This paper will present information about starting health care services at a battered women's shelter and outcomes of the Constance Morris House (CMH) Health Care Project. CMH is a shelter for battered women and their children in a southwest suburb of Chicago. The mission of CMH is: to provide a safe space for battered women and their dependent children to learn about domestic violence and options for protection and change; and to create awareness and understanding about the problem of family violence and options for change within communities served by CMH. Prior to the start of the Health Care Project, CMH offered shelter, counseling and legal advocacy services to its clients, but no health care on site. CMH clients have had many health problems which went untreated because of poor local access to care, and competing priorities for these women. Preventive care generally has been ignored. The CMH Health Care Project is based on three concepts: increasing access to health care by taking services to places where homeless people are found; "staying connected" by using nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives who are particularly effective in working with vulnerable populations; and prevention through health education. This paper will describe the process, problems and successes in obtaining grant funding and starting the CMH Health Care Project. Health problems experienced by CMH clients and their response to care provided by the Health Care Project also will be discussed.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, the participant will be able to: 1) Describe a process for developing effective health care services at a battered women's shelter; 2) Discuss common health care problems experienced by homeless battered women and their children
Keywords: Access to Care, Battered Women
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Constance Morris House/Des Plaines Valley Community Center, Summit, Illinois
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.