UCSF Domestic Violence Conference to Offer Provider Training

What would you do? A 15-year old girl asks for a pregnancy test. It is negative, but two weeks later, the girl is treated for a severe head injury in a nearby emergency room. You had assumed that all she needed was to be educated about contraception, but could you have missed a sign?

Every year in the United States, approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically abused by their intimate partners.

The Students for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (one of UCSF’s Registered Clubs and Organizations) will hold a one-day conference, the 12th annual Domestic Violence Conference at UCSF, to bring awareness and provide training in prevention of and intervention in intimate partner violence (IPV).

The conference, called “Preventing Family Violence: From the Cell to the Community,” will be held on November 3 in Cole Hall at the UCSF Medical Sciences Building.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Janice Humphreys, who is an Associate Professor at UCSF in the School of Nursing. She will share her groundbreaking research on telomere shortening in formerly abused women, as well as other effects of chronic stress of intimate partner violence. In addition, the event will feature a panel of experts — ranging from lawyers, public policy consultants and representatives from local domestic violence shelters — who will offer up-to-date information on the laws, resources and perspectives for those working with victims and perpetrators.

The latter half of the conference will involve separate provider training workshops to equip each of the professional schools (medicine, nursing, physical therapy, dental and pharmacy) with the most effective screening tools specific to their discipline. In addition, a radiologist will give a presentation to all disciplines about how to spot characteristic findings of child abuse on X-rays, and on what types of injuries are most indicative of abuse.

Following the provider training, there will be breakout sessions to dive deeper into issues of intimate partner violence, including teen dating violence, elder abuse, immigration and deportation, homelessness, and prison and domestic violence.

The conference will end with a survivor panel comprised of members of the UCSF community, which many past attendees have reported to be the most powerful event of the day. We have allotted time for decompression and closing for those who would like time to process the information presented during the conference. Complimentary breakfast, lunch and snacks will be offered throughout the conference.

Come learn how you can make a difference in your patients’ lives. Students can also receive one unit credit by registering for Epidemiology Course #180.08: Violence — Causes, Effects. Email the organizers at ucsfdvconference@gmail.com with any questions.

Details:

UCSF Annual Domestic Violence Conference: Preventing Family Violence: From the Cell to the Community
Date: Saturday, November 3
Time: 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. (breakfast and lunch provided)
Location: Cole Hall, Medical Sciences Building, 505 Parnassus Ave.
Cost: $6.
Registration: http://ucsfdomesticviolenceconference.eventbrite.com