Social Work Practice and Domestic Violence Podcast

Editor's note: This text-based course is a transcript of the Social Work Practice and Domestic Violence Podcast, presented by Jeannette Baca, DSW LCSW, LISW, and Benjamin T. Bencomo, DSW LISW, LCSW.

Learning Outcomes

• After this course, participants will be able to:
  • Define domestic violence and explain the social workers' role in working with domestic violence.
  • Identify misconceptions among the general public as it relates to individuals living in a domestic violence relationship.
  • Determine how best to deliver trauma-informed services to survivors of domestic violence.

Dr. Bencomo: I am Dr. Ben Bencomo and continue to be fortunate enough to share conversations with social work colleagues on this Continued Social Work Podcast with you. I am very excited to welcome my guest today. She is a longtime friend and colleague. We get just to sit and talk about our social work practice and social work expertise very often. Dr. Jeanette Baca is considered an expert in this field, a licensed clinical social worker, and a licensed independent social worker in New Mexico.

She also is an assistant professor of social work in the Facundo Valdez School of Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University. Dr. Baca consults with the New Mexico coalition against domestic violence, providing training and technical assistance to domestic violence programs regarding best practices for providing trauma-informed and family-centered services for survivors and their children. Dr. Baca has over 30 years of clinical social work practice and leadership experience with organizations serving families affected by domestic violence and adult and child survivors of sexual assault.

Dr. Baca, Thank you so much for joining us today. Can you share about your professional practice experience, especially as it relates to working with domestic violence, and how you first became interested in serving this population?

Dr. Baca: I have worked in a number of different organizations throughout my career, and I have found that I am continually drawn back to working with survivors of trauma. I've worked in domestic violence shelters and adolescent treatment programs. One of my earliest jobs was working with elders, which I loved, but honestly, working with trauma survivors and their children has been an amazing opportunity that I have enjoyed. While my main job has been teaching at the Facundo Valdez School of Social Work, I still love staying connected with the domestic violence programs in my state. I provide training and technical assistance, and that's kept me connected with this population.

I first became interested in domestic violence during my first BSW field practicum in the late 80s; that's maybe dating myself. I was extremely lucky as I grew up in a home where there was lots of affection and love between my parents and my sister and me. So I was a little bit ignorant of the abuse and violence that could occur in homes until I was in college. I remember a neighbor in our student housing had an abusive boyfriend. I remember reaching out to her and asking how I could help, but I could not understand why she didn't just break up with him. I remember talking specifically to one of my social work instructors about the situation and wanting to be an advocate for this situation.

At the same time, I had a cousin who was living in Alaska and who was in an abusive marriage. I was witnessing abuse in two different contexts at school and in my family. Ultimately, my cousin was able to leave that marriage, but in doing so, lost custody of her six children. This was a steep learning curve for me to understand the complexities of domestic violence and how that plays out within the family welfare and the court system. It was also looking at what services are available and how families and systems respond.

Life learning and academic learning happened at the same time for me. I was so grateful to my BSW advisor for recommending that I do my field practicum at the local domestic violence shelter to learn more about advocating for survivors of domestic violence. I remember riding my bicycle over there. Initially, I was holding babies and occupying toddlers with games while their parent was going to support groups. As I received more training and got more involved, I started answering the hotline and providing supportive services. That was it, as I was hooked. This is amazing work, and I'm grateful to have spent the last 30 years being involved with serving survivors and their children.

Dr. Bencomo: Amazing. Thank you for sharing that with us. It's interesting how a combination of personal and professional interests channel us as social workers into areas where we enjoy practicing professionally and maybe are meant to be.

Oftentimes, students will confuse the different terms that are used to refer to domestic violence or DV. I know that sometimes some of the literature will refer to domestic violence by calling it interpersonal violence or intimate partner violence. I wonder if there is a difference between these terms, or are they used interchangeably? How do you define those different terms?

