- Department of Human Services Self-Sufficiency and Child Welfare has been an active partner since 2000. The Alliance’s partnership with the Department of Human Services began when they were a member of the advisory committee that led to the formation of the organization. From 2001 to 2007 the Alliance was located in the same building, which made referrals back and forth very convenient. When the Alliance moved to its own facility, we continued the partnership by having an advocate either at the DHS office or on-call. Approximately 70% of the survivors served by the Alliance have some connection with DHS and their services. In addition to services to DHS clients, advocates provide training on domestic and sexual violence and vicarious trauma for DHS workers. The Alliance meets with DHS representatives weekly and in some cases communicates daily.
- Head Start and Early Head Start invites advocates to train their family advocates annually and has advocates in to talk with their parent groups about Alliance services and increase awareness about domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence. This proposal will formalize that partnership and expand interactions to more of their parent groups, add ride-a-longs on their home visits and increase the number of trainings to their family advocates. The Alliance has provided training for family advocates and visited parent groups of Head Start and Early Head Start since 2004. The proposal will allow advocates to visit Head Start and Early Head start to conduct trainings with them a minimum of 12 times per year. We meet with Head Start and Early Head Start representatives once a month.
- Illinois Valley High School has invited advocates to attend lunches with the high school students to build relationships and healthy boundaries for students. It is hopeful that in the 2026-2027 school year advocates will present information on domestic and sexual violence, stalking and teen dating violence to their health class students, ensuring that advocates present information to nearly every student in the high school. In 2011 prevention efforts increased, including the leadership group and after school activities. In 2012 the Alliance organized a theater group for teens that performed skits to the high school and the community to increase awareness about domestic violence. The Alliance has provided education on teen dating and sexual assault to students of the high school since 2004. Since 2008 the Alliance has presented information to the health classes six times annually.
- Illinois Valley Fire District. Since 2019, the Alliance has partnered with the Illinois Valley Fire District to help ensure that survivors are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect when first responders arrive at scenes involving domestic violence or sexual assault. Through this collaboration, The Alliance provides critical resources to the Fire District, including gas cards to assist survivors in accessing safety and support services, as well as specialized training on the dynamics of domestic violence. The Illinois Valley Fire District also serves as a partner under our MOU to support our Rural OVW grants, strengthening coordinated community response efforts and expanding access to services for survivors in rural communities.
- Josephine County Sheriff’s Office. Since 2019, The Alliance has partnered with the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that survivors are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect when deputies respond to scenes of domestic violence or sexual assault. Through this collaboration, The Alliance provides vital resources to the Sheriff’s Office, including gas cards to help survivors access safety and support services, as well as specialized training on the dynamics of domestic violence. Together, we are committed to strengthening our community’s response and improving outcomes for survivors. The Sheriffs department also serves as a partner under our MOU to support our Rural OVW grants, strengthening coordinated community response efforts and expanding access to services for survivors in rural communities.
