Community Listening Sessions
Announcing our Community Listening Session Series — an Opportunity to Make Your Voice Heard.
During this pivotal moment in work to end racial and gender-based violence, your voice is important! Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih (she/her), the new Executive Director of the Partnership, values each community’s inherent strengths, activism, resilience, and ideas for the future.
We invite you to a series of community listening sessions, which will become a yearly event at the Partnership. Dr. Moore-Orbih’s goals include taking first steps toward building trust with each of the communities listed below, establishing open communication, and hearing the specific concerns and hopes unique to each of these groups. This summer, we’re Passing the Mic to the Movement!
While most sessions are for Partnership members and their staff/volunteers only, the following sessions are also open to non-members:
- Advocates
- Culturally Specific Programs
- LGBTQ+ Programs
- Native & Tribal Programs
- Preventionists
- Survivors
Questions? Please feel free to get in touch with Dr. Moore-Orbih at aleese@cpedv.org.
Just added: A second session for Advocates!
Thursday, September 9th from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on
This Community Listening Session is for advocates who work with survivors to support their healing. Register now!
View more about each session and register now!
Advocates – Thursday, September 9th from 11am – 12pm
This Community Listening Session is for advocates who work with survivors to support their healing. Advocates in this movement have always been essential workers. During the pandemic, they had to navigate increased health risks for themselves, survivors, and their colleagues—and some lost their lives. This was all while responding to sudden increases in crisis hotline calls and a simultaneous loss of housing resources needed to support survivors. It’s been described as a race against time.
We see you, and understand the constant vicarious trauma you experience without having the time to even process it. We also recognize your commitment to survivors and their families and your creativity in finding solutions. Your energy and expertise are valuable. They often catalyze changes toward more effective and equitable services.
On Thursday, September 9th from 11 a.m.-noon, Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, the Executive Director at the Partnership would like to hear about your experiences as an advocate. How can our coalition better support you? The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning. We hope you’ll join us!
Allied Organizations – Friday, August 20th from 11am – 12pm
Partnership Members and their staff/volunteers only. Become a member now!
The Partnership strives to be a network weaver that promotes collective strength through reciprocity and interdependence. We know that the solutions to end domestic violence must have an intersectional framework and include and uplift our allies who share our goal of collective liberation.
Relationships through our statewide coalition have become especially important during the pandemic, and being able to support one another by advocating for each other’s policy needs has helped to strengthen our movement. How can we continue to uplift the work of our allied partners and create a relationship of reciprocity?
Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, the Executive Director at the Partnership, wants to hear directly from those who are allied organizations working alongside our movement to end the cycle of violence. Join us on Friday, August 20 from 11 a.m.-noon. You’ll meet Dr. Moore-Orbih, have the opportunity to share your experiences, and be heard. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
Batterer Intervention Programs – Thursday, August 26th from 11am – 12pm
Partnership Members and their staff/volunteers only. Become a member now!
Working with people who harm is essential to ending the cycle of domestic violence. Batterer Intervention Programs understand that participants need tools to replace violent behavior, foster an understanding of accountability, and address the intersections between violence and trauma. With consistent support, it is possible unlearn harmful beliefs and create safer outcomes for survivors.
If you work for a Batterer Intervention Program, we want to hear from you: What are the challenges you’re encountering in your work, and how are your strengths showing up as well? How can the Partnership build stronger relationships with you? What are the systemic roadblocks that make it difficult to expand your reach in local communities? Please join us for a Community Listening Session with Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih on Thursday, August 26th from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. The knowledge we learn from you, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
Culturally Specific Programs – Thursday, August 5th from 2pm – 3pm
Culturally specific programs have steadily been at the vanguard, listening and responding to their communities; they have consistently innovated in prevention and crisis intervention—enhancing language access, creating healing through culture, and organizing with survivors who are most impacted by violence. As mainstream organizations have awakened to racist violence (which is not new, but has existed throughout history and presently), culturally specific organizations have always addressed these issues and the systems that perpetuate them, endeavoring to interrupt and transform them.
