Research Paper
The case manager directly and closely works with victims of domestic violence who have multifaceted psychosocial needs and eligible for community services from various specialized agencies and resources. Furthermore, the case manager is responsible for the provision of crisis intervention to patients who suffered from domestic abuse, as well as to their families, and the facilitation, coordination, and planning for discharge for high-risk patients. The case manager provides advocacy assistance and services to victims of domestic abuse and their children, and inform patients about the nature and mechanisms of domestic violence and resources and/or alternatives available (Laing & Humphreys, 2013). Seemingly, therefore, a case manager must have the following skills and competencies: problem-solving, organization, assessment, and interview skills; exceptional negotiation and interpersonal communication skills; and, capability to serve individuals of all cultural, economic, and social backgrounds, to name a few.
Furthermore, case managers working with survivors of domestic violence have an obligation to take into full consideration concerns regarding their relationship with their patients, as well as ethical issues. When working with victims of domestic violence, case managers must establish and safeguard definite ethical boundaries to ensure professional responsibility and integrity. Case managers must protect confidentiality, look out for malfeasance, and prevent fabrication or manipulation of records, to name a few (NHS, 2016). They must also have exceptional negotiation and interpersonal communication skills, both written and orally, in working with survivors of domestic violence, their families, and other health care providers. For instance, a case manager who is working with the perpetrator of domestic violence must be capable of using questioning methods to help the perpetrator fully acknowledge his/her responsibility for his/her actions.
Meanwhile, when a survivor of domestic violence seeks support and assistance, the quality of the support and assistance is influenced by the cultural background of the client and the client advocate. The client may feel s/he does not have control, whereas the client advocate has the connections, experience, and knowledge to assist the client in dealing with demoralizing, traumatizing, and challenging situations (Davies & Lyon, 2013); in this case, cultural competency demands being conscious of and responsive to these dissimilarities, so that the provision of advocacy is successfully delivered and obtained.
Counselor
Domestic violence counselors provide assistance to survivors of domestic abuse and guide them in acquiring the abilities they need to end the vicious cycle of domestic abuse and live independently. Counselors help victims of domestic violence gain self-worth, behave with a sufficient degree of determination, and understand relationship dynamics and possible threats. Counselors also provide support when the safety of a person of family is imperiled by domestic abuse (Brown, 2007). However, even though counselors could help survivors of domestic violence, such cases are a quite complicated and fragile situation, which these counselors are particularly educated and equipped to deal with and resolve.
The most vital qualities of a domestic violence counselor are empathy, compassion, commitment to self-reliance, appropriate boundaries, and patience. Having appropriate boundaries and focusing on self-reliance are particularly essential for counselors helping victims of domestic violence because of the high likelihood of eventual trauma and the need to thwart fatigue while at the same time sustaining professional boundaries (Sanderson, 2008). Boundary issues are likely to occur between the counselor and the victim of domestic violence. The counselor may have to cope with his/her problems or difficulties concerning domestic violence. The duty to protect and duty to warn are two very valuable ethical issues for domestic violence counselors (NHS, 2016). Being capable of protecting victims of domestic violence from further threat or harm has become an ethical obligation in domestic violence counseling.
Domestic violence counselors must have exceptional communication skills. Domestic violence counseling is normally carried out in a group structure, hence individuals have a support network as they make an effort to move forward, learn, and improve. In addition, some domestic violence counselors take part in court trials to offer expert testimony in instances of an alleged domestic violence (Sanderson, 2008). Furthermore, domestic violence counselors must be equipped to create anti-discriminatory, cultural competent services to domestic abuse victims from all cultural backgrounds. Counselors should fully identify and understand these culturally distinctive issues and be prepared to deal with them by means of specialized services that focus on the unique needs of every patient while at the same time preventing ethnocentrism (Brown, 2007) and sustaining cultural sensitivity and responsiveness.
References
Brown, S. (2007). Counseling victims of violence: a handbook for helping professionals. New York: Hunter House.
Davies, J. & Lyon, E. (2013) Domestic violence advocacy: complex lives/ difficult choices. Thousand Oaks, CA; SAGE.
Hilder, S. & Bettinson, V. (2016). Domestic violence: interdisciplinary perspectives on protection, prevention and intervention. London: Springer.
Laing, L. & Humphreys, C. (2013). Social work and domestic violence: developing critical and reflective practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
National Organization for Human Services (NHS) (2016). Ethical standards for human service professionals. Retrieved from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards- for-hs-professionals.
Sanderson, C. (2008). Counseling survivors of domestic abuse. UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
