NEWS

Women Who Suffer Domestic Violence Experience Long-Lasting Health Problems Report by WHO Says

Women who suffer physical abuse from intimate partners, the most common form of violence perpetrated against women worldwide, experience serious health consequences, according to a report released by the World Health Organization, WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence Against Women: Initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women's responses. The survey of 24,000 women in 10 countries found that women who suffer domestic abuse were twice as likely as other women to suffer health problems, including pain, dizziness, gynecological and mental health problems, which persist after the abuse has stopped, the report says. They also were more likely to have had a miscarriage or an induced abortion. The report says 4% to12% of respondents who had been pregnant said they were beaten during pregnancy.

The survey, which was conducted in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the nongovernmental organization PATH, was the first global report on domestic violence. Researchers surveyed women in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Tanzania and rates of domestic abuse varied between 15% of women in Japan to 71% in Ethiopia. Fewer than half of the women who had been abused said they sought help from law enforcement authorities. In roughly half of the sites surveyed, women said it was acceptable for a man to beat his wife in certain situations to combat the violence, WHO recommends bolstering support services for women and training medical workers to recognize the signs of domestic abuse.

The report was released ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The report can be accessed by clicking here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New from Volcano Press, the Physician’s Guide to Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse: A Reference for All Health Professionals

This soon to be released text by Patricia Salber, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Center for Practical Health Reform and Ellen Taliaferro, MD, Director,
Health after Trauma Project is concise, but packed with clinically relevant information and provides quick access to essential information all health care professionals need to have in order to improve their response to victims of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPVA).

It includes completely revised, state of the art content based on the latest peer-reviewed literature on IPVA; guidance on routine screening and what to do once the abuse is recognized; an expanded chapter on batterers -- including what to do if the batterer is your patient and information about batterer treatment programs; and, an expanded chapter on legal issues - covering mandated reporting, impact of HIPAA, what victims can expect from the legal system and, information for health professionals called to testify in IPVA cases.

It also includes hot new topics in IPVA, specifically, the impact of adverse childhood experiences, including exposure to IPVA, on long-term health outcomes; and, primary prevention of IPVA - what clinicians need to know (and do) to prevent intimate partner violence from occurring in the first place.

The book includes contributions by: Vincent Felitti, MD, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program; Robert F. Anda, MD, Centers for Disease Control; Rachel Davis, MSW; Corinne Graffunder, MPH; Brigid McCaw, MD, Clinical Lead, Family Violence Prevention Services, Kaiser Permanente; Gael Strack, Director of the City of San Diego Family Justice Center; and, Larry Cohen, MSW, Executive Director, The Prevention Institute.

Patricia R. Salber, MD, MBA is the Chief Medical Officer for the Center for Practical Health Reform providing clinical oversight to the Center’s projects relating to standardization and transparency. Former positions include CEO of Acelacare, a startup company that provided diagnostic testing and support services to individuals with or at risk for diabetes and metabolic syndrome in retail settings; Sr. Medical Director for the CalPERS Business Unit and the Center for Health Improvement for Blue Shield of California; Medical Director of the Kaiser Permanente-General Motors Team that helped GM implement its managed care strategy; Physician Director of National Accounts for Kaiser Permanente’s corporate office. Dr. Salber is board certified in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine and is a Fellow of both the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American College of Physicians. She was a Pew Fellow in Health Policy at the University of California San Francisco; co-founded Physicians for a Violence-free Society; member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s National Advisory Committee for its Health e-Technologies Initiative; and frequent speaker and publishes on topics of health reform, disease management, quality improvement and violence prevention.

Ellen H. Taliaferro, MD, FACEP, is the Project Director of the Health After Trauma project of Creekside Communications. She is an author, speaker and expert witness in the area of the medical response to intimate partner violence. In 1998, she founded the Parkland Hospital Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Center in Dallas. She was the co-founder and former Executive Director of Physicians for a Violence Free Society; co-authored Physicians Guide to Domestic Violence; editor of the Journal of Emergency Medicine Section on Violence: Recognition, Management, and Prevention; and editor of the eZine, Addressing the Medical Consequences of Trauma and Abuse, a publication dedicated to building a community of professionals who care for and support victims and survivors of trauma and abuse.

