Sonia Suri, PhD¹, Elizabeth Reed, MPH¹, Beth Jacklin, MPH¹, Carlene Pavlos, MTS¹, Jay G. Silverman, PhD², Daniel Whitaker, PhD³, Charlene Baker, PhD³, and Carter Pratt, MPH¹. (1) Violence Prevention and Intervention Services, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 4th floor, Boston, MA 02108, 617-624-6076, sonia.suri@state.ma.us, (2) Department for Society, Human Development and Health/Division of Public Health Practice, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, 7th floor, Boston, MA 02115, (3) Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30341

The CARE project aims to increase access to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) services among specific ethnic/racial groups in three geographic areas. Each network of providers includes: a program that serves Refugee and Immigrant survivors of IPV, a rape crisis center, a domestic violence agency, a batterer’s intervention program, and a program for children witnessing domestic violence. These networks work collaboratively to serve their designated cultural communities (one African American and two Latino communities). Each network has a Lead Agency, which employs a bilingual/bicultural Network Coordinator who oversees the functioning of the network and serves as a community liaison. CARE started with four networks: one Cambodian, one African American, and two Latino. Three years after the implementation of CARE, the network serving Cambodians has been disbanded; the African American network is still struggling, and the two Latino networks are functioning well. We will discuss factors that have impacted the successful implementation of the networks over the three years of their existence, including: 1) the nature of collaboration, between the funder, funding administrator, the Lead Agency and network members; 2) the attributes of the Lead Agency – its infrastructure, its management of resource sharing and its commitment to cultural competence; 3) the Network Coordinator – his/her ability, and support he/she receives from his/her immediate supervisor and other senior management of the Lead Agency; and, 4) the network’s interaction with local community coalitions formed to address IPV issues and/or other social, economic, religious and political needs of the specified cultural community.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session participants will be able to

• Describe the attributes of the Lead Agency which facilitate/hinder the Network’s implementation, interagency collaboration and cultural competence.
• Discuss the importance of interaction between local community based coalitions, funded agencies and funding administrators for a state or federal mandated coalition/collaboration.
• Identify the factors (Coordinator ability as well as support they receive within their agency) that ensure the successful implementation of a Network and its activities.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.