Prevention Services

  • Community Solutions provides prevention and outreach services to educate and engage our local communities regarding topics critical to the emotional wellbeing and physical health of our community. Our philosophy and practices align with the six levels of the Spectrum of Prevention: 1) Strengthening individual knowledge and skills; 2) Promoting community education; 3) Educating providers; 4) Fostering coalitions and networks; 5) Changing organization practices; and 6) Influencing policies and legislation.

    Every community member plays a critical role in creating healthy relationships that have the following characteristics: shared decision-making; respectful interactions when resolving conflicts; healthy boundaries; and allowing each individual to maintain a sense of self in their relationship.

    This page provides a variety of resources on healthy relationships and how you can get involved to make a change in your community. Below are tools, conversation starters, volunteer opportunities, and ways you can request more information. Click on each topic you would like to learn more about or scroll down to view all.

    • Talking About Healthy Relationships
    • Communities in Action
    • Survivor Leadership Opportunities
    • Outreach/Speaker Requests
    • Policy Advocacy and Reports

  • Talking About Healthy Relationships

    Talking about relationships can be awkward and may have moments of uncomfortableness; however, these conversations are vital to developing solid foundations between individuals and families and help to provide a shared understanding of each other’s needs.

    Talking about healthy versus unhealthy behaviors can be incorporated into your everyday life; utilizing TV shows, media, conversations, and other teachable moments can help start conversations. Hopefully these tools will provide you useful information you can use to start these conversations with your family and friends.

    Following are several actions you can take today to help prevent violence before it happens and to be there for your loved one if it does:

    1. Talk about relationships: Share what healthy and unhealthy relationships look like with your friends and family. Be careful not to judge, avoid asking why questions, and validate their feelings.
    2. Call out toxic behavior: If you see a behavior that doesn’t feel healthy, address it and talk about it. Let your friend or family member know how their behavior can be harmful to someone and what the consequences may be. Watch: About Toxic and Abusive Relationships
    3. Create space to express emotions:  Violence can leave an impact on the family as a whole. Create safe spaces to express emotions as a family, listen without judgement, and develop positive healthy solutions together. Watch: How to Help a Friend
    4. Lead with strengths: Lift your friends and family up by reminding them of what makes them amazing, strong, and wonderful. Remind them of their worth and build up their self-image.

    Here are some helpful resources (click on link to view video or document):

  • Communities in Action

    Individuals in local communities are joining together to create safer communities, using community-led initiatives and solutions to prevent interpersonal and sexual violence.

    Click on the links below to learn more about each campaign:

  • Survivor Leadership Opportunities

    Community Solutions’ believes in centering survivor voices by creating spaces and leadership roles to  empower survivors to make change in our communities. If you are a survivor of gender-based violence and are interested in stepping into a leadership role, please consider the opportunities below:

    PROMOTORES PROGRAM
    Community Solutions implemented a Promotores program in early 2015 to reach traditionally marginalized and underserved individuals in San Benito County. Our Promotores are members of our communities with lived experienced. We help to recruit, train, and mentor our Promotores who then create change in their communities by providing community outreach and presentations and by serving as liaisons to link community members to services available for intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

    WE ARE NOW RECRUITING!
    Download Promotores Application
    Download Promotores Flier

    For more information, please contact:
    Adriana Marquez at 669.500.3457 or Ana Gonzalez at 408.607.4189

    SURVIVOR LEADERSHIP ADVISORY COUNCILS
    Survivor Leadership Advisory Councils provide opportunities for survivors to participate in meetings and take an active role in policy and advocacy meetings within Santa Clara County. The Councils increase survivors’ voice and leadership in providing feedback and recommendations for systems change within the County. Additionally, we host survivor leadership retreats and trainings to help survivors gain leadership skills on topics such as talking to the media, sharing your story, communication, advocating for policy change, developing SMART goals, prevention, and managing trauma.

    For more information, please contact:
    Erica Elliott at 408.776.6246 or Ana Gonzalez at 408.607.4189

  • Outreach/Speaker Requests

    Community Solutions’ Solutions to Violence Division provides prevention and outreach services throughout Santa Clara and San Benito Counties. In addition to staffing resource tables, our team offers interactive workshops and professional trainings on healthy relationships, intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, and more.

    Our current presentations include:

    • Overview of Services (Santa Clara or San Benito County)
    • Healthy Relationships
    • Parenting in the Digital Age
    • Intimate Partner Abuse 101 Professional Training
    • Sexual Assault 101 Professional Training
    • Human Trafficking 101 Professional Training
    • Intersections of Gender Based Violence for Youth

    To learn more about the above presentations, request a presentation, or schedule an outreach opportunity, please use our Outreach/Prevention Request Form.

    Please contact us to schedule a presentation at least 3 weeks in advance of your planned date to ensure we can best accommodate your request. Presentations can be customized to  specific needs.

    If you have additional questions, please contact us at: prevention.STV@communitysolutions.org

  • Policy Advocacy and Reports

    Community Solutions’ violence prevention programs center on an intersectional framework that acknowledges different forms of gender-based violence as symptoms of a larger issue. Because gender-based violence can take many forms and generates complex intersections, it is important to ensure an intersectional framework in prevention efforts and to not treat each form of violence as mutually exclusive from another. Community Solutions’ Solutions to Violence Division is committed to upholding a collaborative and intersectional approach to gender-based violence.

    To create real change, we need to not only inform individuals, professionals and our community but also address policies and systematic structures that may be creating climates that perpetuate violence.

    Below is a sampling of policy and reporting efforts we are involved in. Click on each item for more information:

  • Call 877-363-7238 for support 24 hours a day!

    If you or someone you know needs support, call Community Solutions 24/7 at 877-363-7238 to speak with a confidential advocate. We offer free support services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, including counseling, accompaniment, assistance with restraining orders, and much more.

“ At Community Solutions I met some wonderful women who helped me with my fears and helped me understand that I did not deserve to be abused by anyone. ”

Luz, age 50, Solutions to Violence

“ [Community Solutions] helped me with my problems and were there when I was having hard times. They have helped my family with a place to live and helped us pay some bills and buy some food when we needed it. ”

Serena, age 15, Child & Youth Behavioral Health

“ I cannot describe very well but all I know is that each day is getting better. Your program helps. ”

Jin, age 62, Adult Behavioral Health

“ Thanks to the program, I left the ugly house I was living in that had two small windows for the 8 of us, dirt floors, broken windows, no door, and the toilet always clogging. Now my children and I have a nice apartment where we have more space, privacy, and carpet where we can be barefoot. ”

Teresa, age 38, Solutions to Violence Supportive Housing Program
ESCAPE