If you would like to receive notice of the book’s release or would like information about purchasing the book please contact Adam Gottstein, Publisher at adam@volcanopress.com.

CDC Seeks Public Comment on the New CDC Health Protection Research Guide, 2006-2015

60-Day Public Comment Period
Friday, November 18, 2005 thru Sunday, January 15, 2006

CDC’s recent agency-wide strategic development initiative has resulted in the creation of strategic imperatives and a renewed commitment to achieving a greater positive impact on health.  The CDC is aligning work to achieve specific Health Protection Goals that focus on four areas: healthy people across their life-stages, healthy places, prevention and control of infectious diseases, preparedness to protect health, environmental and occupational health and injury research (including violence), and improved global health research.  Although the CDC has a great deal of knowledge that can be used to achieve these goals, they are mindful of the many gaps that still need to be filled through additional research.

As a first step toward accomplishing the goals and strategic imperatives, CDC is developing the CDC Health Protection Research Guide, 2006-2015.  The Research Guide will provide a comprehensive, long-range compendium of national and global health protection needs that can be addressed through research.  As CDC develops action plans to achieve its goals, the gaps in “what we know” and “what we need to know” to be successful will become apparent.  At that point, the CDC will draw upon the Research Guide as a useful resource for developing a prioritized CDC Health Protection Research Agenda. 

The CDC is inviting the public to comment on the current draft of the Research Guide. This draft is the culmination of the extensive work of many CDC employees and external partners as well as input from the public.

The Research Guide may be reviewed and comments submitted at: http://www.rsvpBOOK.com/custom_pages/50942/index.php

Redesigned Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) Website

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) website has a new look. The new layout makes it easier to search for and access sexual assault awareness and prevention materials. Additionally, SAAM resources will be updated regularly in the new "Toolkit" and "Updated Resources" categories. The NSVRC invites you to access the new SAAM website at www.nsvrc.org/saam.

Newsletter / Ezine Sign Up

Health After Trauma Newsletter is a new eZine by Dr. Ellen Taliferro. The newsletter is free, and input and contributions are welcome. The Health After Trauma Project’s mission is to address the long-term medical consequences of trauma and abuse. Goals of the project include: building a community of survivors, their supporters, and the professionals who work with them; promoting education regarding the medical effects of trauma and abuse through books, an online journal, and training directed to survivors, the medical and mental health community, the legal and law enforcement community, and advocates.
To sign up to receive the Health After Trauma Newsletter go to www.healthaftertrauma.com.

Workshop Proposals for AAFP's National Conference for Residents and Medical Students

Are you a medical student interested in primary care? Do you want to share your knowledge about domestic violence, intimate partner violence, dating violence, child abuse, or another related topic with like-minded students? Workshop proposal information is now available for the American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students. Students can lead workshops that will reach students and residents from around the country. If interested, the FVPF may be able to help support you in the planning process. Please email the moderator of the FVPF list serve Health Students and Faculty Against Domestic Violence, Aruna Venkatesan, at aruna@gmail.com, if interested. The conference will take place in Kansas City, Missouri from August 2 to August 5, 2006. To learn more about the conference, workshop specifications, and deadlines, please visit www.aafp.org/conference.xml.

Online Webinar Series 2005: Injury Control Research Grand Rounds

The Center for Injury Research and Control at the University of Pittsburgh’s Online Webinar Series 2005: Injury Control Research Grand Rounds provides FREE, monthly online live Webinars aimed to present timely and high-quality injury control research addressing a spectrum of research topics for both intentional and unintentional injuries.  The final seminar of this series is scheduled for Tuesday, December 13, 2005 EST and is entitled: Turning Point: Rethinking Violence ~ An Evaluation of Program Efficacy in Reducing Adolescent Violent Crime Recidivism, presented by Kamela K. Scott, PhD, Department of Surgery University of Florida at Jacksonville Health Science Centre and Joseph J. Tepas, III, MD, Professor, Surgery and Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine.

Please follow this URL for further information: www.circl.pitt.edu/home/webinars/scotttepas.mht.

