Research In Action

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) presents a significant public health challenge, with profound consequences for survivors and their children. CHOP is committed to addressing these challenges through innovative, evidence-based interventions. Recently, my STOP IPV team, in partnership with Lutheran Settlement House (LSH) and Laurel House (LH), was awarded a Clinical Futures Pilot Grant for our project, "Preparing for Change: Leveraging Intervention Mapping in Preparation of a Parent Life Coaching Program for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors and their Children at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia." 

This project aims to fill a critical gap in onsite support services for parents at CHOP who have experienced IPV by systematically adapting the evidence-based Family Vision© Program through a community-based participatory research approach. By engaging key stakeholders—including healthcare providers, researchers, IPV survivors, and community organizations—this ensures that the adapted intervention is closely aligned with the needs and priorities of the CHOP community. 

The Need for Parenting Support 

The current approach for building interventions to mitigate the health impacts of IPV has primarily focused on supporting survivors as they leave abusive relationships. These traditional models often focus on the survivor as an individual and can overlook the rebuilding and healing of family dynamics, especially in relation to the survivor’s children. While this approach has provided important insights and support in relation to IPV survivors, the impact of these experiences on family dynamics and the trauma recovery of the family as a unit remains unanswered. 

At CHOP, when identified during healthcare encounters, patient and caregiver survivors are referred to community partners, LSH and LH, through a confidential warm hand-off process. Survivors are then connected to outpatient resources for themselves and their children that focus on individual healing goals. Additionally, many children that have also experienced child abuse and/or mental and behavioral health concerns are referred to outpatient mental health services at CHOP through Safe Place, which addresses the critical issues of child abuse, neglect and placement in out-of-home care, and/or the Department of Child Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. 

Despite these amazing resources at CHOP, a critical gap exists in our current workflow: onsite support groups specifically tailored for parents who have experienced IPV are not currently offered. This gap in services is particularly salient given the holistic approach CHOP adopts in supporting families who have experienced IPV. While children may receive therapy and support services, it is essential that their parents also have access to comprehensive support to facilitate healing and promote family resilience. 

Adaptation of The Family Vision© Program 

To address this gap, our team’s goal is to adapt the evidence-based Family Vision© Program to fit the Philadelphia context. The Family Vision© Program, developed and implemented in the UK, combines elements of life coaching and women's leadership coaching to foster collaboration, choice, and control, promoting healing and reintegration for IPV survivors and their families. 

This project is guided by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework. Having recently completed the Exploration phase, involving a city-wide community needs assessment, we are now poised to enter the Preparation phase. This phase involves adapting the Family Vision© Program through Intervention Mapping, which tailors interventions to the specific needs and preferences of the target community. To ensure the intervention is culturally and contextually appropriate, we will use an iterative process of focus groups with IPV survivors and key stakeholders at CHOP to review and modify the Family Vision© Program. Our team will conduct ongoing evaluation of the program’s adapted intervention and develop a detailed implementation plan that outlines strategies for training, implementation support, and sustainability, ensuring long-term success. 

Our “Preparing for Change" project highlights CHOP’s dedication to advancing support for IPV survivors by adapting the Family Vision© Program to the unique context of Philadelphia. This initiative addresses a critical gap in onsite services for parents, ensuring they receive the comprehensive support needed to foster healing and resilience. By employing a community-based participatory research approach and the EPIS framework, the project not only tailors interventions to the specific needs of survivors but also sets a new standard for holistic, family-centered care. The insights gained from this project will inform future strategies and enhance evidence-based practices for IPV support nationwide. 

Access the full list of Clinical Futures’ Spring 2024 Pilot Grant Recipients here.