Group will focus on efforts to protect victims and children, make communities safer
Governor Kitzhaber has signed an Executive Order establishing a new Oregon Domestic Violence Prevention and Response Task Force. The group will be formed over the next two months and begin meeting in September.
“Despite efforts around the state devoted to preventing domestic violence and supporting victims of abuse, Oregon continues to see an increase in domestic violence, putting too many people at risk,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “The effect on individuals and children is a tragedy, while the overall impact on communities is profound and unacceptable.”
The effects of domestic violence include personal injury, homelessness, lost work time and productivity, alcohol and other drug abuse, increased health care costs, adverse impacts on children, and denial of victims’ basic human rights.
The new Task Force is designed to bring together stakeholders to identify issues and priorities and to create a long-term strategic plan to eradicate domestic violence in Oregon. The 19-member group will make recommendations to the Governor and to the Oregon Legislature on service gaps and opportunities to improve system efficiency, prevention strategies, and performance and monitoring measures.
Members will represent various civic groups across the state, including nonprofit organizations, the Oregon State House and Senate, and state agencies like the Oregon Health Authority and Department of Human Services. Both the chair and vice-chair will be appointed by the Governor later this summer.
For more information, visit http://governor.oregon.gov/gov/docs/executive_orders/eo_12-10.pdf.
