What Counts? A Mixed-Methods Study to Inform Evaluation of Shelters for Abused Women

Abstract

Shelters for abused women have expanded from "safe havens" to providing a range of residential and outreach services, and face increasing pressure to demonstrate "value for money" by providing evaluation metrics that may or may not reflect what they actually do. We conducted interviews and surveys with 68 shelter directors in Ontario, Canada, and found that differences in service philosophy and how abuse is defined influence decisions about who receives services and the shelter's role in the broader community; these in turn affect how the work of shelters is positioned. Implications for shelter service evaluation are discussed.

From Blue to Green: The Development and Implementation of a Therapeutic Horticulture Program for Residents of a Battered Women’s Shelter

“…As other researchers have found, staff buy-in influences delivery of a program to shelter residents (Murray et al, 2014) and, ultimately, the success of the program in achieving the shelter's goals. In combination with Phase 2, this research responds to calls by researchers, practitioners, and funders for more rigorous and long-term evaluation of interventions for abused women (Jonker et al, 2014;Wathen et al, 2015;Wathen & MacMillan, 2003).…”

“…As other researchers have shown, though, shelter staff's definitions of "core" and beneficial programming, as well as how they delineate the shelter's mandate and subsequently translate that mandate into service delivery, may differ significantly from the ideas of others, including shelter residents, on these issues (Jonker, Jansen, Christians, & Wolf, 2014;Wathen, Harris, Ford-Gilboe, Hansen, 2015). Consequently, Phase 2 of this research will provide an evaluation of the farm program from the perspective of shelter residents, including those who participate in the farm stipend program, those who participate in other farm-related activities, and those who do not participate in any type of farm program activities.…”

A rural shelter in Ontario adapting to address the changing needs of women who have experienced intimate partner violence: a qualitative case study

“…Specifically, recent research highlighted that women are shifting to utilize shelter resources but are not necessarily staying in the shelter 37 and the services within shelters are shifting to an integrated set of health and social services for women and children that extends beyond the current mandate of shelters 34 . Given the woman-centered feminist approach that prevails in the shelter community, shelters have evolved to be responsive to women's changing needs 34,35,38 . This changing role of the shelter merits further investigation, and as such the purpose of this case study was two-fold: to (1) explore how one rural Ontario women's shelter role was changing, and (2) examine how the shelter has adapted to address the changing role.…”

“…The mandate of shelters in Canada includes the provision of a safe place for women during a time of crisis 32,33 , as well as safety and protection planning services, advocacy, transportation services, short-term counseling, and housing referrals 32,34 . Shelters remain the primary entry point for health and social services such as emergency and transitional housing, counseling/support groups, advocacy for the attainment of health and social resources, and legal advocacy 35,36 .…”

“…Given the woman-centered feminist approach that prevails in the shelter community, shelters have evolved to be responsive to women's changing needs 34,35,38 . This changing role of the shelter merits further investigation, and as such the purpose of this case study was two-fold: to (1) explore how one rural Ontario women's shelter role was changing, and (2) examine how the shelter has adapted to address the changing role.…”