The recent passage in New York State of an HIV partner notification law which incorporates screening and referral for domestic violence has motivated domestic violence and HIV service providers to work more closely together. One piece of this collaboration has been a curriculum development project undertaken by the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the NYS Department of Health AIDS Institute, to develop a curriculum called Domestic Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Transgendered, and Bisexual Communities.
The new curriculum is an attempt to respond to the needs of both health care and domestic violence providers. Health care providers’ ability to identify and refer victims and assess risks posed by abusers directly impacts their ability to deliver services in ways that are safe for victims, but currently available training largely addresses heterosexual domestic violence. Providers also need to be assured that when they refer LGTB victims to domestic violence services, they will receive safe, sensitive, and knowledgeable services. At the present time, domestic violence services vary widely in both their ability to serve LGTB victims and the level of knowledge and comfort staff have in responding to the issues involved.
This presentation describes the need for training on this subject, presents the major issues encountered in the development of the curriculum, and gives an overview of its content
Learning Objectives: Identify effective strategies for education. Strengthen partnerships between health and human service providers and community advocates. Identify concerns related to serving LGTB domestic violence victims.
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Gay
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.