ENGAGE
Prof JO SPANGARO
Professor of Social Work, University of Wollongong
ENGAGE refers to the ongoing relationship and factors required to facilitate disclosure or ensure an adequate response to domestic violence (where a disclosure is made).
For WOMEN, essential characteristics of engagement are:
appropriate timing for identification and response to domestic violence
privacy
partner/family involvement in care (if safe to do so)
cultural fit, including provision of bilingual services
HEALTH PRACTITIONERS valued:
having scripts and tools
skill building
having clear pathways to guide clinical decisions
acknowledgement of their various experiences
Reflective Questions.
Use these questions to reflect on how effectively you are engaging with the woman and how you feel about the skills, tools and pathways to enable this.
Suggested Scripts.
Here are some examples of language, phrases and questions to use to help you engage with the woman to ask about domestic violence.
Other Helpful Tools
The Royal Women’s Hospital Relationship Safety Tool