Healthcare Professionals Taught to Identify and Treat Family Violence
November 02, 2009
Edmonton protocol suggests questions to uncover violence
The theme this year is “We care, we ask. End the silence, stop the violence. Raising awareness of family violence with the health care community.” The event was proclaimed by City Councillor Dave Thiele and highlighted the protocols developed by the Northeast Community Health Centre and the Victorian Order of Nurses to identify and treat family violence.
To enhance the safety of its citizens, the City of Edmonton fosters coordinated responses to various social issues, including family violence. The City’s community development social workers build relationships with key organizations that have roles to play in preventing crime and improving the quality of life for Edmontonians.
In the case of family violence prevention and response, the City is a member of Community Initiatives to Prevent Family Violence (CIAFV) which formed in 1999. CIAFV members include the Edmonton Police Service, Alberta Child and Youth Services, Victorian Order of Nurses, and many other community partners.
“Healthcare practitioners have a critical role to play in the prevention of domestic violence,” said Councillor Thiele. “By asking people affected by family violence – whether they are victims or the people being abusive – they break the silence around family violence.”
Chief Mike Boyd of the Edmonton Police Service agreed. “As a community, when we can identify people affected by family violence, we can connect those who are at greatest risk to the appropriate helping resources. Asking the right questions is a proactive approach that will increase the safety of family violence victims and decrease the risk that a person who displays abusive behaviours will re-offend.”
Staff at the Northeast Community Health Centre screen for family violence with every client by asking them:
- Is there anyone close to you who sometimes makes you feel unsafe or scared?
- Do you sometimes make the people close to you feel unsafe?
The Edmonton-based model is available to teach healthcare professionals how to ask and respond to family violence. The Northeast Community Health Centre developed their site-wide model in 2007 in conjunction with Community Initiatives Against Family Violence (CIAFV). The protocol is being used not only in the Emergency Department, but in all other areas including Women’s Health, Child and Adolescent, Mental Health and Addictions, Family Health, and Seniors. The Centre screens for family violence with all people 12 years of age and older.
The Victorian Order of Nurses’ (VON) Strangulation Protocol is another significant development. Strangulation is a high risk indicator of lethality in family violence. VON created a toolkit for service providers and healthcare professionals to use, including what to look for and questions to ask people affected by family violence.
“Frontline health care workers too often have to treat the devastating impacts of family violence,” said Dr. Raj Sherman, MLA for Edmonton-Meadowlark. “Family violence prevention takes awareness, education, effective community and family supports, and the continued efforts of individuals, organizations, and government.”
Dr. Sherman also serves as Parliamentary Assistant for Health and Wellness and works as an emergency room doctor at the Northeast Community Health Centre.
This year’s family violence prevention month is an initiative of Aboriginal Consulting Services Association of Alberta, Alberta Child and Family Services Region 6, Alberta Health Services, Community Initiatives Against Family Violence, Edmonton District Labour Council, the University of Alberta, and the City of Edmonton.
For more information:
Heather Morrison
Community Services
| Title | Social Worker, Family Violence Prevention/Community Development, Targeted Community Services |
|---|---|
| Telephone | 780-944-5457 |