While these efforts have had positive effects on the entire movement to end domestic violence, there are disproportionately fewer resources to sustain them. The Culturally Specific Collaborative and Culturally Responsive Domestic Violence Network have made substantial strides to address this by creating networks of support and learning. As someone who works for a culturally specific organization, what are your needs and experiences? During our upcoming Community Listening Session with Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, we’re passing the mic to you. We hope to see you on Thursday, August 5th from 2pm – 3pm. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
Executive Directors – Friday, July 30th from 11am – 12pm
Partnership Members and their staff/volunteers only. Become a member now!
Executive Directors have many roles—from building cohesive teams and securing funding, to creating community partnerships and publicly challenging systemic injustices. Over the last year, Executive Directors have expressed that changes have come at warp speed with virtual and in-person work environments, and the need to update policies and practices accordingly. This has accompanied new learning about how to enhance equity in organizations.
The Partnership is also in a learning space: Executive Director Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih would like to hear about your hopes, concerns and needs from our coalition. Join us for a Community Listening Session specifically for Executive Directors on Friday, July 30th, 2021 from 11 a.m.-noon, where your voice will be heard. Dr. Moore-Orbih looks forward to this first step in establishing open communication with Executive Directors. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning. We hope to see you there!
Faith Based Organizations – Thursday, August 19th from 2pm – 3pm
Partnership Members and their staff/volunteers only. Become a member now!
Faith based organizations have faced unique challenges when it comes to preventing and ending violence in their communities. They encounter cultural barriers, stigmas, and nuanced ways that violence is discussed or hidden. Additionally, hierarchal and patriarchal values can hinder buy-in from leaders and men, who must learn to recognize themselves as part of the solution to end violence.
These are just some of the hurdles that faith based programs and projects are addressing in order to create cultural shifts that support survivors and are inclusive of families and those who cause harm. How can we address the root causes of oppression within faith based organizations, while maintaining a mutual respect for different faiths and teachings, and calling in leaders and men of faith to help end violence?
Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, the Executive Director at the Partnership, wants to hear directly from those who are working within faith based communities to end the cycle of violence. Join us on Thursday, August 19 from 2-3 p.m. You’ll meet Dr. Moore-Orbih, have the opportunity to share your experiences, and be heard. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
Family Justice Centers – Thursday, July 29th from 2pm – 3pm
Partnership Members and their staff/volunteers only. Become a member now!
Family Justice Centers work to coordinate survivor services, collaborating with domestic violence programs and other partners. At the movement level, how can we foster open and transparent discussions together, and prioritize opportunities for multi-disciplinary efforts that privilege the needs of survivors over those of the systems they engage with? We welcome Family Justice Centers into this conversation with Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, the new Executive Director at the Partnership. Join us on Thursday, July 29th from 2-3 p.m. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
Legal Services – Friday, August 27th from 11am – 12pm
Partnership Members and their staff/volunteers only. Become a member now!
Among the many resources available to survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence, legal services are some of the most sought after to ensure the safety of survivors. However, we recognize the many challenges that programs providing legal services encounter, including a lack of lawyers willing to work pro-bono, differences in county rules and regulations, and survivors having issues accessing and using necessary technology.
How can we leverage our position as a state coalition to ensure that legal programs are able to address the varied needs of survivors?
Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, the Executive Director at the Partnership, wants to hear directly from legal service providers who are a part of our movement to end the cycle of violence. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning. Join us on Friday, August 27th at 11 a.m.-noon. You’ll meet Dr. Moore-Orbih, have the opportunity to share your experiences, and be heard.
LGBTQ+ Programs – Thursday, August 5th from 11am – 12pm
When it comes to programs serving LGBTQ+ communities, it is clear that survivors and youth need a variety of options to support their safety and to meet them where they are at. LGBTQ+ prevention programs and DV services necessitate discretion, gender-affirming resources, and community integration to help ensure that folks across the LGBTQ+ spectrum can feel safe and welcome.
