Building a Community of Practice to Enhance Access and Shift Attitudes toward Working with Individuals with Mental Health Disabilities and/or Traumatic Brain Injuries

This award is made under Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Fiscal Year 2016 program "Enhancing Access and Attitudinal Changes in Domestic Violence Shelters for Individuals With Disabilities" through which state (including territories and the District of Columbia), tribal, and regional domestic violence coalitions will undertake demonstration projects that encourage their member organizations to make physical and operational changes to facilities and operating practices (e.g., accessible bathrooms, interpreter services, plain language forms, action plans) and attitudinal changes through training and mentorship, which increase accessibility for victims with disabilities. Funding includes a research partner to conduct a program evaluation to identify bases for evidence-based practice, gaps, and resources.

The Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN) describes a significant history of working to improve services to victims with disabilities in their state. With this award, ODVN will focus on victims with traumatic brain injuries and mental health issues through the implementation of the "Building a Community of Practice to Enhance Access and Shift Attitudes toward Working with Individuals with Mental Health Disabilities and/or Traumatic Brain Injuries" initiative. Through this initiative, ODVN will strive to create a community of practice that will provide guidance, training and technical assistance (TTA) to domestic violence shelters, mental health professionals and those who treat people with traumatic brain injury to improve service delivery and access to services for survivors.

Specifically, ODVN will pilot a TTA initiative in five sites using the same delivery model as the Delta Focus project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where resources (including training, technical assistance, and financial support) are heavily engaged in the five pilot sites and less intensive TTA is provided statewide. Sixty-nine of the 71 local domestic violence programs/shelters in Ohio are members of ODVN. Project partners include the Ohio Brain Injury Association; the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; and the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health. Additionally, ODVN will partner with the Ohio State University’s College of Public Health to conduct an evaluation of the initiative.

CA/NCF