TY - JOUR
T1 - “We Weren’t Ready”
T2 - Provider Perspectives on Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Among Refugees and Immigrants in The United States
AU - Wachter, Karin
AU - Cook Heffron, Laurie
AU - Dalpe, Jessica
N1 - Funding Information:
Office of Violence Against Women, Department of Justice, grant number 2016-SI-AX-0004.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - This study examined organizational factors influencing the availability and accessibility of IPV services for refugee and other vulnerable immigrant women in the U.S. from the perspectives of social service providers. This qualitative study used a purposive sampling approach to recruit 57 social service providers. Researchers analyzed data generated from individual interviews and focus group discussions using a thematic approach. The analysis generated four themes reflective of structural and systemic factors shaping the availability and accessibility of IPV services for immigrant and refugee women in the U.S.: (1) We weren’t ready, (2) No place to go, (3) Time is not on our side, and (4) Can’t do it alone. The analysis illuminated the extent to which service demands outweighed organizational capacities and the rigidity of service timelines that failed to meet needs. A pervasive thread of ethical dilemmas emerged, affecting the availability and accessibility of services. Overall, the findings form a compelling argument for structural shifts in policy and funding, and for fostering strong inter-sectoral coordination to combat barriers to services. The study reiterates the importance of addressing inter-agency collaboration in IPV research, policy, and practice.
AB - This study examined organizational factors influencing the availability and accessibility of IPV services for refugee and other vulnerable immigrant women in the U.S. from the perspectives of social service providers. This qualitative study used a purposive sampling approach to recruit 57 social service providers. Researchers analyzed data generated from individual interviews and focus group discussions using a thematic approach. The analysis generated four themes reflective of structural and systemic factors shaping the availability and accessibility of IPV services for immigrant and refugee women in the U.S.: (1) We weren’t ready, (2) No place to go, (3) Time is not on our side, and (4) Can’t do it alone. The analysis illuminated the extent to which service demands outweighed organizational capacities and the rigidity of service timelines that failed to meet needs. A pervasive thread of ethical dilemmas emerged, affecting the availability and accessibility of services. Overall, the findings form a compelling argument for structural shifts in policy and funding, and for fostering strong inter-sectoral coordination to combat barriers to services. The study reiterates the importance of addressing inter-agency collaboration in IPV research, policy, and practice.
KW - Coalition building
KW - Domestic violence
KW - Inter-organizational coordination
KW - Refugee resettlement
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U2 - 10.1007/s10896-021-00285-2
DO - 10.1007/s10896-021-00285-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85108067096
SN - 0885-7482
VL - 37
SP - 235
EP - 246
JO - Journal of Family Violence
JF - Journal of Family Violence
IS - 2
ER -