Coeur d'Alene trauma talk aims to prevent violence

Finland-based violence prevention specialist Elina Viitasaari will speak July 2 at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library in a free presentation on Community Responses to Polarization, Social Fragmentation, and Violence. Strong, Safe and Aware is hosting the 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. event at 702 E. Front Ave.

The Center for Global Nonkilling identifies Viitasaari as a trauma-informed practitioner with academic background in psychology, criminal justice, peace, mediation and conflict research. Her work has included victims and perpetrators in prisons, shelters, victim-support settings and prevention programs.

Kootenai County’s trauma response already runs through local public-safety and social-service systems. Safe Passage offers free, confidential, trauma-informed counseling for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence ages 8 and up, and its Children’s Advocacy Center was established in 2014 by a multidisciplinary Kootenai County team that included law enforcement, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, Kootenai Health and advocates. Strong, Safe and Aware provides trauma-informed training, education and collaboration focused on strengthening families and preventing child abuse.

The Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance works to ensure victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and other violent crimes have access to quality trauma-informed and victim-centered services. In Idaho, the National Network to End Domestic Violence said 18 of 20 identified domestic-violence programs took part in a 2024 one-day count, serving 492 victims and reporting 267 unmet requests for help in a single 24-hour period.

Kootenai Health Foundation received a $950,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women in 2025 to strengthen responses to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking across the 10 northern counties of the Idaho Panhandle.