Activities

Congressional briefings on the impact of violence and abuse and health:

Member organizations of NHCVA co-sponsor congressional briefings on the impact of violence and abuse on health, informing legislative activity such as the Violence against Women Act. NHCVA will convene at least one new briefing every year.

  • 2023 Congressional Briefing, Thursday, June 1, 1:00pm-2:00pm EDT, 10:00am-11:00am PDT. “Mental Health and Substance-Use-Related Effects of Violence” is this years focus. Congress has allocated historic funding for behavioral health programs and victim services the past few years. Join the conversation to learn how to better utilize these funds to prevent the impacts of this violence and abuse through effective health interventions, including in primary care and school-based health settings, and timely policy solutions.
    Experiencing violence and abuse is associated with a wide range of mental health and substance use-related consequences. Whether or not they have suffered physical injury, these individuals are at significantly higher risk for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, and suicide attempts. Register Here
  • At the 2022 Congressional Briefing, “The Intersection of Reproductive Health and Violence and Abuse” we heard from four speakers about  the impact of domestic and sexual violence on reproductive health as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). We also discussed bipartisan policy solutions to support survivors.
  • The 2020 Congressional Briefing, “Preventing and Addressing Elder Abuse during COVID-19” discussed how amid the Covid-19 pandemic seniors were at an increased risk for elder abuse and faced unique barriers to reaching assistance. 
  • The 2019 Congressional Briefing, “Saving Lives: Addressing the Intersections between Opioid Use, Suicide, Trauma & Abuse” discussed how health care systems and trauma-informed care efforts are currently helping victims and how these changes can reduce future health costs.

Educational webinars and monthly phone meetings:

  • Educational webinars provide an opportunity to learn about and discuss key policy and systems issues in depth.
  • Bimonthly conference calls enable participating organizations to be briefed on and share critical policy updates and strategies related to the health aspects of violence and abuse.

Legislation, research and policy analysis related to violence and abuse:

  • Summaries and analyses of relevant policies will be compiled and shared with member organizations.  White papers on key issues i.e., the impact of health reform on those affected by violence, will be developed.

Education and policy reform-focused assistance for member organizations:

    • Tools to promote improved professional responses to violence and abuse will be provided to member organizations through model resolutions, talking points, etc.

Member Organization Statements

Statements on Racism, Discrimination, and Police Brutality as Public Health Issues

NHCVA-APSAC Statement of Concern and Offer to Help Inform the Protection and Care of Immigrant Children in Federal Custody

Statement and List of Professional Societies’ endorsements

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), a member organization of NHCVA, released their Position Statement on Separating Immigrant Children From Their Families at the United States Border in June 2018. Many other professional societies, and others, also posted strong statements opposing that policy. This spring, APSAC drafted a Professional Societies’ Statement of Concern and Offer to Help policy makers assure the proper care for immigrant children in federal custody. APSAC invited NHCVA at its May 2019 meeting to lead this effort by posting and circulating the statement to its members. The professional societies and other organizations endorsing this statement agree to provide their expertise and knowledge on a bipartisan basis to the U.S. Congress and other national leaders to develop legislation that is research-informed, evidence-based, and follows best practices standards for the health of children and youth.

Social Media

Follow NHCVA and our member organizations on Twitter: @NHCVA

Health Awareness Calendar

January

  • National Stalking Awareness Month
  • National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

February

  • Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

March

  • Patient Safety Awareness Week
  • National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week
  • National Youth Violence Prevention Week

April

  • Alcohol Awareness Month
  • National Child Abuse Prevention Month
  • National Minority Health Month
  • Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month
  • STD Awareness Month
  • National Public Health Week
  • National Alcohol Screening Day
  • Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) Day
  • World Health Day

May

  • Mental Health Month
  • National Women’s Health Week

June

  • National Safety Month

July

August

  • National Health Center Week
  • Bystander Awareness Month

September

  • Sexual Health Awareness Month
  • National Suicide Prevention Week

October

  • Domestic Violence Awareness Month
  • Health Literacy Month
  • National Health Education Week

November

  • Native American Heritage Month
  • National Family Caregivers Month

December