title: Domestic violence and sexual assault service goal priorities.
abstract: We investigated agency directors' perspectives about how service goals should be prioritized for domestic violence and sexual assault service subtypes, including crisis, legal advocacy, medical advocacy, counseling, support group, and shelter services. A sample of 97 (94% response rate) North Carolina domestic violence and/or sexual assault agency directors completed a survey asking participants to rank the importance of service goals. Overall, participants considered emotional support provision to be a critical service goal priority across all service types. Social support and self-care service strategies were deemed less important. However, prioritization of other service goals varied depending on the service type. Statistically significant differences on service goal prioritization based on key agency characteristics were also examined, and agency characteristics were found to relate to differences in service goal prioritization.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA. rjmacy@email.unc.edu
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Macy
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johns
authors.forename: Cynthia F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Rizo
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giattina
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services; D017579:Domestic Violence; D006040:Goals; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D009657:North Carolina; D012742:Sex Offenses