Scaling up Trauma and Violence Informed Outreach with Women Affected by Violence

Health Research BC is providing match funds for this research project, which is funded by a Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Grant. Additional support is provided by UBC (Vancouver and Okanagan) and an anonymous donor.

Through community-based research design and implementation we aim to address an urgent priority of providing access and receipt of services among women and youth affected by violence who experience the worst severity in terms of types, duration, frequency and impact of violence for their lives. This pan-Canadian team includes 31 co-investigators and 14 partner organizations, across academic, public service, not for profit and private organizations.

Together, this team will implement an innovative, trauma and violence informed approach to outreach and community service integration in 4 Canadian cities including two in BC, testing the efficacy of this model to positively impact women’s engagement with an array of health and social services that can help women recover from and prevent ongoing violence in women’s lives. Study outcomes will provide essential information about the current primary care services in the BC Sites, and offer evidence informed strategies with transferability within these and other BC locations to enhance primary care for vulnerable women.

Additionally, because our model includes an integrated service approach we will be investigating how not-for-profit service organizations navigate and collaborate with primary care services to support appropriate referral for the women to whom they provide services. This information can also support more effective collaborations between these two service provider sectors.

The principal investigator is Victoria Bungay, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, UBC-Vancouver and Canada Research Chair in Gender, Equity and Community Engagement. Other BC team members are:

• Jennifer Baumbusch, School of Nursing, UBC-Vancouver
• Aggie Black, Providence Health Care
• Linda Dewar, Inner City Women’s Initiatives Society
• Kasari Govender West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund (West Coast LEAF)
• Kim Hawkins, Rise Women’s Legal Centre
• Angie Lohr, H.O.P.E. Outreach in Kelowna
• Karen Mason, Kelowna Women’s Shelter
• Michelle Novakowski, Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society (COEFS)
• Will Panenka, Department of Psychiatry, UBC-Vancouver
• Eli Puterman, School of Kinesiology, UBC-Vancouver
• Paul Van Donkelaar, School of Health & Exercise Sciences, UBC-Okanagan

The team also includes an incredible advisory of women with expert knowledge in accessing supports and services within their respective communities.

Learn more: “Scaling Up” project website