Development and validation of the housing instability scale.

Despite increasing attention to the importance of examining factors that impact housing instability and homelessness, the field lacks a validated scale of housing instability. The current study examined the reliability and validity of a seven-item scale that measures housing instability. Data were taken from a larger study which implemented the Domestic Violence Housing First model across five domestic violence agencies in the Pacific Northwest. A total of 406 participants were interviewed every six months over a period of two years. A Spanish version of the scale was administered to Spanish-speaking participants. Results provide an overview of the psychometric functioning of the scale and support its utility in assessing housing instability and homelessness. Specifically, the scale demonstrated concurrent and predictive validity, and showed evidence of scalar equivalence over time and across both language and locality. The current scale is therefore a succinct and psychometrically sound measure of housing instability which can be used moving forward to track housing instability in English and Spanish speakers, as well as in urban and rural settings.

Domestic violence survivors' housing stability, safety, and well-being over time: Examining the role of domestic violence housing first, social support, and material hardship.

Intimate partner violence remains a significant public health issue and survivors often need various forms of support to achieve safety. The increased likelihood of experiencing housing instability and homelessness among survivors has led to an uptake in domestic violence agencies implementing housing-based interventions, such as Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF), to address survivors' needs. The present study expands on prior research supporting the effectiveness of DVHF to examine situational factors that moderate the outcomes associated with this model among 406 survivors seeking services from domestic violence agencies located in the Pacific Northwestern region of the United States. Using latent profile analysis, participants were grouped into three latent classes: (a) "high abuse/instability," (b) "still affected," and (c) "doing better." Latent transition analysis was used to estimate the probability that participants would transition into a different latent class over time with social support (SS), material hardship, and receipt of DVHF services included as model predictors. Receipt of DVHF predicted improvements in survivors' safety, housing stability, mental health, and well-being, such that receiving DVHF was associated with higher odds of survivors transitioning into the "doing better" class. Social support and material hardship also emerged as significant factors predicting class membership, such that higher levels of social support and financial stability predicted membership in the "doing better" class. Additionally, social support and financial stability appeared to augment receipt of DVHF services, with DVHF being more strongly associated with positive outcomes among participants who also had high levels of social support and lower levels of material hardship. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Domestic Violence Housing First Model and Association With Survivors' Housing Stability, Safety, and Well-being Over 2 Years.

Importance: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a leading cause of homelessness and a serious threat to public health and well-being. Objective: To determine whether the Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF) model improves safety, housing stability, and mental health over 2 years. Design, Setting, and Participants: This longitudinal comparative effectiveness study interviewed IPV survivors and reviewed their agency records. All unstably housed or homeless IPV survivors entering domestic violence (DV) services were eligible to participate in the study, ensuring capture of typical variability in service delivery (eg, some survivors would enter services when agencies had the capacity to provide DVHF and others would receive services as usual [SAU]). Clients from 5 DV agencies (3 rural and 2 urban) referred by agency staff in a Pacific Northwest state of the United States were assessed between July 17, 2017, and July 16, 2021. Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish at entry into services (baseline) and at 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-up visits. The DVHF model was compared with SAU. The baseline sample included 406 survivors (92.7% of 438 eligible). Of the 375 participants retained at the 6-month follow-up (92.4% retention), 344 had received services and had complete data across all outcomes. Three hundred sixty-three participants (89.4%) were retained at the 24-month follow-up. Intervention: The DVHF model has 2 components: housing-inclusive advocacy and flexible funding. Main Outcomes and Measures: Main outcomes included housing stability, safety, and mental health, which were assessed using standardized measures. Results: Of the 344 participants (mean [SD] age, 34.6 [9.0] years) included in the analyses, 219 (63.7%) received DVHF and 125 (36.3%) received SAU. Most participants identified as female (334 [97.1%]) and heterosexual (299 [86.9%]). Two hundred twenty-one participants (64.2%) were from a racial and ethnic minority group. Longitudinal linear mixed-effects models showed that receiving SAU was associated with greater housing instability (mean difference, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.42-1.14]), DV exposure (mean difference, 0.15 [95% CI, 0.05-0.26]), depression (mean difference, 1.35 [95% CI, 0.27-2.43]), anxiety (mean difference, 1.15 [95% CI, 0.11-2.19]), and posttraumatic stress disorder (mean difference, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.04-1.04]) compared with receiving the DVHF model. Conclusions and Relevance: Evidence in this comparative effectiveness study suggests that the DVHF model was more effective than SAU in improving the housing stability, safety, and mental health of survivors of IPV. The DVHF's amelioration of all of these interconnected public health issues-relatively quickly and with long-term continuance-will be of substantial interest to DV agencies and others working to support unstably housed IPV survivors.

