Identify and describe three (3) service delivery models used by victim assistance workers, noting the benefits and limitations of each model.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

1. Domestic Violence Prevention Model is rooted in the domestic violence movement, which coincided with the rise in influence of national grassroots women’s advocacy organizations such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Organization of Victim’s Assistance (NOVA), and the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women. Domestic violence interventions operate under an empowerment model (Nerenberg, 2008), which addresses the power imbalance observed at both the micro and macro levels. The micro-level approach addresses the needs and problems of individuals, whereas the focus of the macro level is group and institutional changes. 2. Public Health Model offers three approaches—primary, secondary, and tertiary preventions—aimed at reducing diseases and other health risks and social problems. Primary prevention focuses on preventing or eliminating diseases or injuries before they happen. This can be done with education about healthy lifestyles. Secondary prevention is done by the early detection and treatment of disease or an injury. Examples are a regular checkup to identify and treat disease for those who have risk factors. Tertiary prevention stops problems that already present, soften the impact of an ongoing illness or injury that has a lasting effect, and reduce the likelihood of recurrence. 3. Family Preservation Model—The term family preservation was introduced specifically to designate a particular kind of intervention, an Intensive Family Preservation Services (IFPS) program that follows a model invented in Washington State in the mid-1970s (Wexler, 2005). In general, the family preservation model assumes that the most effective way to prevent child abuse and neglect is to work with families rather than removing children from their homes or separating them from family members (Kelly & Blythe, 2000). The assumption of the family preservation model is based on the family system theory, which assumes that each member of a family is interdependent and will respond to expected roles, which are determined by relationship agreements.