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Vital Signs

Posters and Buttons Promote Multicultural Dialogue About Domestic Violence

Innovative posters and buttons designed to foster dialogue about domestic violence between victims and health care providers are now being distributed to clinics throughout California. The culturally sensitive materials are available in a variety of languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese. The posters feature racially and ethnically diverse images designed to reach African-American, Caucasian, Latina, Asian American and Native American women.

These new resources were created by the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) as part of its California Clinic Collaborative on Domestic Violence to raise awareness about the role nurses and other health care providers can play in helping victims escape abusive relationships. Designed for clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices, the materials are available to health care providers nationwide.

Bright black-and-blue buttons designed to be worn by nurses and doctors read, “Is someone hurting you? You can talk to me about it.” Eye-catching posters to be placed in health care settings feature the tagline, “Is someone hurting you? Talk to a health care provider. We can help. Together we can stop family violence.” All the posters also include the National Domestic Violence Hotline number. Safety cards with information on how to escape an abusive relationship are also available and can be distributed in restrooms, waiting rooms and examination rooms.

“We will only stop domestic violence if we talk about it,” says FVPF Executive Director Esta Soler. “The new materials from our Clinic Collaborative project can help end the silence on domestic violence. Almost every woman visits a health care provider for routine or emergency care. This puts doctors and nurses in a strong position to help victims escape abuse—these materials can be a catalyst to life-saving discussions.”

Nurses can order California Clinic Collaborative on Domestic Violence materials online at www.fvpf.org/store or by calling (415) 252-8089.