Impact of the Domestic Violence Housing First Model on Survivors' Safety and Housing Stability: 12-Month Findings.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread and devastating phenomenon resulting in a myriad of long-term consequences for survivors and their children. IPV victimization not only has negative health and economic consequences, it has also been linked to homelessness and housing instability. In response, the Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF) model is being used in some domestic violence (DV) agencies to help survivors attain safe and stable housing. The model includes using individualized advocacy and/or flexible funding to help survivors meet these goals. Using a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design, the current study involved conducting interviews with survivors and examining agency records to investigate the effectiveness of this model. We hypothesized that survivors who received DVHF would experience less re-abuse and greater housing stability over 12 months compared to those who received services as usual (SAU). The sample included 345 IPV survivors who had been homeless or unstably housed when they approached one of five DV programs for help. Interviews were spaced 6 months apart (when survivors first sought services as well as 6 months and 12 months later). Longitudinal analyses showed that survivors who received the DVHF model reported greater improvements in housing stability at both the 6-month and 12-month time points compared to those receiving SAU. At the 12-month time point, survivors who had received DVHF reported decreased physical, psychological, and economic abuse, as well as the use of their children against them as a form of abuse. This study adds to a growing body of evidence supporting this model's effectiveness and adds to our understanding of factors impacting the long-term housing stability and safety for IPV survivors.

Impact of the Domestic Violence Housing First Model on Survivors' Safety and Housing Stability: Six Month Findings.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a leading cause of homelessness, yet little evidence exists about effective strategies to assist IPV survivors as they work to avoid homelessness while freeing themselves from abuse. An ongoing demonstration evaluation is examining if and how one promising model assists IPV survivors in obtaining safe and stable housing over time. The Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF) model involves providing IPV survivors with mobile advocacy and/or flexible funding, depending on individual needs, in order to attain these goals. We hypothesized that those receiving DVHF would experience greater housing stability and less re-abuse compared to survivors receiving services as usual. The current study evaluated the short-term efficacy of the DVHF model with a sample of 345 homeless or unstably housed survivors who sought services and who completed in-person interviews shortly after contacting the DV agency, as well as six months later. Those who received the DVHF model showed greater improvement in their housing stability compared to those receiving services as usual, as well as decreased economic abuse. Both groups experienced a sharp decline in all forms of abuse. The Domestic Violence Housing First model shows promise in helping unstably housed DV survivors achieve safe and stable housing. Study findings have implications for DV agencies as well as those funding such services. Understanding which interventions work best for which survivors is critical to ensuring that service providers are effectively working toward long-term housing stability and well-being for IPV survivors and their children.

Exploratory Examination of How Race and Criminal Record Relate to Housing Instability Among Domestic Violence Survivors.

Housing instability is a critical concern in the United States, and domestic violence (DV) survivors are a group at high risk for experiencing housing instability or of becoming unhoused. Prior research has also identified having a criminal record (CR) as being a major barrier to obtaining stable housing, and this is truer for Black and Latinx people compared to their White counterparts. No study has examined whether comparable trends exist among survivors of DV, a group also at elevated risk of having a CR, sometimes related to their experience of abuse. The current exploratory study included 305 unhoused or unstably housed female DV survivors who had sought out DV support services. Multivariate regressions explored if survivor race and CR were separately linked to greater housing instability. CR was then explored as a potential moderator in the relation between race and housing instability. Results revealed that DV survivors with a CR faced greater housing instability than those without a CR, Black and Latina survivors experienced greater housing stability than did White survivors, and CR did not moderate the relation between race and housing instability. The racial differences were unexpected and are discussed in light of methodological limitations. This is the first study to date to explore the role of CR possession on housing instability for DV survivors.

Examining contextual influences on the service needs of homeless and unstably housed domestic violence survivors.

