This article presents the results of a self-empowerment leadership intervention program for Latina immigrant survivors of domestic violence in Atlanta, Georgia. It builds on the literature base of the Promotora model, a public health model using peer information sharing as a tool for health promotion. This study used an embedded mixed-methods design with quantitative and qualitative components to evaluate the impact of a peer community leadership program called Líderes Results of single-subject analyses show that the participants experienced change in three components of self-empowerment: intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioral. The qualitative findings revealed that they overcame fear and gained knowledge as well as a sense that they could promote change in their community. These findings add support to a growing literature base that demonstrates how peer model programs can not only positively influence the well-being of the communities they serve but also have transformative effects on peer leaders themselves. Study findings can also inform future efforts to empower survivors through promotora approaches specifically in the context of domestic violence prevention.

Objective: Community-based domestic violence (DV) organizations require an adapted model for demonstrating how their strategies fit evidence-based practice (EBP). In response, a national DV resource center Casa de Esperanza adapted an EBP model called the community-centered evidence-based practice (CCEBP) approach. CCEBP offers an expanded definition of EBP that prioritizes culturally relevant evidence grounded in the voices of community members. The authors use Te Invito (I Invite You), a DV prevention initiative, as an illustrative example of how CCEBP can successfully guide practitioners to collect and apply communityrelated evidence in their work. Key points: The CCEBP approach addresses the lack of a practice model consistent with the work of cultural-specific, community-based practitioners. By expanding traditional models of EBP to prioritize community expertise, it provides an alternative understanding of what is considered EBP in the field of DV. Conclusions: The CCEBP approach offers an enhanced EBP model for community-based organizations working alongside Latina/o and other cultural-specific communities. The focus on community within the CCEBP approach can protect against the indiscriminate application of practice ill-fitting to the needs of Latino/a families and other diverse groups.

No abstract

Objectives: This commentary had 3 main objectives: to introduce the idea of intersecting narratives in the context of violence; to outline some research-based considerations about how narratives might play a role in the aftermath of violence; and to do so using a format that reflects intersecting narratives. Method: We review findings from research across multiple disciplines interwoven with practice related experience and personal experiences. Results: Narratives intersect at multiple levels, from within the same individual to across different cultures and nations. Negotiating conflicting narratives across those intersections may be key for moving forward after violence. Using narratives in this way requires maintaining a complex story, one that includes potentially irreconcilable perspectives. This requires creating contexts for negotiating that complex story. Conclusions: Consideration of stories and the way they intersect has the potential to inform research and practice, and to transform individual and collective experiences.

No abstract