Families and individuals experiencing violence were not receiving optimal services either. The Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence in Philadelphia, a collective impact effort involving 24 public and nonprofit agencies to address the domestic violence crisis in Philadelphia, was conceived to address these concerns.
Sage’s work helped to produce an internal strategy for the city’s providers focused specifically on intervention in cases of domestic violence. A strategic planning process was led by an outside firm, and Sage was responsible for creating the communications plan. Our framework was designed to build a stronger, more coordinated infrastructure for a collaborative process and improved access to service.
The overarching communications goal was to easily share information, data, and resources to streamline a coordinated response. Sage’s plan addressed the reasons why many affected families do not come forward and offered tactics to expand the network of agencies able to serve Philadelphians experiencing domestic violence. Our work included formalizing tools, messages, and materials to promote effective internal communications among providers and collaborators. We also worked with several partners to understand the stigma associated with domestic violence and cultural barriers to accessing services.
The strategy—now called Shared Safety: Transforming Philadelphia’s Response To Relational Violence—has led to significant results and citywide impact, driven by Women Against Abuse and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services.