Dr. Paige Hall Smith (Public Health Education) received new funding from the Governor’s Crime Commission for the project “NC LGBTQ Domestic Violence Response Initiative – 2020.” Dr. Stacy Sechrist is co-principal investigator on the project.
This two-year project continues the collaborative efforts of the Center for Women’s Health and Wellness and the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence to develop a statewide training and technical assistance (TA) program for improving services to LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner violence.
The researchers’ goal is to advance the knowledge, skills, and resources of Domestic Violence Service Providers (DVSP) staff and personnel, and other allied health professionals throughout N.C. to ensure that LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence receive consistently excellent and culturally relevant assistance wherever they seek help.
The researchers will continue providing ongoing training and technical assistance to their three regional partners: Outerbanks Hotline, LGBTQ Center of Durham, and Helpmate, and their University-based partner, the Campus Violence Response Center at UNCG. They will also support their capacity-building efforts within their respective communities thus ensuring that the knowledge and skills gained through this project is disseminated to other relevant agencies and organizations. The researchers will cultivate a community of practice to improve LGBTQ competency among those who serve them, develop a web-based resource for professionals and survivors, and evaluate the extent to which the program meets our goal and performance measures.
