Principal Investigator:
Dawnovise Fowler, Ph.D.
Substance use problems are common among women partner abuse survivors. This pilot study will determine the extent of substance use problems in a sample of women partner abuse survivors residing in Austin-based domestic violence shelters. No systematic protocol for assessing substance use problems in these shelters currently exists. Preliminary data are being collected to inform a federal grant application on the implementation of shelter-based substance abuse intervention for women partner abuse survivors. Of the 37 women survivors interviewed to date in the pilot, 28 scored positive for further substance abuse assessment, with 60 percent scoring from moderate to high in degree for substance abuse. These preliminary findings underscore the need for attention to substance use problems for women partner abuse survivors in shelters.