NCJ Number
104961
Journal
Response to the Victimization of Women and Children Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: (1986) Pages: 6-9
Date Published
1986
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Harborview Medical Center in Seattle has designed and implemented an emergency room program that emphasizes recognition, detection, assessment, treatment, and prevention of all forms of interpersonal violence.
Abstract
Implementation was a six-step procedure. A policy addressing both intrafamily and extrafamily violence was developed that reflected institutional commitment to nonviolence and weighted the allocation of staff time and resources to this goal. A manual was developed that included a problem statement, definitions, philosophy, principles and standards of practice, scope and incidence of the problem, and behavioral descriptions and identification guidelines. Specific treatment protocols for various problem areas in interpersonal violence were developed for each hospital department. Literature on community resources and appointment of a multidisciplinary committee on interpersonal violence provided additional support for the hospital policy. Special tertiary prevention protocols were developed for the emergency room for each type of violence (e.g., incest, child abuse, spouse abuse). A resource bank was established to which victims, perpetrators, and families could be referred. Finally, an organizational framework was implemented that specified client population, knowledge and skills, peer review procedures, administration, and budget. Once implemented, such a program can help identify individuals at high risk and intervention can be initiated before violent act occurs. 2 notes.