Lay summary
Healthcare and social service providers (HSSPs) who work with Veterans play an important role in identifying intimate partner violence (IPV). They can help prevent negative health impacts related to IPV. However, it can be difficult for service providers to recognize and respond to IPV confidently and effectively.
Service providers can lack specific training and knowledge on IPV, as well as time to recognize and respond to it. They may also experience discomfort in bringing up the topic of IPV. Stigma and unique health and social service structures further complicate the experiences of those who work with Veterans.
Few training and education programs for service providers recognize the complex overlap between IPV, children’s exposure to IPV and other forms of Family violence, including child physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect.
This project will evaluate the success of the Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action (VEGA) resource. The VEGA resource is an educational program that helps service providers recognize and respond to IPV and related forms of Family violence among Canadian Veterans and their Families.
Scientific summary
Healthcare and social service providers (HSSPs) who work with Veteran populations play an important role in the early identification of intimate partner violence (IPV) and prevention of negative health outcomes related to these experiences. However, research has shown that, generally, HSSPs receive insufficient training to recognize and respond to IPV confidently and effectively. Providers report discomfort initiating conversations about IPV, a lack of time to adequately recognize and respond to disclosures, and challenges with determining appropriate referrals and reporting requirements. These challenges can be more complicated among Veteran populations, given their unique health care and social service structures as well as stigma related to disclosing IPV perpetration and victimization. Furthermore, few training courses or education interventions for HSSPs recognize the complex overlap between IPV, children’s exposure to IPV and other forms of Family violence, including child physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. This joint research project will evaluate the effectiveness of the Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action (VEGA) resource to prepare HSSPs to effectively recognize and respond to IPV and related forms of Family violence among Canadian Veterans and their Families. For this project, HSSPs who work with Veterans and their Families will complete one of two types of online VEGA training – a self-study training or a facilitator-guided training. They will also complete quantitative (e.g., survey) and qualitative (e.g., interview) research activities.
