Virginia Anti-Violence Project

Since its inception, VAVP has been the only culturally specific organization in the state that serves LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual and domestic violence, with a focus on Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ people. All VAVP activities are currently being conducted online or on the phone. * Virginia's 24/7 LBGTQ+ Helpline: follow-up with callers looking for information or support about intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, who are referred by Virginia Sexual and Domestuc Violence Action Alliance, which staffs the helpline; * Crisis Intervention, Safety Planning, Including Emergency Housing and Transportation: virtual intake processes, access to bilingual staff, a language line for monolingual staff and clients, and utilization of local hotel for emergency housing and rideshare services; * Support Groups: staff-facilitated monthly events through virtual Community Wellness Conversations; * Information and Referrals: resources and connections to such Richmond partners as Planned Parenthood, Health Brigade, Sacred Heart Center, Richmond Creative Counseling, Richmond WIC, Safe Haven, and YWCA Richmond; * Counseling and Support: through methods that include staff teaching survivors self-advocacy and providing referrals to vetted mental health resources and partners in Richmond; * Coordination of Services: with such organizations as the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, Nationz Foundation, and Side by Side, including partnering with Side by Side, Advocates for Richmond's Youth, and Nationz Foundation to provide wraparound services for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing houselessness; * Court/Medical Accompaniment: modified during the pandemic to involve phone and online preparation of clients for their appointments, debriefing, and identification of additional needed services/supports; * Systems Advocacy: through partnerships with organizations such as Equality VA to influence policy and anti-discrimination laws. LGBTQ+ Survivors' of Violence Support Groups involves survivors across the state who are interested in participating in six monthly virtual bilingual support group sessions. The groups are facilitated by an expert in communal healing, clinical therapy practices, and the intersections of identities, especially in relation to Queer and Trans Survivors of Color, with a focus on coping during the pandemic. Support group sessions will last 1.5 hours each month from March to August 2021. As with the live-streamed component described below, participants can access Language Interpretation on our Zoom account, with a bilingual interpreter, in addition to the facilitator, and participants who are monolingual in Spanish will be able to switch to a different Zoom channel to hear their preferred language. Live-Streamed Mental Health Connections for LGBTQ+ Survivors of Color during the Age of COVID (and Beyond) is a three-part live-streamed series that promotes mental health conversations and healing among LGBTQ+ Black and Brown survivors of violence and includes participant questions and comments. Scheduled to meet in three consecutive weeks, this series will be part of VAVP's larger mental health campaign. VAVP's inaugural November 2020 series covered the following topics: the effects COVID-19 has had on LGBTQ+ people of color community building and co-resiliency; the abuse LGBTQ+ people of color face in healthcare within and without a pandemic; and the state of hypervigilance LGBTQ+ people of color live in due to the combined pressures of both a global crisis and state-sanctioned institutional violence. Other segments will take place in June, September, and December 2021. This series has thus far reached over 800 people. Approximately 97 people actively engaged with the live-stream episodes, and over 50 people reacted, commented, and shared the recordings. Community Education/Awareness/Prevention: activities like: (1) community training related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in underserved populations; (2) Queer Healthy Love, a 6-week healthy relationships series for LGBTQ+ individuals seeking to examine how systems impact our relationships within community; (3) Training for Trainers session for Black or Latinx community members to learn to facilitate community conversations related to healthy relationships and accountability; and (4) the Storytelling Podcast Project, with personal discussions of how VAVP has affected people's lives or how intersectional issues have impacted them. Training for Mainstream Organizations: (1) on issues that impact the community at large, such as LGBTQ+ 101 or Transformative Justice; (2) Language Justice/Language Access for LGBTQ+ non-English speaking communities; (3) particular needs and barriers for LGBTQ+ Black, Latinx/immigrant/Spanish-speaking, and other people of color communities trying to access affirming services ; and (4) for health care providers, supportive and affirming services for LGBTQ individuals, with a focus on trans and gender non-confirming individuals. Capacity Building As part of the statewide Underserved Populations Learning Collaborative Cohort 2, we have identified a UPLC Team of four staff and Board members to participate in statewide and regional sessions, as well as other training and TA, for a 24-month period. Activities include: (1) working with UPLC Coaches on a VAVP assessment; (2) attending a two-day training on building capacity and skills; (3) attending other regional network gatherings to reflect and share; (4) completing Action Period assignments; and (5) working with the Coaches on agency-specific areas of interest or need. As a recipient of an LGF Capacity Building grant, we have identified a team of the Executive Director, Board Chair, three core staff, and two Board members to work with a Leadership Coach. Coaching will focus on reshaping the culture of the organization so that we can work toward a shared leadership approach. We would like to use VAVP as a place where LGBTQ+ survivor community stakeholders, peer advocates, and mental health professionals can come to create better versions of leaders in anti-violence and social justice work.