Domestic Violence and Related Organizations Assessment

New Visions is working in collaboration with local and state domestic violence and related organizations to provide opportunities for learning about Asian communities, strengthening collaborations with Asian community members and organizations, and developing strategies to address domestic violence in the local Asian communities. Our goal is to work with local and state domestic violence and related organizations in developing sustainable responses to the needs of Asian communities.

The following represents the summary findings from a series of interviews with executive directors (n=7) and surveys of staff (n=73) of domestic violence and related organizations in southeast Michigan.

A. Interviews

  • All agencies are committed to ending violence against women and children through education and collaboration with ALL communities.
  • More than half of the agencies do not have any partnerships with Asian organizations.
  • All but one agency indicated having at least one Asian volunteer, staff, or administrative person in the agency.
  • While most of the agencies do not have strategic plans that specifically address Asian communities, one agency is in the process of developing a plan to specifically address the needs of the Asian community.
  • Less than half of the agencies have printed materials in Asian languages or interpreters.
  • Given minimal contact with the Asian communities, few agencies turn to state resources or help or to Asian volunteers, if they have any.

What challenges do you face in working with Asian survivors?

  • Lack of cultural competency of staff (n=3)
  • Language (n=3)
  • Immigration issues (n=2)
  • Difficulty accessing services for Asian survivors and Asian communities (n=1)
  • Asian survivors’ lack of knowledge about services (n=1)
  • Diet (n=1)

What can New Visions do to help your organization better serve Asian survivors?

  • Assistance with training on culutral sensitivity (i.e., diet, customs, what violence means to Asian communities)
  • Assistance in building partnerships with Asian communities
  • Continuous outreach to domestic violence and related organizations to keep them accountable to provide adequate services for Asian survivors.

B. Survey Findings

  • The majority of agency staff indicated that they serve Asian survivors; however, they have served or seen only a few Asian survivors. As a result, when asked about what has gone well and/or what they have learned, about 22 respondents (38%) did not provide any answer.

What specific or unique needs do Asian survivors have?

  • 47% Language accessibility
  • 56% Cultural factors (i.e., cultural competency and sensitivity, addressing cultural beliefs about gender roles, and addressing fear of bringing shame to family and community)
  • Other needs cited include support from Asian communities and families, information about immigration issues, and knowledge of available services.

What information and/or resources are needed to work more effectively with Asian communities?

  • 34% Training/resources for cultural competency
  • 19% Language capability/translators
  • 17% Information on existing community organizations and services for referrals in Asian communities
  • 14% Training specific to domestic violence, intimate relationships, and family in Asian communities

What barriers make it difficult to provide services to Asian communities?

  • 71% Language
  • 40% Minimal contact
  • 14% Lack of cultural knowledge or understanding

What would contribute to a coordinated community response to domestic violence in Asian communities?

  • 44% Communication between community organizations
  • 15% Domestic violence media and education in Asian communities
  • 15% Recognition of problem
  • 15% Community-wide responsibility
  • 13% Cultural education for service providers

One cautionary note to these findings is that given the very limited contact with Asian survivors, these perceptions may be based on respondents’ assumptions and stereotypes about Asian/Asian Americans.

Recommendations for Domestic Violence and Related Organizations

In an effort to enhance the capacity of domestic violence and related organizations, we offer the following recommendations:

  • Understand that the needs of Asian/Asian American survivors are additional but not special (i.e., foods, customs, room arrangements).
  • Integrate services for Asian/Asian American survivors to the core structure of the organization, not merely as an add-on, especially given the changing demographics of the communities.
  • Create an ongoing and substantive structure to re-examine the organization’s mission, structure, and procedure/programs to ensure that they are responsive to the changing needs of the communities it serves.
  • Find out what Asian organizations exist in target communities and develop an ongoing collaboration to create community support network.
  • Utilize ethnic newspaper/newsletters to announce available services.
  • Actively seek out training opportunities for staff on cultural competency.
  • Organize an open house where one or more domestic violence and related organization can share information and resources with Asian survivors and Asian communities at large.
  • Train Asian language interpreters to assist Asian survivors at domestic violence and related organizations.
  • Actively recruit Asian staff/volunteers.