Developing Options for Violent Emergencies (DOVE) Program

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Program) helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 08 Congressional Budget. Funds should be used for purposes recommended by Congress.

The Summa Health System Hospitals will support its DOVE (Developing Options for Violent Emergencies) Program. DOVE is a specialty health care program that provides compassionate, confidential, and specialized medico-legal care to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and elder abuse and neglect. DOVE serves patients from Summit, Portage, Medina, and Stark counties and provides innovative professional education programs for physicians, nurses, law enforcement professionals, and other first responders. The Summa Health System Hospitals will expand clinical capacity and clinician education to ensure that victims of sexual or domestic violence receive appropriate health care and that the clinical capacity of health care providers is increased through accessible forensic education. They will provide training and maintain equipment and supplies for forensic health care at Summa emergency departments not currently served by the DOVE Program, develop a victim service liaison position, and create a web-based program for forensic clinical education.

NCA/NCF