Domestic Abuse Response Team

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes and live a life free of violence.

The Loudoun County Domestic Abuse Response Team (D.A.R.T.) works to protect survivors of domestic abuse. The D.A.R.T. team mobilizes advocates, service providers, law enforcement and legal professionals to support survivors’ needs.

To get help in Loudoun County:

  • Call or text 9-1-1 if anyone is in immediate danger.
  • Call Loudoun County’s Domestic and Sexual Violence hotline 24 hours a day, every day: 703-777-6552.
  • Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224. If you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.
  • Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) at 800.656.HOPE (4673). Survivors can call RAINN or chat on the website. It’s free and confidential. 

Make a Plan

  • A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that helps a survivor to remain safe and avoid dangerous situations. 
  • This plan includes ways to remain safe while in the relationship, while planning to leave, or after leaving. Safety planning also addresses how to cope with emotions, tell friends and family about the abuse, take legal action, and more. 
  • Although parts of a safety plan may seem obvious, it’s important to remember that in moments of crisis, a person’s brain doesn’t function the same as when they are calm. Having a safety plan laid out in advance can help a survivor protect themself in stressful moments.
  • Safety planning looks different for everyone. A safety plan should be tailored to the survivor's specific situation. For help with safety planning, call the LAWS Hotline at (703) 777-6552 and speak with an advocate.

What You Can Do to Help Others

We can all play a role in preventing domestic violence. 

  • If you’re concerned about a friend or family member, it’s more important than ever to check in with them.
  • Encourage people who are experiencing abuse to make a safety plan and to call for help and guidance.
  • Let them know you are there to listen, help, and support them without judgment. Emphasize that the abuse is not their fault.
  • Ask the survivor what they want you to do.

View, print or download the flyer.

Link to Domestic Abuse Response Team Flyer in English

View, print or download the flyer(Spanish)

Link to Domestic Abuse Response Team Flyer in Spanish

Coordinated Community Response

The Coordinated Community Response (CCR) model of domestic violence illustrates the inter-relationship of agencies and levels of response for addressing domestic violence. It recognizes that no one agency can deal effectively and safely with domestic violence -- a collaborative approach leads to the best outcomes.

Project Partners

Loudoun County has developed a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to domestic violence to achieve the best possible outcomes. This was made possible through the collaborative efforts of its project partners.

The project partners include:

Loudoun Domestic Abuse Response Team

To facilitate development of its Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to domestic violence, the county formed the Loudoun Domestic Abuse Response Team (D.A.R.T.). D.A.R.T. is comprised of front line workers and mid-level managers from the project agencies. The D.A.R.T. is advised by the Loudoun Domestic Violence Steering Committee, which consists of county agency directors, local department heads, and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judges.

The Loudoun D.A.R.T. endeavors to ensure collaboration with project and community partners regarding information sharing, mutual problem solving, victim safety issues, and offender accountability within the criminal justice system. The team has developed protocols that ensure clear and expeditious lines of communication within the justice system and that encourage the legal exchange of critical information to lead to uniform and consistent responses to domestic and family violence.

D.A.R.T. Mission Statement

The mission of the D.A.R.T. is to ensure the safety of victims and families, and to increase offender accountability through consistent collaboration with our interagency and community partners; and to promote awareness and education about the pervasive effects of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse through training, intervention, and rehabilitation.