Action Circle

Who We Are:
The Action Circle is a survivor-led group informed by legal professionals, advocates, and multidisciplinary experts. We work to strengthen trauma-informed court systems, ensure the safety and wellbeing of survivors and their children, and improve the overall family court experience for all.

Our members bring a broad diversity of educational and professional experiences to the work and believe that many solutions can be found within our collective stories to achieve powerful systems change.

At the center of the work is the belief that systems that serve the public should incorporate trauma-informed practices. Trauma-informed organizations seek to realize the existence of, and recognize signs of, trauma in the lives of the parties they serve. Better yet, trauma-informed systems take care not to replicate harm or trigger fear in victims and survivors. We believe trauma-informed practices can helps our courts ensure all individuals who come before the court are treated with dignity, respect, and awareness responsive to the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence in our community.

Our Mission:
To fully realize a trauma-informed family court system that protects 100% of children and survivors from unsafe, abusive, and coercive behaviors, practices, and people.

What We Do:
● Support education efforts about domestic and sexual violence throughout our community
● Provide constructive survivor feedback to judicial stakeholders to promote positive change
● Conceptualize and drive trauma-informed improvement projects
● Build strategic partnerships across the community to drive meaningful change
● Provide best practice research and advisement to organizations seeking to promote trauma-informed practices

Who Can Join:
Parents who have experienced sexual violence, domestic violence and/or sex-trafficking, including but not limited to stalking, harassment, coercive control, emotional abuse, economic abuse, legal abuse, and/or tech-facilitated abuse as an adult or child and have interacted with the family court system.

Recognize Tactics of Domestic Violence.

Recognize Post Separation Abuse.

For help understanding the family court process, including key steps, court expectations, and helpful tools and forms: Family Law Navigator.

For further information to join this committee or learn more, contact info@acesdv.org.