OPDV To Convene Key Stakeholders to Discuss Strategies for Coordinated Community Response to Combat Domestic and Gender Based Violence 

What:  The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) invites you to learn about our work to combat domestic and gender-based violence. Each year, OPDV holds bi-annual Domestic Violence Regional Councils (DVRCs) across the state to discuss best practices for combatting all forms of gender-based violence. The focus of this spring’s DVRCs is Coordinated Community Response, and the convening offers a unique opportunity for reporters to interview many of the key stakeholders in one space.  

Who:    New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, local law enforcement agencies, area domestic and gender-based violence service providers, local government leadership 

Where: Alfred E. Smith Building 

80 S. Swan Street, Room 118 

Albany, NY 12210 

When: Thursday, May 30th 

 Media availability: 12:00 PM 

Press will be allowed to get b-roll and one-on-one interviews will be available immediately follwing with:

Kelli Owens, Executive Director of OPDV
Ashley Hart, Prevention Program Director of Unity House
Lindsey Crusan-Muse of St. Peter's Crime Victim Services
Representatives of local law enforcement agencies 

Why is Coordinated Community Response so important and why should your readers/viewers/listeners learn about it? 

Domestic violence is a community problem, not just a personal one. 

A Coordinated Community Response is when a diverse group of community partners and systems commit to work together to address the impact of domestic and other forms of gender-based violence. This intentional coordination provides survivors with multiple pathways to support and healing while also holding those who choose to harm accountable.?OPDV’s research shows that systems and service providers collaborating in a coordinated way produces better outcomes. 

Governor Hochul made combatting and prosecuting domestic violence a top priority in her 2024 State of the State and, with the FY 2025 NYS Enacted Budget, secured significant new investments to support domestic violence risk assessments for law enforcement and coordinated response, as well as flexible financial assistance for survivors and victims and training and public awareness campaigns to address the rise in technology-related abuse. A separate press release went out earlier this week regarding  

Key statistics on the prevalence of gender-based violence and on systems use include: 

• 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.  
• 2022 intimate partner violence homicides in New York: 61 
• 2022 NYS Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline calls: 8,145 
• 2022 Local provider hotline calls in New York: 231,277 
• More than 212,000 orders of protection were entered into the NYS registry in 2022 
• 12,233 individuals were treated at NY hospitals for domestic or sexual violence related injuries in 2022 

For questions or additional information, please contact: 

Tara Davidson-Romanoff 

Assistant Director of Communications/ Bureau of External Affairs (she/her/hers)  

New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence  

Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, Albany, NY 12210  
(518) 457-0377 c. (518) 603-4895 | opdv.ny.gov

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New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline  

Text: 844.997.2121 | Call: 800.942.6906 | Chat: opdv.ny.gov  
Confidential. 24/7. Available in most languages. 

“Survivor-Centered, Trauma-Informed, Culturally Responsive”