Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance

Action Alliance Membership Meeting
2022-10-04 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
During this annual membership meeting, we’ll report on what we’ve accomplished in the past year and what we have planned for the year ahead. The Governing Body will also be presenting a slate of seven new Governing Body members for affirmation by the membership.
You must be an Action Alliance Member to attend this meeting. Please register through Zoom and then you will get a confirmation once your registration has been approved.

Regional State and Local Partners Meeting: Southwest Virginia / Reunión Regional de Socios Estatales y Locales: La parte sudoeste de Virginia
2022-10-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Join us on Thursday, October 6th from 10 am-12 pm for the fourth of our regional 2022 State and Local Partners meetings!
This invitation is open to advocates, preventionists, and other partners serving survivors and/or supporting community education on healthy relationships in Southwest Virginia. We will continue to hold virtual gatherings until we can be together safely again. Distance will not stop us from holding space to share resources, information, advice, concerns, and/or successes!
Our time together will include:
-Welcome & introductions
-Discussion on regional issues, service trends, and resources
-Agency updates
-Closing
For more information, please email us at training@vsdvalliance.org.
————————————————————————————
¡Reúnase con nosotres el jueves 6 de octubre de 10 a.m. a 12 p.m. para la cuarta de nuestras reuniones de socios estatales y locales del 2022!
Esta invitación está abierta a defensores, prevencionistas y otres socies que sirven a sobrevivientes y / o apoyan la educación comunitaria sobre relaciones saludables en la parte sudoeste de Virginia. Continuaremos ofreciendo estas reuniones virtualmente hasta que podamos estar juntes de nuevo en persona. ¡La distancia no nos impedirá mantener un espacio para compartir recursos, información, consejos, inquietudes y / o éxitos!
Nuestro tiempo juntes incluirá:
-Bienvenida e introducciones
-Discusión sobre temas regionales, tendencias de servicio y recursos
-Actualizaciones de las agencias
-Cierre
Para obtener más información, envíenos un correo electrónico a training@vsdvalliance.org.

ECHO@edu: Campus Violence Prevention
2022-10-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual
Project ECHO uses Zoom, the teleconferencing software, to connect professionals from multiple locations to present challenging cases to each other, gather feedback and recommendations, and to discuss new developments and best practices. The structure of each ECHO Clinic is an integral component of the ECHO model.
In this ECHO program, staff at colleges, universities, and community colleges are invited to present challenging cases to each other, gather feedback and recommendations, and discuss new developments and best practices for primary prevention and peer educator programs. Come prepared to ask questions, make recommendations, and connect with other campus professionals and students across Virginia.
Please register for this meeting via ZOOM. You will get a notification when your registration has been approved.
This isn’t another passive webinar! We use Zoom so that you can see each other and communicate in real-time. Come prepared to ask questions, make recommendations, and connect with other campus professionals and students across Virginia.
For information about our data usage and collection, please visit: http://bit.ly/iECHOdata.

VAdata Basic Training
2022-10-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual
Since its inception in 1996, VAdata has been an invaluable tool for Virginia advocates tracking services to survivors and information about their experiences of violence. This training is for staff who are new VAdata users or people who need a refresher on certain features of the system. Join us for a virtual walk-through of the system, where we will review the core forms and functions and VAdata, explore how to generate reports, and learn how to get the most of your user experience. Please note that this session will be recorded.

Violence Prevention in Action ECHO (open Clinic)
2022-10-19 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual
Project ECHO uses Zoom, the teleconferencing software, to connect professionals from multiple locations to present challenging cases to each other, gather feedback and recommendations, and to discuss new developments and best practices. The structure of each ECHO Clinic is an integral component of the ECHO model.

ECHO is an international evidence-based model for training and peer-to-peer learning originally developed at the University of New Mexico. In this ECHO program, prevention staff at local sexual and domestic violence agencies present challenging cases to each other, gather feedback and recommendations, and discuss new developments and best practices for primary prevention.

This isn’t another passive webinar! We use Zoom so that you can see each other and communicate in real-time. Come prepared to ask questions, make recommendations, and connect with other sexual and domestic violence agency staff across Virginia.

Please register using the ZOOM link. You will receive a notification once your registration has been approved.
For information about our data usage and collection, please visit: http://bit.ly/iECHOdata.

