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Working with a multidisciplinary team to establish a domestic violence training initiative presents unique rewards and challenges, as team members often approach the issue guided by different philosophies, personal experiences, and professional norms. For a facilitator who is accustomed to working with community groups, the “clinical” approach healthcare providers take to domestic violence can be unfamiliar or daunting. Healthcare providers, in turn, may be unfamiliar with the grassroots-based philosophies of many victim advocates. While shelter-based educators often position domestic violence in a larger context of power and control and other forms of social oppression, medical staff may view it predominantly as an issue that affects patient health. A successful training model will incorporate the philosophical tenets of the battered women's movement, but must also emphasize that domestic violence is a healthcare issue and reinforce the diagnostic benefits of implementing screening practices with every patient encounter. Advocates and clinicians may also hold different beliefs around the concepts of research-based evidence and expertise, and a successful collaboration process will incorporate the voices and knowledge of survivors and front-line community workers as well as published experts.

This session will assess the value of the multidisciplinary team model, and participants will discuss how to identify and build relationships with agencies and advocates in their own communities. We will explore the origins of common divergences between grassroots and medical groups, and will discuss how to use these differing philosophies to enrich the collaborative experience, to build lasting professional relationships, and to develop an inclusive and holistic training program.