ChristianaCare has been providing funding since the project’s early days and has committed to do so for the next five years, according to Erin Booker, vice president of Behavioral Health and Social Care Integration at the hospital system. She explained that victims of domestic violence come into the hospital’s emergency department or doctors’ offices regularly and they believe it is essential as a part of a patient’s care to respond to not just that person’s medical needs but also offer resources that will address the social and emotional influences of their health.
Booker said having community health workers who are specially trained to provide support to victims of domestic violence − connecting them to resources to secure housing, food, and clothing or helping them develop a safety plan − is “incredibly important.”
After a health care worker refers a patient to the project, a domestic violence community health worker may meet with victims in covert locations such as grocery stores, laundromats or parks. The advocate works to ensure the victim is connected to health care services, has information regarding safety protection and long-term planning, and provides needed emotional support.
