Public Policy Work

Drs. Maxwell and Post were invited to submit and present a paper together on violence against women prevention efforts to the National Academy of Sciences in 2002. The proceedings from these efforts were used for "Advancing the Federal Research Agenda on Violence Against Women," published by the National Research Council, National Academy of Science (2004).

Dr. Sullivan’s study that experimentally examined the effects of advocacy for battered women over time was the primary congressional evidence used to support a provision in the federal Violence Against Women Act of 2000 offering special protection to battered immigrant women.

The empowerment evaluation work of Drs. Sullivan and Campbell (which developed through collaborations with community partners) has received national recognition and attention, and has influenced the evaluation direction of the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Injury Prevention as well as the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Board.

Dr. Sullivan's leadership in the area of evaluating victim service programs has been recognized both nationally and internationally. In 2006 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contracted with her and Dr. Eleanor Lyon to design and implement an outcome evaluation of domestic violence victim service programs that will be used across all 53 states and territories. She has also worked with Portugal, the Rebublic of Ireland, and Scotland to collaboratively create outcome measures of domestic abuse victim service programs that is expected to be widely disseminated throughout the European Union.

Dr. Sullivan's advocacy intervention research study was instrumental in the development of national standards incorporated into the Council on Accreditation's 8th Edition Domestic Violence Standards.

Dr. Sullivan's work has been frequently used by the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board when they decide whether or not to support bills under consideration by the Senate.

Dr. Pimlott-Kubiak is currently involved in a collaborative project that promises to change how women within the Wayne County jail are assessed. There is little attention to mental health needs of this group of women who are at high risk for exposure to interpersonal violence as children and adults. The project will institutionalize screening, assessment and referral of mental health and service needs for women entering the jail has the potential to change service delivery so that women may be less likely to experience subsequent exposure.

Dr. Kennedy’s research findings have been used to inform the development of Illinois state policy in areas regarding adolescents who are pregnant and/or parenting, and/or who are survivors of physical or sexual violence and advocacy efforts.

We have provided numerous evaluations of community services to determine their efficacy. This information is always provided back to the programs so they can improve their services and use findings to request additional funding.

Through the sexual assault surveillance system (Drs. Post and Maxwell), we have been able to map sexual crimes and victim service agencies throughout the state of Michigan. Based on this, the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board decided to fund an additional sexual assault crisis center. Findings also resulted in an enormous surge in resources to one rural Michigan County.

The Marquette study (Drs. Post and Maxwell) led to improved relations between normally contentious agencies (e.g., police departments and shelter programs). Two permanent positions were created as a result of this evaluation (court advocate and child therapist).

Dr. Sullivan's study that experimentally examined the effects of advocacy for battered women over time is now being replicated in areas of British Columbia, Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota.