Mission & Vision
The mission of the AVA is to advance health education and research on the recognition, treatment, and prevention of the health effects of violence and abuse throughout the lifecourse.
This will be accomplished by:
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Fostering and advancing best science regarding the relationship of violence and abuse to health, including prevention, identification, and care.
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Accelerating the translation of developing knowledge about violence, abuse and health into healthcare practice, education and public policy.
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Developing and widely promulgating competencies and standards for quality healthcare addressing the impacts of violence and abuse.
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Increasing student, policy maker and public awareness about the relationships between violence, abuse and health.
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Improving the abilities and skills of all healthcare professionals to deliver compassionate, quality care to those affected by violence and abuse.
The vision of the AVA is that the recognition, treatment, and prevention of the health effects of violence and abuse are fully integrated into healthcare and society so that people of all ages are safe and healthy.
History
An Institute of Medicine report in 2002 challenged the healthcare community to better educate itself on the impact exposure to violence and abuse makes on health and wellness in our communities. A multidisciplinary group of health care professionals accepted the challenge, and created the Academy on Violence and Abuse (AVA), the first academic organization dedicated to providing this education to all who are involved in healthcare. We foster scholarship and research in health effects of violence and abuse across the lifecourse, regardless of the practitioner's specialty.
