San Rafael, CA – With the overall goal of promoting peace in the home, several County of Marin departments are coordinating the third annual Marin County Family Violence Prevention Summit on October 5 in San Rafael.
Front row from left, Health and Human Services Chief Assistant Director Heather Ravani, San Rafael Chief of Police Diana Bishop and Marin County Chief of Probation Mike Daly attended the 2015 summit with dozens of other impassioned supporters.
Domestic violence remains the most common of all violent crimes in Marin, but the County government and community partners have made great strides to collaborate on new strategies to enforce zero-tolerance policies and end the abuse. The Marin County Family Violence Consortium is hosting the workshop from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Embassy Suites hotel, 101 McInnis Parkway, just a few steps north of the Marin County Civic Center.
The summit, sponsored by the Marin County Board of Supervisors, will include participation from the Marin County Probation Department, the Marin County District Attorney’s Office, Marin County Public Defender’s Office, Marin County Sheriff’s Office, Marin County Health and Human Services, Kaiser Permanente and the Center for Domestic Peace.
Violence in the workplace is a growing issue in the health and community care sector. Intimate partner violence is an important workplace consideration. Project Survive and Kaiser Permanente will provide valuable information for employers and employees on implementing practices in the workplace to recognize and reduce the impact of violence in the workplace.
In addition, Futures Without Violence, an internationally known organization, will present “Connected Parents, Connected Kids.”
“We want to share the primary prevention strategies and interventions that anybody can use as community members or a trained professionals to help end family violence,” said Mike Daly, Chief of Marin County Probation. “The more we have people recognizing the root causes of abuse, the safer this vulnerable population will be.”
Between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016, 795 incidents of domestic violence – almost 2.2 per day – were referred to the Marin County District Attorney's Office by local law enforcement agencies. Experts believe the number of incidents isn’t an accurate depiction of the problem because most domestic violence incidents are not reported to law enforcement. Cases of Internet stalking and harassment, teen dating violence, same-sex violence, violence in the context of human trafficking, and revenge pornography are common, according to the DA’s office.
Child abuse, child neglect, and familial and non-familial physical elder abuse crimes are included under the umbrella of family violence. With the aging of Marin's population, Daly said he wants to make sure there is not an increase in the number of crimes of abuse, particularly against the elderly as Marin’s population ages. “Marin has one of the oldest populations in the state, and with that comes the extra challenge of protecting our seniors against all forms abuse – not only physical and emotional abuse but financial as well,” Daly said.
In 2013, the Probation Department was tasked with forming a group that includes local agencies that work in all aspects of family violence. The Marin County Family Violence Consortium was created to coordinate efforts by County departments such as the DA’s Office, Probation, the Public Defender’s Office, Health and Human Services plus the Marin County Office of Education, the San Rafael Police Department, Marin County Superior Court and other stakeholders.
The October 5 summit is open to all for $25 (includes breakfast). A limited number of event scholarships are available upon request. Register online or call the Probation Department at 415-473-6599.
All public meetings and events sponsored or conducted by the County of Marin are held in accessible sites. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in alternative formats - or if you require accommodation to participate in a county program, service or activity - please contact department staff at (415) 473-7331 or (415) 473-4381 (voice/TTY) or e-mail disabilityaccess@marincounty.org