Our Values & Philosophies

Statement of Inclusion

All Community Beyond Violence services are free, confidential and non-discriminatory.

All services are inclusive of all survivors of domestic violence and their children. No person shall be, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability, excluded from participation in services.

When necessary, gender-segregated programming is allowed. When offering gender-segregated services, Community Beyond Violence ensures services are comparable.

Community Beyond Violence strives to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Code of Federal Regulations. We strive to operate so that each service is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. When necessary, Community Beyond Violence will conduct home visits, deliver services at alternative accessible sites, and any other method that results in making services, programs or activities readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

Voluntary Participation and Client-Led Services

Clients are not required to participate in other supportive services in order to access emergency shelter. Survivors’ autonomy should be respected and survivors are in the best position to determine what will facilitate or compromise safety for them and their children. Any resource accessed by a survivor is voluntary and not conditioned upon participation in other services or programs.

Clients may be asked to leave a program if that client violates the rules in a manner that endangers the safety and well-being of other clients, staff or children.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We are committed to actions and decisions that help empower each and every individual we serve, especially those living with multiple oppressions. We will continue striving to ensure our work results in systemic change so that all survivors have the support and resources they need and get the safety and justice they deserve. We are committed to advocating for the kinds of change that will unify our community in peace and justice for the safety and well-being of every individual. CBV’s Equity Action Plan builds on the agency’s progress in better integrating equity into the full range of services, programs, and activities and reinforces our commitment to continuing this critical work.

The plan’s focus areas have the greatest potential for advancing equity across the agency’s activities. These focus areas include:

Accessing CBV services: CBV regularly conducts a comprehensive review of policies, procedures, forms, and operations to identify barriers that may impede access to CBV services among under-resourced communities and makes recommendations on how to remove these barriers. CBV will also improve access to its services and programs by addressing language and disability access gaps and enhancing access to relevant information and resources.

Supporting the work of other organizations doing equity work:  CBV will expand engagement with other organizations in the community supporting members of under-resourced communities and support their good work, which will in turn, ensure more equitable access to CBV programming and opportunities. Concerted efforts in 2022 have been placed on fostering meaningful relationships and collaboration with Color Me Human, Nevada County Pride, and Bright Futures for Youth.

Soliciting client feedback: CBV will enhance its communication with clients regarding their experiences with the agency and use the feedback to evaluate, improve and make programs and services more culturally responsive and equitable. 

Employee recruitment and training: CBV will focus on recruiting diverse applicants for positions so we can grow into a diverse staff more reflective of the communities we serve. CBV will enhance and standardize employee training and require a minimum of 8 hours of training annually on topics that are aimed to advance equity and improve service for members of under-resourced communities.

Internal workshopping: CBV will continue to have discussions internally, including through the onboarding process of new staff, to discuss what it means to be an agency that values DEI and what else is needed to codify and put those values into action.

Working from an anti-oppression framework: Domestic and sexual violence disproportionately affects under-resourced and marginalized communities.  Interpersonal violence is based on power differences and oppression. Oppression is a root cause of violence, so the fight to end sexual and domestic violence has always also required a concurrent fight against other forms of power-based oppressions. Any work that dismantles oppression can then be seen, directly or indirectly, as primary anti-violence work. We can not work to end one form of violence without acknowledging other forms of violence exist and are problematic. CBV will further expand its efforts to provide under-resourced communities with the tools and resources they need to prevent the occurrence and heal the trauma of interpersonal violence by providing more culturally responsive crisis intervention, safety, advocacy and education. 

We have developed this action plan as a “living document” that will change and grow as we continue our equity work. It will always be in need of revision and updates and will never be able to capture the full scope of this critical work that is always in process, changing and evolving for the needs of the communities we serve.