| Little Company of Mary Joins CAVA Program Targeting Domestic Violence |
Posted: February 26, 2001 |
Every day emergency departments across America face the disheartening task of treating victims of domestic violence. Some patients are there for the first time; sadly, approximately 40 percent have been treated before and, without help, will return again and again. And according to a 1991 study, 28 percent of domestic violence victims visiting emergency rooms had injuries so serious that the victims required hospitalization. Despite many people�s mistaken belief that domestic violence doesn�t occur in more affluent, educated communities, the greater South Bay area is not immune to the impact abusive relationships have on individuals, families and communities.
Complicating the medical care situation, many domestic violence victims �emergency room hop,� visiting a different area hospital for each new injury to avoid uncomfortable questions and suspicions. This makes tracking and follow-up especially difficult � and cooperation between agencies and hospitals especially valuable.
That�s why six area hospitals, two local police departments and six social service agencies have banded together in an unprecedented effort to provide screening and alternatives to domestic violence victims, and education to hospital personnel and the community at large. The program is called CAVA (Collaborative for Alternatives to Violence and Abuse). CAVA�s hospital partners include Little Company of Mary Hospital, San Pedro Peninsula Hospital, Gardena Community Hospital, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance Memorial Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente � Harbor City Medical Center. Joining the hospitals as partners against domestic violence are Rainbow Services, 1736 Family Crisis Center, South Bay Free Clinic, Richstone Family Center, Sexual Assault Crisis Agency, the Police Department, other local law enforcement agencies, Beach Cities Health District and Little Company of Mary Hospital Foundation.
�One of the most exciting aspects of CAVA has been the way different agencies and hospitals have come together in a common cause,� said Kathy Harren, Vice President, Patient Care Services at Little Company of Mary Hospital, and one of the leaders of the CAVA project. �Obviously, there is a tremendous amount of coordination and communication involved in designing the program�s structure, developing training, finding funding sources and implementing the program. Sharing the perspectives and wealth of knowledge from each specialty area has been invaluable.�
Funded by a $100,000 grant arranged by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and a $200,181 grant from the UniHealth Foundation for CAVA�s first year of operation, CAVA provided specialized training in advanced screening techniques to Emergency Department, Labor and Delivery Department, Radiology Department, Security Department, Employee Assistance Program and Social Services staffs at all six hospitals in February and March, 2001. (Many victims of domestic violence are pregnant when they are battered, putting them at high risk of premature delivery and their babies at risk of low birth weight, so training of Labor and Delivery personnel is a high priority.)
All involved medical personnel are trained to automatically screen patients in the following four high-risk groups:
Any female patient 16 years or age or older presenting at the emergency room with an injury
Patients who, upon physical examination, show evidence of old bruises or injuries
Patients who are pregnant
Patients with partners who answer questions for the patients and resist letting them be questioned alone.
(While men can be, and are, victims of domestic violence, the great majority of the victims are female. The CAVA screening guidelines eventually will be broadened to cover all patients; however, the initial emphasis will be on screening these four groups.)
When domestic violence is suspected based on responses to the screening questions, the patient is connected by phone to an emergency response advocate at either Rainbow Services or 1736 Family Crisis Center, two local social service agencies that will provide 24/7 on-call counseling support to the CAVA program, as well as running domestic violence shelters, and providing counseling, hot lines, and support for victims and their families. These counselors talk with the patient, using the agencies� own safety and domestic violence screening questions, help her assess her situation and encourage her to take advantage of the medical, legal and social service help available. Should medical personnel feel that an on-site emergency response advocate is necessary, or should the patient request a meeting with one, an advocate can be dispatched immediately, 365 days per year.
Rainbow Services and 1736 Family Crisis Center also will provide follow-up services as appropriate, including providing requested information on domestic violence to patients, meeting with patients who desire counseling, helping develop safety plans for patients in abusive situations and other domestic violence intervention services. Anonymous tracking of domestic violence intervention results, such as number of patients provided services, types of service provided and long-term follow-up results also will be provided to CAVA to assess and improve program outcomes.
The Little Company of Mary Hospital Foundation has spearheaded the CAVA funding efforts, and Peggy Lanigan, LCMH Foundation Vice President of Development, is thrilled with the results so far. �We are so grateful to the people at UniHealth and to Supervisor Don Knabe for their support of CAVA,� said Lanigan. �We know that this collaborative has the potential to have a significant impact in halting abuse in these famlies and to change people�s lives for the better, one patient and family at a time.� |
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