PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Advocates Program
DVRP advocates work one-on-one with women who are in past or present abusive relationships to ensure that they are informed about their rights and the available resources. The overall goal of the program is to increase access to resources and improve the safety of A/PI survivors of domestic violence, regardless of income level, immigration status, and English language proficiency.
DVRP’s advocates provide:

• Peer support;
• Safety planning;
• Interpretation and translation;
• Court accompaniment;
• Emergency transportation;
• Financial empowerment and life skills development;
• Assistance in applying for public benefits;
• Referrals for shelter, legal and social services; and
• Other support services, as needed.

Individuals who are more comfortable communicating in an Asian/Pacific Islander language are paired with a bilingual DVRP advocate. Currently, DVRP has advocates who speak:

• Cantonese
• Farsi
• Hindi
• Hmong
• Japanese
• Korean
• Mandarin
• Nepali
• Punjabi
• Tagalog
• Thai
• Vietnamese
• Urdu

If you would like more information or if you think you might be in an abusive relationship, please call us at 202-464-4477, Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm or email us at info@dvrp.org. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or bilingual advocate, please click here.

Community Outreach Program
The Community Outreach Program is devoted to increasing awareness about the dynamics and impact of domestic violence in Asian/Pacific Islander communities in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Domestic violence is often misconstrued as an issue between two individuals. Domestic violence destroys individuals, families, and communities. In order to end domestic violence, every member of the community must work together to understand and take steps to support survivors and hold abusers accountable. DVRP facilitates group dialogues to examine the reality of domestic violence and ways to respond as individuals and as a community. Community Outreach Program activities include:

• Educational workshops, presentations, trainings;
• Film screenings;
• Community dialogues;
• Dissemination of educational materials;
• Enlisting community members as supporters and allies

In the past, DVRP has worked with the following groups:

• Community-based organizations;
• Women’s groups;
• Formal and informal associations;
• Faith-based institutions;
• Businesses;
• College and youth groups; and
• Professional groups (i.e. medical, legal, etc.)

Please contact info@dvrp.org if:

• You would like to invite DVRP to speak with your community group; or
• You know of community centers, businesses, places of worship, etc., that would support our work or allow us to display information about domestic violence and services available to assist survivors.
  DVRP relies on bilingual and bicultural community members to conduct outreach to local A/PI communities. If you are interested in helping increase community awareness about domestic violence, please click here.
  

Technical Assistance Program
DVRP offers training opportunities to service providers in order to increase culturally-appropriate services available to abused A/PI women. DVRP has worked with domestic violence agencies, social services, women’s shelters, law enforcement, A/PI community-based organizations, and other organizations. The types of technical assistance opportunities that are available include:

• Workshops and staff trainings on cultural competency and how to work with abused A/PI women; and
• Individual case management collaborations.

If you are interested in receiving training for you and your agency, please contact info@dvrp.org.

Project Aware
From June 2000 to September 2001, DVRP conducted a detailed needs assessment of abused Asian women in Washington, DC called Project AWARE (Asian Women Advocating Respect and Empowerment). The objectives of Project AWARE were to examine the needs of Asian women who have been abused, determine the barriers abused Asian women face in accessing services, and make recommendations about what system wide changes could be made to better serve abused Asian women in Washington, DC.

Project AWARE was a two-phase study, which focused on seeking information from Asian women about intimate partner violence (IPV), and on gathering information from Washington, DC service providers. The first phase of Project AWARE consisted of an anonymous, cross-sectional survey investigating the experiences, barriers, and needs of abused Asian women over the age of 18 in Washington, DC. The second phase of Project AWARE consisted of conducting focus groups with Washington, DC service providers in order to identify the capacity of existing services for underserved Asian abused women.

For a copy of Project AWARE, please click here.

DVRP Brochure
If you would like to download a copy of DVRP’s brochure explaining services and programs, please click here.

If you are in an abusive relationship, please keep your safety in mind and do not leave information about domestic violence and local service agencies in a place where your abuser might find them. Also be aware of internet and computer safety. Please click here for more information.