About Us
North Idaho Violence Prevention Center (formally the Women’s Center) was founded in Kootenai County in 1977 and has since been providing confidential and comprehensive direct client services and shelter to victims of domestic violence and rape/sexual assault in Kootenai, Benewah, Shoshone, Bonner and Boundary counties.
North Idaho Violence Prevention Center (NIVPC) provides a domestic violence hot line and a rape/sexual assault hotline for Kootenai and Benewah Counties. NIVPC also maintains service for the Kootenai County Crisis lines. These lines are staffed twenty-four hours a day by dedicated staff and volunteers. NIVPC also provides hospital advocacy for victims at the emergency room or admitted to the hospital for injuries 24 hours a day for domestic violence and rape/sexual assault. Our office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and houses the Court Advocacy, Community Outreach and Education, Volunteer Coordination, Counseling and Children’s Center, Rape/Sexual Assault and Teen Dating Violence programs, as well as Administration, which answers the hotlines during office hours.
Who we serve
North Idaho Violence Prevention Center serves women, children and men in all programs offered with the exception of the emergency shelter and the Domestic Violence and Sexual Support groups for men. While not all programs are offered to men, through the Engaging Men program, NIVPC works with men to provide public education campaigns and community organization encouraging men to be part of successful crime prevention efforts addressing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, and to become partners in creating respectful and positive relationships.
Clients accessing direct services range from 4 years old to 80+ and come from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. NIVPC serves clients from all five counties- Kootenai, Benewah, Shoshone, Bonner and Boundary. With the exception of Kootenai County, the other four counties are rural counties.
Our objectives
North Idaho Violence Prevention Center’s major objectives are to 1) provide immediate safety and confidential services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; 2) improve knowledge of domestic violence/sexual assault and NIVPC programs and services with the community and professionals; 3) improve knowledge of healthy relationships, dating violence, and sexual assault/rape in local junior and senior high schools and local colleges/universities.