Domestic Violence

• NPR’s report on Domestic Violence's Overlooked Damage: Concussion and Brain Injury https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/30/613779769/domestic-violence-s-untold-damage-concussion-and-brain-injury
• The Oregon Department of Justice has developed the below recommendations for working with survivors of intimate partner violence who may have a TBI (Source: https://www.doj.state.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/traumatic_brain_injury_and_domestic_violence.pdf)

When experiencing difficulty with attention and concentration:

• Minimize distractions when having detailed conversations.
• Meet individually in quiet locations, with minimum bright lights, and keep meeting times limited.
• Incorporate short breaks

When experiencing difficulty with memory:

• Write information down. Provide a notebook or calendar to help her remember important information such as police numbers, Order of Protection information, and court dates.
• Encourage the use of a journal or log.
• Discuss strategies for remembering important appointments and dates.
• Provide repetition of information.
• Develop checklists.

When experiencing difficulty in executive functioning:

• Assist in prioritizing goals and break them down into smaller, tangible steps.
• Reduce distractions and allow time when completing tasks.
• Write out steps to a planning or problem-solving task.

When experiencing difficulty in processing information:

• Focus on one task at a time. Break down messages or conversations in to smaller pieces and allow for repetition to assist in understanding and processing information.
• Talk slowly and on point, repeat information if needed.
• Encourage to take breaks if needed and to ask for information to be repeated or rephrased.
• Provide information in factual formats, avoiding abstract concepts.
• Double-check to ensure that information has been understood.

Additional suggestions:

• Provide reassurance, education, and structure to minimize anxiety.
• Help fill out forms and make important phone calls.
• Assist in communicating with others.
• Avoid open-ended questions by using a yes-no format.
• Identify supports, both social and medical, and consistently encourage as much self-determination as possible.
• Always ensure that the survivor is a participant in the process of developing plans and in discussions.
• Offer information in writing or on tape.
• Provide respectful feedback to potential or obvious problem areas.
• Be supportive and continuously identify strengths.