Improving Community Mental Health Services for Women and Children Impacted by Violence

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a public health crisis in Canada. Exposure to GBV has been linked to mental health problems including high rates of depression and substance use in women and more social-emotional challenges in children. An effective method to lessen these negative outcomes is through accessible mental health services offered through community-based organizations (CBOs). However, COVID-19 has severely shifted service delivery methods and funding structures for CBOs, increased client needs, and exacerbated service provider stress. Given this disruption, a gap has emerged in the research for CBOs on how to best support families and children experiencing GBV. Intake processes (IPs) that include an evaluation of client needs at the start of service appears to be a pathway for CBOs to improve organization functioning and support both staff and clients. However, there is limited research on how to best create and implement IPs to meet the increasingly complex needs of families following COVID-19. Thus, the proposed study will use research-backed strategies to aid CBO stakeholders to create and implement an IP designed to better support women and children. Specifically, this study will explore if updated IPs in CBOs is an appropriate way to improve service delivery, such that the mental health and distress of women and children in the context of GBV is reduced. I hypothesize that an IP that addresses current organization, staff, and client functioning will result in improved service as indicated by staff-reported themes and ratings of approval. Outcomes of this study may improve CBO staff satisfaction and commitment to service delivery and provide a model for CBOs so that organizations can leverage IPs to support women and children in the context of GBV.