Domestic violence intervention and prevention efforts in Delaware are getting some additional help.
Senator Tom Carper joined state officials in Wilmington Friday to announce the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCADV) is receiving $2 million in federal grants to continue its work on the issue.
$1.7 million of the grant money comes from the Center For Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) DELTA FOCUS grant which aims to develop a public health violence prevention framework concentrating on broader community and societal factors that promote or hinder domestic violence.
The rest of the funds come from the U.S. Office of Women’s Health and Futures Without Violence’s Project Connect grant ($375,000) which focuses on the impact of domestic violence on reproductive and sexual health.
The grant money will go to support the DCADV’s THRIVE Delaware initiative - a statewide collaborative effort to build a sustainable, long-term plan for addressing domestic violence. DCADV’s Executive Director Carol Post says that one of the goals of THRIVE Delaware is to create communities of learning.
“Getting people engaged in learning about prevention and learning about domestic and sexual violence and figuring out how we can work together," said Post.
Post admits that this goal is too big for DCADV to do alone so collaboration will be key.
"We really want to get partners all over Delaware engaged in this effort,” added Post.
One organization THRIVE Delaware is working with is the Delaware Men’s Education Network (MEN) which Post considers a vital piece to changing public perception of domestic violence.
“Men can talk to men better about this issue," said Post. "I think when you get passionate men who care about this issue and who really want to make a difference, I think the sky is the limit. It’s just healthy all the way around."
Another major partner in the THRIVE Delaware initiative is Delaware’s Division of Health and Social Services, which is working to increase awareness of domestic violence as a public health issue.
"I want to be clear: domestic violence is a public health issues as much as newborn screenings, immunizations, healthy lifestyles, disease prevention, and safe drinking water," said Delaware's Director of Public Health Dr. Karyl Rattay, who noted that studies show cam lead to extensive health problems like chronic diseases and substance abuse.