Dr. Baca: Great question. I think they are oftentimes used interchangeably, but I'll try to break it out a little more. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is abuse between a couple who's married, was previously married, is dating, or was dating, and domestic violence is a little more all-encompassing because it includes children, other family members, pets, relatives, and those who are residing within the same household or that have previously cohabitated. I believe that the term domestic violence takes into consideration the multi-generational household members. Intimate partner violence, in contrast, may not take into account the aunt who lives within the home and watches the babies. In general, interpersonal violence incorporates violence that occurs between people and is a little bit more general.

Domestic violence is a pattern of intentional behaviors by one partner using tactics of abuse, control, and coercion to control their partner, previous partner, children, family members, or others in the home. Domestic violence is a purposeful use of intimidation, threats, or emotional, psychological, economic, physical, or sexual abuse.

The Power and Control Wheel, with which some of you may be familiar, was created through the domestic abuse intervention project in Duluth, Minnesota. It details the various forms of abuse tactics and shows how power is used by abusive partners to control others. We know that the severity and frequency of domestic violence vary but ultimately, it can result in psychological trauma, physical injury, and even death.

Dr. Bencomo: Thank you for clarifying that. I know that those are terms that I have often confused. That helps me to understand the differences and that the terminology is important. Many areas are encompassed under the umbrella of domestic violence. Do you have any statistics available that you'd be willing to share with us that might give us an idea of the current scope of domestic violence?

Dr. Baca: Domestic violence is evident in every community, and it impacts all people, regardless of nationality, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. About 10 million people experience domestic violence each year in the US. I also want to offer that one in 15 children is exposed to domestic violence in their homes each year. When we break that down, sometimes you'll see things like one in four women and one in 10 men experience sexual and/or physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner during the course of their lifetime. We also know that those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community are at greater risk of violence by intimate partners. The World Health Organization also offers international statistics, showing that one in three women will experience physical and sexual abuse by a partner during her lifetime.

Dr. Bencomo: Think about how many people have or are currently experiencing the trauma related to living through domestic violence-type situations. The numbers are staggering. And I know that a lot of times, instances of domestic violence often go unreported or underreported. So these numbers may not be accurate. Is this a sentiment you would agree with, given your experience working in this field?

Dr. Baca: I think that researchers do their best in terms of collecting the data. There is a concerted effort to make sure that data is coming not only from domestic violence providers, whether that be shelters, hotlines, or non-residential counseling and support programs, but also from judicial systems, law enforcement, and child welfare. But yeah, I think the numbers give us an idea of the scope of the problem. I think it's important to recognize that the numbers are probably underreported. There is also only a percentage of people who are physically injured from domestic violence that reaches out to a medical provider and receives medical care for their injuries. 

Dr. Bencomo: That is a lot to process as the numbers are quite concerning. And even with those numbers, the incidence is probably much higher because of the fact that it goes unreported or underreported so often. What do you believe are some of the biggest misconceptions among the general public regarding those who continue to live in domestic violence relationships?

Dr. Baca: There can be lots of misconceptions about domestic violence. One of the biggest ones I spoke of regarding my neighbor is assuming that someone can and should leave an abusive partner. Those working with survivors in the field recognize that leaving an abusive partner can be complicated and dangerous. Leaving isn't just about walking away. As social workers, it's essential to listen to victims of domestic violence when they are considering leaving an abusive relationship because they may have tried before. We need to know what happened previously, how it went, and support them in safely leaving. Social workers are good at staying curious and asking questions about the strategies that worked.

Another misconception about survivors of domestic violence as it relates to them leaving abusive relationships is how it can be challenging to leave when you have low self-esteem from prolonged emotional abuse. It makes it difficult for them to feel like they have agency over their lives or that they can effectively make decisions for themselves and their children. Survivors trapped in abusive relationships may feel they don't have any options or that the risk of leaving far outweighs the risk of staying.

Love and the progression of domestic violence are sneaky. No one would ever be in a relationship with someone who hurts them on a first date. So there is a foundation of connection. Abusive relationships do not start abusively. They start with a connection and deepen into caring, like all relationships. Maybe there are some warning signs in the beginning, but more controlling patterns and emotional abuse develop as the relationship continues. I've worked with many survivors who stated the physical abuse didn't begin until years into the relationship. By then, a commitment may be made, whether it be a marriage, children, or purchasing a home together. So it just gets more complicated. What may start as an occasional argument escalates into regular name-calling, frequent put-downs, and insults.