Academy Health Annual Research Meeting 2006 Call for Abstracts

Presentation of cutting edge health services research (including care for conditions unique to or more prevalent in women or men such as violence) is the cornerstone of the Academy Health Annual Research Meeting (ARM), offering opportunities for researcher to share important findings with policymakers and providers who can put research into action. This year’s ARM is organized around 17 themes. All abstract and panel submissions undergo blind peer review. The conference will be held from June 25-27, 2006 in Seattle.

Abstracts must be submitted on-line and received by January 13, 2006. For more information about the conference and submitting an abstract visit www.academyhealth.org/arm/abstracts.

The Third National Battered Mother's Custody Conference

The Third National Battered Mother's Custody Conference, "Battered Women, Abused Children and Child Custody: A National Crisis III:  Unity-and Action!” will be held on January 6, 7, & 8, 2006 at the Sarazen Student Center, Siena College, Loudonville, NY.

The First National Battered Mother's Custody Conference (BMCC), held in January 2004, brought together experts from across the nation to discuss the serious injustices faced by battered women who seek protection for themselves and their children in this nation's family court/divorce court system.  Building upon the momentum of that conference, the BMCC II, held in January 2005, provided a powerful networking opportunity for professionals, domestic violence advocates, organizations, and advocacy groups who are working to expose these problems and develop solutions. The Third Battered Mothers Custody Conference will provide a venue for the crucial next step of the Protective Parents Movement:  the development of unity among all of those affected by these problems and the sharing of action steps that have been proven effective.

For more information, visit www.batteredmotherscustodyconference.org
for registration, brochure, schedule, topics, fees, fee waiver, hotel, and other details.

Ending Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking in the 21st Century: Prevention, Intervention, Advocacy and Action

This one day conference is designed to provide information about violence against women and the trafficking in women and young girls throughout the world. This event will provide a platform for education, demonstrate the compelling need, motivate individual action and encourage investment in community solutions. While the conference will bring attention to the issues nationally and internationally, the focus will be on how to take action locally.

The Conference will be held on Monday, February 13, 2006 at UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco from 8:45 – 5:15 pm.; and is sponsored by the University of California National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, Partners Ending Domestic Abuse, San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium, Family Violence Prevention Fund, Vital Voices Global Partnership, Mills College, International Museum of Women, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Global Health and others. For more information visit: www.ucsf.edu/coe/news_dvsummit.html.

Annual University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Annual Conference

The UCSF annual conference "Patients and Providers: A Partnership to End Violence" will be held on Saturday January 21, 2006 from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm. Early registration is $10.00 or $15.00 on the day of the conference. The cost includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, a Bay Area community resource guide, and other resources. The conference is open to students, faculty, health care providers, and community advocates, etc.

Conference highlights include: how to Address the American Public: The Family Violence Prevention Fund’s (FVPF) Public Service Announcement campaigns; skill-building on how to assess for DV in clinic as a dentist, doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or physical therapist; the science and sequelae of abuse; small group breakout sessions on special topics such as teen dating violence, violence in immigrants communities, batterer intervention, sexual assault, violence in the LGBT community, substance abuse and violence, and homelessness and violence; a survivor art showcase from Bay Area organizations; and a survivor panel.

To register for the conference go to www.tf.org, UCSF conference. One elective credit is available for those who register by January 13, 2006.

Funding Alert on domestic violence and sexual assault

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) have collaborated to provide a redesigned Funding Alert. Issued twice monthly, or whenever warranted, this electronic newsletter will provide a synopsis of the available funding that can be used by individuals and/or agencies working to end domestic violence and sexual assault. If you would like to be added to the e-mail list, please email FundingAlert@pcadv.org with "Funding Alert" in the subject line. The Funding alert can also be accessed at www.vawnet.org/Funding.

Dissertation Grant Awards for Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research in Minority Communities

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) is soliciting investigator-initiated research from doctoral students that will help expand and advance the understanding of violence, its causes, and prevention strategies in minority communities. The proposed research must address one of the research priorities listed in the following chapters from NCIPC’s research agenda; Preventing Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Violence, and Child Maltreatment, Preventing Suicidal Behavior, or Preventing Youth Violence.

The study population must be ethnic minorities. Approximately $100,000 is expected to be available. Four awards will be funded. Funding level will not exceed $25,000 (including both direct and indirect costs). The project period is for one year and indirect costs cannot exceed eight percent.

