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Sonia Suri, PhD, Community Health Promotion, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02108, 617-624-6076, sonia.suri@state.ma.us, Quynh Dang, BA, Program Director, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02108, and Victoria R Fahlberg, PhD, MPH, Executive Director, ONE Lowell Coalition, 9 Central St. Suite 402, Lowell, MA 01852.
Abstract: The Massachusetts Governor’s Commission on Domestic Violence was created in 1992 to address the increasing rates of domestic violence related homicides. The RISE program was started as a result of the advocacy efforts by refugees, immigrants and allies to the Governor’s Commission. From 1998 through 2003, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health funded 14 local domestic violence programs in diverse, under-served immigrant and refugee communities and a statewide legal advocacy program for immigrant victims of domestic violence as part of its Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RISE) Program. Domestic violence in tight-knit immigrant communities can involve multiple generations and household members. Due to linguistic, institutional and cultural barriers, immigrant and refugee communities are frequently cut off from information about their rights, and are unable to access mainstream domestic violence interventions, such as police and courts. Understanding the unique dynamics of domestic violence and the barriers that immigrant survivors faced, the RISE program used a community-based advocacy approach that provided intensive linguistic and culturally-specific domestic violence services for victims and their families. The RISE programs are based in diverse local agencies that are trusted and utilized by refugee and immigrant communities. The RISE bilingual/bicultural advocates are members of their communities, are trained in domestic violence issues and community outreach. Through collaboration with faith-based organizations, social service agencies, housing and legal advocacy programs, community health centers, police, each RISE programs developed unique culturally appropriate network of services for their clients.
Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives
Keywords: Access and Services, Domestic Violence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
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.