National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
HAP Partnership Impact
White Ribbon VA partnership will help support a harassment-free environment across VA
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) partnered in 2020 with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and White Ribbon USA, the largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls and to promote gender equity, healthy relationships, and a new version of masculinity. This collective partnership, White Ribbon VA, aims to eliminate sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence in VA facilities and surrounding communities, and to promote positive change in organizational culture.
White Ribbon VA brings leaders from many offices together to recognize its goals—members of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Social Work Program, the VHA Assault and Harassment Prevention Office, and the VHA National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP, formerly OCE and CCI, VHA’s strategic partnership experts), are integral to carrying out the partnership’s objectives. Representatives from the National Social Work Program explained that White Ribbon VA’s goals are to increase Veteran and VA employee access to information and resources about harassment prevention, and to encourage Veterans and VA employees to support ending violence against others by taking the White Ribbon VA pledge. That pledge includes a promise to “never commit, excuse, or stay silent about sexual harassment, sexual assault, or domestic violence against others.” VA Secretary Denis McDonough recently took the pledge himself in Washington, D.C. Secretary McDonough has committed that, “all VA staff, patients, their families, caregivers, survivors, visitors, and advocates must feel safe in a workplace free of harassment and discrimination.”
More than half of VA medical facilities have White Ribbon VA Champions who promote the initiative in their facilities and will hold virtual or in-person (where appropriate) events such as guest speakers, ceremonies with leadership and Veteran involvement, and opportunities for individuals to take the pledge. These activities will build on the events that took place last year in October, which is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Since then, public figures such as Joe Ostman of the Philadelphia Eagles, Enes Kanter of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Congressman Fred Upton have also taken the pledge.
“The partnership provides additional channels for VA to engage employees in the effort to eradicate all forms of harassment and assault; to broadcast its unwavering, zero-tolerance message; and to provide appropriate resources for those who may be suffering from the effects of harassment, assault, or violence,” said Jennifer Koget, acting national director of Social Work.
The partnership will also add to the resources VA already makes available around harassment, assault, and violence—the National Social Work Program currently has existing information available through its Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program.
Randy Moler, HAP program analyst and licensed clinical social worker, participated in planning calls and partnership development.
“It takes all of us—VA employees and our community partners—to create spaces that are free from harassment, assault, and domestic violence,” Mr. Moler said. “At HAP, we’re enthusiastic about the additional knowledge and resources this partnership will provide to employees, Veterans, and the larger community.”
For more information on HAP’s partnerships, please visit: va.gov/healthpartnerships.
For more information on White Ribbon VA, please visit: va.gov/health/harassment-free/.
External Link Disclaimer: This page contains links that will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.
Posted March 30, 2021
