Health Education for Women and Children: A Community-Engaged Mutual Learning Curriculum for Health Trainees

INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects the physical and psychological health of survivors and their children; however, to our knowledge, no comprehensive health curriculum exists for this population. As a partnership between a transitional housing program (THP) and an academic medical center, we developed a health education curriculum for female IPV survivors using the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR). METHODS: After partnering with a community-based organization, and recruiting participants (IPV survivors), the curriculum is then taught by health trainees. The materials needed to facilitate the 10 workshops are provided and include: a facilitator's guide; workshop materials, including PowerPoint slides and handouts; a training guide for a community partner to teach facilitators about IPV; a sample focus group guide for curricular evaluation that aligns with CBPR methodologies; a sample time line for curricular implementation; and CBPR resources. RESULTS: The curriculum was implemented for two 9-month periods between September 2014 and June 2016. During the first session, 80% of women attended at least one workshop and during the second session, 65% of women did the same. Participants and staff at the THP found the curriculum engaging and requested that it be implemented yearly. DISCUSSION: The community-academic partnership offered prehealth and health trainees the opportunity to learn effective methods of delivering health education and to understand some of the challenges associated with surviving IPV. Such education can be provided to trainees at any stage and across multiple specialties (e.g., medical, nursing, public health, or social work). There is potential to replicate this mutual learning curriculum in a wide variety of other settings serving mothers and children.