Sixty years ago, the first Health Centers (HCs) were founded to provide healthcare to underserved communities. And 45 years ago, Futures Without Violence (FUTURES) was founded to prevent and end violence. HCs and FUTURES both share common values and a strong commitment to support the health, safety and wellbeing of individuals impacted by violence. Both have a history of caring and advocating for people who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and exploitation (E), understanding the severe health consequences of violence.
Today, on Partnership Appreciation Day of National Health Center Week, August 8th, 2025, we celebrate and highlight the partnerships between HCs and domestic and sexual violence (DSV) programs, as well as collaboration between U.S. state, territory, and Tribal Primary Care Associations (PCAs) and Domestic Violence Coalitions (DVCs). Strong and robust partnerships between HCs and DSV programs create a wrap-around support network for the needs of survivors of violence. Examples of strong partnerships:
The Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) is New York’s Primary Care Association comprised of 80 HCs. They recently partnered with FUTURES and the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) that reaches 54 member DV programs, to help develop local partnerships and provide training and technical assistance to equip HC staff with tailored clinical tools and health care enrollment strategies for survivors at local DSV programs.
The partnership had a meaningful impact, as reflected in participant feedback that highlighted both increased awareness and actionable knowledge. Many attendees shared that the training introduced them to completely new concepts, with one noting, “I did not know about this topic at all prior to receiving the training, so I really appreciated learning something new.” Participants valued the expertise and practical resources provided, especially those that directly support patient care and sustainability, such as reimbursement strategies for ongoing work. There was also emphasis on the importance of recognizing IPV as a form of control and abuse. Overall, the partnership equipped HCs with tangible steps and insights to better support individuals facing complex, non-medical needs.
Community Care Network of Kansas and Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence
Staff from the Community Care Network of Kansas (CCNK) shared:
“We are grateful for our partnership with Futures Without Violence (FUTURES) and continue to find ways to try to strengthen our collaboration with the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (KCSDV). We are planning three statewide hybrid trainings in late August 2025 for health centers and local SA/DV/HT agencies, along with KCSDV, where Erica Monasterio, MN, FNP-BC will be training on the CUES intervention. We are hoping this will build collaborative efforts in communities across the state and will allow us to establish stronger connections with KCSDV—in addition to furthering our relationship with FUTURES.”
FUTURES has resources to help your organization develop or strengthen a partnership between HCs/DSV programs within your local community; and for state/territory organizations. See below for resources that we’ve developed to help you get started:
Explore resources to identify local, state, Tribal and national partners:
Warmly,
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