CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Issues
2. Understanding Alcohol Abuse
3. Understanding Violence Against Women
4. Alcohol and Domestic Violence
5. Alcohol, Sexual Assault, and Rape
6. Prevention and Early Intervention
7. Screening and Assessment
8. Diagnosis and Treatment
9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Fact Sheets
Videos
Resources

Silence Hurts
Alcohol Abuse and Violence Against Women

Community-Based Strategies

Community-based strategies expand community resources dedicated to preventing substance abuse and violence. They include activities such as building community coalitions. The need for increased services for abused women and children has resulted in the need for additional training for service providers and impactors.

The term "impactors" refers to people in the community who can effect change. Their involvement strengthens the community's total prevention support system and allows for more effective delivery of services. Examples of impactors and service providers include:

• Shelter staff
• Educators
• Grassroots leaders and other community leaders, such as government officials, bank presidents, and newspaper editors
• Social workers, nurses, physicians, and other health care providers
• Family members
• Neighbors, roommates, and friends
• Faith/spiritual leaders

Community-based strategies include environmental approaches to promote policy and system changes that reduce risk factors and preserve or increase protective factors. Examples include:

• Development of alcohol consumption guidelines for colleges or universities
• Cross-training of health care professionals on issues relating to substance abuse and violence against women
• Development or enhancement of programs and services help women who have comorbid alcohol and mental health problems
• Development or enhancement of shelters that collectively address the issues of substance abuse and violence against women

Often there are barriers to coordinating prevention and treatment efforts between the substance abuse field and the domestic violence field. Many facets of collaboration must be addressed in order to ensure a full community response. These include:²

• Perceptions and Attitudes
• Funding and Reimbursement
• Welfare Reform
• Fundraising
• Programmatic Staffing and Logistical Concerns
• Recordkeeping and Data Management
• Relationship With the Criminal Justice System