Collaborations and Partnerships
SafePlace collaborates with a variety of agencies and organizations that work to benefit the people we serve. The process of collaboration begins with a form of outreach called systems advocacy, which involves staff members networking and establishing relationships with various systems that survivors of sexual or domestic violence often need, including hospitals, law enforcement agencies, government entities and other non-profit organizations.
Inter-Agency Collaborations, Contracts and Partnerships
SafePlace collaborates with Any Baby Can to provide the SafeParenting program at both our agency locations. This education/prevention program is for families who face the intersecting issues of family violence, child abuse and a lack of healthy parenting skills.
SafePlace delivers a range of services to AISD schools, K-12. These services include individual counseling and educational support groups for students who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence, sexual abuse or assault or dating violence; youth leadership training; and staff and parent trainings for preventing bullying, sexual harassment and dating abuse. SafePlace is a partner with AISD in Austin’s Community Collaboration to Ensure Student Success (ACCESS).
This program works with students that are experiencing homelessness; they assist with supportive services related to education and advocate for students’ right related to homelessness.
The SafePlace shelter has a “24-hour” admissions agreement with APD Victim Services. Through this arrangement, SafePlace admits APD referrals to the shelter on a 24-hour, as-needed basis, even if the shelter is full. APD is also a partner of the Family Violence Protection Team (FVPT).
A multi-agency collaborative emergency financial assistance project designed to help people find the one agency best designed to help them with their emergency needs. SafePlace was one of the founding BSS partners.
SafePlace participates in a memorandum of understanding that includes the provision of professional trainings and assistance with domestic violence protocols for the Child Inc. Responsible Relationships Program.
SafePlace participates in a Memorandum of Understanding with CPS that includes a commitment for regular staff training, and outlines the practices of each agency in child abuse cases. In 2008, CPS and SafePlace enhanced our relationship, by designating a SafePlace staff person to co-locate at the CPS offices and work directly with the CPS investigators when cases involve family violence in addition to child abuse.
SafePlace collaborates with Disability Rights Texas on a federal grant-funded project to advance change within our agencies and communities to ensure that services/resources are accessible to abuse survivors who have disabilities or are Deaf.
The goals of this collaborative project are to encourage the arrests of abusive partners, to increase the enforcement of protective order violations and to improve access for victims to legal and supportive services. SafePlace joins with the Austin Police Department and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office family violence detectives and victim services staff, as well as attorneys from Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, the Travis County Attorney’s Office, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and the Texas Advocacy Project to provide an integrated approach to helping victims of family violence. SafePlace staff serves as FVPT coordinators.
SafePlace gives excess or unneeded in-kind donations (such as clothes or household items) to Goodwill. Goodwill reimburses us with vouchers, which SafePlace gives to clients for shopping at any Goodwill store.
Fatherhood Works! (A program of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas)
SafePlace participates in a memorandum of understanding with Fatherhood Works in which SafePlace facilitates bi-monthly workshops (“Society & You”) to men enrolled in this program.
SafePlace collaborates with Green Doors on a permanent supportive housing program for families in which the head of household has a disability. SafePlace staff provides on-going case management and support for the residents of the six-unit complex.
A collaboration of men of all ages who speak out against sexual and domestic violence, while speaking up for safe communities and healthy relationships. In the tradition of Take Back the Night rallies around the country, the Men Rally For Change gathers in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, with a lively rally featuring outstanding speakers and musical performances to promote awareness of the growing community of men working towards safe communities, inclusive to schools, workplaces, homes, apartments, and prisons.
Passages
This multi-agency collaborative program offers case management and financial assistance to families at risk of homelessness, to help enhance their self-sufficiency. SafePlace provides services to survivors of violence, assisting clients in their efforts to end economic dependence on their batterers and to build safe and stable lives.
SAHELI is a sister agency of SafePlace that serves members of the Asian community who have experienced family violence. SafePlace and SAHELI collaborate on outreach programs to the Asian community about sustaining healthy relationships and domestic violence prevention.
Approximately 10% – 20% of families in the SafePlace Supportive Housing Program come from The Salvation Army family shelter. The Salvation Army shelter staff assists in recruiting and interviewing families to determine if they are viable applicants for SHP. Additionally, SafePlace and The Salvation Army operate the only shelters for families in the area – both help each other when extra emergency shelter space is needed.
A collaboration of school and community partners working to prevent dating and sexual violence and promote healthy relationships among youth. Start Strong Austin is one of 11 sites nation-wide funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s "Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships Initiative.”
Artists in Hospitals is engaging youth in creating positive environmental changes through art in public places and in utilizing media to document their work.
The Austin Independent School District is integrating Safe Dates, a primary prevention curriculum, with its existing Positive Behavior Support and Character Education programs in middle schools.
The Austin Project is engaging parents and community members in conversations about healthy and abusive teen relationships, positive parenting practices, and awareness of resources in the community.
