Development and Initial Evaluation of a Suicide Prevention Curriculum for Domestic Violence Hotline Workers (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal of Family Violence, 2023
Purpose Suicide risk is higher among violence-involved individuals. Intimate Partner Violence hotline workers are a critical source of support and can potentially be suicide prevention champions. Our primary goal was to examine the effectiveness of disseminating a free, online IPV-Suicide Prevention curriculum, via a randomized control trial, to hotline workers in ten states with the highest suicide and IPV homicide rates. Method We divided the country into five regions and, based on criterion, chose two states in each region to randomize into the two arms of the study. We examined training participation and engagement between the two approaches: (1) 'dissemination as usual' (control) using a National Domestic Violence Hotline email and a postcard to state/county IPV directors, versus (2) 'enhanced dissemination' (intervention) using a four-point touch method (postcard, phone call, email, and letter) to 'drive' participation. Results Participation increased in the intervention arm as approaches became more personal (i.e., email and phone calls vs. letters). Results indicate that traditional dissemination strategies such as email announcements and invitations are not as effective as varied and multiple touchpoints for IPV hotline staff. Conclusion Successful dissemination strategies to promote digital training should consider the value added by personalized connection. Future research is needed to understand how to offer effective and efficient web-based training to those providing IPV and child abuse services.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2004
The authors report the results of an evaluation of services provided by 54 Illinois domestic violence agencies. In collaboration with the University of Illinois at Chicago evaluation team, domestic violence advocates identified services to be evaluated, specified desired outcomes of those services, and participated in developing measures of those outcomes in both English and Spanish. Within the limitations of the study, outcomes were positive in all four program areas: hotline, counseling, advocacy, and shelter. The authors then discuss implications for evaluation of domestic violence programs that maintain victim safety as a guiding principle.
Suicide & life-threatening behavior, 2014
In 2012, the SAMHSA-funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) completed implementation of the first national Policy for Helping Callers at Imminent Risk of Suicide across its network of crisis centers. The policy sought to: (1) provide a clear definition of imminent risk; (2) reflect the state of evidence, field experience, and promising practices related to reducing imminent risk through hotline interventions; and (3) provide a uniform policy and approach that could be applied across crisis center settings. The resulting policy established three essential principles: active engagement, active rescue, and collaboration between crisis and emergency services. A sample of the research and rationale that underpinned the development of this policy is provided here. In addition, policy implementation, challenges and successes, and implications for interventions to help Lifeline callers at imminent risk of suicide are detailed.
2017
Ineffective trainings are usually those implemented in reaction to a negative event like suicide. These “off-the-shelf” sessions are often given by someone who is outside of the system in which it’s being delivered, or simply by well-meaning people who try to devise a mental health/suicide prevention training from scratch, despite having no expertise in these areas. This reactive “one-and-done” approach rarely sticks or creates meaningful change among the participants.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 2007
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was launched in January 2005. Lifeline, supported by a federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, consists of a network of more than 120 crisis centers located in communities across the country that are committed to suicide prevention. Lifeline's Certification and Training Subcommittee conducted an extensive review of research and field practices that yielded the Lifeline's Suicide Risk Assessment Standards. The authors of the current paper provide the background on the need for these standards; describe the process that produced them; summarize the research and rationale supporting the standards; review how these standard assessment principles and their subcomponents can be weighted in relation to one another so as to effectively guide crisis hotline workers in their everyday assessments of callers to Lifeline; and discuss the implementation process that will be provided by Lifeline.
Development of a tool to assess client-centered practice on a domestic violence hotline
Journal of Social Work, 2018
SummaryClient-centered practice, also termed survivor-centered practice in the context of domestic violence, has broad support as a set of strategies for working effectively with trauma survivors. However, research, evaluation and staff training are limited by a lack of measurement tools. This paper describes the process of developing an index of hotline caller reactions to practitioners’ client-centered practices.FindingsThe project was a collaborative effort between academic researchers and practitioners working in a community agency. To generate and refine the items, researchers consulted the scholarly literature and agency materials, had discussions with practitioners, and coded a group of 25 recorded calls to the agency’s hotline. The resulting tool separates two phases of the hotline calls and identifies 23 client reactions to advocate behaviors that indicate the client-centeredness of the interaction.ApplicationThe collaborative nature of the process ensured that the final pr...
Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 2021
Objective:Many public health approaches to suicide prevention emphasize connecting at-risk individuals to professional treatment. However, it is unclear to what degree the outpatient mental health workforce has the requisite knowledge and skills to provide the evidence-based care needed to help those at-risk. In this project, prior to the implementation of a statewide suicide prevention initiative, we assessed the baseline suicide prevention training and clinical practices of the New York State outpatient mental health workforce, a group likely representative of the broader U.S. clinical workforce.Method:A workforce survey of suicide prevention training and clinical practices was administered to 2,257 outpatient clinicians, representing 169 clinics serving approximately 90,000 clients. Clinicians were asked to complete the survey online, and all responses were confidential.Results:Clinicians reported substantial gaps in their suicide prevention knowledge and training. The vast majority reported moderate self-efficacy working with suicidal clients and endorsed using evidence-based assessment procedures, but varied in utilization of recommended intervention practices.Conclusions:This study highlights gaps in clinicians’ training and clinical practices that need to be overcome to provide evidence-based suicide care. Promisingly, positive associations were found between training and clinician knowledge, self-efficacy, and use of evidence-based practices.
Choosing to Live: Guidelines for Suicide Prevention Counselling in Domestic Violence
2005
Nearly a million people take their own lives every year, more than those murdered or killed in war. Suicide is a problem that affects people of all ages and economic levels, and is recognised by the WHO as a significant public health problem. A large significant proportion of suicides are among young women. This document emerging out of the experience of a hospital based project on domestic violence to help understand the distress and helplessness that a person attempting suicide feels. It is meant to help those having to deal with such situations, among women and has useful pointers for all such cases.
An Exploratory Case Study of a Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline: Training and Practice Implications
Violence against women, 2016
Using archival data, this case study systematically examines telephone calls received by a regional sexual assault hotline in the Southeastern United States over a 5-year period. A stratified random sample (n = 383) reveals that hotline staff require diversity and depth in knowledge and skills, demonstrated by the hotline's primary use as a crisis service, combined with notable use by long-term survivors. Findings include the utility of the hotline by survivors and community stakeholders, categories of assault, the time gap between incidents occurring and contacting the hotline, call severity and urgency, and services and referrals provided. Implications for training, practice, and future research are discussed.
Journal of …, 2004
This article presents the descriptive results of a statewide evaluation of hotline, advocacy, and counseling services provided to sexual assault victims in Illinois. Collaborative efforts of a multidisciplinary research team and sexual assault service providers resulted in victim-sensitive evaluation measures and data that reflect, for the first time, the collective impact of services on rape victims across the state of Illinois. Results of the evaluation suggest that, overall, services provided to rape victims provided support, increased information and knowledge, and helped victims to understand options and make decisions. The evaluation approach is notable for its collaborative nature and its sensitivity to rape victims during help-seeking and delivery; however, due to the high levels of distress common among rape survivors, some evaluation methods may not be appropriate for crisis intervention services such as hotline or advocacy. Implications for future evaluation research and policy are discussed.