Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Grant: Ending the Silence in Michigan
Project Description:
The Developmental Disabilities Institute previously conducted a one-year study to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for abuse among women with disabilities in Michigan. Our findings from this study indicated that women with disabilities, particularly those who are deaf or hard of hearing, are at high risk for violence and abuse. Our research also showed that a critical period for risk for these women was when they were first living on their own during their late teens and early 20's. These finding highlights the importance of educating young women with disabilities before they enter this vulnerable time. This grant is a necessary next step to reducing violence against women with disabilities and builds upon our previous research on violence. The objectives of this initiative are to empower young women with disabilities with strategies to reduce their risk for violence and abuse and to systematically evaluate the project. The proposed intervention will be targeted to a sample of 150 young women with physical & sensory disabilities in the state of Michigan. End the Silence will be used as the training curriculum. This curriculum is presented as a 1 day training. The modules include lecture material, exercises and examples. Participatory methods will also be used to evaluate the training. More specifically, training will be designed to allow participants to demonstrate and practice the skills and knowledge learned and to enhance the information and experience they already have when they come to the training. Participants will also provide immediate feedback to trainers at training sessions that will be used to improve future training. Individual evaluations of training participants will be completed after each training session. This project will teach young women with disabilities how to stay safe and what to do if they are victims of violence/ assault. Participants of this training program will be able to: identify the signs of an abusive individual, report improved self-esteem, find and use community resources that provide services to women, understand safety planning and understand the rights of a person with a disability.
Keyword(s):
violence, prevention, women
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees
Area of Emphasis
Health-Related Activities, Quality of Life
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Family Members/Caregivers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Mulit-County, State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