Another misconception is that domestic violence is more associated with specific cultures or groups of people, like families that are lower income. This is not accurate at all. Domestic violence happens across all socioeconomic groups; it is non-discriminating. And it happens in all communities. I had a colleague who used to say that we are all just one unhealthy relationship away from being the victim of domestic violence.

Dr. Bencomo: Many of your points are impactful about the stigma of people remaining in domestic violence relationships. I never fully ever considered the risk of leaving versus the risk of staying. I think that that's important for us to know why some people choose to remain in some of those situations and the progressive nature of domestic violence. I also liked the point that these relationships start like any other, but as time goes on and those controlling behaviors continue to intensify, things change. We need to remind ourselves of that fact when we're engaging in conversations with the general public about domestic violence and the stigma associated with it.

In recent years, the conversation in the social work profession has focused on a trauma-informed approach to serving our clients. When we apply a trauma-informed lens to this conversation, in what ways do you feel that a social worker can respond to those in a domestic violence situation?

Dr. Baca: I think the trauma-informed approach care perspective has gained more traction in the last 20 years had has become part of the social work language. Our approach has important core principles from a trauma-informed standpoint of safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and attention to cultural, historical, and gender issues. But for me, it's especially meaningful when thinking about our work with survivors of domestic violence. I want to give a shout-out to the SAMHSA website, as I frequently go there, and it is an excellent resource on trauma-informed approaches.

It's essential to recognize that for families experiencing domestic violence, this is one part of their family's story. We understand that domestic violence can have a traumatic impact on adult survivors, their children, their relationships with each other, and extended family and communities. Survivors and their children may have experienced other forms of violence and abuse in their lives. It may be community trauma, or other things that are going on that are even more cumulative. I am thinking about intergenerational trauma that is collective, historical, and ongoing.

A trauma-informed perspective allows us to recognize and reflect. Trauma-informed domestic violence work acknowledges that the relationships we form with survivors and their children are at the heart of our work. This relationship is the place where survivors and their children can start the process of healing and remembering their resilience. Social workers can inform adult survivors about how domestic violence and other traumas can pose a risk to their children and their children's development. We can share information about what's going on with other systems like a school or other people involved in their lives to help people understand survivors' and their kids' capacity for self-regulation, learning, and how they relate to others and the world at large. 

Dr. Bencomo: That was spoken like a tried and true social worker looking at different systems and how these interrelated systems can respond to the needs of people living in domestic violence situations in a trauma-informed way. Maybe that's an area where we can continue to grow and lead the way in looking at how trauma can be multifaceted. How can we provide a multifaceted approach to responding to those needs? And along those same lines, how can organizations ensure that they provide trauma-informed services?

Dr. Baca: This is an important question, Ben. I want to emphasize this aspect of being trauma-informed because often, when we think of trauma-informed services, we think about how it relates to clients and the services being delivered. I believe the organizational support for the social workers providing the services is sometimes neglected. Organizations may say they are trauma-informed, but what supports are in place for their workers if that is true. For a trauma-informed organization to be sustaining, there must be a recognition that secondary trauma is part of doing this work. Trauma-informed organizations are grounded in understanding the pervasiveness and impact of trauma, not only on the individuals and families they are serving but also on their staff members and social workers.

Organizations that are truly trauma-informed hold a commitment to developing the resources needed to minimize retraumatization, support healing, and resilience, and address root causes of violence. Trauma-informed organizations recognize the impact of this work on their workers, and they strive to create working environments and policies that support their staff. Supports might include flexible scheduling, adequate coverage, backup plans, and regular and consistent supervision. Social workers need personal strategies for self-care and organizational support to stay balanced. I often think of self-care as a vital part of organizations being trauma-informed. It's not only about self-improvement but also about engaging in activities that restore us and promote a sense of well-being.