Building a support system of community partnerships between schools, local DV programs, and LGBTQ+ community groups is a vital strategy to help reach LGBTQ+ folks, but has been difficult to implement—whether from pandemic distancing restrictions, conservative political regions, or resistant school boards. How can we overcome these challenges so that we can co-create a network of support for LGBTQ+ communities across California?
Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, the Executive Director at the Partnership, wants to hear directly from those who are working with LGBTQ+ populations in their communities to end the cycle of violence. Join us on Thursday, August 5th from 11:00 a.m.-noon. You’ll meet Dr. Moore-Orbih, have the opportunity to share your experiences, and be heard. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
Middle Management – Friday, July 23rd from 9:30am – 10:30am
Partnership Members and their staff/volunteers only. Become a member now!
Middle managers have a wide variety of expertise in the movement to end domestic violence. They listen to advocates’ and preventionists’ needs as they work directly with their communities and convey them to leadership. Maintaining this level of accountability to two groups of people takes major communication and coordination skills that aren’t always acknowledged! And at times, the information you relay isn’t always reflected in organizational decisions that impact yourself and your team.
Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, the new Executive Director at the Partnership, would like to hear what kind of support you need as a middle manager—and also learn about what works well in your organization. Join us for a listening session on Friday, July 23rd from 9:30am – 10:30am! The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
Native & Tribal Programs – Friday, August 6th from 11am – 12pm
Native and Tribal organizations have led work on cultural responsiveness, addressing state violence, and challenging the inequities that contribute to domestic violence—yet there continues to be a lack of knowledge, relationships, and understanding from mainstream organizations, including the Partnership.
On Friday, August 6th from 11am – 12pm, Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih will hold space for Native and Tribal Programs to share their experiences. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
Preventionists – Thursday, August 26th from 2pm – 3pm
Preventionists have always exercised creativity and great care in reaching their communities. This is truly the work it takes to end domestic violence: digging into deeply rooted systemic oppressions and creating lasting change with community organizing.
These efforts have been historically misunderstood, undervalued, and done with very few resources—and the pandemic brought on new struggles. Many preventionists are seeing negative impacts on youths’ mental health with increased cyberbullying and feelings of hopelessness for the future.
Preventionists are also recognizing the unhealthy dynamics of power & control being used to oppress staff. Recognizing the intersectionality of our work, we know we can help prevent these dynamics that we’ve all been fighting so hard to dismantle. Another symptom of these inequities is the constant staff turnover that impacts our prevention efforts drastically.
Join other preventionists in sharing about your challenges and successes! Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, the Executive Director at the Partnership, wants to hear directly from those who are advancing prevention in their communities. On Thursday, August 26th from 2-3 p.m., you’ll meet Dr. Moore-Orbih, have the opportunity to share your experiences, and be heard. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
Survivors – Thursday, August 19th from 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Centering survivors and their experiences is vital to our core values and all our work. In order to truly empower survivors, it is not enough to pass the mic, but we must also invite them to the table where decisions are being made, we must provide support for their emotional labor (both financially and through trauma-informed practices), and we must ensure that we are not perpetuating cycles of harm and abuse by tokenizing survivors.
Providing opportunities for survivors to be authentic messengers and share their journey of resilience is part of how we use our position as the statewide coalition to uplift survivors. What more can we be doing in service of survivors and their needs?
Dr. Aleese Moore-Orbih, the Executive Director at the Partnership, wants to hear directly from survivors who are a part of our movement to end the cycle of violence. Join us on Thursday, August 19th from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. You’ll meet Dr. Moore-Orbih, have the opportunity to share your experiences, and be heard. The knowledge, combined with our other listening sessions, will inform our next steps in relationship building, funding, collaboration, technical assistance and strategic planning.
