Survivor Leadership Cohort

Centering the voices and experiences of survivors is foundational to the work of preventing and healing from violence. In our effort to be led by survivors and value their lived experience as expertise, the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence (HRC) launched a one-of-a-kind leadership opportunity comprised solely of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), called the Survivor Leadership Cohort (SLC).

The SLC is a yearlong program consisting of a cohort of 10 survivors of IPV who bring invaluable experiences and are interested in advocating for a more trauma-informed healthcare system. The participants are selected through a competitive application process and have diverse experiences and identities.

SLC goals are to:

Build a nurturing, inclusive community and meaningful connection among survivors;
Build capacity and promote professional development related to improving healthcare response to IPV;
Provide feedback on and develop HRC resources to support survivors in ways that truly honor, lift up, and center lived experience; and
Develop policy advocacy skills to promote health care systems improvements for prevention and survivor health.

“As a professional advocate, I have never had space to center my survivorship. Centering my survivorship feels like a privilege, when this really should be a part of me. I appreciate not having to apologize for being me.”

– 2022-2023 SLC Alumni

Learn more about the Inaugural Survivor Leadership Cohort experience.

Meet the 2023-2024 Survivor Leadership Cohort members:

From top left: Samantha Jo-Dato, Juliette Gina Ford, Shelby Bergeson, Mateo Perez Lara, LTomay Douglas Varlack-Butler, Consuelo Brown, Lisbet Perez, July Vang, Kiehsa Preston, Kia Dupclay