About the IFVCC

Family Violence Coordinating Councils, at both the state and local/circuit levels, provide a forum to improve the institutional, professional and community response to family violence including child abuse, domestic abuse, and elder abuse. Councils provide professional education and prevention; coordinate interventions and services for victims and perpetrators; and contribute to both the improvement of the legal system and the administration of justice.

Initiated under the auspices of the Illinois Supreme Court in 1990, Illinois is one of the few states that has a systematically organized, statewide infrastructure that operates at both the state and local levels. Since the 1970’s, a comprehensive, coordinated approach to preventing family violence has been promoted as the most efficient and effective way to penetrate systems and mobilize them for the greatest change.

Annually, up to 15,000 professionals from across Illinois participate in trainings and council projects. These include family violence training and education of criminal justice and community professionals; development of criminal justice procedures, protocols, and services related to family violence; and the facilitation of coordinated community response to family violence in local areas. These Local Councils provide opportunities for communication between criminal justice professionals and community service providers as well as encourage the sharing of information and resources, thereby providing for development of a network of safety and assistance for family violence victims.

Chief and circuit judges convene and chair the 23 local councils in all 102 counties in Illinois which are composed of policy-level decision makers who represent agencies and services to help intervene and prevent family violence.

News & Events

February 11, 2019 | SAVE THE DATE - IFVCC 2019 Spring Training: June 7, 2019

The Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council Annual Spring Training will be held on Friday, June 7th at Bunn Auditorium in Springfield.

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This year’s focus will be on Domestic Violence Risk Assessment and Strangulation. Our speaker is Lieutenant Daniel E. Rincon from the Scottsdale Police Department and Former Supervisor of the Domestic Violence Unit. He is a training with the Institute on Strangulation Prevention through the Alliance of Hope International.

Lieutenant Daniel E. Rincon
Scottsdale Police Department
Rincon Criminal Investigative Training and Consulting, LLC.
RinconCITC@icloud.com
DRincon@Scottsdaleaz.gov
8401 E Indian School Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Dan Rincon is a 28-year veteran of the Scottsdale Police Department (Arizona) and earned a Master’s in Criminal Justice Degree from Arizona State University. Previous to his career in law enforcement, Dan served in the United States Navy for four years (1985-1989) and the Arizona Department of corrections for two years (1989-1991).

Dan holds the rank of Police Lieutenant and was the Domestic Violence Unit supervisor for over five years. He has served on the East Valley Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board (Phoenix Metropolitan Area), currently serves as a faculty member for the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention (Alliance for HOPE International – San Diego) and has been a commissioner since 2012 on the Governor’s Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women for both past Governor Jan Brewer and current Governor Doug Ducey.

Lieutenant Rincon’s investigative experience includes being lead detective and supervising a range of investigations including homicides, robberies, sexual assaults, major assaults, domestic violence cases, child abuse and gang crimes. While under his leadership, detectives from the Domestic Violence Unit increased their physical arrests 230% over a two year period, decreased individual caseloads by 80%, and created a Domestic Violence Repeat-Offender Database that gave first responders the ability to access an offender’s criminal history and convictions while still at the scene of a reported DV crime. These initiatives contributed to a 7% decrease in domestic violence in the City of Scottsdale in 2008,which was the first annual decrease in domestic violence incidents in over a decade.

As a subject matter expert, Lieutenant Rincon has dedicated himself to educating law enforcement professionals, prosecutors, victim advocates and other stakeholders across the country in the investigation of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and homicide cases. He also specializes in domestic violence dynamics and fatal and near-fatal strangulation investigations and the use of Body- Worn Cameras in criminal investigations.

As part of the Scottsdale Police Department’s management team, Lieutenant Rincon has served in their Investigative Service Bureau, Uniformed Service Bureau, Training Unit, and the Office of the Chief of Police - Internal Affairs.

More details to follow soon…

Mary Ratliff
Program Director of the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council
Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
607 E. Adams, Suite 906
Springfield, IL 62701
O: 217-524-4745
F: 217-558-2636

January 17, 2019 | 2nd Annual Looking Beneath the Surface Human Trafficking Conference

Take part in “Looking Beneath the Surface” – Human Trafficking Conference on Friday, January 25th from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Kankakee Community College (KCC-100 College Dr. Kankakee, IL 60901) sponsored by KCC, KC-CASA, the 21st Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council, and the Zonta Club of Kankakee. During this day-long conference, participants will learn how to help our communities shed light on this issue and positively impact the lives of survivors.

The cost to attend is $15 and includes contact hours and lunch. This event is open for anyone to attend. To register please go to www.kcc.edu or call 815-802-8207.
Conference participants will hear from the founder of Lacey’s Hope Project and trafficking survivor Emmy Myers. Emmy is a business leader, community advocate, speaker, educator and source of knowledge and inspiration for others. She founded Lacey’s Hope Project to help end the social justice issues of sex trafficking and drug abuse and represent the promise of change, restoration, and healing. 

Award-winning documentary filmmaker and survivor Vanessa McNeal will share her message of overcoming adversity, sexual violence, leadership, and social change. Vanessa is a tenacious and thought-provoking national speaker, two time TEDx speaker, and business owner. As a survivor of child abuse and sexual violence, she transforms audiences with her vulnerability and strength.

For any questions on KC-CASA’s Human Trafficking Program, or to schedule training, please contact Sheri Schweizer at 815-932-7273 ext. 215. For more information please go to www.kc-casa.org.

View/download the conference flyer and registration form >>

View the press release >>

December 3, 2018 | Prosecutor Protocol for Responding to Victims with Disabilities and Older Adults Who Experience Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Abuse, Neglect or Exploitation

Workgroups comprised of Advisory Committee members, Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council staff, Local Council Coordinators and local Family Violence Coordinating Council members reviewed the protocols, updated statutes, person-first language and developed new resources for these protocols.

The purpose of this protocol is to effectively guide prosecutor in responding to people with disabilities and older adults who experience domestic violence, sexual assault, abuse, neglect or exploitation through model guidelines, investigative procedures, and legal considerations. Implementation of the protocol will allow for successful partnering with law enforcement, advocates, and others in the criminal justice system in the response to victims who are older adults or those with disabilities. Additionally, implementation supports alignment with legal mandates as well as current best practices. Prosecutor response is critical to ensuring that victims who are older adults, or those with disabilities, have equal access to the criminal justice system in a compassionate, proactive, individualized manner. Use of this protocol will promote a more coordinated community response with prosecutor by bringing together health care, social service and adult protective services in serving older adults and people with disabilities who are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

Download the Prosecutor Protocol 

October 30, 2018 | FVCC Steering Committee Meeting: November 2, 2018

The Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council (FVCC) Steering Committee will meet on Friday, November 2, 2018 at 9am to 11am at the offices of the ICJIA/FVCC Office at 607 E. Adams, Rm 906, Springfield, Illinois. Call-in: 1-888-494-4032 Passcode 5989681313

Meeting Materials:

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