Agency Participation & Partnership Models
DVSupportNetwork.com is designed for organizations, not individuals. This page outlines how agencies, coalitions, and institutional partners can conceptually participate in a coordinated domestic violence response network.
Types of Participating Organizations
- Direct service providers: shelters, transition houses, outreach programs, counselling services.
- Justice and legal partners: courts, prosecution services, legal aid, specialized DV units.
- Health and social care: hospitals, community health centers, mental health services, child protection.
- Housing and homelessness services: emergency shelters, supportive housing, landlord mediation programs.
- Government & funders: ministries, departments, municipal offices, and funding agencies.
- Research, evaluation & academic partners: universities, institutes, and independent evaluators.
Participation Tiers (Conceptual Model)
Agencies can align their level of participation with internal capacity, governance, and legal obligations. The following tiers are illustrative and can be adapted regionally.
Tier 1 – Directory & Contact Presence
- Organization listed in a shared directory for professionals.
- Basic service descriptions, eligibility, and contact channels maintained.
- No data exchange beyond published directory information.
Tier 2 – Referral & Coordination
- Agreed processes for warm handoffs and inter-agency referrals.
- Use of shared referral forms or minimum datasets.
- Clear points of contact for coordination and follow-up.
Tier 3 – Shared Frameworks & Indicators
- Alignment on key definitions, risk indicators, and outcome measures.
- Participation in cross-agency working groups or oversight tables.
- Contribution to aggregated, de-identified reporting.
Tier 4 – Data Integration & Research
- Structured data exchange within formal governance and ethics processes.
- Participation in evaluation projects and cross-system research.
- Advanced role-based access for analytic purposes, not case management.
Sample Onboarding Steps
- Identify an internal lead for inter-agency coordination and data governance.
- Review existing MOUs, privacy policies, and risk management frameworks.
- Map current referral flows and information sharing practices.
- Determine the appropriate participation tier for your organization.
- Co-design documentation: roles, responsibilities, and escalation pathways.
- Plan training and change management for staff who handle cross-agency work.
Roles & Responsibilities
Regardless of tier, some responsibilities are foundational:
- Maintain internal governance: board approval, management oversight, and regular review of inter-agency commitments.
- Protect survivor rights: ensure informed consent, choice, and confidentiality are integrated into any shared processes.
- Document decisions: keep records of when and how external data, frameworks, or tools are used within your organization.
- Monitor unintended consequences: watch for inequitable impacts across communities and adjust accordingly.
Cross-Sector Collaboration Scenarios
Example 1 – Hospital & Shelter Network
A hospital DV team, local shelters, and a community counselling center adopt a shared minimum referral dataset and standardized warm handoff procedure, while each keeps its own clinical records and case files.
Example 2 – Court-Based Project
A specialized domestic violence court, legal aid, and victim services agree on shared language for protection orders, screening questions, and safety planning referrals, documented in a joint protocol.
Example 3 – Regional Evaluation
A regional coalition coordinates de-identified data contributions from multiple agencies to support a time-limited evaluation project, under a formal data-sharing agreement and ethics review.
Next Steps for Agencies
- Use this page as a high-level concept sheet for internal leadership discussions.
- Identify existing collaborations that could benefit from more structure.
- Connect with policy, privacy, and legal advisors before adopting any model.
- Visit Data Governance for more detail on oversight and risk management.