Coordinated Multi-agency Response to Violence: from Awareness Raising to Behavioral Change

By this project we aim to develop and implement the system of multi-agency response to violence against women (VAW) to ensure safety of women victims of all forms of violence in close relation and make perpetrator accountable.

Project activities:

• developing of practical tool & its implementation guidelines for police on risk assessment of VAW
• developing of practical tool & its implementation guidelines for health care professionals on recording of VAW
• testing of risk assessment tool by involving police & victims
• testing of recording of VAW tool by involving health care professionals & victims
• training for police
• training for health care professionals
• training for prosecutors & judges
• training for professionals of different sectors (psychologists, community workers, child rights protection officers, victims’ support organizations, social workers, teachers etc.)
• training for probation officers
• implementing guidelines on risk assessment & monitoring its results
• implementing of guidelines on recording of VAW & monitoring its results
• drafting the recommendations for multi-agency cooperation & coordination
• preparing & publishing articles on good practices of multi-agency cooperation responding to VAW in media
• preparing, publishing & disseminating leaflets to provide both simple & clear description about violent assault & information where to apply for help
• on-going update of information about the project activities & outcomes & its dissemination on the websites of all project partners
• organizing advocacy meetings on multi-agency coordination on local level
• organising round-table discussion on multi-agency coordination on national level
• organising info-days in Lithuanian regions
• organizing community meetings in pilot municipalities
• implementing cycle of radio broadcasts
• implementing public campaigns
• organizing the final European Conference

Expected results:

• developed model of multi-agency cooperation to enable professionals to effectively collaborate to prevent & respond to VAW
• created favourable conditions for the implementation of systematic multi-agency response to ensure safety of women victims of VAW & make perpetrators accountable
• improved knowledge & capacities of police, health care professionals, prosecutors & judges, probation officers & professionals from different sectors to implement multi-agency response to violence
• raised awareness of communities contributing to their consolidation & cooperation with institutions for better VAW prevention

The project is implemented by the Center for Equality Advancement in cooperation with our partners – the Lithuanian Center for Human Rights and the Lithuanian Police School – as well as the associate partners – Kelmė District Municipality, Ukmergė District Municipality, Police Department under the Ministry of Interior, Prison Department under the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Social Security and Labor, and the Association of Hospital Managers Physicians.

Project is partially funded by European Union, Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme.

Developing CCR to Stop GBW: Mainstreaming the Best US Practices in Lithuania

The objective of the project is to initiate the establishment of coordinated community response (CCR) in Lithuanian municipalities which will significantly contribute to safety of women from all forms of violence and increased responsiveness of a community.

The goals of the project are:
• to adapt the best US practice of CCR in Lithuanian context to stop GBV;
• to provide in-depth knowledge about GBV among professionals of key local institutions (e. g. social workers, child-rights protection officers, police, health-care professionals & prosecutors);
• to build capacity of professionals in municipalities to apply CCR principles in response to GBV;
• to strengthen networking among professional in local institutions to unite common efforts and effectively use resources for community safety.

The project target groups are law enforcement, prosecutors, professionals of different sectors (social workers, child rights protection officers, health care professionals), and civil society advocates.

This project anticipates a long-term impact on institutional work practices. Through the trainings, follow-up meetings & train-of-trainer workshops the CCR model adapted to the Lithuanian context will be launched. It will make an impact on institutional practices in response to GBV which will be cascaded to the professionals in other localities. In a long term perspective it will contribute to reduction of repetitiveness & scope of GBV which will have positive socio-economic impact on society.