VAdata Advanced Training
2022-10-20 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual
Sexual and domestic violence agencies across the state are using VAdata to track services and support grant reports. This training provides existing VAdata users with information about the different reports available in the system and offers hands-on experience entering data. After this training, participants will understand when and how to use reports for writing grants and how data entry impacts quarterly reports
and statewide statistics. Please note that this session will be recorded.

Beyond Abortion: Reproductive Justice and the Anti-Violence Movement
2022-11-11 11:00 - 13:30 | Boathouse at Rocketts Landing, 4708 E. Old Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23231
Content is protected.

Flexible Foundations for Shelter Support and Beyond
2022-11-17 15:00 - 16:30 | Virtual
Between the pandemic, climate catastrophes, tensions about human rights, and high costs for basic needs, survivors’ service needs feel more complex than ever. Join the Action Alliance and Tori Wynecoop, Training and Technical Assistance Manager at the National Center on Domestic Violence Trauma and Mental Health (NCDVTMH), for three virtual trainings about collaborative and flexible approaches to address complex service needs. In this 3-part training for shelter staff and other front line advocates, participants will examine their expectations around crisis intervention; explore how to promote shared responsibility in shelter; and use the ‘stages of change’ model to support survivors’ goals.
This is the first in a three part training series. Attendees are encouraged to try and attend all three sessions.
Dates:
November 17th, 2022, 3:00 to 4:30 PM EST: Moving from Rules to Shared Expectations
Register: bit.ly/flexfound1
January 19th, 2023, 3:00 to 4:30 PM EST: Supporting Survivors Who Use Substances.
Register: bit.ly/flexfound2
March 16th, 2023, 3:00 to 4:30 PM EST: Navigating Conflict and Change.
Register: bit.ly/flexfound3

The Intersection of Firearms and Intimate Partner Violence
2022-11-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Did you know that 60% of intimate partner homicide victims are killed with firearms?
Join the Action Alliance as we present a training session on The Intersection of Firearms and Intimate Partner Violence. The Action Alliance will be presenting our Firearms Toolkit which is intended to provide you with a starting place. Attendees will leave this training with a better understanding on Virginia Law and Firearms Restrictions and will also be able to take back recommendations and best practices in working with survivors and your community.
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.

Outreach Otters
2022-12-06 09:00 - 10:00 | Virtual- Zoom
Do you help with outreach, development, or community engagement in your agency? Come join the Outreach Otters for our quarterly catch up where we chat everything from fundraising to outreach. December’s topic will focus on building partnerships. Please come ready to share about partnerships that you have, ideas for others to build partnerships, and get ideas for your own agency.
No registration required. Zoom access sent via Resonance email. Email training@vsdvalliance.org, if you need assistance accessing the Zoom meeting. This meeting is limited to staff at sexual and domestic violence agencies and affiliate member agencies.

The Hope Reception
2022-12-09 14:30 - 16:30 | Training Center, 1413 W. Main St., Richmond, VA, 23220
Join the Action Alliance in our new office as we take time to celebrate advocates across Virginia, recognize our new Lifetime Members, and honor those who continue to inspire hope for a violence-free Virginia.
RSVP: https://bit.ly/hopereception2022
Our Honorees:

Toni Zollicoffer, Director, Fairfax Office of Domestic and Sexual Violence Services

As a member of the Statewide Advisory Committee on Sexual and Domestic Violence, Toni led a study group on partner abuse intervention and prevention. Recommendations from the study group have led to both local and statewide initiatives addressing the harm that takes place within intimate partner relationships through trauma-informed healing and accountability programs.

Delegate Carrie Coyner (VA-62)

Since joining the House of Delegates in 2020, Del. Coyner has developed a strong reputation for working across the aisle on a number of issues impacting children, families, and survivors of sexual and domestic violence. In 2022, she worked to secure $9M in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) appropriations to maintain level funding for Virginia’s sexual and domestic violence crisis centers. She is a steadfast advocate, routinely organizing her colleagues in the House to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and raise awareness about the power of preventing violence in our communities.

Delegate Patrick Hope (VA-47)

Del. Hope has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2010, is a long-time friend of the Action Alliance, and a champion on sexual and domestic violence issues. Most recently, he worked alongside the Action Alliance, the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, and sexual and domestic violence advocates to expand the Supreme Court’s successful Hope Card Program, allowing survivors who are granted final protective orders access to a wallet-sized card summarizing the order’s critical information.

