Webinar: How a Collaboration between Domestic Violence Agencies and Technology Development Company is Enhancing Service Delivery for Advocates and Victims
Date: Nov 30, 2022
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Price: Free for members and their staff; $35/Non-members
In March 2020, as COVID-19 cases started to increase across the nation and “Stay at Home” orders began in response to stop the spread of the virus, domestic violence agencies in Western Pennsylvania were concerned that this “forced” social isolation would increase calls to crisis lines. Agencies prepared and redesigned services to brace for increased calls, but, surprisingly, those calls did not come. The pandemic spotlighted the challenges faced by domestic violence victims and shed light on the need for safe, improved communication tools between victims and domestic violence agencies. In the fall of 2020, OhanaLink Technologies™, a woman-owned technology development company based in Pennsylvania, was approached by a domestic violence agency. They inquired about the company’s existing technology platform, wondering if it could help domestic violence agencies address the overwhelming need for better communication channels that are safe for survivors to use. OhanaLink and the seven agencies brainstormed and strategized what features would most benefit the agencies and their client’s needs to create a solution designed to enhance communication, connectivity, and support. OhanaLink Purple™—a cloud-based, agency-driven services delivery system for better coordination and collaboration for agencies, victims, and family members— was developed from this collaboration. OhanaLink Purple was released in May. OhanaLink Purple provides domestic violence agencies with a series of tools to safely enhance communication and improve secure access to resources for victims. As a safe, private mobile communication and support tool, OhanaLink Purple is delivered through a concealed mobile app with proprietary Traceless Safety Features™ that can be used on smartphones or tablets. The mobile delivery system is free for a domestic violence agency’s client to use and provides the client with immediate access to many features, including a client profile, updates, chat, planner, directory of support organizations and contact information, and a library of useful resources to help survivors and families. OhanaLink Technologies Founder and CEO, Kara Wasser, will present a product review of OhanaLink Purple highlighting the unique safety features for both program advocates and the clients they serve. For more information, visit www.ohanalink.com/purple
Presenter(s):
Kara Wasser
Kara Wasser is the Founder and CEO of OhanaLink Technologies™, a
woman-owned technology solutions development company based in
Western Pennsylvania. After her own personal experiences with the
challenges and frustrations with the lack of clear communication
in a healthcare setting, resulting in missing the birth of her
niece, she set out to create a solution. She designed the
original concept for OhanaLink Baby™—a smartphone app to help
expectant mothers and their support person to bridge
communication gaps between patients and their families. She
continues to expand the company’s offerings from a single app to
a menu of innovative mobile solutions designed to connect and
support users. More recently, the company collaborated with a
group of domestic violence agencies to develop mobile technology
that transforms the delivery of services between advocates and
victims of domestic abuse. OhanaLink Purple is the first in the
market safe, secure, and private delivery system available in the
U.S. Kara’s professional portfolio expands over more than a
decade in the financial industry. She left her full-time
corporate role in 2019 to pursue her vision to create solutions
that increase communication and support in the social care and
health care markets. Kara completed a master’s degree in
Leadership and Professional Development from Duquesne University
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and bachelor’s degree in
Communication Studies. Kara resides in Hermitage, Pennsylvania
with her husband and their two children.
Questions?
Please contact Michell Franklin, Michell@cpedv.org