Current Initiative

Rape Prevention Education (RPE)

RPE is a yearly award with a focus this year on Building Capacity. Under the RPE initiative MCEDSV will work to increase understanding and increase current prevention capacity across MCEDSV, key stakeholders, and partners. This will be accomplished by implementing a Primary Prevention Capacity Assessment (PPCA) to determine current organizational capacity to enhance and expand primary prevention and health equity work. MCEDSV will also develop recommendations and action steps to advance sexual violence (SV) primary prevention activities that also address health inequities.

A second RPE initiative includes hosting a Prevention Capacity-Building Conference designed to build prevention knowledge, increase partnerships, enhance data-driven decision making, and increase capacity to implement primary prevention initiatives. Specific conference goals include: (1) building foundational knowledge on primary prevention theory and best practices that address Social Determinants of Health; (2) strengthening partnerships with the MCEDSV staff, Board, State Leadership Team (SLT), member programs, Activism Conservatory cohort and other community allies working to prevent domestic and sexual violence; and (3) engaging in critical dialogues and practical application on the ways prevention & advocacy efforts can be more accessible and integrate the vast needs of communities.

Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancements and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) AHEAD

The DELTA AHEAD award is a five-year CDC-funded grant to state domestic violence coalitions to implement strategies and approaches designed to prevent intimate partner violence. DELTA prevention efforts aim to decrease risk factors that may lead to IPV perpetration while also increasing protective factors that reduce perpetration. This funding initiative has a specific focus on changing the social norms and policies that impact rural communities.

Two Program and Policy Efforts (PPEs) will be implemented at the state level, and four PPEs will be implemented at the community level. The first state-level prevention initiatives funded under DELTA AHEAD will focus on Creating Protective Environments by increasing green spaces in rural areas, as there are various risk factors that encourage isolation or minimize exposure to strong norms opposing violence, that are rooted in rural communities.  The second state-level initiative focuses on Strengthening Economic Supports for families by increasing access to inclusive, high quality, free or low-cost early education.

MCEDSV continues to support community-based, primary prevention initiatives by providing funding to Hope Shores Alliance in Alpena, Michigan. Hope Shores is implementing four prevention initiatives over the next five years. The primary focus of their initiatives will (1) Create Protective Environments by Modifying the Physical/Social Environments of Neighborhoods, (2) Improving School Climate and Safety, (3) Engage Influential Adults and Peers by centering Men and Boys as Allies in Prevention, and (4) Strengthen Economic Supports for Families by strengthening household financial security.

JOINT EFFORTS

Both DELTA AHEAD and RPE continue to support MCEDSV’s commitment to survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and intersectional prevention work. Joint initiatives under these funding sources include the Statewide Leadership Team, virtual Activism Conservatory Cohort, and the in-person Annual Activism Conservatory Summit.

The Statewide Leadership Team has strong representation from CDC-funded and non-funded entities, including several departments within our Department for Health and Human Services, RPE leadership and grant recipients, and representatives from minority health disparities, universities & colleges, and various other community IPV programs. Our current SLT meetings are collaboratively planned and facilitated by MCEDSV staff, our RPE administrator and RPE evaluators, and the Michigan Public Health Institute.

The virtual Activism Conservatory cohort is a prevention-oriented community of practice dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence through social justice and prevention efforts. The goal of this cohort is to build a structured space where programs implementing diverse models of prevention and community-based work can support each other, discuss best-practices, and broaden their work. Special focus is given to key topics such as privilege, marginalization, intersectional identity, inclusion, community trauma, and community organizing. This free prevention resource is unique to Michigan’s prevention work and open to all MCEDSV member programs. If you are interested in applying reach out to preventionstaff@mcedsv.org for more information.