Look at what we’ve accomplished in just a few short years!

IN THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

--planning and coordinating efforts to engage school leaders in recognizing the need for prevention education in the schools around the topics of teen dating violence and DV as a workplace violence issue;

-- in 1999, planned and delivered a training for school district superintendents in on domestic violence as a school safety issue;

--providing training for teacher preparation courses on recognizing, reporting, and appropriately responding to domestic violence and teen dating violence.

--chaired the Education Committee of San Jose’s Family/Domestic Violence Task Force.

--in 1999, performed a program evaluation of a teen dating violence prevention program conducted by a domestic violence agency at a local high school.

IN THE HEALTH COMMUNITY

--providing training for medical assistants and health educators on screening for domestic violence in health care settings and on the mandated reporting laws for domestic violence, child abuse and elder abuse.

--presented at state, national, and international public health conferences on evaluation of prevention programs, effective public policy advocacy on domestic violence issues, and community organizing as means to ending family violence.

IN THE FAITH COMMUNITY

--active on the Interfaith sub-committee of Santa Clara County’s Domestic Violence Council.

--currently in the process of developing an outreach program for local churches on domestic violence awareness, and pastoral training to effectively counsel congregants in abusive situations.

IN THE ELDER COMMUNITY

--former member on the Elder Abuse sub-committee of San Jose’s Family/Domestic Violence Task Force.

--instrumental in the development of the "Respect Your Elders" local media campaign to raise awareness of elder abuse and exploitation of dependent adults in Silicon Valley after the passage of SB-2199.

WITH AND FOR YOUTH

--trained and supervised high school interns in developing teen dating violence materials to be provided for Freshman Orientation instructors for local high schools.

--supervised high school interns in planning Domestic Violence Awareness Day at Evergreen Valley College in October of 2000, including the hosting of the Clothesline Project.

--speaking at local middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities on the topic of domestic violence and teen dating violence;

--active on the Juvenile Domestic Violence Court sub-committee of Santa Clara County’s Domestic Violence Council.

--from January to June of 2001, provided a six-hour domestic violence awareness class to incarcerated youth at the Juvenile Probation Ranches within Santa Clara County.

IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

--performed a service assessment in the Fall of 2000 to discover whether there were service gaps for batterers intervention programs serving women in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, specifically looking at accessibility for participants with disabilities.

--assisted in planning the annual Ending Family Violence conferences in 1999, 2000, and 2001.

--coordinated media outreach efforts to promote Domestic Violence Awareness Month in both 2000 and 2001.

--active on the Community Education Committee of Santa Clara County’s Domestic Violence Council.

--assisted in the development of the Girl Scouts of Santa Clara Domestic Violence Awareness Patch program, including the training of troop leaders on the issue of domestic violence.

--chaired the planning committee for the post-conference institute on "The Link Between Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and Animal Cruelty: Implications for Policy and Practice."

--speaking at local service organizations, civic groups and county agency trainings on the topic of domestic violence and teen dating violence.

--chaired the Santa Clara County Domestic Violence Council’s Clothesline Project Committee.

--coordinated the month-long display at the county government center in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October of 2000, including: the Silent Witnesses, the Pulitzer-nominated photographs of Meri Simon’s "Battered Lives" feature in the San Jose Mercury News, resource tables for local domestic violence and related service agencies, and the unveiling of the Domestic Violence Council’s Clothesline Project.

IN SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

--established the first collaborative effort with a neighboring Domestic Violence Council, with the County of San Mateo.

--currently in the beginning stages of establishing a collaboration with Santa Cruz Domestic Violence Council.

IN THE POLICY ARENA

--testified at public hearings on the need for accessible services for domestic violence victims and perpetrators with disabilities; and on the need for aggressive enforcement of existing laws prohibiting those with domestic violence convictions from possessing firearms.

--developed a policy initiative on the need for mental health services for victims and survivors of domestic violence, for children exposed to family violence, as well as for friends and family members affected by the violence.

IN THE MEDIA

--coordinated media outreach efforts and planned successful press conferences to promote Domestic Violence Awareness Month in both 2000 and 2001.

--interviewed by KNTV Channel 11, Univisión, Telemundo; KBAY, KLIV, and KGO radio; San Jose Mercury News and San Mateo County Independent News.

--Feature article in Access Magazine on community efforts to end domestic violence "No Longer a Private Matter," winner of 2000 College Gold Circle Award, Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

IN RESEARCH

--Currently in the data collection phase of a qualitative research study on the long-term effects of domestic violence.