An examination of the effectiveness of domestic violence coordinating councils

The community response to domestic violence has been characterized by a lack of coordination across systems. Recent efforts have focused on bringing together stakeholders from an array of community sectors to promote a comprehensive response. Coordinating councils are commonly employed to encourage such a response, yet little is known about the extent to which they effectively promote community change. This study examined 41 councils in one state to better understand (a) the types of issues they addressed, (b) the extent to which they reported accomplishing their goals, and (c) the degree to which councils' climate and membership influenced the extent to which they achieved their goals within the criminal justice system and in other community sectors (e.g., health care, human service).