Lessons Learned from a Culturally Specific Gender-Based Violence National Needs Assessment

Abstract Information: Few culturally-specific evaluation tools have been developed to explore the needs and strengths of local community-based organizations (CBOs) addressing the cultural nuances of gender-based violence. While there has been research exploring culturally-responsive assessments in the field of healthcare and primary care (Pokharel et al., 2021; Ravi et al., 2022), few focus on the perspectives of advocates, staff, and culturally-specific agencies working to end gender-based violence. The Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV), a national gender-based violence resource center, developed a needs assessment survey to uncover the recent challenges, resources, and concerns of current staff and direct service providers at CBOs serving Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) survivors and communities. Presenters will share about the process, sampling methods, and outreach to organizations providing gender-based violence support services to AAPI survivors and communities. Participants will be invited to share their experiences with culturally specific, inclusive needs assessment practices, such as dissemination to the involved partners, organizations, and community members; and how such findings can be leveraged to influence policy and practice. In this presentation, participants will 1) gain insight into the processes of creating and implementing a needs assessment; 2) learn about culturally responsive and inclusive practices, methods, and tools; and 3) discuss how culturally specific needs assessment can improve services. Learning goals - participants should be able to: 1) Explain what cultural specificity is, why it is important to take into consideration when conducting a needs assessment, and how it differs from a general needs assessment 2) Understand best practices, methods, and tools to use to ensure a needs assessment is culturally responsive and inclusive 3) Discuss the importance of using culturally specific needs assessment findings to improve services

References: Pokharel, B., Yelland, J., Hooker, L., & Taft, A. (2021). A systematic review of culturally competent family violence responses to women in primary care. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 152483802110469. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211046968 Ravi, K. E., Rai, A., & Lindsey, S. (2022). Systematic review of the psychometric properties of culturally responsive domestic violence measures. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 152483802110738. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211073844

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