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DV/IPV

Is Advocacy Effective? A Review of the Research Evidence

I’ve had a couple requests this week about research looking at the role of advocacy specifically. In compiling some of the literature, I stumbled across this offering by the Battered Women’s Justice Project, presented by Dr. Cris Sullivan: Is Advocacy Effective? A Review of the Research. The session will be held November 20th at 2pm Central. If you aren’t familiar with Dr. Sullivan’s work, I highly recommend attending this session. For the medical folks, this is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with the research that supports the importance of advocacy in the health and well-being of our intimate partner violence patients.

From the site:

Most domestic violence service programs engage in various forms of advocacy. Advocacy involves more than providing emotional support and referrals – it is a distinct activity that involves working to change policies, practices and conditions that are negatively impacting people. Some domestic violence advocates work on a wide range of areas with survivors, while others focus on one particular system, such as the welfare, housing, or legal system. Few advocacy interventions have been rigorously evaluated, and the belief in their effectiveness has largely been based on anecdotal evidence. This is problematic as more and more funders are pushing “evidence based practice.” In this webinar, Cris Sullivan will review the empirical evidence behind providing advocacy services for domestic violence survivors. There are a number of studies that have shown how effective advocacy can be, and these findings can be used to justify funding such services.

{To read some of the research conducted by Dr. Sullivan and colleagues, check out Battered Women’s Multitude of Needs: Evidence for Supporting the Need for Comprehensive Advocacy (PDF).}