Social Change

A. Basic Considerations. These standards address the program's education and advocacy efforts to ensure that survivors, their children, and those at risk of family violence, are protected and treated compassionately. The overall goal is to create an effective response system in the community and to change cultural attitudes and institutional practices that perpetuate violence. It is important to remember, however, that standards can only address the issues for which the organization can be accountable. The program cannot be held accountable for whether a social change occurs. The program can be held accountable for their efforts to educate and advocate in the hope that change will result. B. Standards 1. The program identifies those systems and organizations throughout its service area which affect the prevention and treatment of family violence. 2. The program evaluates the practices of those systems and organizations to determine which are harmful or ineffective. 3. The program prioritizes the community systems, organizations and institutions which need to be impacted first and develops a plan which defines strategies to change harmful or ineffective practices, reinforce helpful practices, and intervene where there are no established practices or policies. The plan is adopted by the board on an annual basis and is updated as necessary. The plan could be developed in collaboration with a local coordinating council or task force. 4. The program conducts public education sessions targeted to personnel employed by community systems organizations. 5. The program works collaboratively with those community systems used by family violence survivors which may include establishing safe and independent lives. The goal is to change institutional practices that place survivors at risk. AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 46:2122B and R.S. 46:2127B1. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Office of the Governor, Office of Women's Services, LR 27:529 (April 2001).