The LINK Program supports subgrantees of the STOP Formula Grant Program with integrating national knowledge on violence against women into their local programs by offering travel assistance to attend OVW-sponsored events with opportunities to network and learn from their peers. With the most recent OVW-sponsored event—EVAWI 2016 Conference in the District of Columbia—20 subgrantees from Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Kansas attended and participated in a conference that focused on ways in which they could create change in their programs in order to engage in and provide services to effectively address violence against women.

The primary theme was “we can change this!” Supporting themes focused on explicit ways in which participants could create changes to improve practices and policies addressing violence against women. For instance, sessions highlighted how providers (i.e., judges, case managers, social workers, program directors, probation officers, attorneys) could manage and engage in difficult conversations with key stakeholders surrounding violence against women. Sessions also underscored the core causes and solutions of violence. Additionally, sessions emphasized the importance of examining privilege and oppression, the ways in which society contributes to violence towards women, and challenged participants to be intentional about their efforts in order to end violence in all aspects of our society. Participants were pushed to think creatively and critically about how we as a community can engage men and boys in the conversations to assist with creating changes at the micro and macro levels to end violence against women.        

Overall, subgrantees shared how the conference was “interesting,” “fascinating,” “helpful,” and “enlightening.” They agreed that the conference created opportunities for them to network with providers from programs that they may not have been able to meet with otherwise. Business cards were exchanged, ideas were shared, praises were given, suggestions were welcomed, and participants walked away feeling energized!

Next steps for LINK participants include engaging in teams to develop action plans for their communities based on conference themes and learning from one another via webinars in which their action plans will be shared. 

This summer, ALSO's LINK Program will sponsor participants to attend one of three different conferences: NNEDV's 4th Annual Technology Summit, Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma's 21st International Summit, and the National Sexual Assault Conference. Apply to the 2016 LINK Summer Conference Series today!

Written by Quenette Walton, PhD
ALSO Consultant

In partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, ALSO's LINK Travel Assistance Program subsidizes STOP Formula Grant state and territory administrators and sub-grantees to attend national conferences and trainings where they gain knowledge and experience to share and implement in their local communities.