Violence Prevention in Action ECHO
2023-01-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual
Project ECHO uses Zoom, the teleconferencing software, to connect professionals from multiple locations to present challenging cases to each other, gather feedback and recommendations, and to discuss new developments and best practices. The structure of each ECHO Clinic is an integral component of the ECHO model.
This isn’t another passive webinar! We use Zoom so that you can see each other and communicate in real-time. Come prepared to ask questions, make recommendations, and connect with other sexual and domestic violence agency staff across Virginia.
For information about our data usage and collection, please visit: http://bit.ly/iECHOdata.

Flexible Foundations for Shelter Support and Beyond, Session 2
2023-01-19 15:00 - 16:30 | Virtual
Between the pandemic, climate catastrophes, tensions about human rights, and high costs for basic needs, survivors’ service needs feel more complex than ever. Join the Action Alliance and Tori Wynecoop, Training and Technical Assistance Manager at the National Center on Domestic Violence Trauma and Mental Health (NCDVTMH), for three virtual trainings about collaborative and flexible approaches to address complex service needs. In this 3-part training for shelter staff and other front line advocates, participants will examine their expectations around crisis intervention; explore how to promote shared responsibility in shelter; and use the ‘stages of change’ model to support survivors’ goals.
• January 19th, 2023, 3:00 to 4:30 PM EST: Supporting Survivors Who Use Substances
Register for January 19 here: bit.ly/flexfound2
• March 16th, 2023, 3:00 to 4:30 PM EST: Navigating Conflict and Change
Register for March 16 here: bit.ly/flexfound3

All you Need to Know about Legislative Advocacy Day 2023
2023-01-31 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual
Join us for this webinar to learn about all of our priorities and strategies heading into Legislative Advocacy Day. Things that are on our radar are:

Fund the phones – help us sustain Virginia’s Statewide Hotline!
Ensure the safe and lawful transfer of firearms for those subject to protective orders and those convicted of domestic violence!
Close the dangerous loophole in Virginia’s strangulation statute!
Repeal Virginia’s discriminatory Constitutional ban on LGBTQ marriage!
Expand economic supports for women and families
Prioritize victim/child safety over “shared parenting time”
Defend Trans and LGBTQ youth in Virginia
Protect Reproductive Freedom and abortion access for all survivors!

You can join the webinar here: https://bit.ly/VSDVALAD2023Webinar

Legislative Advocacy Day 2023
2023-02-02 08:00 - 13:00 | Virginia Credit Union League, 108 N. 8th Street, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
2023 Legislative Advocacy Day!
We’re excited to have sexual and domestic violence advocates from across Virginia join us in Richmond for our annual Legislative Advocacy Day on Thursday, February 2, 2023! And this year is a big one…..with the fall of Roe v. Wade and ongoing political attacks on LGBTQ youth, it’s important that we take a stand and defend the right of all Virginians to determine their reproductive futures and to be treated with dignity and respect.
Policy leaders want to hear from you about these hot topics that impact survivors, families, young people, and sexual and domestic violence advocates across the state:

Fund the phones – help us sustain Virginia’s Statewide Hotline!
Ensure the safe and lawful transfer of firearms for those subject to protective orders and those convicted of domestic violence!
Close the dangerous loophole in Virginia’s strangulation statute!
Repeal Virginia’s discriminatory Constitutional ban on LGBTQ marriage!
Expand economic supports for women and families
Prioritize victim/child safety over “shared parenting time”
Defend Trans and LGBTQ youth in Virginia
Protect Reproductive Freedom and abortion access for all survivors!

