Project peer: Serving women with mental health issues and/or developmental disabilities who have experienced sexual and/or domestic violence

Davis, Karen

Friday, March 20, 2015: 10:15 AM-11:35 AM

Room 2 (Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel)

Speakers:
Karen Davis, ABD, MS, BA, Project Peer
Judith Karsevar, BS, Quality Trust

Authors:
Liz Odongo, MA, DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Melinda Coles, MSW, BS, DC Rape Crisis Center

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Presentation Format:
Innovative/Promising Practice Program Report

Learning Objectives:

Describe Project Peer and lessons learned in supporting survivors with disabilities.
Discuss the victimization women with disabilities experience.
Describe how professionals can best support a survivor with a developmental disability and/or mental health issue who discloses domestic and/or sexual violence.

Description:
All women are at risk of experiencing violence, however, it occurs more frequently, by more perpetrators, for longer periods of time in the lives of women with disabilities. Women with disabilities are much more likely to arrive at adulthood having already been sexually assaulted and are more likely to experience physical and sexual violence. Over the past 7 years, 8 organizations and numerous self-advocates across Washington, DC, have been working as the Project Peer collaborative to address this epidemic.