Prevention Institute, with support from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, has launched Safety Through Connection, a new program to develop community-based approaches that can help prevent intimate partner violence. Through the program, five California collaboratives will receive one-year planning and capacity-building grants of $50,000 each to address the risk of intimate partner violence among low-wage workers, rural and tribal communities, immigrants, and other communities that face high rates of this type of violence.

An exciting aspect of the program is that it brings organizations that work together on other issues—from nutrition and physical activity to worker rights to mental health—into the conversation about preventing intimate partner violence and promoting safe relationships. This will bring fresh insights and approaches to the work and break down silos that can sometimes be an obstacle to the development of holistic, community-level prevention strategies.

The five collaboratives that will receive grants are:

• Los Angeles Worker Center Network
• The Center at McKinleyville (Humboldt County)
• East African Men and Boys Collaborative (San Diego)
• Department of Violence Prevention Steering Committee (Oakland)
• Cultiva La Salud (Central Valley)

Over the next year, the collaboratives will identify community-level factors associated with domestic violence and safe relationships; recruit new partners and strengthen existing partnerships; and develop community-level strategies to support safe relationships, foster healing and accountability, and prevent domestic violence.

Click here to learn more about Safety Through Connection. This new program is another way PI is bringing together partners throughout California to build a network of prevention and health equity advocates.