Nowadays, if you go to the hospital with an injury, you will be screened for possible domestic violence, this has been the standard of care for many years, even in Kensington in Philadelphia in a small hospital this was in place 15 years ago when I tripped on the sidewalk and came into the ER with a rather spectacularly bleeding forehead. If you are pregnant and go to your obstetrician in Virginia, you will be screened for domestic violence routinely I am told. But in 2007 in Virginia, if you are temporarily detained for pre-screening for involuntary commitment, you will not be screened for domestic violence, despite the high number of people with psychiatric disabilities who are abuse victims. Wouldn’t you think it would be relevant and important to know if the person in front of you being considered for hospitalization is being beaten up by their lover or spouse or other family member? Wouldn’t it make a difference in what kind of decision you would want to make about what would be the best disposition for them? If someone’s psychic distress is a result of domestic violence or even just aggravated by domestic violence, how helpful will the mental health system be to them if they don’t know that and treat them and release them back to the same abusive home? Shouldn’t it make a difference in what kind of discharge planning is made? What kind of social work or case management they receive? Wouldn’t it be nice if they were put in touch with a domestic violence specialist while in treatment who could help them develop a safety plan?
Why is this being resisted as part of the pre-screening form by the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse?
September 29, 2007 at 5:32 am
That is not right. I was looking up stats last night and did you know that 55% of reported domestic violence is against people with mental illness. They should check for that no matter what you are going to the hospital for, I mean if you go then you are there for HELP.
September 29, 2007 at 8:56 am
Hey T.T., can you send me a link to those stats if you still have it? I would love to have a link to stats to cite.
Of course they should check for it no matter what, in fact they do in good hospitals and doctors’ practices especially in high risk groups such as pregnant women and children with injuries. I believe people with mental illness are a high risk group too.
September 29, 2007 at 10:10 am
I wish I still had it, I looked at so many sites last night. But that stat stuck with me I will go through my history and see if it is still there, but my history clear out pretty quickly. *crosses fingers*