Get Educated
Resources for Mental Health Providers
Are you a mental health provider working with a client in an abusive relationship? We offer training materials about the causes and effects of intimate partner violence, as well as how to work survivors of IPV or sexual assault.
We believe that a community that is educated and informed about abuse is more prepared to protect survivors and hold abusers accountable.
Identifying abuse
One of our favorite websites is DomesticShelters.org - they have educational tools to identify and learn about abusive relationships.
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Read more: www.domesticshelters.org/articles/identifying-abuse
What to do next
Prioritize safety, both physically and
emotionally.
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Increase independence, decrease isolation.
A key piece of working with survivors is validating their experience. How do I show that I CARE?
Ask yourself these questions:
Context: What do I know about this survivor and their story? What do I need to know?
Attitude: What energy am I projecting? How can I adjust to make everyone feel safer?
Resources: What community resources might help? Does the survivor want to be connected with them?
Empowerment: Am I allowing the client to make their own decisions? Are my services client-led?
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We don't recommend couples counseling for abusive relationships.
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Couples counseling rests on the foundation that both partners in the relationship are equal. Abuse creates an unequal dynamic of power and control. Learn more:
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Couples Counseling Will Not Stop Abuse by Shelley Flannery
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12 Reasons Why Couples Counseling is Not Recommended When Domestic Violence is Present by Dr. Chris Huffine.
Resources
Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men
Lundy Bancroft
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The Abbie Shelter's go-to resource. Learn about:
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The early warning signs
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Ten abusive personality types
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The role of drugs and alcohol
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What you can fix, and what you can't
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How to get out of a relationship safely
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The Power and Control Wheel
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A tool to understand abuse.
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"In 1984, staff at the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (DAIP) began developing curricula for groups for men who batter and victims of domestic violence. We wanted a way to describe battering for victims, offenders, practitioners in the criminal justice system and the general public. Over several months, we convened focus groups of women who had been battered. We listened to heart-wrenching stories of violence, terror and survival. After listening to these stories and asking questions, we documented the most common abusive behaviors or tactics that were used against these women. The tactics chosen for the wheel were those that were most universally experienced by battered women."
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Learn more: www.theduluthmodel.org
Check out the Duluth Model on YouTube
Partner-Inflicted Brain Injuries - The Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Brain injuries are common among survivors, and symptoms may look similar to mental illness.
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Take this free training: Strangulation, Traumatic Brain Injury, & Domestic Violence: Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury Series
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To access more resources, visit the website: www.odvn.org/brain-injury
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Danger Assessment
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This tool was developed by Dr. Jacqueline Campbell with Johns Hopkins School of Nursing after years of research with survivors of intimate partner violence.
"The Danger Assessment helps to determine the level of danger an abused woman has of being killed by her intimate partner. It is free and available to the public. Using the Danger Assessment requires the weighted scoring and interpretation that is provided after completing the training. The Danger Assessment is available in a variety of languages."
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Are you looking to consult with another mental health provider
who is already trained to work with survivors?