Sometimes self-care is offered as something to do outside of work. That's terrific, but I think that self-care practices can look different for each one of us. Caring for oneself can be part of actively engaging in a change process for our organization and the culture of our work environment. Often, employees are praised for their hard work. "She never took a day off!" This may inadvertently discourage other social workers from taking care of themselves and using their vacation days and sick leave. The individual employees' health and wellness can impact the organization's overall health. And in turn, the organization, when trauma-informed, can directly impact the wellness of its social workers.

Dr. Bencomo: Absolutely. I think that support is often missing from the conversation. We think about trauma-informed care for clients and miss trauma-informed support for the employees.

Dr. Baca: Yeah. It is a missed opportunity. I think that organizations can do much more to support the potential impact of our work on ourselves. 

Dr. Bencomo: Absolutely. Self-care, both at work and in our own lives, is so important. While we're on that topic, are there any activities you recommend for self-care initiatives for social workers serving people in domestic violence situations?

Dr. Baca: Yes, I use some micro practices throughout the day. I've heard others say that self-care is a necessity, not a luxury. It's the fuel that makes our cars run. For this important work, I take deep breaths, stay hydrated, and go outside if able. Those things can make a difference in my day so that I can stay present, engaged, and curious with everyone. Outside of work, I like to quilt and ride my bicycle, as these are the things that fuel me. Individuals need to identify what can be supportive to them.

Dr. Bencomo: I agree. It is vital to find ways to refuel ourselves, I think that many people think of self-care as being selfish, but I hope we're starting to change that conversation. Self-care is one of the most selfless things we can do because it makes us better versions of ourselves, better social workers, and better able to provide for our clients. Thank you for that reminder and for sharing that with us.

If we could, I'd like to reflect on earlier when you were talking about some of those impacts of domestic violence. I wonder if we can expand on that conversation just a bit. What are some short-term and long-term effects of domestic violence on an individual and a family's overall well-being?

Dr. Baca: Sure. Our first relationships are formed with our primary caregivers; depending on that caregiving environment, it could be a child's father, mother, relatives, or other caregivers. We know that caregiving practices vary from community to community and culture to culture. The foundation of a child's development is a predictable relationship with those primary caregivers. If we think a little bit about babies and attachment, we can lay down a foundation to think about how domestic violence impacts children and adults. Attachment is more than a loving bond between baby and caregivers. It is a hardwired biological process between infants and their caregivers designed to meet that infant's basic needs.

We can also touch on attachment theory and how certain behaviors like babies like crying, smiling, and reaching are all hardwired attachment behaviors. There are corresponding caregiving behaviors hardwired into the parents or caregivers to keep close to the baby and protect them from danger. As attachment is so closely tied to protection for infants and young children, the attachment relationship is the main organizer of a child's response to danger. Babies and young children depend entirely on their caregivers to detect safety issues, decide what's safe and dangerous, and then take action for protection when necessary. So when a baby is distressed, they have no way of knowing when that distress will pass.

With consistent attention from a protective and nurturing caregiver, a baby develops a sense of trust that someone will respond to their distress. Distress in little ones can be that they are hungry, need a diaper change, or need to be cuddled. This caregiving back and forth builds that secure attachment between baby or very young child and their caregivers. These attachment relationships are critical because they help to scaffold children's ongoing healthy development, including their capacity for resilience, self-regulation, and relationships. We learn about relationships from our early relationships. I'm getting back to your question, I promise. Knowing all this, we can more deeply understand how domestic violence creates a hostile environment for children that can emotionally affect children of all ages.

Domestic violence is unpredictable and can be overwhelming. Children, teens, and adults can feel worthless and powerless in abusive relationships, and the relationships between children and their caregivers are undermined for many reasons. One reason is the protective caregiver, or the survivor of domestic violence may be overwhelmed trying to manage safety for everyone in the household while also dealing with an abusive partner. They may not be able to respond to the child's needs in a consistent way or the way they usually do.

