Project Overview
Groundbreaking Project Aims to Help Victims of Domestic Violence
Program aided health care workers in identify problems
One of the greatest concerns for domestic violence advocates is that many victims are falling through the cracks of the nation's health care system. Saint Louis University has received new funding to expand a program that trains health care providers to catch victims before they slip through the cracks. SLU’s Pediatric-Psychology Partnership for Abuse Prevention received a three-year grant worth nearly $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Health Professions. It was the third time the bureau has funded the program, also known as the Child and Family Safety Project, since its inception in 2002.
The grant helped to extend and expand the program, which began as a way to train graduate-level psychology students how to identify and intervene with victims of domestic violence. These students then passed their knowledge on to residents in the pediatrics program at SLU as well as students in the University’s School of Medicine. In return, the psychology students learned first-hand about the health care system as well as the health concerns facing young children and their families. Working together, these students and residents offered families comprehensive health care intervention. The services were provided at University Pediatrics, a primary care clinic located in a medically underserved community that serves about 6,000 patients each year.
The project has created educational materials that have been added to the core curriculum of clinical psychology, ensuring that every student in the program is exposed to the information. Also through this project, some doctoral students in clinical psychology are now able to pursue a master’s degree in public health to broaden their understanding of violence and health.
The long-term goal of the project was to make violence screening services part of the standard health care visit. Weaver said this could break down the barriers that, many women may experience in seeking services related to violence and abuse.
Program aided health care workers in identify problems
One of the greatest concerns for domestic violence advocates is that many victims are falling through the cracks of the nation's health care system. Saint Louis University has received new funding to expand a program that trains health care providers to catch victims before they slip through the cracks. SLU’s Pediatric-Psychology Partnership for Abuse Prevention received a three-year grant worth nearly $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Health Professions. It was the third time the bureau has funded the program, also known as the Child and Family Safety Project, since its inception in 2002.
The grant helped to extend and expand the program, which began as a way to train graduate-level psychology students how to identify and intervene with victims of domestic violence. These students then passed their knowledge on to residents in the pediatrics program at SLU as well as students in the University’s School of Medicine. In return, the psychology students learned first-hand about the health care system as well as the health concerns facing young children and their families. Working together, these students and residents offered families comprehensive health care intervention. The services were provided at University Pediatrics, a primary care clinic located in a medically underserved community that serves about 6,000 patients each year.
The project has created educational materials that have been added to the core curriculum of clinical psychology, ensuring that every student in the program is exposed to the information. Also through this project, some doctoral students in clinical psychology are now able to pursue a master’s degree in public health to broaden their understanding of violence and health.
The long-term goal of the project was to make violence screening services part of the standard health care visit. Weaver said this could break down the barriers that, many women may experience in seeking services related to violence and abuse.
