Janett Forte, MSW, LCSW
IWH Program Director
jforte@vcu.edu

Address: P.O. Box 980319
Office:   1200 E Clay Street, Suite 1001
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0319
Phone: 804-827-1200
Fax: 804-827-0957
                       

Janett Forte, MSW, LCSW is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where she serves as program director for the VCU Institute for Women’s Health, one of twenty national academic medical center models providing innovative, comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and integrated health care systems for women. The Institute at VCU serves as a catalyst for developing initiatives to improve women's health by fostering integration of clinical care, research, community engagement, professional education and women’s leadership development aimed at improving the health status of diverse women across the life span. She is instrumental in coordinating the Institute’s multifaceted initiatives aimed at improving women’s health in our community.

Janett is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a recognized leader in the area of domestic and sexual violence with expertise in clinical intervention, training, public policy, research and systems change. She has worked for over 25 years to increase awareness and education related to violence against women. Previously she coordinated services in Chesterfield County through the Domestic Violence Resource Center, an office she designed to provide leadership to county governmental criminal justice and human services agencies to strengthen the response to domestic violence. Janett was a Clinician with the Chesterfield Community Services Board substance abuse unit and a Shelter Coordinator for the Richmond YWCA. She is the recipient of the 2004 YWCA Outstanding Woman of the Year award in government/politics for her work in Chesterfield County to build a coordinated community response to domestic violence. 

Janett has provided training on a local and statewide level to diverse groups including law enforcement, therapists, healthcare, and social service professionals as well as numerous community groups. Janett is a training faculty member with the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance Training Institute.

Janett has published research in the Journal of Social Work on Role Taking in Battered Women, American Journal of Criminal Justice on Impact of Sentencing Options on Recidivism, and in two issues of the Domestic Violence Report.

Since the 1990's she has served in a variety of leadership roles, including as Board President for Virginians Against Domestic Violence the state domestic violence coalition and as a member of Attorney General Jerry Kilgore’s Advisory Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. She has been involved in community coalitions for over fifteen years and served as Chair of the Chesterfield County Domestic Violence Task Force for over 3 years.

Honors:

• VCU "40 Act's of Caring" award as part of the Virginia Commonwealth University 40th Anniversary Celebration for Domestic Violence Partnerships
• YWCA Outstanding Women Award – Government/Politics, 2004
• National Association of Counties Award (NACO), 2002
• Virginians Against Domestic Violence, Volunteer of the Year Award, Virginia, 2000
• Virginians Against Domestic Violence Peace Award, Virginia, 2000
• Governor’s New Partnership Commission Excellence in Community Safety Award, VA 1999
• Department of Criminal Justice Services Victim Assistance Award, Virginia, 1999
• National Association of Counties Award (NACO), 1997

updated: 12.20.08