Violence Free Iowa
The Coalition Against Sexual
and Domestic Violence
Introducing Violence Free Iowa leads and supports a statewide coalition of 25 victim service provider organizations advancing sexual assault and domestic violence prevention efforts, crisis intervention, and long-term response to ensure every Iowan has the opportunity to feel safe, heal, and thrive.
.png)
HOW DID WE GET HERE.
MORE THAN FOUR DECADES OF PARTNERSHIP.
For more than 40 years, the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) and the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (IowaCASA) worked together to provided statewide leadership to a shared network of 25 victim service provider organizations through trauma-informed training, coordination, and public policy change. This work strengthened sexual assault and domestic violence victim services across the state and brought united individual organizations, cross-sector partners, and policymakers addressing the needs of survivors.
Earlier this year, their boards and leadership announced a collaborative decision to centralize coalition sexual and domestic violence responsibilities at ICADV, including training and education, technical assistance, prevention, and public policy advocacy representing victim service provider organizations across Iowa.
Now, that work moves forward under a new name -
VIOLENCE FREE IOWA:
THE COALITION AGAINST SEXUAL
AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WHY VIOLENCE FREE IOWA?
A NAME THAT PUTS THE
GOAL FIRST.
The name puts the goal first. “Violence Free Iowa” reflects the future we are building, not the problem we are responding to,
but the outcome we are working toward.
It also reflects the full scope of our mission to address sexual assault and domestic violence, which remain distinct and equally central priorities of our work. Our expanded role in addressing sexual violence includes dedicated staff with years of state and national victim advocacy experience, broader training and technical assistance, and strengthened capacity to support sexual assault prevention, intervention, and response.
d
Getting here took time, listening, and learning. Survivors, sexual assault comprehensive program staff, culturally specific program staff, coalition members, our team, and other key stakeholders shared their experiences and feedback throughout the process. Their input and the expertise, creativity, and leadership of outside marketing consultants guided the rebranding effort.
CONNECTED ACROSS IOWA.
25 PROGRAMS. 99 COUNTIES.
ONE NETWORK.
Violence Free Iowa leads and supports a statewide coalition of 25 victim service provider organizations advancing sexual and domestic violence prevention efforts, crisis intervention, and long-term stability.
We strengthen coalition partners through training and education, technical assistance, and capacity building, while bringing Iowa communities, policymakers, and systems together to enhance sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and response.
Together, we’re working to create communities where everyone can feel safe, heal, and thrive.
A REFLECTION FROM DR. MARIA CORONA, CEO, VIOLENCE FREE IOWA
Sexual assault and domestic violence coalitions evolved across every U.S. state and territory from community rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters to create a collective political voice.
For over forty years, the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (IowaCASA) and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) stood as pillars in our state’s response to sexual and domestic violence. For forty years, we worked in close partnership with a shared membership of local victim service providers serving all 99 -counties in Iowa. Last year alone, this network served 52,113 survivors. More than 17,000 were victims of sexual assault, which includes child sexual abuse and trafficking. These are not just numbers; they are our neighbors, friends, and colleagues who needed support and care – and victim services were there.
Earlier this year, we shared with the public that the coalitions made the collaborative decision to centralize statewide sexual and domestic violence coalition responsibilities at ICADV. Now, we share the name that carries that work forward – Violence Free Iowa.
This transition is not just a structural change; it represents a profound evolution in how we strengthen trauma-informed and healing-centered care in Iowa. But we must be clear about what this means: the dissolving of a forty-year-old institution (IowaCASA) that has been instrumental in shaping state and national sexual assault advocacy standards. That is a heavy thing to do. It requires immense care to ensure nothing falls through the cracks, and it demands a specific kind of leadership that honors the past while relentlessly focusing on the future. For many who have been part of this work, there may also be grief in this moment. Many built careers, friendships, and professional identities within these
coalitions. I recognize the weight of that history. I stand on
the shoulders of many brilliant women who led each coalition at one point or another during the last four decades, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.
What grounds us moving forward is our shared commitment to survivors, victim service providers, and the movement we have built together. I am committed to moving sexual and domestic violence victim advocacy and services forward. Violence Free Iowa is not about leaving that history behind. It is about carrying the strongest parts of that history forward while building the statewide coalition Iowa needs for the future. Sexual assault and domestic violence remain distinct and equally central priorities of our work.
Centralizing our resources is already helping us respond faster to a shifting national funding landscape. But our commitment goes beyond financial stability. We are committed to ensuring sexual assault victim service providers are taken care of. We have hired dedicated advocates with deep experience in both local sexual assault victim services and national training and technical assistance.
As a membership-based coalition, our goal remains simple: listen to the 25 victim service provider organizations across Iowa and ensure their voices guide our strategy. This new chapter is built on the foundation of IowaCASA’s and ICADV’s past work, the support of our state and national partners, and our commitment to local sexual and domestic violence victim service providers. While we have solidified a wonderful team, we ask for your patience as we grow into this chapter. Our name is our promise: We are working toward a future where every Iowan feels safe, and our communities truly thrive free from violence.
DIRECT SERVICES REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR SURVIVORS.
Services and support for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence remain available and unchanged. Direct victim services continue through our statewide network of 25 victim service provider member organizations. These services include, but are not limited to:
-
24/7 crisis support
-
Access to safe emergency housing
-
Medical accompaniment
-
Court and legal advocacy
-
Counseling and support groups
-
Transportation
-
Connections to community resources and support