We can also think about children's relationships with the person who is wielding power and control and using violence towards the family members. That relationship is also impacted because children are confused by that abusive behavior. They're concerned for themselves, their siblings, and their parents. It's important to remember all children experience stressors as that's part of this existence of being a human. But in the case of domestic violence, the stressors and trauma might also include child neglect, child abuse, parental substance abuse, and mental health challenges with their parents. Under these circumstances, there can be elevated stress hormones and altered levels of brain chemicals disrupting the developing brain. Although responses vary among children, these reactions can impact their learning, memory, and overall health and well-being.

It's important to consider not only the nature of the stress or the trauma, like domestic violence but also the availability of adult caregivers, especially when that protective parent is the person who's helping a child manage their stress. We want to educate them on coping skills to strengthen their capacities and manage stress as they grow older. Many children raised in abusive homes learn that violence is one way of dealing with complicated feelings or conflict. This can be problematic because these children are more likely than their peers to have issues with school, conflict, bullying, other violent behavior, and be in abusive relationships in the future. They are more likely to be in abusive dating relationships, either as a victim or as an offender.

This makes me think about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). There could be a whole podcast on this topic. Children who have experienced some type of adverse childhood experience, which includes domestic violence, have poor health outcomes later in life, like an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, substance use, and even early death. 

Dr. Bencomo: Yeah. I don't necessarily think about the combination of those effects with learned behaviors and how that can manifest in all those different ways. Thank you for that, as that's helpful. When thinking about those short and long-term effects, what strategies would you recommend for a social worker working with families and children where domestic violence is present?

Dr. Baca: There are many strategies. For babies and toddlers, we want to help individuals with regulating, soothing, and calming their infants and young children. We also want to encourage the protective caregivers to help little ones anticipate what will happen next. We can encourage caregivers to establish predictable daily routines and help with transitions and changes. They should also give choices and provide reassurance to help little ones identify and respond to their bigger feelings. For older children and teens, their trauma responses can be misinterpreted by parents and well-meaning adults. Social workers can help teachers and caregivers understand what might be going on for children and teens.

When children are afraid, they may act in ways to defend themselves from feeling helpless. As I mentioned earlier, this can include acting aggressively towards peers or younger siblings. Caregivers may not understand children's difficulty regulating strong feelings related to trauma. Social workers can educate parents about what happens as a result of ongoing exposure to traumatic stress and not in a blaming way. This education can help caregivers shift their perceptions about children and teens misbehaving.

For teens and older children, we always want to give choices but set limits while providing reassurance. We must be open to listening to their concerns and answering their questions honestly. Maybe we can help older children and teens find ways to express their feelings through various creative avenues such as journaling, poetry, and art. We can help them connect with activities and interests that promote self-confidence and mastery.

Dr. Bencomo: The developmental level of teens includes emotional angst as a natural stage of development. Then, we add in all these complicated feelings resulting from domestic violence. In what ways can we help them to identify these feelings?

Dr. Baca: I think it's imperative. Kids are responding to violence in the ways that they can. We used to say that children were "witnesses" to domestic violence, but children are more than witnessing. They are doing what they must to care for themselves and their younger siblings. Teens sometimes intervene and try to protect family members. We must figure out how to support them. Ben, I would like to say something about safety planning here.

Dr. Bencomo: Absolutely.

Dr. Baca: Safety planning is vital to recognize across all ages and developmental stages. I remember working with this terrific child welfare investigator with our local child protective service office. She was hesitant to do safety planning with the children, who were like eight and 10. I remember saying that these kids had already been engaged in safety planning for many years. For example, they kept themselves safe by hiding and other things long before we got involved.

We can learn a lot from children when we listen to what they have been doing. We can build off that and reinforce it in that more formal process. It is valuable when social workers can involve children with their protective parent's permission in safety planning. It may be an immediate issue because survivors and their children may return home to abusive partners. Still, I also think we need to consider that families may be involved with their communities, extended families, religious traditions, and extracurricular school and community events. So there are opportunities to do safety planning with families so they can continue to be involved with their social networks. This can also be helpful for visitation exchanges, daycare, school drop-off, pick-up, and play dates. And obviously, safety planning and what that looks like needs to be explored a little differently if firearms or weapons are in the home. 

Dr. Bencomo: What are some ways social workers can support parents in DV situations?