Domestic violence (DV) is a leading cause of homelessness for women, yet many DV agencies are just beginning to focus on helping clients stabilize their housing situations. The purpose of this study was to better understand the contexts and service needs of unstably housed and homeless DV survivors, to promote more efficient and successful service matching from DV agencies. We examined whether DV survivors could be grouped by particular features, histories, and contextual factors, and how these group differences impacted what they needed from DV agencies. The sample included 406 homeless and unstably housed DV survivors who had recently sought DV services. Latent class analysis supported the identification of four distinct classes: (1) highest disadvantages service seeker, (2) moderate disadvantages-criminal legal system service seeker, (3) moderate disadvantages service seeker, and (4) lower disadvantages service seeker. Additionally, we were able to profile each class, and test the types of services survivors in each class needed from agencies.

The impact of COVID-19 on the safety, housing stability, and mental health of unstably housed domestic violence survivors.

Using data from an ongoing longitudinal study, we examined the impact of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders on a racially diverse population of unstably housed domestic violence (DV) survivors over time. Specifically, we examined survivors' safety, housing stability, and mental health before, during, and after the onset of COVID-19, and how demographic, social, and familial factors attenuated or exacerbated the effect of the stay-at-home orders. Approximately 300 participants were initially interviewed after they sought services from a DV agency, and then again, every 6 months over 2 years. COVID-19 stay-at-home orders occurred midway through the completion of this multi-year study. Longitudinal mixed effects models were estimated to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the safety, housing stability, and mental health of survivors over time. We also examined models with several time-varying (e.g., employment, income, social support, and number of children) and time-invariant (baseline outcome scores, racial/ethnic identity, education, and disability status) control variables. Results revealed that safety, housing stability and mental health were improving for study participants before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic but plateaued after the stay-at-home orders were issued. Experiences of abuse, housing instability, and mental health symptomatology did not worsen as a result of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Notably, social support and housing services emerged as important predictors of outcomes, such that participants who received housing-related services and greater social support reported less abuse, less housing instability, and lower mental health distress. COVID-19 temporarily disrupted the positive trajectory unstably housed DV survivors were experiencing in regard to safety, housing stability and mental health. These findings provide critical insight into the importance of service access during and after global catastrophes. Additional resources and support may be helpful in assisting survivors to return to their pre-pandemic recovery and growth trajectories.

Evaluation in the Real World: Decision Points and Rationales in Creating A Rigorous Study Designed to Convey Ecologically Valid Findings.

Rigorously evaluating community-based interventions for multiply marginalized populations is fraught with challenges under the best of circumstances. This manuscript describes the methodology chosen to evaluate an innovative model designed to help survivors of intimate partner violence obtain safe and stable housing. We justify the choice of evaluation design from a community psychology perspective and detail why we believe the multi-method, multi-source design, that also focuses on social context, will maximize ecological validity and, therefore, propel the scale-up of the intervention if it is found to be effective. Longitudinal data are being collected from program recipients over time, the advocates who worked with them, agency service records, and monthly documentation of agency resources on hand that can impact services provided. Special attention is focused on capturing contextual information that can impact program success. While randomized control trials are still too often heralded as "the gold standard" for measuring intervention effectiveness, we maintain that the current design, which was developed in partnership with key community stakeholders, holds more promise when evaluating many community-based programs.

From Theory to Practice: On the Ground Cultural Adaption of a Parenting Intervention for Ethnic Minority Families Involved in the Child Welfare System.

Child maltreatment is a major public health issue in the United States. In the federal fiscal year 2017, approximately 7.5 million children were referred to child welfare services (CSW) in the nation. Developmental, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems are prevalent among children referred to CWS. For those in foster care, temporary or permanent placement frequently introduces additional instability into a child's already chaotic life, increasing their risk for deleterious physical and mental health outcomes. Limited research exists documenting the impact of efficacious culturally adapted parent training (PT) interventions aimed at serving low-income ethnic minority families involved in CWS. The objective of this study was twofold: to explicate how a culturally adapted PT intervention for diverse families involved in CWS was perceived by participants and to better understand how interventionists adapted to families' needs. In this study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 14 parents who had completed the adapted intervention, as well as all of the interventionists providing the intervention. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze and interpret the data. Parents indicated the positive impact that the intervention had on enhancing their parenting skills, as well as their ability to cope with the challenges associated with having a child removed by CWS. Interventionists described the gradual adaptations they implemented, in an effort to increase its cultural and contextual relevance. Research findings are relevant to the family therapy field as they increase understanding about culturally adapted PT interventions for ethnic minority families within CWS contexts.

