The Safer Futures Model: Developing Partnerships between Intimate Partner Violence and Health Care Agencies

Extract

This column highlights lessons learned from the Safer Futures model, which resulted from an effort to build successful partnerships between health care providers and intimate partner violence (IPV) agencies using a colocated advocate model. Using a “no wrong door” approach, the goal of Safer Futures is to increase access to IPV services for pregnant and newly parenting women. A demonstration project of the Safer Futures model was funded through the Pregnancy Assistance Fund in five different locations in Oregon. Here we present a brief description of the Safer Futures model and focus on the lessons learned during implementation to inform practice.

Background

IPV is a well-documented social determinant of health with clearly demonstrated health impacts and associated costs. Bonomi, Anderson, Rivara, and Thompson (2009) found that the health care costs of women who experience abuse are 42 percent higher than those of nonabused women. Health problems associated with domestic violence include chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease, sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and suicide attempts (Evanson, 2006). Although violence occurs across the life span, during pregnancy women are at risk for depression, delayed prenatal care, and premature labor, and their babies are at risk for fetal trauma and low birthweight (Taillieu & Brownridge, 2010). Finally, physical and psychological abuse during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of postpartum depression and substance abuse (Taillieu & Brownridge, 2010).