An Aftercare Program For Female Survivors Of Domestic ...

An Aftercare Program for Female Survivors Of Domestic Abuse:AGrant Proposal
Dianne Adiezatu ObakhumeCalifornia State University, Long BeachSchool of Social WorkMay 2013
Introduction
Domestic violence (DV), also referred to as domestic abuse or intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner (U.S. Department of Justice: Office on Violence Against Women [OVW], 2012).According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC; 2006), domestic abuse is a serious and preventable health problem that affects millions of Americans, particularly women, and has become a growing epidemic in the UnitedStates.Approximately 7 million women in the United States alone are abused yearly by someone they personally know, such as a spouse, partner, or ex-partner (CDC, 2011).About 1 in 4 women (24. 3%) in the United States have been affected, and are victims of severe physical violence perpetrated by an intimatepartner.
Prevalence and Risk Factors
It is difficult to establish precise numbers of women who experience domestic abuse due to underreporting, but it is estimated that about one in every three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused (Crawford, Liebling-Kalifani, & Hill, 2009; WHO, 2011).Risk factors whichcan contribute to theincidence ofdomesticabuse include witnessingparental violence, harmful use of alcohol and drugs,anda history of sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence (WHO, 2011).Otherfactors such as poverty, lack of education, and low socioeconomic status have also been considered to be major contributors to domestic abuse (WHO, 2011).There are certain limitations in the services that domestic abuse victims receive after they exit the shelter environment; such as access to counseling services and case management (Bennett, Riger, Schewe, Howard, & Wasco, 2004). According to Cole, Logan, & Shannon (2008), higher levels of social support are associated with a lower likelihood of re-victimization, and a social support system seems to predict a better outcome in terms of establishing healthier relationships.In order to address some of these issues and to promote self-sufficiency, CareLinks was developed to provide aftercare services to women who are exiting from a shelter.
Multi Cultural and Social Work Relevance
Domesticviolence impacts women of all ethnic backgrounds and social economicstatus,therefore, social workers need to be culturally competent about domestic abuse and its effects on their clients (Kanno & Newhill, 2009).Domesticabuse directly impacts the field of social work because many of the client population have been or are being affected by domesticabuse,and social workers asadvocates needto be aware of its impact on families, children, and the society at large.Studies have shown that incidences of domestic abuse are higher amongst the poor and uneducated, and also amongst women of color (Hill, Mossakowski, & Angel, 2007), and this population constitutes the bulk of social work clients (Agazie, 2011).Social workers believe in social change, and one way of accomplishing change is to work together with clients in eliminating this form of oppression.
Methods
Target PopulationThetarget population identified for this proposed program are abused women living in the city of San Diego who have recently completed a domestic violence shelter program, and are exiting out of a shelter into independent living.Strategies Used to Identify a Funding SourceThe California State University Long Beach library databasewasutilized in conducting this search. Research was also conducted using resources at the Foundation Center to locate potential funders.Additionally, a search was conducted on the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) website, which provides federal grants for programs supporting victims of domestic violence.And theLong Beach NonprofitPartnershipin order to access their database collection that provides a list of funders and grants based on grantneeds.Identify Funding Source SelectedThe Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault Programs was selected as the funding source for the program (www.ovw.usdoj.gov). This federal grant is offered by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The OVW's four priority areas include: 1) preventing violence against women; 2) addressing sexual assault; 3) extending programs to underserved communities; and 4) restoring and protecting the economic security of victims of violence.
Methods
Sources Used for the Needs AssessmentData will be collected from the CDC's National Intimate Partner Violence Survey (CDC, 2011) to examine reports of challenges that domestic abuse victims’ face regarding history of victimization, and what interventions were successful for them. Focus groups will also be conducted with survivors who have transitioned successfully, to validate the necessity of this aftercare program.Projected Budget Range and CategoriesThe budget for this program has been calculated to be $158,679. This budget is based upon the cost of staffing, direct and indirect costs which will operate for the one-year funding period. The staffing will consist of a part-time program director, a full-time coordinator, and two part-time master of social work interns.Program Director: Theposition requires apart-time bilingualLicensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of this program, including administration, staff supervision, and the successful operation of this program.ProgramCoordinator: This is a full-time position to be held by a master's degree level social worker (MSW) who will be responsible for providing individual counseling and facilitating the supportgroups.SocialWork interns: These two positions are to be held by two master's degree level social work interns (MSW). These are per diem positions at 20 hours per week to provide case management, assist clients with using resources, and networking with other agencies to raise awareness of theprogram.