El maltrato infantil es un gran problema de salud pública en los Estados Unidos. En el año fiscal federal 2017, se derivó a aproximadamente 7.5 millones de niños a servicios de bienestar infantil en el país. Entre los niños derivados a los servicios de bienestar infantil predominan los problemas emocionales, conductuales y del desarrollo. En los niños que están en acogida, su ubicación temporaria o permanente con frecuencia suma inestabilidad a la vida ya caótica de un niño, lo cual incrementa su riesgo de sufrir consecuencias perjudiciales en su salud mental y física. Existen escasas investigaciones que documentan los efectos de intervenciones eficaces con capacitaciones para padres culturalmente adaptadas y orientadas a asistir a familias de minorías étnicas de bajos recursos implicadas en servicios de bienestar infantil. El objetivo de este estudio fue doble: explicar cómo los participantes de una intervención con una capacitación de padres culturalmente adaptada para familias diversas implicadas en los servicios de bienestar infantil percibieron esta intervención y comprender mejor cómo los intervencionistas se adaptaron a las necesidades de las familias. En este estudio realizamos entrevistas detalladas con 14 padres que habían realizado la intervención adaptada, así como con todos los intervencionistas que llevaron a cabo la intervención. Se utilizó un método de análisis temático para analizar e interpretar los datos. Los padres indicaron el efecto positivo que tuvo la intervención en la mejora de sus habilidades de crianza, así como en su capacidad de afrontar las dificultades que surgen cuando los servicios de bienestar infantil les sacan un hijo. Los intervencionistas describieron las adaptaciones graduales que implementaron con el objetivo de aumentar su relevancia cultural y contextual. Los resultados de la investigación son relevantes para el área de la terapia familiar, ya que amplían el conocimiento sobre las intervenciones con capacitaciones para padres culturalmente adaptadas y orientadas a familias de minorías étnicas dentro del contexto de los servicios de bienestar infantil.

Understanding How Domestic Violence Shelter Rules May Influence Survivor Empowerment.

Domestic violence shelters have historically gone beyond providing emergency residential space for survivors by assisting in obtaining future housing, employment, health care, child care, or legal services. Domestic violence shelters are expected to operate within an empowerment philosophy, with an understanding that survivors are self-determining, can identify their needs, and know what it takes to meet those needs. Recent research has indicated that, as many shelters have become more rigid in creating rules that survivors must follow to access and retain free temporary housing, the result has been survivors' feelings of disempowerment, the complete opposite of what was originally intended. This study builds on the small amount of research conducted regarding survivors' experiences of shelter rules by specifically examining how rules were perceived to affect empowerment. Seventy-three survivors from two domestic violence shelters were asked about their experiences around specific shelter rules relating to curfew, parenting, chores, time limits, food, alcohol, drugs, and medications. A transcendental phenomenological approach was used to analyze the qualitative data, seeking explanations of how survivors made meaning of the rules and how those rules influenced their empowerment. Among those survivors who found the rules problematic, three major themes emerged: (a) rules acted as barriers to carrying out their normal, day-to-day activities; (b) the shelter staff's flexibility with rules was based on contingencies; and (c) rules negatively affected their psychological well-being, and required them to engage in protective behaviors. Recommendations are made for the reexamination and restructuring of rules within domestic violence shelters.

An Examination of Domestic Violence Advocates' Responses to Reproductive Coercion.

Reproductive coercion (RC) is a form of intimate partner violence (IPV) that continues to lack adequate attention by both researchers and practitioners. RC is defined as "male partners' attempts to promote pregnancy in their female partners through verbal pressure and threats to become pregnant (pregnancy coercion), direct interference with contraception (birth control sabotage), and threats and coercion related to pregnancy continuation or termination (control of pregnancy outcomes)." This type of partner violence can have serious consequences on a survivor's health and well-being. Despite the fact that RC has been reported by many women experiencing IPV, and that this type of abuse appears to be disproportionately targeted against marginalized women, little is known about the extent to which advocates either proactively or reactively address it. To redress this, the current study involved a brief online survey sent to domestic violence victim service advocates across the United States and its territories. More than 700 advocates responded about their comfort, practices, and perceived barriers related to RC and survivors' sexual health. Despite identifying (a) low levels of discomfort when discussing most topics relating to RC and (b) few barriers to discussing RC, few advocates reported regularly engaging in RC-related practices. Both greater levels of discomfort and identification of more barriers were associated with less frequent coercion-related practice. Study implications highlight the need for more specialized advocate training, and organizational support for advocates to comfortably and safely provide information and support about RC to survivors.

