Detection of intimate-partner violence among members of a managed behavioral health organization.
This column describes a creative effort on the part of a national behavioral managed care plan to identify cases of domestic violence in its covered population. Although the screening efforts by intake counselors and clinicians yielded a lower rate of domestic violence than would have been expected, the effort established a baseline or benchmark from which the organization can now work. Clinical benchmarks are critical to developing an understanding of best practices. In this case, the benchmark finding initiated a best practices process through which this organization--and, hopefully, others--will continue to create better methods for identifying and helping people who experience domestic violence.
Matevia
Marilyn L
ML
United Behavioral Health, San Francisco, California 94105, USA. marilyn_l_matevia@uhc.com
Goldman
William
W
McCulloch
Joyce
J
Randall
Penny K
PK
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011361:Professional Competence; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data