Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day)
Medical studies link the long-term effects of domestic violence and abuse with a myriad of health problems, such as smoking, diabetes, obesity, eating disorders, and substance abuse. While doctors and nurses routinely ask about high blood pressure and high cholesterol, too few assess for domestic violence and its impact on health. Universal education provides an opportunity for clients to make the connection between violence, health problems, and risk behaviors. Through a brochure-based universal education approach clients seeking services in health care facilities or domestic violence programs can receive information about the impact of abuse on their health.
Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day is a nationally-recognized day that takes place annually on the second Wednesday of October. Sponsored by FUTURES, the awareness-raising day aims to reach members of the healthcare and advocacy communities to offer education about the critical importance of universal education to promote healthy relationships, address the health impact of abuse and offer warm referrals to domestic violence advocates.
Events this year:
Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day: Building Partnerships to Support Survivors
Experiencing intimate partner violence can have long lasting health consequences. At the same time, survivors are often prevented from accessing health care by the person harming them. Domestic violence programs can play an important role in connecting survivors to health care as one strategy to support their healing, wellness, and autonomy.
This year’s Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day webinar featured leaders within local domestic violence programs and state coalitions that participated in the Survivor Health Connections Innovation Lab, funded by the Office of Family Violence Prevention Services. Speakers shared their strategies to create and sustain partnerships between health programs (including behavioral health) and domestic violence programs, as well as health policies that increase access to care for survivors. Our featured speakers shared some of their innovative practices in addressing the behavioral and physical health needs of survivors, tools that organizations can utilize to formalize a partnership with a health provider/program, and policy opportunities to increase health access for survivors.
Featured speakers:
Shawndell N. Dawson, Director
View our HCADV Day Past Activities Archive
