Collaboration

At SCCADVASA, we recognize that without collaboration and united action, we will never truly see the changes that we desire in South Carolina. Only by working together can we achieve a future free from domestic violence and sexual assault.

Below are a few examples of how we have and continue to collaborate with others in our work for victims/survivors and in prevention.

Domestic Violence Task Force

In the summer of 2014, the Post and Courier published a series of articles that explored the devastating toll of domestic violence on South Carolina’s families and communities. In response, legislation was introduced and passed that addressed legal accountability for offenders and a range of other initiatives aimed at reducing the prevalence of this destructive crime.

In January of 2015, Governor Nikki R. Haley established a Task Force to expand the focus of reform beyond the limits of legislative reach and to address the cultural issues that surround domestic violence including social, economic, and geographic issues as well as professional standards and best practices within government and non-government organizations. SCCADVASA plays a leading role in the Task Force and we are excited to see so many agencies and individuals willing to come together to create much needed and sustained change.

In January of 2016, Governor Haley, in recognition of the complexity of the issues surrounding domestic violence extended the Executive Order authorizing the Task Force for the remainder of her term in office.

Phase 1 Report: Services Division

Phase 1 Report: Community Division

Phase 1 Report: Criminal Justice Division

Phase 1 Report: Government Resources Workgroup

Phase II Report: Proposed Recommendations

Click here for the Post and Courier’s Pulitzer Prize-winning series Till Death Do Us Part

Coordinated Community Response

The Domestic Violence Reform Act of 2015 reemphasized the important role that local domestic violence coordinating councils play in reducing domestic violence in their communities. Responsibility for establishing and coordinating these councils in each county resides in Circuit Solicitors Offices. The Domestic Violence Advisory Committee is a similar council operating at the state-level.

Coordinating Councils (DVCC)

Coordinated Community Response teams bring together multidisciplinary partners to develop protocols and responses to domestic violence that meet the needs of victims/survivors and effectively hold offenders accountable. CCR’s can address all facets of the community’s response—from the criminal justice system through victim services, other systems and prevention.

An important task for CCR teams in South Carolina is Domestic Violence Fatality Review, a process by which the team reviews domestic violence related deaths with the underlying objectives of preventing them in the future, preserving the safety of battered women, and holding accountable both the perpetrators of domestic violence and the actions or policies of the multiple agencies and organizations that came into contact with the parties (National Domestic Violence Homicide Review Initiative).

To find out more information about the Coordinating Council in your county, contact the Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

Click here for information on fatality review and a video showing the process in one Montana community.

Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART)

Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) are multidisciplinary, interagency teams who work together to formalize interagency guidelines that prioritize victims’ needs, hold offenders accountable, and promote public safety.

SCCADVASA maintains a relationship with SART teams across the state by ensuring a member of our team attends meetings. During these meetings, we identify challenges and strengths that SART teams are facing and help to determine similarities and trends. SCCADVASA utilizes this information to gather/coordinate resources, conduct TA (requests for technical assistance), develop trainings, and create additional learning opportunities for SART teams.  

Education

Trainings

SCCADVASA’s staff are experts in providing professional development training to increase knowledge, skills, and capacities for advocacy and direct service for survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence. We host yearly state-wide conferences, regional trainings, and in-service seminars on a variety of topics including but not limited to:

  • Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence 101
  • Trauma-Informed Services and Systems
  • Domestic and Sexual Assault and the Criminal Justice System
  • Core Certification for Victim Service Providers
  • Implicit Bias and Victim Service Provision
  • Anti-Oppression, Social Justice, and Intersectionality

Visit our Trainings & Events page to learn more about SCCADVASA’s training opportunities. If you’d like to request a speaker, please fill out the contact form, selecting “Request a Speaker” from the dropdown.

Prevention

At the very heart of SCCADVASA’s mission lies a commitment and a tireless endeavor to prevent sexual and intimate partner violence from occurring in the first place. We envision a safer South Carolina where all people are free from violence in their homes and communities. We support a concept of healthy communities that includes healthy relationships, freedom from oppression, and the empowerment of women and girls. That is why SCCADVASA uses a public health approach, developing initiatives at every level of the Socioecological Spectrum to dismantle the culture and the systems that support violence and oppression.

Community Educators Roundtable

With the support of the State Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), SCCADVASA collaborates with community educators and prevention coordinators at sexual and domestic violence centers to provide ongoing training, professional development, technical capacity building, and networking opportunities to increase their skills to provide prevention education in schools, on campuses, in community centers, and throughout their communities in every corner of the state.

College Consortium

SCCADVASA also hosts a consortium of college and university representatives, which builds bridges among campus communities and provides technical support and training to assist them with implementing violence prevention programs and the creation of safer campuses.

We seek to partner with prevention initiatives beyond the field of domestic and sexual violence to address shared risk and protective factors and support a holistic approach to prevention and the health of communities in South Carolina.

If you are interested in joining us in any of these initiatives or learning more, please contact us today.