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Implementing and Evaluating a Counseling Program in Partnership With a Community-based Domestic Violence Service Provider

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Given the burden of intimate partner violence (IPV), effective counseling interventions that are accessible to women in their own communities are needed. OBJECTIVES: To describe the collaborative process of implement ing and evaluating a new counseling program for IPV-the Women's Initiative for Safety and Health (WISH)-in a community setting and present results of its Thrst pilot test. METHODS: WISH is a stage-tailored, eight-session counseling program based on the transtheoretical model. Imple men tation evaluation addressed program exposure/Thdelity, counselor experience, and client experience. Outcome evaluation measured change in IPV-related incidents, self-efficacy, decisional balance, overall health, quality of life, and stage of change among 19 women. RESULTS: Both counselors and clients perceived the WISH intervention positively. Across all outcomes, there were improvements among some women, most notably in perceived self-efficacy, decisional balance, and stage of change. CONCLUSIONS: Academic-community partnerships can facilitate the translation of theory-based interventions for use in community-based settings.

Source: Progress in community health partnerships

DOI: 10.1353/cpr.2017.0005