Vernon County receives nearly $448,000 grant

Vernon County has received a grant of nearly $448,000 to continue its Domestic Violence Initiative, focused on addressing intimate partner violence. The grant was awarded by the UW School of Medicine and Public Health through the Wisconsin Partnership Program and will support the initiative through 2028.

The Domestic Violence Initiative was launched in 2023 with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. The program was created to improve how Vernon County responds to domestic violence, support survivors, and provide treatment and accountability for offenders.

In April 2025, federal funding for the program was unexpectedly canceled. To make sure services did not stop, the Vernon County Board of Supervisors stepped in and funded the initiative through the end of 2025. That local funding allowed the program to continue helping residents while the project team searched for new funding.

The initiative is led by Vernon County in partnership with Stonehouse Counseling, Family & Children’s Center, Hansen Assessment and Educational Services, and the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office. Together they have built new services and improved how agencies work together to respond to domestic violence. 

Over the past three years, the program has created the Help End Abuse Response Team (HEART). HEART trains local volunteers to support survivors and assist law enforcement at the scene of domestic violence incidents. The initiative also formed a county-wide Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT) that meets monthly to review cases and improve local policies and procedures. In addition, sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) have been trained in the County, and local clinicians have been trained to assess domestic violence cases and lead group programs for people charged with domestic violence offenses. Funding from the Wisconsin Partnership Program will allow Vernon County to continue these services and expand the program. The Vernon County Public Health Department and UW-Madison Division of Extension will also join the effort.

For more information about Vernon County’s Initiative to address domestic violence contact Amy Oliver, Vernon County Community Development Director at [email protected] or call 608-637-5379.

---