Combined programming to support women-identified survivors of domestic violence experiencing co-occurring problematic substance use
department or school: Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)
department or school: Social Work, School of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Belitski, Savanna
issued: 2025-03-17T23:57:05Z
issued: 2025
related degree: Master of Social Work - MSW
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Women-identified survivors of domestic violence (DV) experiencing co-occurring problematic substance use (SU) have complex service needs which are inadequately addressed by traditional siloed approaches to service delivery. Combined programming, which simultaneously addresses needs related to both DV and SU, demonstrates effectiveness in addressing the needs of this population. However, research is only recently emerging, and agencies have been slow to incorporate combined interventions. Addressing this critical gap, this qualitative study explored the strengths and limitations of community-based agencies in Canada offering combined DV/SU programming. Using an Interpretive Description design, semi-structured interviews with service providers offering combined DV/SU programming were used to explore the specific motivations, theoretical approaches, policies, successes, and barriers to implementing such programming. The study found that successful programming was informed by trauma-informed, client-centered, and harm reduction approaches, and focused on addressing DV/SU needs holistically. The study also uniquely described the unanticipated impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including increases in complex client needs and limitations placed on community-based agencies, in motivating practice shifts towards combined interventions. Practice recommendations garnered through participant interviews included efforts to increase staff competencies, address stigma and misconceptions, build agency capacity, and further incorporate trauma-informed, client-centered, and harm reduction approaches. This study provides useful insights for future research, policies, and supports that would address the unique needs of women experiencing DV/SU.
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/90497
note: COMBINED PROGRAMMING TO SUPPORT WOMEN-IDENTIFIED SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EXPERIENCING CO-OCCURRING PROBLEMATIC SUBSTANCE USE by Savanna Belitski B.S.W., University of Regina, 2021 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) March 2025 © Savanna Belitski, 2025 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled: Combined Programming to Support Women-Identified Survivors of Domestic Violence Experiencing Co-Occurring Problematic Substance Use Submitted by Savanna Belitski in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Social Work Dr. John Graham, Faculty of Health and Social Development/UBC Okanagan Supervisor Dr. Mary Clare Kennedy, Faculty of Health and Social Development/UBC Okanagan Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Victoria Burns, Faculty of Social Work/University of Calgary Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Keith Brownlee, Faculty of Social Work/Lakehead University University Examiner iii Abstract Women-identified survivors of domestic violence (DV) experiencing co-occurring problematic substance use (SU) have complex service needs which are inadequately addressed by traditional siloed approaches to service delivery. Combined programming, which simultaneously addresses needs related to both DV and SU, demonstrates effectiveness in addressing the needs of this population. However, research is only recently emerging, and agencies have been slow to incorporate combined interventions. Addressing this critical gap, this qualitative study explored the strengths and limitations of community-based agencies in Canada offering combined DV/SU programming. Using an Interpretive Description design, semi-structured interviews with service providers offering combined DV/SU programming were used to explore the specific motivat…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2025-05
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0448207
language: eng
degree discipline: Social Work
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Graham, John R. (John Russell), 1964-
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/90497