To be eligible for this RFA, the principal investigator must be a student in good standing enrolled in an accredited doctoral degree program. Doctoral students from any United States public or private college or university may submit an application. The institution must support an accredited doctoral level training program. The performance site must be domestic.

The principal investigator must have a mentor for the proposed research. Normally the mentor is the chair (or a member) of the applicant’s dissertation committee. Funding preferences will be given to applicants that: (a) have a history of service to minority communities and (b) have documented linkages to the targeted communities.

Key Dates: Letters of Intent Receipt Date: January 3, 2006 Application Receipt Dates: February 3, 2006 (This is a change from the date previously published.) Peer Review Date: April 2006. Council Review Date: June 2006. Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 2006.

The funding announcement for Dissertation Grant Awards for Violence-Related Injury Prevention Research in Minority Communities can be accessed at www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/CE06-002.htm.

OVW FY 2006 Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program

The Department of Justice, Headquarters, Office of Justice Programs has announced the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant Program intended to increase the availability of legal assistance necessary to provide effective aid to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault who are seeking relief in legal matters arising as a consequence of that abuse or violence.

The LAV Program awards grants to law school legal clinics, legal aid or legal services programs, domestic violence victims' shelters, bar associations, sexual assault programs, private nonprofit entities, including faith-based and community-based organizations, and Indian tribal governments. These grants are for providing direct legal services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in matters arising from the abuse or violence and for providing enhanced training for lawyers representing these victims.  The goal of the LAV Program is to develop innovative, collaborative projects that provide quality representation to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Eligible entities include private nonprofits, publicly funded organizations not acting in a governmental capacity and Native American Tribal Governments or Consortia. Only FY 2004 grantees, previously unsuccessful applicants, new applicants and FY 2005 grantees that received a one-year award are eligible to apply for FY 2006 funding.

A letter of intent is due by December 27, 2005, grants.gov registration by January 10, 2006 and application deadline by January 24, 2006.

The link to the full announcement is www.usdoj.gov/.

Chief Recruitment, Prevention Development and Evaluation Branch of the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is extending a nationwide recruitment effort for Chief of the Prevention Development and Evaluation Branch, Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Please see posting by clicking here. This position is full-time, located in Atlanta, Georgia, and has a salary range from $102,056 to $132,678 (GS-15).

The Branch Chief provides leadership in conducting scientific research to develop and evaluate strategies to reduce injuries and deaths caused by violence. Specifically, the Prevention Development and Evaluation Branch works to determine the most effective (including cost-effective) strategies, programs, and policies to prevent violence, including, but not limited to, youth violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, suicide, child maltreatment, and elder abuse. Current research and evaluation activities focus on identifying the most effective primary prevention strategies at different levels of social ecology (e.g., individual, relationship, community, and society). The Branch is comprised of 18 staff positions and 8-10 research fellows/contract staff. Branch members fulfill science and program functions and represent multiple disciplines including public health, the behavioral sciences, medicine, and health economics.

Desired Background and Experience Includes: 1) an earned doctoral degree (e.g., PhD, DrPH, ScD, MD); 2) an established track record of population-based or social and behavioral-oriented research in violence prevention or a closely related area; 3) experience in conducting research on the efficacy, effectiveness, and/or cost effectiveness of preventive intervention; 4) demonstrated leadership in developing and administering prevention research programs; 5) ability to manage a program and supervise a professional staff; and 6) ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Interested candidates should submit a curriculum vita to Pamela Chin, Deputy Director of the Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, N.E., Mailstop K68, Atlanta, GA 30341; Voice: (770) 488-4362; Fax: (770) 488-4221. Email: PMC1@CDC.GOV. Please visit http://www.cdc.gov/injury for more information.

Health e-News is a monthly electronic news digest focusing on health care and domestic violence policy, research, prevention and advocacy. Health e-News is available in both text and html formats. To subscribe Click Here.

We encourage you to use Health e-News to share news, views, and experiences concerning your projects and activities on addressing domestic violence as a health care issue. To post an announcement or ask a question, send an e-mail to HealthE-News@endabuse.org. The digest is monitored by Anna Marjavi, Senior Program Assistant with the Family Violence Prevention Fund.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to end domestic violence!

Be sure to visit our website http://endabuse.org/health to learn more about our programs, products, and campaigns!