SAN ANTONIO – The Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence is a court-ordered committee in Bexar County, required to cultivate ideas to address local abuse issues.
“The Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence was created in 2019 in response to, unfortunately, San Antonio having the highest number of domestic violence homicides in all of Texas,” said CCDV co-chair Monique Diaz.
Diaz is a judge presiding over the county’s 150th District Court, where she said she takes on domestic violence cases daily.
She will be joined by leaders in judicial, law enforcement, health care, education and nonprofit sectors from across Bexar County.
Committees representing different community sectors will come together at the annual symposium to see what gaps are creating barriers in the way they handle domestic violence.
“We work together every year to implement strategies that are proven to reduce domestic violence,” Diaz said.
This year’s annual symposium will be held Friday at the Henry B. González Convention Center.
The event will include workshops and panels on trauma-informed practices, underserved populations and legal advocacy.
Attendees will be provided opportunities to speak with service providers, community organizations and advocates. There will also be a resource fair showing services available in the community.
Two panels will be moderated by KSAT anchor Courtney Friedman, who has reported on the topic for more than a decade.
The first panel will provide attendees with an opportunity to hear from domestic violence survivors between 8:15 a.m. and 9 a.m.
“It’s important for us as a community to hear the real stories about how domestic violence impacts everyday folks in our community,” Diaz said. “And how it does not discriminate based on the color of your skin, where you live or anything else.”
Friedman’s second panel, held from noon to 1 p.m., will be with a group of men who went through Batterer Intervention Prevention Programs.
These programs offer group therapy to those who perpetrate domestic and family violence, allowing them to take responsibility for their abusive behavior and teach them the fundamentals of a healthy, non-violent relationship.
The men are expected to share personal stories in hopes of helping others stop abusive behaviors, as well.
“We also felt it important to balance that with stories of people who have used harm and have changed, to show our community there is hope,” Diaz said. “There is something we can do to break those generational cycles of abuse. So it’s important for us to paint the picture from both sides of the equation.”
Diaz said the in-person event itself has reached maximum capacity.
However, anyone who wants the information or to watch the panels and workshops can go to the commission’s website and sign up to have the recordings sent to their email.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, there is a long list of resources on KSAT’s Domestic Violence page which includes a breakdown of what abuse is, and how it builds gradually.
If you are in crisis, you can:
- call or text 911
- call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233
- call the local Family Violence Prevention Services, which runs the shelter (Crisis Number: 210-733-8810, Programs and Administration: 210-930-3669)
- call the Bexar County Family Justice Center at 210-631-0100.
More recent domestic violence coverage on KSAT: