About Us

Kaiser Permanente Northern California Family Violence Prevention Program (FVPP)

We’re part of the solution.

At Kaiser Permanente, we believe everyone deserves a safe and healthy relationship. But we also understand that it’s difficult for people to talk about violence they experience from a family member of intimate partner. That’s why our physicians and the rest of our health care team take the initiative to identify domestic violence and provide referrals and resources to help end abuse.
In 1998, we started the Family Violence Prevention Program, an innovative model of care at our Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center in Northern California. This program provides a comprehensive and integrated approach- to build awareness, provide care, and prevent future cases of domestic violence.
Today, we’re implementing this model at all our facilities in Northern California as well as the other Kaiser Permanente regions. It’s just another example of how we’re caring for the total health of our members – mind, body, and spirit – so they can live life well.

Because health is a cause.

Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, affects all types of people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, sexual identity, or religion. The effects are damaging, enduring, and far-reached – and they impact the mind as well as the body. Victims don’t just include the person who’s abused, they also include family members who witness the violence. That’s why domestic violence prevention is one of our community goals.
The hurt doesn't stop with the injuries. Intimate partner violence often leads to a higher rate of other health conditions such as chronic pain, headache, depression, and low birth weight. Domestic violence is clearly a health issue.
Kaiser Permanente is proud to be a leader in addressing the problems of family violence and working with our partners in health care, government, and the community to develop programs that work. Because when we’re all healthy, happy, and safe, we all thrive.

Our four-part model of success.

1. Creating a supportive environment
Some victims of domestic violence will open up to a physician or another health care professional who asks about their family situation. But others respond only after learning about their options and being encouraged to talk to someone who can help. We inform our members about available resources by placing posters, flyers, and brochures in our medical offices, as well as publishing articles in our member newsletter, Partners in Health. Resource information is also available electronically through our physician home pages and via our website at kp.org/domesticviolence. We place a priority on creating a comfortable atmosphere so a member will feel safe reaching out and seeking help.

2. Screening and referrals
Through the Family Violence Prevention Program, we train physicians and other health care team members about the current challenges of domestic violence. Our physicians, nurses, and the rest of our health care teams know what resources are available and how to refer members to them. And our physicians receive additional training to help identify, assess, and support member who are at risk.

3. Providing on-site resources
We refer members experiencing intimate partner violence to the appropriate specially qualified team member from our Behavioral Medicine, Social Services, or Mental Health Departments. These professionals have received additional training in handling family violence cases, and can help with the following:

• Assess the danger the member faces at home
• Help the member create a safety plan
• Refer the member to a specialized domestic violence program in the community

Some of our medical centers also offer an on-site domestic violence support group, where members can learn from others and share their experiences in a nonjudgmental, supportive, and compassionate environment.

4. Connecting with community groups and educational resources
The needs of those experiencing domestic violence are often broader than what can be met in a health care setting. So we’ve formed partnerships with community advocacy groups and law enforcement agencies that can provide additional services to members. This includes legal support and help in getting restraining orders, emergency housing, and other advocacy services. And because prevention is an important part of addressing domestic violence, our medical centers provide classes in parenting skills and stress and anger management.

Since implementation of the program began in 2000, identification of Kaiser Permanente Northern California members affected by domestic violence has increased 6-fold. This identification allows our clinicians to provide patients with the help they need to change their situation. This increase in identification is taking place in regular office visits, rather than in the emergency department, suggesting that we are able to help people before more serious injury occurs.

Awards

2009 winner of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's "Heroes in Health Care" Award
Kaiser Permanente and Brigid McCaw, MD, received this award for creating an innovative, comprehensive health systems approach to domestic violence, which is being implemented throughout Kaiser Permanente nationally. The award recognizes Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to domestic violence as an important health care issue.

2007 winner of the National Business Coalition on Health's eValue8 Innovations Award
This award is given to three innovative healthcare programs or projects that set a precedent for other health care organizations to follow nationally. The programs or projects receiving the award must address highly prevalent health care and public health issues. Employer groups are increasingly aware that domestic violence has a large impact on the workforce and are recognizing Kaiser Permanente's exemplary approach.
Link to their homepage: http://www.nbch.org/

2005 winner of the R.J. Erickson Diversity Achievement Award
This award recognize individuals, groups, and facilities that have demonstrated extraordinary efforts to achieve Kaiser Permanente's diversity objectives.

2004 winner of the STAND! Rollie Mullen Award
This award honors a passionate and dynamic individual or group committed to ending domestic violence.
Link to their home page: http://www.standagainstdv.org/

2003 Gold winner of the American Association of Health Plans/Wyeth HERA Award
This award honors those programs that have made a measurable difference in the lives of women and children. The HERA award is supported through an unrestricted educational grant from Wyeth.
Link to their homepage: http://ahip.org/

2002 winner of the Partners Ending Domestic Abuse Corporate Leadership Award
This award honors deserving members of the corporate community who have shown leadership and have had an impact on eradicating domestic violence in our society.
Link to their home page: http://www.dvcpartners.org/