Advocacy With Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: What It Is, What It Isn't, and Why It's Critically Important.

Survivors of intimate partner violence arrive at the doors of domestic violence (DV) programs with a wide variety of needs, including long-term safety and healing, housing, economic stability, health and well-being, and community connection. Although some DV programs offer holistic approaches to survivors, many focus the vast majority of their attention and resources on providing emotional support and safety planning rather than advocating with survivors for their access to needed resources and opportunities. Although services focused on emotional support and safety planning are important, they alone are not likely to result in the life changes that many survivors are seeking. Programs that provide genuine advocacy for survivors-defined as partnering with them to represent their rights and interests while linking them to concrete resources, protections, and opportunities-have been found to be effective and well received. Although an early pillar of DV programs, this type of advocacy has fallen by the wayside in many agencies. In this article, the authors make a case for re-invigorating advocacy efforts designed to improve the life circumstances of survivors. We argue that such efforts will make DV programs more relevant and sought after by a wider range of survivors and that agencies will see real change occur at both the individual and community levels.

Negotiating Participatory Research Processes With Domestic Violence Program Staff to Obtain Ecologically Valid Data.

The choice of research design affects not only internal and external validity but ecological validity as well. Ecological validity refers to the extent to which data are based in and relevant to real-world settings. One way for researchers to maximize the likelihood of achieving ecological validity is to design studies with community partners that use participatory approaches. Engaging deeply with community partners in determining what to study, how to measure constructs of interest, interpreting results, and using findings to create change is one means of conducting research that is likely to produce findings that are meaningful to communities. Conducting in-depth, participatory research within agencies providing crisis supports to individuals who have experienced trauma creates an additional level of complexity in the research process. This article presents a case example of how academic researchers and staff members of a nonprofit organization working with survivors of intimate partner violence collaborated on an evaluation of the community partner agency. As part of this process, the team members had to be continually aware of and responsive to the nature of crisis-focused work. We provide a reflexive account of the lessons learned and recommendations for future research.

Flexible Funding as a Promising Strategy to Prevent Homelessness for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence.

The complex interrelationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and housing instability has been well established. Being the victim of IPV is a leading cause of homelessness for women, and once someone is homeless, their lives often spiral downward quickly. While some IPV survivors require extensive and possibly long-term assistance to achieve safe and stable housing (especially if they are contending with multiple complex issues), others could avoid homelessness if provided with immediate, individualized, and flexible assistance. For these survivors, whose housing has been otherwise stable but who face homelessness because of a crisis related to IPV, a brief intervention that includes flexible funding can restore a family's equilibrium and prevent the devastating repercussions associated with homelessness. A longitudinal evaluation of a flexible funding program in Washington, D.C., found that this brief, relatively inexpensive intervention may increase housing stability-94% of clients were housed 6 months after funding was received. Implications for both research and practice are discussed.

Disseminating the Community Advocacy Project in Mexico: A Feasibility Study.

The Community Advocacy Project is an evidence-based practice that has been shown to lead to numerous positive changes in the lives of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors. Prior research conducted in the Midwest United States, and with primarily African American and Anglo American survivors, has shown that this short-term, community-based advocacy intervention results in increased safety and quality of life even 2 years after the intervention ends. The current study describes the process of culturally adapting and disseminating this program in Monterrey, Mexico, with a sample of low-income Mexican IPV survivors exposed to a variety of considerable contextual stressors. Interviews were conducted with advocates, advocate supervisors, and survivors to examine the acceptability and utility of the intervention. Twenty-seven IPV survivors, seven advocates, and four advocate supervisors participated in the intervention research. Advocates and their supervisors were highly laudatory, believing the intervention to be culturally relevant and effective. Encouraging changes were found for survivors as well, with positive changes over time being found on safety, quality of life, social support, and depression.

The influence of low-barrier and voluntary service policies on survivor empowerment in a domestic violence housing organization.

