IMPACT is focused on Primary Prevention.
We believe that violence is preventable. Through identifying what drives and contributes to violence, we can stop it before it begins. We focus our efforts far upstream of violent events to better understand and interrupt the patterns that eventually lead to sexual and domestic violence. In parallel, our members continue to provide expert intervention services when violence occurs.
In 2020, we obtained funding from Max Bell and the Government of Alberta to undertake development of our primary prevention framework. This framework will allow us to take our efforts to the next level.
Our Goal
To eradicate domestic and sexual violence in Alberta.
Our Objective
Rethink the norms, attitudes, conceptions, perspectives, ideas and definitions surrounding domestic and sexual abuse.
Engage and impact in widespread systemic change by influencing decision-makers, leveraging resources, and learning together as a collective group.
Identify, solve, and uproot the underlying problems and drivers of domestic and sexual violence in society.
Be guided by our shared values of trust, bravery, humility, vulnerability, and curiosity.
Provide evidence-based guidance to policymakers, organizations, businesses and communities on how to strategically prevent violence before begins.
SHIFT: THE PROJECT TO END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
IMPACT has partnered with Shift (preventdomesticviolence.ca) to develop the primary prevention framework. Shift conducts research that informs primary prevention practices, programs, policies and legislation. They have a long history in Alberta of partnering with other researchers and academics, policy-makers, community leaders, NGOs, community-based organizations and collectives to implement and evaluate effective primary prevention solutions. The primary prevention framework we are developing in collaboration with Shift, will be evidence-based, including best practice research and knowledge from around the world.
In 2020, we obtained funding from Max Bell and the Government of Alberta to undertake the development of our primary prevention framework. This framework will allow us to take our efforts to the next level.
To learn more, visit: preventdomesticviolence.ca/
IMPACT Moving Forward
Special Projects
Clare's Law
This project engages IMPACT in providing feedback into Clare’s Law, Bill 17, The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. This project is slated to provide comment in early 2021 with the launching of Clare’s Law.
Remote Therapeutic Interventions
This project will build on existing research to create a resource for the sector around delivering virtual/online interventions with a focus on domestic and sexual violence specific considerations. This project will be completed by December 31, 2020.
Emergency Planning
This project is in place to create a universal emergency plan that all IMPACT members can access. The plan will support organizations to have most of an emergency plan in place, having to only customize 20% of the plan for their own use. This project will be completed by November 1, 2020. A big thank you to Darren Barber for his help in this work.
Gun Control
Guns often feature prominently in violence against women, especially in rural areas across Canada. With this in mind, IMPACT, along with the Calgary Domestic Violence Collective, has been actively supporting the Canadian Coalition for Gun Coalition’s work to ensure that safety comes first in regards to gun control. This project supports a ban on civilian possession of military assault weapons, strict safe storage requirements, measures to reduce smuggling and illegal trafficking, and effective implementation of the law, as well as defending the law in court, working towards showing support for the ban on military assault weapons in Canada.
