Axiom Helps DoD Expand Domestic Violence Prevention Efforts
June 16, 2003
Falls Church, Virginia. The Department of Defense, recognizing domestic violence within military families to be a serious issue, has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards domestic assaults. The department's Family Advocacy Program (FAP) administers domestic violence prevention programs on every U.S. military installation, but the department continues working to improve these programs so that they more effectively protect victims, hold offenders accountable, and whenever possible, help families to heal and remain intact.
The department's Incentive Program to Improve Responses to Domestic Violence in the Military encourages local installations to develop collaborative partnerships with nearby civilian law enforcement and social service agencies. Last year, the incentive program worked with bases in Alaska and California. This spring, the program awarded grants to bases in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and renewed the California award for an additional 12 months.
Axiom provides wide-ranging staff support to the incentive program, and to the Family Advocacy Program that administers it. The Incentive Program's project manager, Ms. Lisa Schulze, is an attorney who works for Axiom.
"One of the best ways any community, military or civilian, can improve its response to domestic violence," said Ms. Schulze, following release of this year's awards, "is to work more closely with experienced agencies that specialize in this field and are dedicated to helping meet the needs of victims."
In Pennsylvania, Tobyhanna Army Depot will use its incentive grant to expand services for victims and to provide special training to military and civilian law enforcement agencies, sharpening their skills for intervening in domestic violence cases. Ft. Bragg, North Carolina will use its incentive grant to develop better screening tools to help FAP officials more accurately assess the risks of future domestic violence among families. The Family Justice Center in San Diego, California, helps domestic violence victims and their children by bringing trained law enforcement and social service professionals under one roof. Three local Navy and Marine bases will use their grant-the second incentive grant awarded the consortia-to add a new part-time staff position to the full time military liaison at the center, helping assess the needs of victims and guide them through the FAP procedures in place at the participating installations.
"The incentive program is helping the DoD identify successful projects at local installations. We want to see if these can be exported to other military facilities, strengthening their ability to respond to and prevent future instances of domestic violence," said Doug Peardon, Axiom's chief operating officer. "With each incentive award, the Pentagon learns more about what works and what doesn't," he continued. "The result will be a stronger, more effective policy for breaking the cycle of domestic violence, and a healthier community for military families."
For Further Information Contact Frank Cumberland, 703-998-0327.