After dedicating over 90 hours at the Willow Domestic Violence Center, I presented my practicum outcome to the Center\’s director.

1. COMMUNITY HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Alisa Medina
Fall 2011

2. WILLOW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER
Provides safe-shelter,
peer counseling,
advocacy, community
support groups and
other services to
survivors of domestic
violence in Douglas,
Franklin, and
Jefferson counties.
Founded in 1976, The Willow Domestic Violence Center was
the first battered woman's shelter in Kansas.

3. MISSION
Strives to eliminate family and
domestic violence in our
communities by providing safety,
education and advocacy.
VISION
Restoring the health
and safety of victims of
family and domestic
violence.

4. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RATES IN
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
• Women with disabilities are more likely to experience
abuse by a greater number of perpetrators and for longer
periods than women without disabilities.
• African American women experience domestic violence
at a rate 35% higher than that of white females and
about 2.5 times the rate of other races.
• 41%-60% Asian women report experiencing domestic
violence during their lifetime.
• Native American women experience the highest rate of
violence of any group in the U.S., 3.5 times greater than
the national average.
*Domestic Violence Communities of Color Face Sheet by Women of Color Network, 2009

5. POWER AND CONTROL WHEEL
Helpful tool used in
understanding the
overall pattern of
abusive and violent
behaviors, which
are used by a
batterer to establish
and maintain
control over his
partner

6. AT THE WILLOW…
• General assessment of victims who do not qualify for the
O.A.R.S. (Orientation, Assessment, Referral, and Safety)
program.
– The O.A.R.S. program is for individuals who are
experiencing domestic and/or sexual abuse or violence
AND receiving assistance from Social and
Rehabilitation Services.
• To assist the victims who do not qualify, The Willow
enacted a new program where they can still receive help
through a volunteer who can offer other resources that may
be available to Willow

7. The Willow Domestic Violence Center does not
discriminate with regard to race, religion, age, sexual
orientation, national/ethnic origin, marital status, ability, or
socioeconomic status.
PRACTICUM PROJECT
To assess and evaluate the new program and provide feedback
and support to The Willow Center’s volunteer and staff. In which
key stakeholders can review this report and evaluate the
importance and value of this community program
Crystal Camis – Director of Survivor Services
-Key Contact at The Willow Center

8. PRACTICUM LOGIC MODEL

9. PRACTICUM PRODUCT OUTCOME
An evaluation report which will give specific details about
the progress of these victims and how Willow has assisted
them, including the program’s utility, feasibility, propriety,
and accuracy.
Certain methods to be used in this evaluation include
interviews (with Willow’s staff/volunteers & limited amount
of victims), survey response from victims, community-level
indicators of impact, and observations.
The Willow Center can use this information to establish
better ways in the future to reach out to this community
who were previously unable to receive help.

10. PRACTICUM FINDINGS AND RESULTS
• The 10 women who have been helped by Willow
Center’s new program:
– 2 women have been provided shelter
– 5 women have received food and clothing vouchers
– 1 woman has found stable employment
– All have received counseling and advocacy
Unlike before these women are being contacted
regularly and can continue receiving assistance by the
Willow Center or from other community programs in the
area we in which we refer them to.

11. SUCCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES
• The main obstacle of this program is the awareness of
the program’s availability to community members in
need, people cannot get help if they don’t know its
offered.
• Opportunities for new learning experiences since the
organization is established but the program isn’t, I’m
learning how to acquire different data, information,
people and how to focus it into one product.

12. LESSONS LEARNED
• How important these programs are to victims, especially
the quality & diversity of the help and the timely manner
these women and children require to receive benefits.
• Over the semester I have been able to develop my
networking skills, as I had to practically knock on office
doors and ask direct questions that are valuable to the
program.
• My ABSC 310 knowledge is used in real-life situations
but without the use of a educated group to help initiate
ideas with me, it has become difficult to overcome the
thought of forgetting important factors.

13. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Dr. Watson-Thompson
• Marvia Jones
At the Willow Center-
• Crystal
• Becca
• Surveyed victims