Lethality Assessment Project

SAFE is proud to announce a new project, launched on January 1, 2010, that provides specialized advocacy and enhanced services for victims in cases where there is a high risk of homicide or serious assault. Every client that comes into SAFE services receives a risk assessment that considers factors such as whether the abuser has access to weapons, whether the victim has ever been strangled by the abuser, and how much control the abuser exerts over her day-to-day life. Thanks to SAFE's new Lethality Assessment Project-- created in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of the District of Columbia through the Office of Victim Services and involving every executive agency in the city-- victims whose cases rate highly on the risk assessment will receive immediate coordinated services through information sharing between SAFE and city agencies that can provide services to ensure immediate victim safety and reduce abuser access to the victim and her children. In 2009, approximately 25% of homicides in the District of Columbia were the result of domestic violence. SAFE hopes that this collaborative project will reduce that number through streamlined services for victims who are at risk of being murdered by their abuser.

Risk assessments have been used in domestic violence cases for almost 25 years. Developed by Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell at Johns Hopkins University, the risk assessment is a research-based questionnaire that can indicate a victim’s risk of serious injury, repeat assault, or homicide. The number of cases scoring extreme risk on the Domestic Violence Assessment Tool (DVAT) averages 35 victims per month in the District and the number scoring substantial danger averages 108 victims per month. When a high risk case is identified, the Lethality Assessment Project Advocate sends the case information to designated staff at each city agency with the goal of sharing information and establishing a case plan that maximizes the services available to the victim. These services could include crisis intervention from the Department of Mental Health’s Mobile Crisis Unit, immediate assistance from the Department of Human Services and its financial assistance programs, or faster notification of probation and parole violations to the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA). The goal is to maximize the system’s efficiency so that the victims in the most danger face the least red tape in attempting to get out of an abusive situation.