Over the years

Since 1996 the work of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Family Violence Prevention Council has expanded greatly. In the beginning we primarily focused on adult partner abuse. We now address child abuse, youth dating violence, adult partner abuse, elder abuse, and suicide. We have expanded from our focus on community awareness to include a focus on community engagement in preventing interpersonal violence. Finally, we have expanded our work with professionals from protocol development and education to expanding local services that are available to victims and perpetrators of interpersonal violence.

In 2005 we became the first site in the Midwest to begin the Front Porch Project®, an initiative of American Humane which trains community members to become more aware of situations that may lead to child neglect or abuse and to take actions to help.

In 2006 we were able to work with other agencies to procure funding to open five supervised visitation and safe exchange centers for families who have experienced domestic violence, a service that had not existed in our area before.

In 2007 we were able to have ten local residents trained in QPR (question, persuade and refer), which trains community members to recognize warning signs associated with suicide and to take action to help. During that same year we also developed a social marketing campaign to address Shaken Baby Syndrome.

During 2008 and 2009 we were able to have 87 law enforcement officers trained in Elder Abuse, an ongoing project funded by a federal Grant.

Our LaSalle and Grundy County Committees each held their own annual Hands Around The CourtHouse (HATCH) events in honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month in April, and Bureau County held a Mandated Reporter Workshop with Cathi Corl. LaSalle County held two two-day Law Enforcement Elder Abuse Trainings, in Spring Valley in May and in Ottawa in August, at which 36 officers received training. May was also the month our Faith Subcommittee held an Elder Abuse and Fraud Workshop for faith community leaders, and the Full Council co-sponsored a Homelessness & Poverty Simulation Workshop.

In October, in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness month, the Grundy County Community Awareness Committee brought a panel consisting of a police officer, a victim's advocate, a survivor of domestic violence, and a former perpetrator of domestic violence, to tell their stories at three Grundy County high schools. In one day, over 500 students were reached with a powerful message that really hit home. With a few different faces, the panel also made its presentation at the Light Up The Night Event on October 22, 2009. The Grundy County Board also issued a proclamation promoting the Light Up The Night event and the work of the Council.

Our committees also learned about changes to the Bischof Law and how it is being implemented, as well as changes to many other laws; bullying in Grundy County schools; and updates on how domestic violence cases are handled by law enforcement and the judiciary in LaSalle County since the Council was formed.

In 2009 our Bureau County Committee stepped up to the challenge when the tragedy of suicide struck our community multiple times. We co-sponsored, with eight City of Princeton and Bureau County departments and ten social service agencies, a community workshop on suicide prevention which drew 98 attendees. A two-day LivingWorks ASSIST training for over 30 local law enforcement officers, first responders, educators and health care professionals, was held in February, 2010. On June 5, 2010, the "Living Works Community Walk for Suicide Prevention" took place in Princeton. It had 877 registrants, and over 500 dedicated people walked despite the rain. Visit the Living Works Suicide Walk website to learn more, and to view pictures of the walk.

Other Services

Members of the Council have also worked together to develop and implement public awareness events, local resource manuals, a speakers bureau, law enforcement and health care protocols and related documents, social service screening tools, clergy manuals and resource guides, school resource guides, and protocols for educators. The Council is looked to as a source for training for community professionals and the general community on interpersonal violence issues, including child abuse, elder abuse, suicide prevention, and youth dating violence.

Join the Council!

Consider joining the Council to help us in our efforts to prevent interpersonal violence!