Kent County funds DV network, launches high-risk team and specialized court program

Micah Johnston, director of the Domestic Violence Action Network (DVAN), told the Community Health and Safety Committee that the county has invested in a coordinated response to domestic violence that combines law enforcement, victim advocacy and court-based treatment. "We are now a network of 60 organizations and 300 individuals working together," Johnston said, describing the network's goal to reduce gaps that put victims at risk.

Johnston said the county agreed in 2022 to fund $4,000,000 to formalize earlier efforts into DVAN and to launch key initiatives: three mobile advocates funded through partnerships with Puertas Abiertas and Safe Haven Ministries; a domestic violence High Risk Team (HRT) piloted in Grand Rapids on Dec. 1; and a domestic violence treatment court that began accepting cases in July 2024. "The high risk team…