Using Strong Assessments and Reducing Re-Traumatization Improves Support for Families Affected by Gender-Based Violence: The FamilySafe Project Partnership

By Brandon P. Martinez, Research Associate

A holistic and innovative program in Manhattan is providing families affected by gender-based violence with family-focused programing. The program addresses families’ healing and mental health needs and goals by using clinically informed assessments and evidence-based interventions.

The FamilySafe Project (FSP) is a partnership between Sanctuary for Families (SFF) and STEPS to End Family Violence (STEPS) that provides trauma-informed care to families who have experienced gender-based violence. The FamilySafe Project has developed a family focused model that positively supports non-abusive caregivers’ and children’s experience of trauma and mental health needs. FSP uses a comprehensive screening model inclusive of entire household units to identify family members’ strengths, trauma symptomology and needs, and help clinicians route families to appropriate services.

Because FSP works with the whole family in a coordinated way, caregivers are able to learn about their own PTSD symptoms, as well as their children’s. Families can then track their progress towards goals related to family functioning and better understand how their symptoms change in relation to that progress. Since the beginning of the program, FSP has supported nearly 700 families. 

Recent findings from the Urban Institute’s interim evaluation highlight two important features of the FSP.

• First, the FSP’s comprehensive screening and assessment model for families helped link families to mental health services that corresponded to their needs.

• Second, in shifting to a family focused model, the FSP helped reduce re-traumatization that commonly occurs when assessing family members needs’ separately.  

Strong Assessments Facilitate the Family Focused Model

Through the FamilySafe Project, SFF and STEPS clinicians collaborated to develop the FamilySafe Project Assessment Tool (FSPAT). The FSPAT was designed to be used during the screening and assessment of families—both caregivers and children—and is administered over two sessions. In total, the FSPAT combines three tools: the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Protective Factors Instrument (PFI), and the Parent Report of Post-Traumatic Symptoms (PROPS).  

After the initial assessment, clinicians determine each family’s case management needs. FSP clinicians then attend a roundtable meeting where they present findings from the FSPAT and treatment recommendations. Depending on their level of need, families may be assigned a case manager or referred to an advocate and/or economic empowerment specialist, or their needs might be addressed by their clinician.

Both adults and children are offered individual counseling, family therapy, and family workshops, depending on their needs. The FSP also uses a variety of evidence-based therapy models that address the needs of families, adults, and children. These include Triple P (Positive Parenting Program), Parenting Journey, Child Parent Psychotherapy for Family Violence, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Individual Therapy.[1]

FSP clinicians report that the FSPAT allows families to open up and discuss their needs, which helps the clinicians develop flexible counseling goals for them. Families can also better understand their own PTSD symptoms and family functioning. Because of these initial assessments and follow-up assessments, families are able to recognize progress towards their counseling goals during their participation in the program, and how their symptoms are shaped by new experiences and current events.

A Coordinated Family Approach Reduces Re-traumatization

The family focused approach also helps FSP to reduce re-traumatization among family members. Focusing on families allows adults and children to answer questions and share their stories together, instead of multiple times. In doing so, the model reduces the likelihood of client re-traumatization and judgment—both of which had been previously experienced by parents prior to joining FSP. Client re-traumatization is seen by many clinicians as a challenge in these programs, and FSP offers a path to reduce re-traumatization. Addressing the needs of children and caregivers at the same time also positively supports the relationship between clinicians working with parents and children, as well as between family members and clinicians.  

Moreover, the combination of FSP services allows staff to address the relational trauma of gender-based violence experiences across all members of the family. As such, FSP services broadly support healing within families and bond-building between children and their caregivers.

About the Program and Evaluation

The FamilySafe Program evaluation, conducted by the Urban Institute, is funded through the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DANY). Feedback from clients and findings from the Urban institute’s interim evaluation are useful for understanding how the FSP can be further strengthened to meet the goals of its clients. The Urban Institute plans to conduct additional interviews with staff and clients, analyze client surveys and program data, and measure the usefulness of the FSPAT. Findings from the complete evaluation will be shared in late 2022 in a final report.

About the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII)

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) focuses on three investment areas—crime prevention, reentry and diversion, and supports for survivors of crime. The FSP is funded through the Family and Youth Development initiative, whose goal is to provide supports to families that address risk factors associated with increased chances of youth becoming involved in the justice system. Some of these risk factors include low educational attainment, cognitive delays/impairment, and learning disabilities. This initiative is part of the CJII’s crime prevention-focused investments in Youth, Families, and Communities.

The CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance manages and provides technical assistance to CJII contractors, and conducts oversight and performance measurement throughout the lifetime of the initiative.

1 For more information about the therapy models that Sanctuary for Families uses, see https://sanctuaryforfamilies.org/our-approach/client-services/children-and-family-services/ and https://sanctuaryforfamilies.org/our-approach/client-services/counseling-crisis-services/.