Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON), has created the Danger Assessment, a groundbreaking instrument that effectively assesses the risk of an abused woman to be seriously injured or killed by her intimate partner. JHSON has signed a licensing agreement with the Veterans Administration (VA), now offering all VA clinical staff access to the Danger Assessment training.
Campbell led a training session on how to the use the instrument for 800 members of the VA’s clinical staff nationwide. VA employees can also access the training online to obtain certification and increase the amount of staff competent in the use of this evidence-based assessment.
LeAnn Bruce, PhD, national program manager of the VA’s Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program (IPVAP), tells newswise.com, “The VA recognizes the Danger Assessment as the gold standard of lethality assessments. This training partnership will result in the development of a cadre of clinicians throughout all VA medical centers who are extensively trained to effectively support the mission to provide ongoing education and have the means to identify those who are at risk so safety planning and intervention can be provided.”
According to Dr. Campbell, research comparing the prevalence of domestic violence/intimate partner violence between the general population and veterans is limited but studies suggest combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD have a higher prevalence of intimate partner violence than those who have not been diagnosed. The concern with intimate partner violence among veterans is not just about the prevalence but also with its potential to exacerbate other problems that veterans often face, including physical and mental well-being, homelessness, and risk of suicide and homicide.
The Danger Assessment includes a calendar to help assess the severity and frequency of battering in the past year and a 20-item instrument that uses a weighted system to score yes/no responses to risk factors associated with intimate partner homicide, including past death threats, partner’s employment status, and access to a gun. The Danger Assessment is freely available to the public but the weighted scoring instructions are reserved for individuals who have been trained and certified in the use of the Danger Assessment.
To learn more about Johns Hopkins Nursing professor Jacquelyn Campbell’s Danger Assessment for assessing risk of intimate partner violence, visit here.
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