Check out our schedule for the day – if you are planning to join us for the breakfast reception, please note that in your registration choice:

8:00-9:00AM Breakfast reception and legislative briefing, held at Virginia Credit Union League, 108 N. Main Street, 23219. Light breakfast, coffee, and refreshments provided
9:30AM – 12:00PM Visits with legislators (Pocahontas Building 900 E. Main St, Richmond, VA 23219). Be sure to make appointments with your legislators in advance! You can find your legislator(s) here: http://ow.ly/tCG330mRiwW
9:30AM – 12:00PM space available at the Virginia Credit Union League to connect with Action Alliance staff, take breaks, debrief visits, and recharge
12:00PM Sexual & Domestic Violence Advocates gather in Capitol House Gallery to be recognized by the VA House of Representatives
1:00PM Join a Committee meeting (TBD). Support/watch the bill process, meet with Legislators, connect with advocates, and/or enjoy lunch nearby

If you can’t make it in-person for Legislative Advocacy Day, don’t worry, we’ll send you everything you need to participate in virtual legislative actions that are happening statewide! Just make sure you select “Virtual Legislative Advocacy ONLY” in your registration choice.
Please note that scheduling visits with your legislators is done on your own and in advance! You can begin reaching out to schedule visits now. The earlier the better. To find out who your state representatives are, or to find their contact information, please click here.
In addition, we will be holding a Legislative Advocacy Day Webinar on January 31 from 2:00 – 3:30 PM to help you understand our top priorities and answer all of your questions. Please make plans to attend that. https://bit.ly/VSDVALAD2023Webinar
Need help reaching out to your representatives? Looking for a script? Refer to our handy Legislative Advocacy Guide for answers to these questions and more!

ECHO@Edu: Campus Violence Prevention
2023-02-09 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual- Zoom
Do you feel like you’re on a prevention island at your campus? Join us for the following sessions to build your prevention network, connect over challenging cases, and stay on top of the best practices in sexual and intimate partner violence primary prevention, all from the comfort of your office.
ECHO@Edu will be held on the following Thursdays from 10:30 – 12:00 pm:

February 9, 2023
April 13, 2023
June 8, 2023
August 10, 2023

To register for the upcoming clinics, please register here: https://bit.ly/ECHOedu
Do you have a challenge that you’d like to brainstorm about with other preventionists? Or would you like to present a new idea for feedback? Consider presenting a case! You can access the case presentation form here: https://bit.ly/ECHOeducase

Quarterly Finance Training Series- Tips for Tracking Grant Expenses
2023-02-13 10:00 - 11:30 | Virtual
Are you a leader or staff member who has responsibility for tracking grant expenses? We’ll explore key elements of tracking expenses to help you stretch your agency budget and ensure that you have all of the documentation you need as you prepare regular invoices, financial statements, and grant reports.
This training is part of a series. Please register at the below link. The Zoom link will be sent to you after registration.

New Member Orientation
2023-02-15 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual
If you are new to the Action Alliance or just want a refresher of all of your membership benefits and insight into the Action Alliance, please join us! Here at the Action Alliance, we are here to help you so join us to find out how we can help you and your organization.

ReStoryation, Open Virtual Session
2023-02-23 09:00 - 17:00 | Virtual
Over the past 2 years, we have all navigated significant and sometimes overwhelming crises. As advocates, that has meant responding to the needs of survivors in addition to caring for ourselves, our families, and others who are dear to us. What we’ve come to know as normal has changed. Whether the past 2 or so years has brought us sorrow, fear, joy, new opportunities, grief, overwhelm, new beginnings, or a combination of all of the above…it has brought change to all of us.
When life puts us through challenges, nature can help us make sense of what is happening and guide us through. Nature tells stories of trauma, healing, and regeneration. Learning from nature and using story can help us remember, process, and integrate our experiences.
We can look to the story of mycelium that spreads across the forest floor and underground to create a network. Or to the root system of trees that go deep and wide to communicate to other trees around them how to find resources and avoid threats. These systems depend on the health and needs of the collective so that the whole system can thrive.
We invite you to reconnect with advocates across the state through the practice of storytelling. Much like mycelium, we hope this space will foster connection and restoration through storytelling, art, food, and community. The past 2 and a half years have made many of us feel isolated, but the truth is that we are still very much connected, we just need the space to find that again.

Advocacy Outcomes and DOW
2023-02-24 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual- Zoom
How do we know our services are making an impact? Join the Action Alliance for a facilitated discussion on the outcomes of advocacy services, Documenting Our Work (DOW) and other tools, and how evaluation can help us stay grounded in our values.

ACCESSIBILITY INFO: Our events are in spoken and written English. While we recommend that participants use a device on which Zoom is installed, they can also join through their browser without having to install an app. Live captioning will be provided courtesy of Virginia Relay. We do our best to provide audio descriptions of visual content, summarize chats, and prompt attendees to provide feedback. We encourage attendees to utilize the chat and meeting reactions when participating. We review our slides to ensure that they contain alt text for images, use type that is in 14-point font or larger, and have high-contrast color options.

