Providing culturally relevant services to District residents for 12 years, the Asian and Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project was founded to end domestic violence in Asian and Pacific Islander communities by providing specific services and reaching out to communities and government agencies to educate individuals on systemic change.

Structuring a commitment to end violence in an integral manner, the DVRP has developed a model work-environment at the nonprofit to mirror their values: DVRP has operated via a non-hierarchical organizational structure and with a consensus-based decision-making system since it opened. “Domestic violence is when a relative, spouse or dating partner tries to exert power and control over another person,” remarks Hannah Sin, community outreach director. “So we wanted to exemplify equality and healthy relationships by creating a non-hierarchical work environment.”

The mission of the nonprofit organization takes shape in three main program areas: an advocates program for survivors, an outreach program to community organizations and city agencies, and a technical assistance program that trains professionals like law enforcement, attorneys and others in culturally competent service.

The advocates program provides services throughout the greater metropolitan DC area, including parts of Maryland and Virginia. “[The services] range from a phone call to working over a period of several years. It can involve safety planning, talking about the person’s physical and emotional safety and ways to help minimize risks,” says Sin. DVRP can also be considered an information and referral center for survivors. For example, information on how to file legal orders are available for those wishing to take action, legal advice related to divorce, custody or immigration issues are also made available. “We try to identify pro bono lawyers or try to connect survivors with legal resources,” says Sin.

Culturally relevant services, such as informing survivors of immigration regulations and providing translation, are key for many survivors: some can be given misinformation about immigration or threatened with deportation by an abuser. Translation allows many more people to access the DVRP’s range of services. “We cover twelve different Asian languages. Having multilingual services has always been a part of DVRP. We want to make sure survivors are able to access services regardless of their English language proficiency,” says Sin. The impressive list of languages that DVRP advocates speak includes Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Hindi, Vietnamese, Japanese, Urdu, Thai, Lao, Nepali, Farsi and many others.

Life-skills development, health services and other social services are also offered depending on the needs of an individual. Assistance with opening a bank account, finding a job or transitional housing are all made possible through the nonprofit.

Concurrent with all the direct services to survivors is a continual outreach effort to address domestic violence in surrounding communities and to educate those agencies that might have contact with survivors such as law enforcement agencies, other domestic violence agencies, attorneys. The outreach is meant to effect a broader “systems level change,” according to Sin. As an outreach brochure for the organization explains, “Domestic violence is not a problem between two individuals; it is a community issue.”

The AVI DVRP is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit and accepts donations. You can contact API DVRP at 202-464-4477 for free and confidential services, or visit www.dvrp.org.