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Coalition highlights prevention, child-focused work and housing supports for survivors
Summary
Stephanie Theakston told the committee the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition expanded membership to include survivors, scaled prevention trainings and helped provide housing stability to 141 survivors over the past year; she flagged gaps in services for children, immigrants and LGBTQ survivors and urged employer engagement.
Stephanie Theakston, program coordinator for the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition, told the Social Services and Public Safety Committee that the coalition — established by local ordinance — coordinates Lexington’s response to domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence and stalking and has expanded membership to include survivor representatives.
Theakston highlighted Green Dot, the coalition’s primary prevention program, saying the part-time Green Dot coordinator conducted 15 active-bystander trainings and that components of Green Dot have been incorporated into the Citizens Police Academy and Fayette County Detention Center orientation. "Green Dot is our most visible program probably, that the domestic and sexual violence prevention does," she told the committee.
She described investments to support children and youth, including a full-time coordinator for child and youth resources, six trainings on the effects of abusive behaviors on children, 15 testimonial videos and PSAs, and the Art of Healing program to build resiliency through creative expression.
On direct services, Theakston said the coalition has used grant funding and LFUCG match funds to provide housing stability assistance to 141 adult and child survivors in the past year (help paying rent when someone was removed from the home) and implemented safety measures and repairs for 73 adult and child survivors. She said the coalition is working on additional training for local guardian ad litem personnel and will hold another fatality review in May to identify prevention goals.
Committee members asked about gaps and outreach. Theakston identified capacity shortfalls for children, the LGBTQ community and immigrants, and described work to improve U-visa assistance and language access (materials published in six languages). She urged local employers to adopt survivor-friendly policies, praised the council’s adoption of paid time off for victims among LFUCG employees and offered a handbook to help private employers make workplaces more responsive to survivors.
On questions about accountability for powerful officials accused of sexual or domestic violence, Theakston said she did not have a specific local policy ready but stressed the importance of swift, supportive responses and cultural change in leadership. The presentation closed with council members expressing appreciation for the coalition’s prevention work and survivor services.
