A large body of research has demonstrated that experiencing abuse by an intimate partner is associated with a wide range of mental health consequences, further amplified in the context of structural violence, ongoing danger, and coercive control. Less well researched, however, are the ways that people who abuse their partners engage in coercive tactics related to their partner’s mental health and use of substances as part of a broader pattern of abuse and control – tactics known as mental health and substance use coercion. This 1-hour session provides an overview of the impact of IPV on survivors’ mental health and how survivors’ safety is impacted by COVID-19 and other public crises as well as information on how to safely inquire about IPV and link to local domestic and sexual violence advocacy resources.

Note: Certificates of attendance will be provided to all who attend at least 50% (30 minutes) of the live webinar. CEUs are not available for these sessions.

Learning Objectives

By participating in this session, attendees will be able to:

• Name at least two ways that abuse by an intimate partner can impact mental health in general, and in the context of COVID-19 and other public crises.
• Describe at least two ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has created new safety risks for survivors of IPV and impacted safe access to resources and supports.
• Identify at least 3 ways IPV and mental health coercion might manifest in the context of mental health treatment.
• Implement at least one strategy for safely asking about IPV in the context of mental health services, including tele-based services.
• Link individuals to local Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence (DV/SV) advocacy resources to improve care for survivors of DV/SV.

Speakers:

Carole Warshaw, MD, is the Director of the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health. Dr. Warshaw has been at the forefront of developing collaborative models and building system capacity to address the mental health, substance use and advocacy concerns of survivors of DV and other trauma, and to create accessible, culturally responsive, domestic violence- and trauma-informed services and organizations. She has written and spoken extensively on these topics both nationally and internationally and has served as an advisor to numerous health, mental health and advocacy organizations and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). She also served on the National Research Council Committee on the Assessment of Family Violence Interventions. Dr. Warshaw has maintained a private practice in psychiatry since 1989 and is a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois.

Gabriela Zapata-Alma, LCSW, CADC, is the Director of Policy and Practice on Domestic Violence and Substance Use at the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health, as well as faculty at The University of Chicago, where they coordinate the Advanced Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor certification program at the School of Social Service Administration. Gabriela brings over 15 years of experience supporting people impacted by violence, mental health conditions, substance use disorders, trauma, housing instability, and HIV/AIDS; providing counseling, training, advocacy, and policy consultation; and leading programs using trauma-informed approaches, Motivational Interviewing, harm reduction, gender-responsive care, Housing First, and third-wave behavioral interventions. Gabriela has been recognized with numerous awards, including Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s 2018 Health Award, and the 2017 Rising Star Award from the Illinois chapter of the National Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC).

Note: This is the first session of the Working at the Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health Series, an online series brought to you by the MHTTC Network and the National Center for Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health. For more information on the series and other upcoming sessions, please click here.