Intimate Partner Violence Screening for Veterans Accessing Homelessness Services

Abstract

ABSTRACT To-date, there has been limited visibility into the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among veterans accessing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) homeless services. A three-month screening pilot was implemented in early 2020 to explore IPV screening for participants of VA homeless veteran programs at five VA medical centers throughout Tennessee and Kentucky. VA IPV screening was administered to 577 veterans. Of those screened, 91 were positive for the primary screen. Of positive screens, 30 reported elevated risk on a secondary lethality screen. Rates of positive IPV screening appeared elevated among female and younger veterans; race was not related to IPV screening outcome. Implications for future research and implementation within VA homeless programs nationwide are discussed.