Programs & Activities

• Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification Program (SAVIN)

  The Tennessee Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification Program (SAVIN) is scheduled to go on-line in 2008. The Coalition's Bureau of Justice Assistance SAVIN grant will allow fifty sheriff's offices to participate in the victim notification program. The automated service will allow crime victims in participating counties to obtain timely and reliable information about an offender's custody status 24 hours a day by telephone, through the internet, or by e-mail. Users will simply be able to call a toll free number or go on-line to access the information. The service will be available in English and Spanish. Sheriff Beth L. Ashe (Ret.) will be coordinating the program and working with the participating Tennessee sheriffs' offices, crime victim services, and advocates to assist in developing and implementing the program. Keep checking our website for information and up-dates.

• Boys Against Violence - Youth Violence Prevention Project
  The Boys Against Violence Project, funded by the Baptist Healing Trust, is a three year endeavor to reduce intimate partner violence by fostering attitudes that empower boys to intervene when they witness behavior that promotes or condones violence against women or girls. During the course of the project, we also intend to increase Middle Tennessee domestic and sexual violence programs' capacity to engage boys and young men in violence prevention.
  
  

  The Coalition will:

  - Create a diverse Middle Tennessee Youth Advisory Group to assist in the project.

  - Partner with three domestic and sexual violence programs in Middle Tennessee to carry out the project.

  - Develop a violence prevention curriculum for middle school boys.

  - Provide training and technical assistance to communities on youth violence prevention.

• Mothers Organizing for Children's Justice
  
  In a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50 percent of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children. ~www.endabuse.org

The Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence is launching the Mothers Organizing for Children's Justice project funded by the Altria Group, Inc. The goal of this project is to enhance the safety of battered women and their children. Over the next two years, the Coalition will be working with programs across the state to organize a network of battered mothers.

• Domestic Violence State Coordinating Council, established by the Tennessee Legislature to develop model policies, training curriculums for law enforcement agencies and the court, and to certify and monitor batterer’s intervention programs (please click here for a list of BIPS programs and BIPS Certification Standards). We host meetings of the council and provide staff support.

• Immigrant Legal Clinic
  The TCADSV Immigrant Legal Clinic provides legal advice and representation to immigrant and trafficked victims of domestic or sexual violence throughout Tennessee.

• Cultural Competency Project
  The Cultural Competency Project will address access, language and cultural barriers faced by immigrant and refugee victims and will work to enhance culturally competent domestic violence and sexual assault services. The project will seek ways to improve services to immigrant, refugee and trafficked victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (DV/SA) in Tennessee, to increase collaboration between DV/SA programs and organizations that serve immigrant communities and to increase understanding issues of immigrant victims among DV/SA programs and organizations that serve immigrants.

• Law Enforcement Training Project, designed to develop consistent, ongoing training statewide. We provide technical assistance to law enforcement agencies on policy development and law implementation. We also conduct 40-hour specialized domestic violence and sexual assault schools and provide a manual of updated laws.

• Public Awareness Campaign , including television and radio PSAs, is the first statewide public awareness campaign targeting domestic violence and sexual assault in Tennessee. The campaign is based on the truth that domestic and sexual violence is not specific to one race, one socio-economic or education level, one religion, or one sexual orientation. As stated in the campaign, “It can happen to anyone. It’s not your fault. You are not alone.” The PSAs promote the statewide crisis line, 800-356-6767.

• Public Policy Updates are provided to keep programs and advocates current on upcoming bills and the present status of bills during Tennessee General Assembly sessions.

• Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, which acts as a clearinghouse for domestic violence and sexual assault information, responds to our toll-free information line, coordinates our speakers’ bureau, works on public policy issues and manages our web page. For further information and to download library application forms, please click here.

• Senator Tommy Burks Legal Defense Fund, set up as an endowment, will be used to defend the rights of domestic violence victims and assist cases that establish case law and precedent. For further information or to donate please click here.

• Social Norms Research Project
  The Social Norms Research Project will assess and address myths that make sexual assault common in educational settings and help prevent sexual assault among middle school, high school and college students.

• Tennessee Victim Assistance Academy
  The Coalition received a three year federal grant from the Office for Victims of Crime to develop, implement and evaluate a Tennessee-specific victim assistance academy.

• Training and Technical Assistance to Communities on a variety of domestic violence, sexual assault and other victims of crime issues, including program and policy development. We also provide training opportunities for domestic violence and sexual assault programs, as well as for law enforcement and other allied professionals.

• Victims of Crime State Coordinating Council was established to promote awareness of the needs of victims of crime and the families of victims of crime, to provide awareness of the needs of victims of crime and to coordinate and assist the efforts of victims' rights organization.