Foster Care Training

On average, nearly 20 people per minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner in the United States. During the course of a year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced (some form of) physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime. On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls place to domestic violence hotlines nationwide. Domestic Violence is a pernicious and ubiquitous phenomenon.

Current and/or past abuse can play a significant role in the development and exacerbation of mental health problems, increases the risk for re-victimization, and influences the course of recovery from psychiatric illness. Although many domestic violence survivors are not in need of mental health treatment and symptoms, if present, resolve once they are safe, many others experience mental health problems that would benefit from sensitive and appropriate intervention.

This training, involving multi-media presentation, reflective case discussion, and potential practice exercises, explores the cycle of violence, myths and blind spots about domestic violence for professionals, and potential treatment orientations and approaches for minimizing risk and addressing salient safety issues.