7 (statewide session)

Basic Advocacy Trainings
2024-02-15 09:00 - 2024-02-16 16:00 | Action Alliance, 1413 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States

New Directors' Training Series
2024-03-11 10:00 - 11:30 | Virtual- Zoom

State and Local Partners Meeting
2024-03-14 13:00 - 15:00 | Virtual

IPV Training, Farmville
2024-03-15 10:00 - 16:00 | Moton Musuem, 900 Griffin Blvd, Farmville, Va, 23901

Joyful Sexuality and the Movement to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
2024-03-20 10:00 - 16:00 | Action Alliance, 1413 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States

VAdata Drop In Office Hours
2024-04-02 11:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
New to VAdata or just have some questions? Drop in to our office hours to get all things VAdata answered. No registration necessary!

Spring Into Membership
2024-04-22 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
Want to hear more about what your Action Alliance Membership entails? Join us for a chat!

VAdata Training
2024-04-25 09:00 - 12:00 | Virtual

Camp Ostara
2024-04-26 - 2024-04-28 | Bear Creek Lake State Park, 22 Bear Creek Lake Rd., Cumberland, VA, 23040, United States
Camp Ostara is a transformative three-day nature-based retreat for women in Virginia who have survived any act of adult or childhood domestic violence involving a family member, intimate partner, or acquaintance. It is a unique opportunity to enjoy a positive, pivotal outdoor experience, particularly for those with limited resources or few possibilities to enjoy nature. Modeled after Camp Mabon, which started in 2005, Camp Ostara welcomes cisgender women 18 or over of any race, ethnicity, place of origin, faith, sexual orientation, or disability.
A small group of 12 campers, plus mentors and counselors, stays at a fully equipped, climate-controlled lodge in a Virginia state park, sharing community tasks and group activities. Camp occurs near the Spring Equinox, a day when light hours equal dark hours, to underscore the benefits of maintaining balance in life. Light hiking, gentle yoga, journaling, crafts, guided meditation, and group activities are designed to help campers tap into the healing resources of nature. No prior outdoor experience is required!
To prevent money from being an obstacle to any woman’s participation, tuition for campers ranges from $100 to $300 based on family income, although the cost of camp per person is higher, and sponsorships can offset the cost. Camp staff will connect campers for rides with other participants in their vicinity if individuals lack transportation.
To prevent money from being an obstacle to any woman’s participation, tuition for campers ranges from $100 to $300 based on family income, although the cost of camp per person is higher, and sponsorships can offset the cost. Camp staff will connect campers for rides with other participants in their vicinity if individuals lack transportation.

People of Color Caucus
2024-05-14 15:30 - 17:30 | Virtual
The People of Color Caucus was formed to create a space where folks of color can come together to be in community and foster connections and have connections on how to amplify each other’s voices. Caucuses are for Action Alliance members only.

Prevention Gathering
2024-05-15 10:00 - 16:30 | Unitarian Universalist Community Church, 11105 Cauthorne Road, Glen Allen, VA, 23059, United States
This gathering will bring together preventionists from across Virginia to have discussions about health equity and primary prevention that will guide their communities toward culture change. Attendees will have space for innovation, visioning, support, and collective care. Lunch will be provided. Spanish language interpretation is available upon request.

Protective Order Conference
2024-05-22 09:00 - 2024-05-23 16:30 | Sweet Briar College, 450 Sweet Briar Drive, Sweet Briar, VA, 24595, United States

VAdata Training and Office Hours
2024-05-28 15:00 - 16:30 | Virtual- Zoom

Spring 2024 Directors' Forum
2024-05-30 09:00 - 15:00 | Church of Our Savior Episcopal, 1165 Rio Rd E, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22901, United States
Directors and director-level leaders across the state are invited to join the Action Alliance for our Spring 2024 SDVA Directors’ Forum: Nourishing Connection. The agenda includes some new and emerging resources for Directors and programs, as well as some Peer-to-Peer TA time (back by popular demand!). The agenda is not conducive to virtual participation, so this will be in person.

Director's Virtual Meet-Up
2024-06-05 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual- Zoom
The Statewide Hotline/Crisis Response Team would like to offer this space as an ongoing opportunity to increase partnership, learn more about the needs at agencies, have a place to share and learn more about Statewide Hotline operations, and to provide the space for folx to discuss challenges, highlights, regional updates, trends, etc.

New Directors' Series 2024: Provisioning the Boat
2024-06-10 08:00 - 17:00 | Training Center, 1413 W. Main St., Richmond, VA, 23220
A successful voyage requires just the right number of resources to get you to your destination—including all the tools you will need, and functioning systems to keep things afloat in all kinds of weather. A few of the specific topics we will be covering include planning, matching resources to goals, managing those resources, automation, and redundancy. Leave with some new tools that will ease the burden of provisioning the boat.

State and Local Partners Meeting
2024-06-13 08:00 - 17:00 | Virtual- Zoom
These quarterly gatherings of advocates, preventionists, sexual and domestic violence agency administrators, state funders and other partners serving survivors of violence are opportunities for connection and collaboration on the local, regional, and state level. The State and Local Partners Meetings are a unique opportunity for agencies to share their expertise and experiences from the front lines with funding partners who would like to learn more about emerging trends, needs, and celebrations among our communities.

Red Flag Campaign Relaunch!
2024-06-13 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual- Zoom
It has been over a decade since we launched www.theredflagcampaign.org/ to help college students shift cultural norms around dating violence. In the intervening years, hundreds of campuses across the nation have implemented the Red Flag Campaign. Since first introducing the campaign, the way young people speak about and understand dating violence has changed, so we have updated the Red Flag Campaign materials to reflect their experiences today. We are excited to announce that we have updated the digital Campus Planning Guide to include more information about bystander intervention as a strategy for violence prevention, microaggressions as a form of dating violence, and why healthy sexuality is a key concept of violence prevention. There is also new turnkey artwork for social media posts and updated printable handouts about effective bystander intervention strategies.
If you are unfamiliar with the campaign, the Red Flag Campaign is a bystander intervention program that educates college students about sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking by highlighting the red flags that students may see in a friend’s relationship. The campaign includes a digital guide for implementation, miniature red flags, and printed posters featuring active bystander responses to warning signs for emotional abuse, stalking, microaggressions, and other controlling and isolating behaviors. In 2023, we launched two poster series (Series C and D), which include language around interrupting microaggressions and promoting joyful sexuality; you can click this link to compare and explore each series.
Join us on Thursday, June 13th from 12:30pm to 1:30pm EDT to learn more about the new Red Flag Campaign materials including ideas for implementation and best practices around prevention programming.

Harm and Accountability Toolkit Webinar
2024-06-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual- Zoom
