A six month follow-up study to assess the sustainability of The Domestic Violence Shelter Screening Project

A 6 month follow-up study was conducted to assess the sustainability of an evidence-based project to train shelter staff to screen, and refer child shelter residents experiencing distress related to exposure to domestic violence. Nineteen (41%) of staff from 6 North Carolina domestic violence shelters completed the follow-up survey. Individual level sustainability was measured by the extent to which shelter staff remained confident to use screening tools to assess, score and refer children to appropriate services. Site level sustainability was measured on 4 dimensions: 1) memory: the human, material and financial resources to support screening and referral; 2) adaptation: routine activities at shelters modified to accommodate screening and referral; 3) value: collective value placed on screening and referral; and 4) rules: presence of written institutional procedures to guide screening and referral. Staff reported high self- confidence to screen and refer at 6 months follow-up; 70% reported it a permanent activity at the shelter. Shelters scored moderately high (M= 2.15 out of a possible score of 3), on the collective value placed on screening, and on the resources available to support and maintain screening and referral (M = 2.0); but low on modification of routines to accommodate screening (M =1.2); and on institutionalization of written rules for screening (M = 1.3). A low overall sustainability score (M=1.69) indicated that screening has been sustained only partially. Findings from this study provide specific insights into types of site-level activities that require improvement in order to sustain screening and referral in domestic violence shelters.