Dr. Baca: Parents who are survivors of domestic violence bring front and center the importance of being client-centered. This means honoring and respecting the survivor of domestic violence's self-determination, which aligns with the social work code of ethics. Survivors of domestic violence know what's best for themselves and their children, and we can trust and learn from them. Survivors of domestic violence benefit from social workers' understanding of the complexity of domestic violence and validating their concerns. We can also acknowledge how that violence may impact survivors' mental health. It could be a contributing factor to the misuse of alcohol or substances. When we can have a greater picture of what is going on, we can support and advocate for them within other systems.

Another strategy for supporting parents who are survivors is breaking through that isolation and helping them reconnect with relatives and their community. They may have been separated from them, which can be a significant step in creating those non-formal support networks that will be there long after we are no longer involved. We are temporary support for survivors and their children, so we recognize the importance of reconnecting them with those natural supports.

There are also domestic violence programs that provide comprehensive services.

Dr. Bencomo: Absolutely. Specifically looking at those people who will continue to be in the lives of these survivors, are there any strategies or recommendations to ensure long-term support for those survivors?

Dr. Baca: Good question. Sometimes, there have been many challenges. Let's go back to that misunderstanding of domestic violence. Family and friends may have offered support in the past when the survivor was struggling. For instance, they may have offered them a place to stay, but the survivor and kids returned to the abusive partner. After this happens repeatedly, families and friends don't understand the dynamics involved and may emotionally cut off the victim. In these cases, they may not have spoken with parents, sisters, brothers, and best friends for years. Thus, we may ask survivors, "Who was support for you? Who have you missed having contact with?" There may be a way to safely use social media to try to contact loved ones, as sometimes people move and change phone numbers.

It is essential to give them some language, perhaps with the Power and Control Wheel we discussed earlier. Once survivors can see a concrete way that domestic violence has impacted them, then they can share that information with their family and friends. "Here's why I haven't reached out to you," or Here's why I kept going back." This is an opportunity to reconnect and see if there is a way to re-establish those connections.

Dr. Bencomo: I want to shift gears to talk about some of the current climate with domestic violence. We all know that the current COVID pandemic has had an immeasurable effect and will continue in the years to come. How has COVID impacted domestic violence prevalence, severity, or recovery? Is there any indication of what some of those effects have already been among survivors of domestic violence?

Dr. Baca: Yeah. During the initial waves of the COVID pandemic with the lockdown and stay-at-home orders, many survivors of domestic violence and their children were trapped at home with abusive partners and unable to safely access any services. Many were not able to use the telephone without surveillance. Children couldn't disclose any abuse they were experiencing at home because they were doing remote learning. There is some conflicting research. Some research shows increased calls to law enforcement, while others show decreased calls to domestic violence organizations. We know from previous events, like natural disasters, that community-wide stressors often contribute to increases in family violence.

Many families also experienced economic strain and concerns about homelessness due to COVID. The pandemic didn't cause domestic violence, but the additional stressors may have escalated abuse in the household. In year one, many programs tried to ensure that there were media campaigns about programs that were open and available to help. Advocates and programs had to get creative as they recognized there were only a few places survivors might be able to go during those lockdown periods. As everyone could get groceries or go to the pharmacy, there was an additional push to ensure that outreach and educational material was available at these venues. 

I think we're all realizing the need to pivot, and there were increases in telephone and video conferencing. Additional training and attention to confidentiality and safety planning have to be done when interacting remotely, so there was extra networking on how to best support survivors during this time. Collaboration with agencies and community organizations was vital.

Now that those stay-at-home orders have been lifted and children have returned to in-person learning, there are more opportunities for survivors and their children to reach out for support. However, I think we're still understanding what families went through during this period and will continue to be experienced in years to come.

Dr. Bencomo: You have transitioned in the last several years into teaching social work full-time and continuing to serve on different boards and consulting for various agencies. How has your professional experience in domestic violence informed or impacted your teaching of social work students?

