October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. SafeNest CEO Liz Ortenburger and Intermountain Healthcare’s Kerry Palakanis talk about the efforts they are making to put an end to the epidemic of domestic violence.
Coaching Boys Into Men
Intermountain has been providing support for the “Coaching Boys Into Men” and “Athletes as Leaders” programs SafeNest run. Both programs seek to end domestic and sexual violence before it starts by equipping young male and female athletes and their coaches with the resources and skills necessary to build healthy relationships.
Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is a nationally recognized evidence-based program that leverages coaches as positive role models for their male athletes and utilizes that relationship to support healthy relationship skills. The program teaches the athletes that violence never equals strength. Athletes as Leaders (AAL) aims to empower female athletes with healthy relationship skills and build a safe and respectful culture.
Intermountain Working on Social Determinants of Health
Intermountain Healthcare provided a $500,000 contribution from Intermountain Healthcare seeks to collaborate with organizations that share a similar focus on serving the Clark County Community. Intermountain has identified domestic violence prevention as one of its chief health drivers to address in Clark County. Interpersonal violence is one of the social determinants of health, which are non-medical factors that affect the health of our families and communities.
About SafeNest
SafeNest is Nevada’s largest nonprofit dedicated to stopping domestic violence. SafeNest is committed to treating the entire continuum of violence from prevention to protection to empowerment. The innovative nonprofit not only provides a discreet haven for survivors of abuse, it is the only nonprofit in Nevada that works with batterers to address the cycle of abuse at its root. With 10 locations in Clark County, SafeNest’s core, confidential services include emergency shelter, 24/7 domestic violence hotline, counseling, advocacy, and prevention education. Across all programs, SafeNest serves more than 20,000 clients annually who access over 100,000 services.
Studies show that one in three teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been physically hurt by their partner. SafeNest CEO Liz Ortenburger said, “We also know that the severity of violence is often greater in cases where the pattern of abuse was established in adolescence.”
“Programs like Coaching Boys into Men and Athletes as Leaders allow us the opportunity to stop domestic violence and sexual assault before it starts by giving young people the resources, support, and guidance they need to navigate healthy, safe relationships,” said Ortenburger.
You can learn more about SafeNest at safenest.org and Intermountain at intermountainhealthcare.org/Nevada.
