TOPEKA, Kans. — On Friday, Governor Laura Kelly announced the launch of a toolkit to help communities across Kansas create teams to prevent domestic partner violence and support survivors. The toolkit provides resources to establish the teams and identify and manage cases in which someone is at high risk of either perpetrating or being victimized by intimate partner violence.
“I am proud to provide, along with many partners, such a robust set of resources for Kansas communities to prevent domestic violence and protect survivors,” Gov. Kelly said. “Such a complex problem demands nuanced solutions, and this toolkit gives cities and counties the ability to tailor their responses to their communities’ needs.”
Domestic violence (intimate partner violence) is a continuing threat to the health and safety of Kansas communities. From 2017 to 2021, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported law enforcement agencies responded to 114,963 domestic violence incidents.
With support from a federal grant from the Office on Violence Against Women, this toolkit was created by the Governor’s Advisory Council on Domestic and Sexual Violence Response, the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration, the Kansas Office of the Attorney General, the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, the Kansas Department of Corrections, and the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV).
“By using these tools, communities in Kansas can reduce the risk of serious and lethal violence for victims of intimate partner violence,” Michelle McCormick, Executive Director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, said. “We know that when professionals come together in a coordinated manner to identify and respond to high-risk domestic violence situations, these actions can save lives.”
The toolkit is available online at ICJR toolkit. The Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) will provide communities support as they implement this toolkit. The KCSDV can be reached at coalition@kcsdv.org or (785) 232-9784.
Kansas City, Kansas has been chosen as a pilot community to create the high-risk team and implement the tool to identify high-risk cases, using grant funding.
Anyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual identity or orientation, or socio-economic status, may become a victim of IPV. Free and confidential help for victims is available 24/7 through the Kansas Crisis Hotline at 888-363-2287 or their local domestic violence advocacy program here.