Dr. Baca: I love being a social worker and a social work teacher. I think I have a greater understanding of what many of my students bring when learning social work skills and participating in field practicums. I acknowledge that some of them have had experiences with family violence. I'm conscientious in applying trauma-informed pedagogy that comprises those same core principles we spoke about earlier from a trauma-informed perspective. Due to the ongoing pandemic, on top of the stress of just being a college student, I recognize that my student's cognitive presence might be adversely impacted because of COVID.

From my experience with domestic violence, I recognize that stress and trauma impact self-regulation and executive functioning, which may interfere with our students' concentration and ability to focus and learn new material. It might look like exhaustion, confusion, or forgetfulness. I try to be mindful of that when a student asks me for the fifth time when an assignment is due, even though I know it's written in my syllabus, posted on the learning management system, or talked about in class. I try to be sensitive and compassionate about that. We have been doing brief contemplative practices, like deep breathing or mindfulness, to center ourselves in the online learning environment before diving into the content.

It is crucial to create a safe environment for students to discuss current events that are impacting them. It can be helpful to initiate those discussions with questions and prompts for deeper dialogue when students are in a state of calm.

Dr. Bencomo: Wow. Thank you for that. That's interesting to see how you've used your experience to inform the content you're teaching and approach interactions with students as they navigate their own lives and their social work education. I know that recently you worked with some colleagues to develop a family-centered toolkit for domestic violence programs. I wonder if you could tell us a little about what that toolkit entails.

Dr. Baca: The scope of this toolkit was shaped by domestic violence service programs and the staff who identified complex needs and challenges in supporting families. It reflects the voices, stories, and perspectives of adult survivors and their children. It was a labor of love that my colleague, Susan Blumenfeld, and I developed to help domestic violence programs envision and implement a more integrated approach. It supports caregiver-child relationships with various culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and developmentally sensitive services and activities. During the last 20 years, we have become more aware of the effects of domestic violence on children's healthy development and well-being. We recognize that a more integrated approach that centers on those relationships between adult survivors and their children is the way to do this. There are 13 sections with lots of great stuff. Can I give another plug for a website?

Dr. Bencomo: Please do. 

Dr. Baca: It's www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org. This is a good place for someone to learn more about how they can support survivors of domestic violence.

Dr. Bencomo: Are there other places you recommend?

Dr. Baca: The National Center on Domestic Violence Trauma and Mental Health is fabulous for social workers wanting to further their learning regarding domestic violence. The toolkit is published and available for free on the website. In addition, they have multiple other toolkits, a webinar series, and many other resources that can support social workers in furthering their knowledge. Again, it is understanding the complexities. There is also specific information about domestic violence survivors, spirituality, mental health challenges, and substance misuse. It's an excellent resource for social workers.

Dr. Bencomo: Thank you for sharing that. I like to ask people about their self-care regimens. We know how heavy that can be for social workers working in the area of domestic violence. What recommendations do you have, and what type of self-care activities do you engage in?

Dr. Baca: I encourage people to think about self-care in two different ways. One is micro-practices that they can do during their day. Like with my students, I ask them what are some self-care practices that can support their resilience during schooling? If they like nature, they can go outside, look out a window, or engage in light breathing throughout the day. They can also breathe deeply and stay hydrated.

Then what are the more significant things we can do on the weekend? I mentioned earlier that I like quilting, riding my bicycle, being outside in nature, and being with friends and family. I have a beautiful little granddaughter that keeps me centered.

What are the things that can fill your cup? I love being a social worker and want other social workers to stay in the field. I also want my students to love being social workers after graduation and in 30 years. Ben, what do you do for self-care? Can I throw that back at you?

Dr. Bencomo: Absolutely. I live in a very rural part of the country, which works well for me as I love hiking and camping. I have found these activities to be incredibly grounding and helpful with regulating myself and giving me the space to continue to support myself and others. I love being outside as much as possible.

I want to thank you so much for your time. I appreciate you sharing your experiences, knowledge, and expertise with all of our listeners. And I appreciate that you are a fellow social work educator out there helping to prepare the next generation of social workers for this vital work. 

Dr. Baca: Thank you, Ben. It's been a pleasure to talk with you. 

References

Please refer to the outline and handout.