Theatre for teaching violence, abuse and trauma prevention and intervention: Setting the bar for students and reinvigorating providers

A theatrical presentation created at and piloted with the University of New England's Health Professions and College of Osteopathic Medicine fills the domestic violence/sexual assault didactics curriculum requirements, providing students with a primer on the role that DV and SA play in the lives of patients--social scourges that impact everyone but primarily women, girls, and vulnerable populations. Similarly, the program has been used with providers as a CME unit, for which a six-month follow-up survey marks the learning results and effect on practice. Combining best practices, medical research and a recognition of social and professional barriers to addressing violence, abuse, and trauma in the lives of patients, "Major Medical Breakthrough" is a 40 minute, presentation performed by professional actors. Theatre as education serves to give an effective, memorable exploration of the complexities of these issues. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to demonstrate do's and dont's for screening interview; analyze data on toxic stressor conditions and correlations to health issues; differentiate types of psychological, social and medical impacts of abuse and trauma; and identify resources and strategies to assist providers and patients dealing with violence, abuse or trauma experiences.