Grant Proposal
Program Summary and Population ServedThe CareLinks program willbea12-weekprogram that will run for a 12-month period. This program will providecase management for housing and job assistance, individual counseling, and facilitate support groups for abused women 18 years of age and older who are exiting from a domestic violence shelter.Thegoal of CareLinks is to empower 100 abused women over the course of one year by assisting them in gaining economic self-sufficiency, and promoting independentskills.This 12-week program aims to equip women with knowledge and skills that would enable them to reject abusive relationships, and to avoid re-victimization.SustainabilityFor the purpose of this project, the CareLinks program will be fully funded by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and it will be hosted by the YWCA of San Diego County. The OVW offers federal grants to innovative programs addressing domestic violence against women. The YWCA is a nonprofit organization that provides services to victims of domestic abuse that includes safe housing, counseling, legal assistance, employment support, financial literacy training, and supportive children’s programs to over 5,700 individuals annually in San Diego County.
Grant Proposal
Program ObjectivesTheoverall goal of this program is to provide an effective follow-up service that focuses on enabling female victims of domestic abuse leave the cycle of violence by gaining independence in order to avoid the reoccurrence of abuse in theirlives. Toprovide case management for housing and job assistance in order to increase economic self-sufficiency.Toprovide individual counseling in order to reduce the psychological effects associated with victimization of domestic abuse. Finally, tooffer emotional support by facilitating personal empowerment support groups.Program EvaluationThisprogram will be evaluated for effectiveness by using a pretest and posttest assessment.A pretest survey will be administered during the initialassessment of admission into CareLinks. Uponcompletion of the 12 week session, a posttest survey will be administered again with the samequestions.At the conclusion ofCareLinks,the overarching expectation is that after receiving counseling, case management, and participating in thesupportgroups, 85% of the women will see an increase in their self-esteem, a decrease in their depression, obtain employment and secure housing, and learn how to engage in safe and healthy relationships.Follow-upphone callswill alsobemade 6 months and 1 year after the end of the programto participants who have successfully completed the program.The caller will evaluate the efficacy of this program by observing the outcomeswhetherthey have more stable lives through the help of the aftercare program.
Lessons Learned/Implications for Social Work
Lessons LearnedGrant WritingIdentification of NeedSelection of Potential Funding SourceImplications for Social WorkThisprocess of writing this grant demonstrates theneed for social workers to be knowledgeable about funding and the grant writing process, as many social workers are employed innon-profitagencies, and often require funding from different sources. The knowledge acquired through the process of this grant writing is a vital tool in working with, and seeking services for diverse populations, including for women and domestic abuse survivors.Studies have shown that incidences of domestic abuse are higher amongst the poor and uneducated, and also amongst women of color, and these populations constitute the bulk of social work clients (Agazie, 2011; Hill et al., 2007). Therefore,it is imperative that social workers be attentive and culturally competent about the effects of domesticabuse in thelives of their clients.
References
Agazie, M. (2011). CulturalConsiderations Impacting Domestic Violence Among African American Women: Implications for Social Work.Conflict Resolution & Negotiation,1, 138-141.Bennett, L., Riger, S., Schewe, P., Howard, A., & Wasco, S. (2004). Effectiveness of hotline, advocacy, counseling, and shelter services for victims of domestic violence.Journal of Interpersonal Violence,19(7), 815-829.Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention. (2006). Measuring Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Perpetration: A Compendium of Assessment Tools. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/domesticviolence/.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011).The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cole, J., Logan, T., & Shannon, L. (2008). Women’s risk for revictimization by a new abusive partner: For what should we be looking?Violence & Victims, 23(3), 315-330.Crawford, E., Liebling-Kalifani, H., & Hill, V. (2009). Women's Understanding of the Effects of Domestic Abuse: The Impact on Their Identity, Sense of Self and Resilience. A Grounded Theory Approach.Journal of International Women's Studies,11(2), 63-82.Hill, T., Mossakowski, K., & Angel, R. (2007). Relationship violence and psychological distress among low-income urban women.Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 84, 537-551.Kanno, H., & Newhill, C. E. (2009). Social Workers and Battered Women: The Need to Study Client Violence in the Domestic Violence Field.Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma,18, 46-63.U. S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against women (2012). Domestic violence [online]. [Cited 2012 Dec 4]. Available from www.ovw.usdoj.gov.World Health Organization (2011).Violence against Women Fact Sheet. Retrieved December 4, 2012, from www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/.