NCJ Number
207348
Editor(s)
Kathy Ulrich-Smith
Date Published
2004
Length
141 pages
Annotation
This manual assists health care providers in the prevention of intimate partner violence by understanding the prevalence of intimate partner violence and identifying patients suffering from partner violence and abuse.
Abstract
Domestic violence or intimate partner abuse is a medical problem as well as a social, criminal justice, and public health problem. Health care providers are an integral part of a community response to partner violence. In addition, communities are demanding and expecting the health care industry to do more for victims of family violence. In the State of California, recent laws regarding partner violence directly impact the health care providers and systems. Through a grant from the Office of Emergency Services, the California Medical Training Center developed this manual to address these concerns and specifically to: (1) provide information to the health care provider about partner violence including case management strategies and protocols; (2) facilitate the interaction of health care, social service, victim advocacy, and criminal justice systems; (3) serve as a resource manual for standardized forms, definitions, and legal issues; (4) assist practitioners in helping victims of partner violence and meet the evolving standards of care; and (5) provide clear guidelines for documenting findings in order to guide the continuity of care, protect the practitioner’s liability, and provide evidence of abuse when needed. The manual is divided into eight main sections: (1) defining partner abuse; (2) prevalence of domestic violence; (3) identification; (4) understanding intimate partner violence; (5) assessment process; (6) the care plan; (7) documentation; and (8) the legal process. In addition, information is provided specific to the stalked patient, the teenage patient, the older or dependent adult patient, and the sexually abused patient. References and appendixes