Sept. 3, 2026
VERNON COUNTY, Wis. – The Vernon County Health Department is launching a series of community listening sessions as part of its newly formed Intimate Partner Violence Prevention and Response Initiative. The program represents a collaborative, countywide effort to address safety and support networks in Southwest Wisconsin.
According to county health officials, the initiative aims to reduce both the occurrence and long-term effects of intimate partner violence through early identification, cross-sector education, trauma-informed mental health services, and stronger community support networks. The health department plans to engage multiple touchpoints throughout the area, including local schools, clinics, faith institutions, businesses, and law enforcement.
This community-focused initiative is the result of years of interdepartmental planning and successful grant procurement. In late 2025, former Administrative Coordinator Cassandra Hanan announced that the county had secured a substantial three-year grant of $448,487 from the Wisconsin Partnership Program with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
“We received a grant to continue the work of creating a process for change domestic violence prevention program through the Wisconsin partnership program with the UW School of Medicine and Public Health,” said Hanan. “The total grant award is $448,487 and is expected to cover the program activities for three years.”
The successful grant application had immediate financial benefits for the county. During a previous Finance Committee meeting, Hanan explained how the state grant allowed the county to reallocate a significant chunk of local tribal money.
“While we are talking about Ho-Chunk projects, just so the Finance Committee is aware, we had allocated for the 2026 budget money for that Domestic Violence Initiative,” said Hanan. “And we did receive word that they are receiving grant funding for that.”
This adjustment allowed the county to free up about $82,000 that the Sheriff’s Office had originally requested from the Ho-Chunk unassigned funds for the “Creating a Process for Change” program.
Collaborating to reduce domestic abuse has been a consistent, documented goal for Vernon County leaders. In both the 2024 and 2025 county budgets, the Vernon County District Attorney’s Office officially listed the reduction of domestic abuse incidents and working with local prevention programs as top priorities.
Law enforcement has also played an active role. At the March 2026 Public Safety Committee meeting, Sheriff Roy Torgerson highlighted the ongoing efforts of the Coordinated Community Response Team, which brings together various county professionals to coordinate responses.
“On March 2 was our monthly Coordinated Community Response Team meeting that is a team of several from the county that coordinate on how we respond to domestic violence here in Vernon County,” said Torgerson. “And I think that, you know, proud to be part of that team, and I think we have made some major progress in that area.”
The Vernon County Intimate Partner Violence Prevention & Response Initiative Team are hosting community listening sessions throughout Vernon County. Officials are urging residents to participate in these shared decision-making opportunities to help shape the project’s development.
This project aims to reduce both the occurrence and long-term effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) through early identification, cross-sector education, trauma-informed mental health services, and stronger community support networks. It engages multiple touchpoints, including schools, clinics, faith institutions, businesses, and law enforcement, and is guided by community input and systems mapping to ensure responsive, locally tailored solutions.
Attending a listening session will provide you with knowledge of what the problem is? Learn the history of this initiative, and why your voice really does matter and how using it will help this project to develop even further.
Register for the session that fits your schedule best through this Jotform link.
For Vernon County residents seeking immediate help, several local domestic abuse resources remain active. These include the New Horizons Domestic Abuse Shelter, which operates a 24-hour crisis line at 1-888-231-0066, Passages, which can be reached at 1-800-236-4325, and the Family and Children’s Center in Viroqua at 608-637-7052.
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