Who We Are

History

Setting the Foundation: The Westside Domestic Violence Network

WDVN was founded by domestic violence experts associated with Sojourn/Ocean Park Community Center in Santa Monica in response to a need for a more unified and effective response to domestic violence victims in Westside communities of Los Angeles County.

Over the years, the Network has been a force of innovation with the support of the City of Santa Monica and network membership. Its mission has been to maintain cutting-edge collaboration with community partners in order to create a more seamless safety net by engaging professionals in open and ongoing dialogue.

The Network was an early champion of the collective impact model—a framework to tackle deeply entrenched and complex social problems with the awareness that such goals require broad-based and multidisciplinary collaboration. The Westside membership includes representatives from law enforcement, education, legal, medical, social service, gang intervention, youth, religious organizations, and counseling and advocacy agencies of Santa Monica and the Westside.

Becoming a Los Angeles Child Abuse Council

As a natural addition to services for victims of domestic violence, the mission was extended to services and needs of children experiencing the effects of family and relationship violence through the support of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and the Interagency for Child Abuse and Neglect (ICAN) who oversee all thirteen Child Abuse Councils.

Expanding the Mission: Westside Anti-Violence Authority (WAVA)

In response to increasing data on the intersection of domestic violence, social injustice, and oppression of marginalized groups, the WDVN decided in 2016 to expand its mission.

With this enhanced mission came a new name: The Westside Anti-Violence Authority. WAVA would now address the complex impact of all forms of violence (interpersonal, community, and institutional) and how it reinforces the barriers associated with immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, country of origin, employment, housing, re-entry from prison system, and disability.

Moving forward WAVA continues its 21 year commitment to the collaboration and communication among Westside agencies, linking them to up-to-date resources, providing training and support to service providers to enhance their skill in working with Westside survivors of violence. The goal now, however, is to continue this tradition but with a broader understanding of the needs facing adult victims and their children in all domains of their experience.

The Westside Anti-Violence Authority becomes the Westside Anti-Violence Alliance

In a move to align its name with its identity as an anti-violence group, WAVA replaces the word 'authority' with ‘alliance’ to evoke collaboration as opposed to hierarchy.

1995

2011

2016

2022

Mission

WAVA aims to facilitate collaboration and coordination between anti-violence organizations in Los Angeles by maintaining regular trainings for providers and community members, addressing service gaps through advocacy projects, and developing systems for best practices in violence prevention.  

Vision

To establish sustainable, multi-faceted solutions to intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child abuse, and other forms of violence for service organizations and communities in Los Angeles.