Anthia T. Elliott, who serves as the Program Director for BHN’s Domestic Violence & P.A.T.C.H. Services, was the recipient of the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) Advocate of the Year award. This award recognizes an individual from a community-based agency who has made extraordinary contributions to the lives of victims and survivors. 

Anthia accepted her award on April 23rd at MOVA’s 2024 Victim Rights Awards Ceremony event at the Massachusetts State House. The ceremony united numerous stakeholders to acknowledge the remarkable contributions of this year’s Victims’ Rights Month awardees in advancing innovative, high-quality, and trauma-informed victim rights and services throughout Massachusetts.

In Anthia's nomination for the award, she is credited for her 20-year career advocating for domestic violence survivors and her contributions to the development of BHN's domestic violence programs, which led to the expansion of domestic violence services provided in rural Western Massachusetts. 

Anthia has worked for various organizations throughout her career in domestic violence. By doing so, she has directly impacted countless survivors. She often shares stories of clients whom she has helped by providing access to emergency shelters, relocating them to escape abuse, helping them achieve immigration status, or ensuring they are as safe as possible given their circumstances. 

As the director of domestic violence programs at BHN, Anthia oversees both domestic violence survivor and perpetrator services. One of the innovative programs she manages is A Call for Change Helpline, which aims to de-escalate and promote accountability for domestic violence perpetrators. The helpline has expanded to receive calls from several states and countries. 

Anthia has been a longtime advocate and expert in immigration services, child witness to violence programs, and housing support programs, all with a domestic violence lens. She presented at the 2023 Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) Hawaii Internal Summit to address the service provision gap for single women who are survivors of domestic violence and who are facing homelessness. After her presentation, several programs and policies nationwide are working to close this loophole. 

According to Andrew Howard, Assistant Director of Domestic Violence Programs at BHN, “Anthia is a wealth of knowledge and skills that have helped change the lives of those we serve. She is a passionate advocate and a caring mentor. Anthia is always there to help the most marginalized folks in her community. In rural MA, Anthia relays that she is often the only person of color in the room. That perspective drives her to speak for those who are not represented and to challenge policies and programs that overlook underserved populations. In addition to her community work, Anthia is active in her church and her community, hosting events and programming for kids and being a respected pillar among those who know her. Our team was proud to nominate her for her unwavering and fiery passion for domestic violence work." 

April is Victim Rights Month, and 2024 is the 40th anniversary of MOVA, the Victim and Witness Assistance Board, and the formalization of Victim Rights in Massachusetts through the development of the Victim Bill of Rights. Anthia expressed the significance of the Victim Bill of Rights and what it means to her.