Using a feminist perspective, authors Goodman and Epstein present an in-depth, multidisciplinary look at societys responses to domestic violence. They explore and critique the current available services in three different arenas: the domestic violence advocacy community, the mental health profession, and the justice system.

Series Foreword

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

1. The Need for Continued Reform: The Broad Scope and Deep Impact of Intimate Partner Violence
2. The Advocacy Response
3. The Mental Health System Response
4. The Justice System Response
5. A Critical Analysis of System Responses: The Importance of Voice, Community, and Economic Empowerment
6. Recommendations for Future Reform

References

Author Index

Subject Index

About the Authors

Lisa Goodman, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at Boston College, and Coordinator of the Mental Health Counseling MA Program. She is the author of over 65 articles and book chapters on institutional and community responses to intimate partner violence; the effects of partner violence on marginalized women, including homeless, low-income, and severely mentally ill populations; and innovative community-based mental health practices for vulnerable populations. She has received grants from the National Institute of Justice and the National Institute of Mental Health to pursue research in these areas. Lisa is co-chair of the American Psychological Association's Task Force on Male Violence Against Women, and co-founder of the ROAD (Reach Out About Depression) Resource Team, an advocacy project for low-income women struggling with depression in Cambridge, MA.
 
Deborah Epstein, JD, is a Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, Director of the Domestic Violence Clinic, and Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Public Interest & Community Service Programs. She helped lead an effort to design and implement one of the nation's first specialized domestic violence courts in Washington, D.C., and served as Co-Director of the court's Domestic Violence Intake Center. Her scholarship analyzes contemporary efforts to reform systemic responses to those in abusive relationships, and suggests new ways to improve the legal system. She is Chair of the DC Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, and has served on the DC Mayor's Commission on Violence Against Women, the DC Superior Court Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, and the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence Board of Directors.