From Awareness to Action: Shaping a Unified Response to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Femicide in Windsor-Essex

Despite growing awareness, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) remains a pressing public health crisis in Canada. Declared an epidemic in Windsor-Essex and over 90 municipalities across Ontario, IPV leads to devastating social and health consequences, including femicide​. Over the past three years, in Ontario alone, there has been an average of one or more femicides per week (OAITH, 2024). Research confirms that cross-sector collaboration is essential to addressing the multi-dimensional health impacts of IPV, as coordinated responses across healthcare, social services, law enforcement, and community organizations improve outcomes for survivors (Brown et al., 2023; Douglas & Hines, 2011)​. However, fragmented training, siloed approaches, inconsistent use of risk identification tools, and sector-specific service differences limit these efforts (Aarons et al., 2014)​. Consultations with the Windsor-Essex IPV/GBV Leadership Table, comprised of diverse sector representatives identified a critical need for shared language, standardized risk assessment tools, and cross-sector training to enhance coordination. To avoid reinventing the wheel, this project, aligns with the Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee’s approach by adapting an existing public health framework originally developed for coordinated suicide prevention, and integrates publicly available IPV awareness materials to create a scalable, evidence-based training module. This presentation will share stakeholder insights and the module’s development to date, demonstrating how public health strategies enhance IPV training and prevention efforts. By co-developing a standardized, cross-sector training framework, this initiative strengthens multi-agency collaboration, ensuring every frontline service provider is equipped to respond effectively.