If you have any questions or concerns about the accessibility of our online trainings, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via training@vsdvalliance.org. We look forward to sharing virtual space with you soon!

State and Local Partners Meeting
2023-03-02 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 : March 2 (Valley Region), September 14 (Northern Region), December 7 (statewide session)
The following sessions will be in person from 10:00 – 2:00 pm: April 4 (Southwest Region), October 5 (Tidewater Region)

On the Docket with JPT
2023-03-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual- Zoom
Join the Justice Projects Team for open hours to discuss and learn about topics ranging from confidentiality to firearms laws to reproductive freedom for survivors and everything in between. This will be a semi-structured learning space combining traditional training with open conversation, peer learning, and program sharing. Bring your expertise and your curiosity!
This space is a occurs the first Friday of every month from 12:00 – 1:00 pm.

Flexible Foundations for Shelter Support and Beyond
2023-03-16 15:00 - 16:30 | Virtual
Between the pandemic, climate catastrophes, tensions about human rights, and high costs for basic needs, survivors’ service needs feel more complex than ever. Join the Action Alliance and Tori Wynecoop, Training and Technical Assistance Manager at the National Center on Domestic Violence Trauma and Mental Health (NCDVTMH), for three virtual trainings about collaborative and flexible approaches to address complex service needs. In this 3-part training for shelter staff and other front line advocates, participants will examine their expectations around crisis intervention; explore how to promote shared responsibility in shelter; and use the ‘stages of change’ model to support survivors’ goals.
• March 16th, 2023, 3:00 to 4:30 PM EST: Navigating Conflict and Change
Register for March 16 here: bit.ly/flexfound3

Working with Immigrant Survivors
2023-03-22 10:00 - 16:00 | Action Alliance, 1413 W. Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23220, United States
Working with Immigrant Survivors
Domestic violence is a serious, pervasive, and complex issue that affects people from all walks of life. Immigrant survivors of domestic violence face unique challenges and barriers that require specialized knowledge and attention. Susheela Varky, Esq. Director of the Center for Family Advocacy and Legal Assistance for Victim Immigrants of Domestic Abuse (LA VIDA), and Ruth Micklem, Action Alliance Community Initiatives Manager, will be presenting this in-person training that covers the basics for working with survivors of violence who are immigrants.
The training will cover basic types of relief such as U-Visas, T-Visas, VAWA Petitions and more, as well as an overview of barriers to coming forward for help and additional resources that are available.
Who should attend: sexual and domestic violence advocates, legal aid professionals, non profit professionals, and private professionals who work with and provide resources to immigrant survivors.
Cost: $35.00 for Action Alliance Members, $60.00 for non-members and agencies

Advocacy Outcomes and DOW
2023-03-23 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual

State and Local Partners In Person Southwest Region
2023-04-04 10:00 - 14:00
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: April 4 (Southwest Region), October 5 (Tidewater Region)
**IN PERSON LOCATIONS TBD**

ECHO@Edu: Campus Violence Prevention
2023-04-13 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual

Basic Domestic Violence Advocacy Training
2023-05-01 09:30 - 16:30 | Training Center, 1413 W. Main St., Richmond, VA, 23220
This training is designed for advocates in their first year of work in the field if Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence Advocacy. 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.
$35.00 for SDVA, Professional, and Lifetime Members
$60.00 for Basic and Non-Members

Basic Sexual Violence Advocacy Training
2023-05-02 09:30 - 16:30 | Training Center, 1413 W. Main St., Richmond, VA, 23220
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.
$35.00 for SDVA Members, Professional, and Lifetime Members
$60.00 for Basic and Non Members

On the Docket with JPT
2023-05-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join the Justice Projects Team for open hours to discuss and learn about topics ranging from confidentiality to firearms laws to reproductive freedom for survivors and everything in between. This will be a semi-structured learning space combining traditional training with open conversation, peer learning, and program sharing. Bring your expertise and your curiosity!
May 5th: Protective Orders and Firearms Restrictions in Virginia
This space is a occurs the first Friday of every month from 12:00 – 1:00 pm.
