Medical Advocacy

The Joint Commission (JCAHO) has challenged hospitals to perform universal screenings of all women patients 18 years old and older. Family Shelter Service is committed to assisting hospitals to meet this challenge through the development of strong partnerships.

This commitment has resulted in the development of our Medical Advocacy Program. There is an array of services that the medical advocates can offer hospital staff:

	Assistance in the creation of a hospital domestic violence task force, which will assess the training needs of staff and help create a hospital wide domestic violence protocol
	Free domestic violence training of professional staff, which includes effective screening techniques
	Resource materials regarding our 24-hour hotline, shelters, counseling and court advocacy programs
	Medical advocate staff, on site in hospital emergency rooms to assist staff in screening and counseling victims, at no cost to the hospital

We are very proud of our partnerships and the programs developed with Central DuPage, Good Samaritan and Glen Oaks Hospitals.