Welcome 2022 NCADV conference attendees!

Since emergence in the 1970s of the “battered women’s” movement, services for victims of domestic violence have been designed to provide safety and stability at the moment of crisis. While these crisis intervention programs are heroic and life-saving, they fail to address “what’s next” for survivors, many who may have faced multiple traumas and poly-victimization over the course of their lifetimes. This failure to address a full spectrum of survivors’ needs sets the stage for repeated victimization and long-term physical and psychological consequences of the trauma they have experienced. Intervening with comprehensive, multi-disciplinary services addressing all aspects of the process of healing after trauma is essential to prevent a return to a life of on-going victimization and abuse. In her book Trauma and Recovery (1992), Dr. Judith Herman proposes a three-stage trauma recovery model and provides a road map for survivors to create a new sense of themselves and their futures. Based on Herman’s work, this multi-disciplinary panel details a comprehensive approach to service delivery – a continuum of care – for victims of domestic violence. This presentation sets forth pragmatic steps for a compassionate, inclusive approach, starting with initial contact by first responders into a wholistic, comprehensive consortium of care that empowers survivors to recover and address all aspects of their traumatic experiences. With this integrated, supportive re-entry into a healthy life, survivors can transition into “thrivers,” less likely to return to an abusive relationship, more able to reclaim their lives and break the cycle of violence for themselves and their children.