Austin Voices is supporting efforts to engage youth as consultants in guiding this initiative and in mobilizing youth leaders.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Capital Area is providing Date Smart, a primary prevention curriculum for youth, in after school programs.
Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas is training school nurses and developing screening and prevention materials for health care providers.
Jennifer’s Hope Founder, Elizabeth Crecente, and Ortralla Mosely Foundation Founder, Carolyn Mosely, are providing guidance and support for educating parents and other community members on the importance of preventing dating and sexual violence.
SafePlace Expect Respect Program is providing leadership for this initiative, training for community partners and educational programs for youth in collaboration with schools and community partners.
Theatre Action Project is collaborating with SafePlace to direct the Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble which provides original theatre performances by youth for youth audiences on topics including dating and relationships.
Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS)
Both divisions of DPRS (Adult Protective Services and Child Protective Services) have entered into a detailed Memorandum of Understanding with SafePlace that outlines and clarifies the existing agreements between our agencies around issues of reporting and responding to abuse.
SafePlace is a contracted partner on a project to prevent dating violence among runaway and homeless youth in Texas. This 3-year initiative is focused on building partnerships and developing programs to support safe and healthy relationships among vulnerable youth.
SafePlace has one Legal Advocate located at the TCAO to assist people seeking protective orders. TCAO provides free office space and referrals; and is a partner of the FVPT.
SafePlace has one Legal Advocate located at the TCDAO to assist in providing client advocacy in criminal cases, both domestic violence and sexual assault. TCDAO provides free office space; and is a partner of the FVPT.
Interns have been placed in various SafePlace departments, including Counseling Services, Shelter, and School-Based Services. SafePlace also works cooperatively on research and training projects.
SafePlace contracts with UT to operate the University of Texas - University Charter School (UT-UCS), George M. Kozmetsky Campus, which provides on-site K-8 education to youth living in shelter. UT provides salaries and training for teachers, books, other educational materials and student assessment services.
Council, Coalition and Task Force Involvement
This group is a planning body that strives to develop and implement a plan to meet the growing and changing needs of older adults in the Austin community.
Austin Child Abuse Prevention Coalition
This coalition is made up of agencies striving to educate the community about child abuse and to develop strategies to prevent child abuse.
Austin-Area Human Services Association
This group includes all the major health and human service providers in Austin/Travis County. Its purpose is to raise the profile of human services, set standards, share resources, and advocate for resources.
NCJW members began this coalition in 2000 to enable Jewish groups in Austin to come together and raise awareness about domestic violence in the Jewish community. The group, consisting of members from several Jewish organizations, SafePlace, and synagogues meet monthly. The coalition has purchased materials about Jewish domestic violence to place in the JCAA library as well as given resource materials to religious leaders. Through SafePlace, the coalition has organized workshops on healthy dating for Jewish youth groups.
This group focuses on community planning and the coordination of services that address emergency food, clothing, rent and utility needs of people residing in Travis County.
This coalition is drafting a strategic plan for improving children’s mental health in Austin and Travis County.
This group provides community needs assessment, planning and service coordination around services to people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
CAN, Victim Services Council
This planning body conducts annual needs assessments and creates a prioritized community plan to address violence in the community.
ECHO serves as the community’s official planning body on homeless issues. ECHO coordinates HUD funding requests and needs to our community.
Entre Familia
A local coalition focused on working with service providers, law enforcement, and Latino families to address issues of rape, childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Family Violence Task Force
This Austin/Travis County coalition is made up of public, private and non-profit organizations that provide law enforcement, legal, judicial and social services related to domestic violence in Austin/Travis County. SafePlace staff have chaired the Task Force and of several of its committees.
TAASA is the membership organization for sexual assault programs throughout the state. SafePlace staff participates on the Youth Initiative and Public Policy Committees, and work collaboratively on various community projects.
TCFV is the membership organization for domestic violence programs throughout the state. TCFV works with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, provides training to staff working with domestic violence victims, and works for legislative reform. Agency staff participates on various TCFV committees and task forces.
The Team works to strengthen and support teen dating violence prevention efforts at the local, state and national levels and serves in an advisory capacity on the issue of teen dating violence for the state of Texas. Members include SafePlace, the Governor's Commission for Women, the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, the Texas Advocacy Project, the Texas Council on Family Violence, the Texas School Safety Center, the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault at the UT School of Social Work, and other partners.
Travis County Maternal & Child Health Coalition
This is a networking group for service providers working with adolescents and pregnant women.
Travis County Sexual Assault Response and Resources Team (SARRT)
The law enforcement, victim services, criminal justice, healthcare and other partner agencies of the SARRT provide referrals and other services to meet the needs of sexual violence victims in Travis County. Central purposes of this collaboration include ongoing coordination of services among member agencies in order to ensure a skillful and compassionate response to victims and effective investigation and prosecution of offenders.
THN is a membership organization for homeless coalitions and service providers throughout the state. THN provides training and technical assistance to build the capacity of communities to respond effectively to homelessness, and works for legislative reform.