Short on Time? Try Offering This Quick & Effective Domestic Violence Resource
The exam room was quiet except for the tapping of the keyboard as Dr. Lee asked her patient questions and took notes. “One last question,” Dr. Lee stated as she finished typing up her patient’s response to the last question, “Do you feel safe at home?”
There was a pause. Dr. Lee turned around from the computer, her patient looked away, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Not really.”
The weight of those words settled in the room. A quick glance at the clock told her she was already running behind- three patients waiting, the next appointment overdue.
Dr. Lee’s mind raced a bit. It was always stressful when a patient answered “yes” to the intimate partner violence screening questions. She tried to say the right thing, ensure her patients felt supported, while also being mindful of time and her other patients waiting. “Thank you for telling me. I know that wasn’t easy,” she said calmly, thinking of the most effective way to support her patient with the tiny bit of time she had.
Healthcare providers often feel placed in a difficult position when a patient or client discloses that they don’t feel safe at home. While your instinct is to provide support, ask the right questions, and connect the person with resources, the realities of an overburdened system can make this feel stressful.
Strict appointment schedules, heavy caseloads, and institutional or funding pressures can force providers to navigate deeply complex situations within just a few minutes. Knowing a patient may be experiencing abuse, yet not having the time or knowledge to fully assess their situation or ensure they leave with useful resources is distressing. Many providers are left feeling helpless, knowing they could do more. In situations like these, myPlan can help.
A unique and effective domestic violence resource you can offer when you’re pressed for time
The weight of an abuse disclosure can be stressful, as providers want to provide the best care for their patients, but are hindered by time and workflow constraints and often limited training in intimate partner violence. myPlan is a resource option that can help.
myPlan is a free domestic violence safety planning app developed by intimate partner abuse survivors, healthcare providers, and domestic violence experts and advocates.
Backed by Johns Hopkins University clinical trial research, myPlan is an evidence-based tech solution to providing people experiencing abuse with anonymous, personalized support. With myPlan, healthcare providers can offer patients a quick and tailored resource that won’t take up extra time in their workflow.
What makes myPlan a unique domestic violence resource?
Most people experiencing abuse from an intimate partner do not call a domestic violence hotline, go to a shelter, or reach out for support from any formal service provider. Most people with an abusive partner do not make a safety plan. Safety planning–the individualized process of identifying in advance what actions you can take to reduce risk, access support, or get to safety–is the cornerstone of domestic violence intervention.
Research strongly supports that survivors who make a safety plan report higher levels of safety, improved mental well-being, and are able to better access support and make informed decisions for long-term stability. The barriers to disclosing intimate partner violence to healthcare providers are well documented.
Leveraging technology to deliver personalized support reduces some of the barriers and increases the accessibility and reach of safety planning support. myPlan offers survivors a private, 24/7, no-judgment, anonymous option for getting personalized safety strategies and resources. myPlan is also the first–and still one of the only–digital domestic violence resources effectiveness tested in clinical trials.
It’s important to note that an app is not a replacement for a real, live trained DV advocate (sorry, AI chatbots, you will never replace advocates either). myPlan’s goal is to bridge the gap between the majority of abuse survivors who are reluctant to access services and empower users to ultimately reach out to a service provider.
What are the benefits of offering myPlan to my patients/clients?
Offering myPlan as a domestic violence resource to your patients/clients has many benefits:
Quickly and efficiently provide an evidence-based domestic violence resource, developed by survivors, healthcare providers, and advocates, when a domestic violence disclosure occurs.
Improve relationships with patients and clients by demonstrating care and concern for abuse disclosures.
Improve patient health and well-being outcomes by addressing intimate partner violence.
Improve your confidence in handling a domestic violence disclosure.
Futures Without Violence is the national expert on the intersection of health and IPV. Visit ipvhealth.org for more information about the connection between health and abusive relationships, the impact of providing trauma-informed care to patients, and training to prepare your practice for integrating support for IPV survivors.
Free materials for integrating myPlan as a resource are available in our myPlan Healthcare Toolkit.
I don’t handle domestic violence disclosures, but I want to help.
Perhaps your organization has specific protocols that involve other professionals when there is an abuse disclosure. Or, maybe you feel you don’t know enough about DV to effectively or adequately respond to a patient/client who disclosed to you. Whatever the case, it’s awesome you want to help in the moment, and you don’t have to be an expert to do so.
A simple, compassionate response and offering a quick resource (like myPlan, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, or a local advocacy organization) can make a huge difference. Brief acknowledgments can be powerful and life-changing for a survivor, such as:
“You are so strong and brave for sharing this with me, and I believe you. There are resources that can help and support you whenever you're ready."
"You don’t deserve this, and you’re not alone. There are confidential resources that can help whenever you're ready."
“Thank you for telling me about this. Your safety is most important, and there are free and confidential resources that can help.”
Supporting patients experiencing intimate partner violence doesn’t have to be overwhelming or time-consuming. Even a brief, compassionate response and a simple resource referral can make a meaningful impact. By integrating myPlan into your practice, you provide patients with an evidence-based, survivor-centered tool that empowers them to explore their options confidentially. You don’t need to be an expert in domestic violence to offer support; just letting a patient know they are not alone and that help is available can be life-changing. myPlan makes it easy to bridge the gap between disclosure and support, ensuring that no survivor leaves your office without a next step.
Find the myPlan App on Google Play and the App Store, or use it in our web app format on your browser.
