Family Violence Councils: the Missouri model

The burden for dealing with family violence and its related problems is steadily being shifted toward local communities. Together, the Office of Injury Control in the Missouri Department of Health and National Center for Violence Prevention developed a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to help local communities address family violence--the Family Violence Council. The council provides a coordinated structure within the community for protocol and service development and resource sharing. Some of the lessons learned include the importance of moving beyond family violence as a "women's issue," grooming local leadership, and fostering early success by setting achievable goals.