Referrals of women in domestic violence situations

Abstract

Actions against violence are not the responsibility of the health sector alone. They require an intersectoral network support.This is a research based on the Grounded Theory method, approved by the Ethics Committee. Fifty-two professionalsworking in the Family Health Strategy were interviewed in order to understand the meanings attributed by these professionalsconcerning women in situations of domestic violence. Women in domestic violence situations are referred to apsychologist and a social worker from the Family Health Strategy Nucleus. Some centers were mentioned as externalreferrals: Reference Center, Women’s Police Station, Institute of Forensic Medicine and hospital space or maternity. However,the lack of knowledge about the services and intersectoral disarticulation harms women’s care. Knowledge about theservices, understanding about the flow and intersectoral coordination are the improvements suggested.