UI Health and Wings Unite to Combat Domestic Violence: A Community Approach to Safety and Support

UI Health has teamed up with Wings, Illinois’s largest agency for addressing domestic violence, to create a vital support system for patients and staff. This collaboration targets 16 ZIP codes in Chicago, aiming to halt domestic violence and its cycle of abuse.

As the first Chicago hospital to adopt the Wings Hospital Program, UI Health offers bedside crisis intervention and training for staff to recognize signs of domestic violence. Daniel S., a Wings manager, emphasizes the program’s importance. “We equip healthcare professionals with resources to identify and support survivors,” he says.

This initiative is based on a successful 20-year model Wings has used in suburban Chicago. Funded by the city’s Homeshare Fund, which started in 2018, the program has already helped over 60 patients since its January launch. The emergency and obstetrics departments report higher disclosures of domestic violence, making this support timely.

Minerva Esparza, a social work assistant director at UI Health, notes the program’s life-changing impact. “Linking patients to shelters quickly has made a huge difference,” she explains. It’s common for individuals to feel trapped in abusive relationships due to financial worries. Wings steps in to assist those ready to leave and offers ongoing support for those who are not.

The impact on children is also significant. “Children witnessing domestic violence often become future survivors or perpetrators,” Daniel S. adds. Addressing their needs helps break this cycle.

Despite these efforts, experts like Rani Morrison Williams, UI Health’s chief diversity officer, reveal that actual domestic violence rates are often higher than reported. “We’ve seen that it’s underreported among our patients,” she shares. This partnership provides crucial resources when patients need them the most.

Training for hospital staff is pivotal. Sessions occur monthly, covering various topics, including teen dating violence and human trafficking. Francesca Davis, a project manager at UI Health, highlights that staff can earn continuing education credits through these sessions.

Looking ahead, the goal is to expand this training to the entire university community. “Anyone within the university can call Wings for help if they’re in a situation themselves,” Davis explains, showcasing the initiative’s potential reach.

Overall, this partnership not only assists patients but fosters a culture of awareness among healthcare professionals. By tackling domestic violence directly in healthcare settings, UI Health and Wings are taking essential steps toward building a safer community.

For more about Wings and their services, you can visit their official site here.

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