Health Cares About Domestic Violence (HCADV) Day – October 12th, is a nationally-recognized day that takes place annually on the second Wednesday of October which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). HCADV Day is used by healthcare and advocacy communities to raise awareness about domestic violence, strategies for addressing the health impact of domestic violence, and making warm referrals to domestic violence programs. According to the CDC, about 1 in 4 women and nearly 1 in 10 men have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime and reported some form of intimate partner violence-related impact.
This DVAM and HCADV also comes at a time when countries around the world are experiencing devastating violence. In Iran, Mahsa Amini, a twenty-two-year-old Kurdish Iranian died while in custody of Iran’s morality police after she was arrested for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely. Mahsa’s death set off widespread protests calling for change and the authorities are responding by cracking down harshly. Women in Ukraine are facing disproportionate effects of war, with many women and girls experiencing sexual violence as a weapon of war. And in Haiti, a renewed wave of gang violence has killed and kidnapped hundreds of people. Therefore, it is more important than ever that awareness is raised on all forms of violence and its significant impacts on the health of people and communities across the world.
Community health centers can use Futures Without Violence’s Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day Action Kit to raise awareness about domestic violence and its impacts on health by organizing activities, posting on social media, and more. See below for additional resources to raise awareness.
Domestic Violence Awareness Toolkits:
- Health Resources & Services Administration IPV Toolkit: Health centers can use the Prevent, Assess, and Respond: A Domestic Violence Toolkit for Health Centers & Domestic Violence Programs toolkit to build a comprehensive and sustainable response to intimate partner violence (IPV) and human trafficking (HT) in your health center, in partnership with social service organizations.
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV): NCADV leads, mobilizes and raises voices to support efforts that demand a change of conditions that lead to domestic violence. Click here for their DVAM #WeAreResilient toolkit: https://ncadv.org/2022DVAM
To learn more about domestic violence:
- HRSA:
- Improving Health Outcomes through Violence Prevention: Promising Strategies from Community Health Centers: This webinar highlights Phase I of a pilot program to improve health outcomes through IPV prevention in three HRSA supported community health centers.
- Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Black Women in New York State: A Historical Overview and Consideration:
Find help:
- New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence Program Directory: NYS directory of domestic violence programs in NYS. Click here to find your local domestic violence program: https://www.nyscadv.org/find-help/program-directory.html
- NYS Domestic Violence Hotline: 24/7 hotline for NYS. Call 1-800-942-6906, text 844-997-2121, or chat live online by clicking here: https://na0messaging.icarol.com/ConsumerRegistration.aspx?org=2078&pid=684&cc=en-US
- NYC Domestic Violence Hotline: 24/7 hotline specific to NYC. Call 1-800-621-HOPE.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: National Domestic Violence Hotline is a 24/7 hotline that provides highly-trained, expert advocates to offer free, confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse. Call at 1- 800-799-SAFE, text START to 88788, or chat live online by clicking here: https://www.thehotline.org/#
- Stronghearts Native Helpline: A safe, anonymous, and confidential domestic violence and dating violence helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, offering culturally-appropriate support and advocacy. Call or text 1-844-7NATIVE, or chat online with an advocate available 24/7 by clicking here: https://strongheartshelpline.org/get-help#CallorChatOnline