The purpose of community-based domestic violence crisis housing programs (e.g., shelters) is to provide a safe setting that promotes empowerment for survivors of intimate partner violence. For staff to reach this aim, the program must have formal structures and processes in place to support such efforts. This study explored how low-barrier and voluntary service policies influenced staff practices and survivor empowerment. Low-barrier policies require that programs remove barriers that prevent survivors, particularly those who have mental health concerns and/or addictions, from being able to access services. A voluntary service policy states that survivors have the right to choose which services, if any, they would like to engage in during their stay at the program. Survivors' ability to stay at the housing program is not contingent on their participation in program services. This exploratory-sequential (QUAL→ quan) mixed-method study examined how low-barrier and voluntary service policies influenced staff behavior and how these behaviors then related to survivor empowerment. Qualitative results revealed that low-barrier and voluntary service were guided by cultural values of justice and access, encouraged survivor-centered practices among staff, and were believed to promote survivor autonomy. Quantitative results suggested that when survivors perceived they had a choice to engage in program services or meet with an advocate, their empowerment increased. This study has implications for domestic violence organizational practice and provides evidence about the contextual factors that support individual empowerment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding How Domestic Violence Support Services Promote Survivor Well-being: A Conceptual Model.

Domestic violence (DV) victim service programs have been increasingly expected by legislators and funders to demonstrate that they are making a significant difference in the lives of those using their services. Alongside this expectation, they are being asked to describe the Theory of Change guiding how they believe their practices lead to positive results for survivors and their children. Having a widely accepted conceptual model is not just potentially useful to funders and policy makers as they help shape policy and practice -- it can also help programs continually reflect upon and improve their work. This paper describes the iterative and collaborative process undertaken to generate a conceptual model describing how DV victim services are expected to improve survivors' lives. The Social and Emotional Well-Being Framework guiding the model is an ideal structure to use to describe the goals and practices of DV programs because this framework: (1) accurately represents DV programs' goal of helping survivors and their children thrive; and (2) recognizes the importance of community, social, and societal context in influencing individuals' social and emotional well-being. The model was designed to guide practice and to generate new questions for research and evaluation that address individual, community, and systems factors that promote or hinder survivor safety and well-being.

A Longitudinal Examination of Mothers' Depression and PTSD Symptoms as Impacted by Partner-Abusive Men's Harm to Their Children.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and widespread form of gender-based violence that disproportionately affects women. It is well established that IPV victimization contributes to depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that many partner-abusive men continue to perpetuate abuse even after their relationship with the victim ends. In addition, when men harm their partners, they are more likely to harm their children, and evidence suggests that this harm continues post-separation. However, scant research has been conducted on men's harm to their children as an extension of IPV perpetration, with even less known about the mental health impact this form of abuse has on mothers. For this longitudinal cohort study, 40 partner-abused mothers who had separated, or were planning to separate, from an abusive partner with whom they shared children were recruited. Women were interviewed 4 times over 1 year. Results confirmed that, in addition to men's physical abuse perpetration relating to subsequent increases in mothers' depression and PTSD symptoms over time, their harm to the children predicted both mothers' depression and PTSD symptoms as well.

Evaluation of the effects of receiving trauma-informed practices on domestic violence shelter residents.

Domestic violence is a potentially traumatizing experience that has devastating psychological and physical consequences. In response, domestic violence shelter programs have focused increasing attention on helping adult and child survivors understand and heal from this trauma. What have come to be called trauma-informed practices include (a) reflecting an understanding of trauma and its many effects on health and behavior, (b) addressing both physical and psychological safety concerns, (c) using a culturally informed strengths-based approach, (d) helping to illuminate the nature and effects of abuse on survivors' everyday experience; and (e) providing opportunities for clients to regain control over their lives. Despite the proliferation of these practices, little is known about their effects on survivors. In response, the current study explored the extent to which trauma-informed practices, as experienced by shelter residents, related to changes in their levels of self-efficacy, safety-related empowerment, and depressive symptoms over the course of approximately 30 days in shelter. Fifty-seven shelter residents from 4 programs in Ohio completed surveys shortly after arriving in shelter and again before exit. Their perception of the degree to which they received trauma-informed services was associated with significant improvement in their self-efficacy and safety-related empowerment, but had no impact on depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms decreased over time, regardless of receipt of trauma-informed practice. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record