Advocacy
The West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WVCADV), incorporated in 1981, is a statewide non-profit organization comprised of a Coalition Statewide Office and 14 licensed domestic violence programs. WVCADV represents the only statewide network of domestic violence service providers and experts that provide specialized direct services for families, training, education, and policy development.
The statewide office and the 14 licensed programs provide advocacy to empower victims of domestic violence and improve responses of systems influencing family safety. Advocacy within systems that respond to victims of domestic violence includes collaborations, training, policy development and networking to examine and improve responses by systems to improve safety. Advocacy for individual survivors of domestic violence includes education about options, safety planning and resource/referral services to create safer environments for individual families.
| Statewide Coalition Office | Licensed Domestic Violence Programs |
|
Public Policy Training & Education Public Awareness Community Organizing Technical Assistance Statewide Partnerships Prevention Programs |
Crisis Counseling Emergency Shelter Information & Referral Legal Advocacy Children’s Services Batterer Intervention Programs Community Education |
The statewide coalition office provides advocacy through several WVCADV initiated collaborative projects as well as through representation on collaborative partnerships lead by other agencies. Collaborations include partnerships with healthcare, mental health, law enforcement, corrections, courts, legal services, child & adult protection, education, prosecution, victim services, marginalized communities, and social services. WVCADV representatives also participate with national organizations and bring updated research, cutting edge issues and model initiatives to state and local collaboratives. The state office facilitates networking and coordination of services for the 14 licensed domestic programs and collaborative partners.
Local domestic violence programs are a vital resource, providing free and confidential assistance to victims of domestic violence and their children. Domestic violence advocates have accurate information about domestic violence and they understand the criminal justice, family court, and social services systems, and are familiar with other community resources that might be useful to victims. In addition to giving good information, advocates can often accompany victims to court, to the police station, or to social services and provide victims with practical and emotional support.
Getting help from someone who has experience working with victims of domestic violence and who knows how to work with the different systems can make things a lot easier for victims. Domestic violence services are available in every county in the state. Specific services may vary from one community to another, but most programs offer the core services such as individual safety planning, shelter, 24 hour emergency hotline, legal advocacy, peer support counseling, support groups, services for children and other support services (such as help in obtaining medical care; legal protection; housing; furniture; clothing; training and educational services; employment; social services; emergency transportation; and translation services).
For a listing of WVCADV licensed domestic violence programs, click here.