The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS) leads Administration for Children and Families' comprehensive approach to domestic violence prevention and administers the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) to improve support for families and individuals experiencing violence and trauma. Each October, OFVPS recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month by standing in solidarity with survivors, their loved ones, advocates, and communities to mourn those who lives have been lost to domestic violence; to celebrate the accomplishments to end and prevent further violence; and to connect with others leading this movement to transform communities to be more inclusive and supportive of all individuals and families fleeing violence. 

FVPSA grant recipients are hosting engaging events throughout October 2023. A few highlights are listed below: 

• October 11, 2023: 24th Annual Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day) is hosted by Futures without Violence, starting at 1:00 p.m. EST. Participants who attend this webinar will be able to better describe the role domestic violence programs can have in addressing the health needs of survivors, gain access to at least two tools their organization can utilize to formalize a partnership with a health provider/program, and identify at least one health policy opportunity to increase health access for survivors.
• October 13, 2023: Pregnant and Surviving: Maternal Health in the Black Community is hosted by the Ujima Inc., starting at 12:00 p.m. EST. This virtual conversation will focus on the intersections of domestic violence and birthing, as well as ways to better support Black pregnant survivors. 
• October 19, 2023: Purple Thursday National Domestic Violence Awareness Day is an all day event where you are invited to wear purple, be a voice, and start a conversation about domestic violence! Take a photo of yourself wearing purple and share it on social media for #PurpleThursday! Be sure to tag the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence #DCCADV. 
• October 19, 2023: Supporting Survivors at the Intersections of Mental Health and Substance Use is hosted by the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health. This webinar will start at 3:00 p.m. EST and will share new and forthcoming tools to support survivors, advocates, behavioral health providers, and organizations. 
• October 25, 2023: Understanding the Dynamics and Tactics of Intimate Partner Violence through the Lens of Indigenous Survivors is hosted by the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, starting at 9:00 a.m. EST. This webinar will provide an overview of root causes by domestic violence in Indigenous communities as well as highlight the importance of traditional, cultural practices in strengthening and building the capacity to provide effective, respectful advocacy. 

OFVPS invites you to strengthen community-based partnerships and support meaningful action for individuals, youth, and families in your communities. Nationally, there are many opportunities for you to support and stand in partnership with survivors. Please help OFVPS raise awareness about these events by sharing the OFVPS 2023 DVAM Calendar of Events, which includes the above events and many more. 

Want to learn more? This domestic violence 101 course was developed by FVPSA grant recipients - the Battered Women's Justice Project, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence.

How can you help? FVPSA-funded helplines and hotlines have increased their texting and online services to better provide counseling and advocacy by phone, text, or online chat. Discussing domestic violence is never easy which is why the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and StrongHearts Native Helpline are available for anyone who needs support. Should you or someone you know need help talking about domestic violence or abuse, please reach out to a hotline or helpline for support. There are caring advocates standing by to discuss safety options and supportive services available in your community.

Your leadership and continued support will make a huge difference for those striving for meaningful social change for millions of survivors in their communities! Thank you! 

In May and June of 2022, the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network (a national technical assistance center funded by the Administration for Community Living) hosted five virtual half-day regional convenings. Additionally, one of the Network’s key national partners, the National Indian Child Welfare Association, hosted a virtual half-day tribal convening. These six convenings brought together leaders from various systems within states, tribes, and territories to address challenges and explore promising practices in serving kinship/grandfamilies. They engaged individuals with lived experience, leaders and professionals in kinship navigator programs as well as community- and faith-based organizations. Additionally, the convenings included representatives of the following government systems: Aging, Child Welfare, Disability, Education, Housing, Medicaid/Medicare, Nutrition, and TANF.

The Child Welfare Information Gateway created a five-part podcast series that illustrated ways that states and tribal jurisdictions have supported kinship caregivers. Part 3 of this series focuses on the unique successes experienced within the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. The Tribe’s flexible use of funding and their prevention-focused approach have resulted in a near 70 percent reduction in the number of children in care. Their success is built upon strong, trusting relationships forged between tribal members. Topics discussed included:

• How Port Gamble S’Klallam’s Children and Family Services differs from other State and Tribal child welfare agencies,
• How the trusting relationships Children and Family Services shares with the community enable proactive engagement with families before they encounter the child welfare system,
• Tailoring services and assessments to address a community’s specific needs, and
• Guidance for child welfare professionals who may work with Tribal families and communities.

Both inside and outside the foster care system, American Indian and Alaska Native children are more likely to live in grandfamilies—families in which grandparents, other adult family members, or close family friends are raising children with no parents in the home—than any other racial or ethnic group. This toolkit is designed to give resources and tips to child welfare agencies, other government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, so they can better serve all American Indian and Alaska Native grandfamilies regardless of child welfare involvement. It also explores some unique strengths and challenges of these grandfamilies, which agencies and organizations need to recognize to provide culturally appropriate supportive services.

American Indian and Alaska Native children are more likely to live in grandfamilies than children in any other racial or ethnic group. While American Indian and Alaska Native children make up one percent of all children in the United States, they comprise over eight percent of all children in grandfamilies and two percent of all children in state foster care systems. This tip sheet is designed as a quick reference tool for practitioners and advocates working with grandfamilies and kinship families who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native. It is meant to help them provide services in a way that is culturally sensitive and effective and also serves as a reference guide for staff orientation/training to work in these communities.

This report provides a compilation of the success of financial capability integration efforts for tribal communities. The report focuses on two locations in Alaska: the Kenaitze Indian Tribe and the Aleutian Pribilof Island Association (APIA). Household financial living and assessing organizational and community capacity to deliver services are discussed in depth.

This toolkit from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families provides resources on trauma-informed care that are tailored to the needs of AI/AN communities. The resources are divided into sections based on the different stages of the process of implementing trauma-informed human services. For example, an agency in the beginning phases could use the resources in the “What do we mean by trauma-informed services and why is such an approach important?” section. An agency that has already started implementing trauma-informed services could find resources in the “We’ve begun working on theses, issues, but are trying to decide what to tackle next. How can I figure out next steps?” section. The toolkit also includes examples of treatments for trauma that have been adapted specifically for AI/AN communities.

These webinar slides from the Indian Health Service provide an overview of historical trauma and trauma-informed care in health and behavioral health systems. Historical trauma is prevalent among AI/AN individuals, and it can be transferred across generations. The webinar provides case examples of historical trauma, and discusses the secondary trauma or compassion fatigue that providers can experience when working with clients who have experienced trauma. The presenters also included examples of trauma-informed interventions specifically targeted to AI/AN populations.

American Indian and Alaska Native youth are 2.5 times more likely to experience trauma than their non-native peers, and this trauma can result in mental health disorders, substance abuse, violence, and suicide if not treated. This Mathematica Policy Research report, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, contains the results of an environmental scan of trauma-informed programs for AI/AN youth. The authors summarize three interventions that help AI/AN youth address traumatic stress and behavioral health concerns: Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools; Honoring Children, Mending the Circle; and Pathway to Hope. The report concludes with a discussion of the challenges of conducting research in tribal communities, including the need to bridge the gap between mainstream and Native conceptions of mental health and wellness.

This report presents a first-of-its-kind collaborative tribal-federal blueprint for improving the behavioral health of American Indians and Alaska Natives. This was developed in response to calls from tribal leaders for improved collaboration with federal agencies to address the behavioral health of their communities.