Did you know that 40-50% of people in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime? This includes a large percentage of patients seen at health centers (HCs), with rates that can increase for special populations including people experiencing homelessness. 

Today, on Population Focus Day of National Health Center Week, August 7th, 2025, we want to celebrate and express our gratitude to people working in HCs to outreach to, care for, and support survivors of violence and exploitation. HCs, and the care teams within them, are lifelines for people experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), human trafficking (HT), and exploitation (E). Through your community programs, medical care, behavioral health care, oral health programs, your tireless efforts over 60 years have ensured that survivors have access to pathways for healing – physical, emotional, and social. 

We highlight a few HCs here who have demonstrated exceptional programming to prevent violence, and care for those who have lived through abuse.  Thank you, HCs, for the millions of people you’ve helped over the past 60 years! 

Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic – Seattle, WA 

• Provides exceptional holistic care to their patient population, addressing concrete needs such as clothing, housing, and other basic needs through multiple partnerships. 

• Addresses violence and trauma in their community through the CARE (Community Advocacy Restorative Education) Clinic workgroup.  Comprised of individuals with experience in firearm violence, domestic violence, trafficking, and substance use disorder, this workgroup designs healing-centered services and referrals and creates meaningful community connections. 

Asian Americans for Community Involvement – San Jose, CA 

• “At AACI, there is someone who speaks your language and that will help you express your thoughts. When I walk through the door, I see smiles and I am very happy to be here.”  – Patient Testimony from Maria 

• AACI uses the CUES intervention which stands for Confidentiality, Universal Education, and Support.  With CUES, healthcare professionals talk with all patients about how relationships can affect health and how to get support. Unlike traditional screening methods, CUES does not rely on a disclosure of abuse in order to provide a patient with information and resources they might need.
• They formed Asian Women’s Home to provide free and confidential services for their community, including a 24-hour emergency shelter, counseling, legal aid, and domestic violence education in multiple languages. See one of their success stories here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAbudbHtSa0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==  

• Terry Reilly Health Services offers a robust patient-centered response to each member of their community’s unique needs through their Safe Space Patient Navigators.  These specially trained team members are experts in maintaining patient privacy and connecting patients to providers and resources to suit their specific needs. 

• They also support survivors and bolster violence prevention efforts through a 6-week course for patients, Creating Healthy Relationships. The course is taught by a clinical therapist and features evidence-based relationship concepts, including stages of healthy relationships and communication repair skills. 

These HCs are part of a network of nearly 15,000 sites that continue to innovate their health care services to support survivors of IPV/HT/E. To learn more about them and about National Health Center Week, visit: https://healthcenterweek.org/.

Warmly,

• Lisa James, MA, Vice President, Health, Futures Without Violence
• Anna Marjavi, Director, Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation
• Megha Rimal, MSW, Program Specialist, Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation
• Jake Sese, MPH, Program Associate, Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation
• Kenede Pratt-McCloud, Program Assistant, Health Partners on IPV + Exploitation