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About the LAP
What is it?
The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence developed
the Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment Program --
Maryland Model (LAP). The LAP is a multi-pronged
intervention program that identifies victims of domestic
violence who are at risk of being seriously injured or
killed by their intimate partners and immediately connects
them to the domestic violence service provider in their
area.
How
does it work?
The process involves a simple, user-friendly
11-question lethality screening tool and an accompanying
response and referral protocol. The LAP can be used by law
enforcement officers and other first responders as well as
by professionals in many disciplines. If a victim screens in
at “high danger,” the screener immediately makes a phone
call to the local 24-hour domestic violence hotline to seek
guidance and encourages the victim to speak with the hotline
worker as well.
Hotline workers trained in the LAP use
special guidelines to communicate with and engage victims
who have not come to terms with the seriousness of their
situation to avail themselves of program services. Victims
identified at high risk through the LAP, but who have chosen
not to seek program services, often receive follow-up visits
or telephone calls of encouragement. The LAP, with its
unique approach, was recognized by Harvard University’s Ash
Institute as one of the “Top 50” Innovations in American
Government programs in 2008.
Why use
it?
The MNADV established a statewide Lethality Assessment
Committee in Fall 2003 to address research that has shown
there is a 60% reduction in risk of severe assault when
victims utilize the services of a domestic violence advocacy
program and abused women who used community-based domestic
violence services are almost never the victim of murder or
attempted murder. Yet, despite these good outcomes, only 4%
of victims of actual or attempted intimate partner violence
utilize the services of community-based domestic violence
programs. The LAP was developed as a response to this
research.
What
are the results?
It improves victim safety! In Maryland, the incidence of domestic homicides
has declined by an average of 13% over the past three years.
We believe this is a direct result of using the LAP.
The program also serves to educate victims and screeners,
empowers victims to take positive actions for themselves and
their children, and provides safety planning, information,
and resources. It has substantially improved the
collaboration and services provided by law enforcement
officers and other first responders, domestic violence
programs, and professionals in the community.
Status
of the LAP
Maryland
Law Enforcement:
96 law enforcement
agencies are in various stages of implementation, with 17
remaining to be recruited.
Health Care:
Atlantic General and Frederick Memorial Hospitals are both
nearly ready to begin training, likely during the first
quarter of 2010.
Faith Community: The
protocols and training documents have been prepared, and a
focus group training exercise with seven ministers from
Montgomery County was conducted in September 2009. Comments
were obtained from the focus group and the documentation is
being redrafted. The final package is being readied by the
MNADV and the Interfaith Community Against Domestic Violence
with a target completion date for the early spring of 2010.
Coordinated Community Response:
We are working with Allegany County agencies and
organizations to develop a united, coordinated county LAP
response.
USA
-
cement agencies and 9 partner programs in 9 counties,
representing 6 states (NH, GA, IN, MO, OR, FL), have
implemented the LAP.AUSA●
28 law enforcement agencies and 9 partner programs in 9
counties, representing 6 states (NH, GA, IN, MO, OR,
FL), have implemented the LAP.● 28 law
enforcement agencies and 9 partner programs in 9
counties, representing 6 states (NH, GA, IN, MO, OR,
FL), have implemented the LAP.
● Counties
in New Hampshire,
Georgia,
Indiana,
Missouri,
Oregon, and
Florida have been
trained and are implementing the LAP.
● The Washington, DC
police department and partner domestic violence program were
trained in December 2009 and began pilot implementation on
January 1, 2010.
● The Delaware
State Police and its partner, People’s Place, piloted the
LAP in Kent County.
● The Barre City, Vermont
police department and partner program are
preparing for implementation.
● Law enforcement agencies and partner programs in
Oklahoma have been
trained.
● Law enforcement agencies and programs in
Mississippi have been
trained.
More
Information About the LAP
NEW!!!
Click here to view and print our newest LAP brochure.
Click here to view the
"Lethality
Assessment Program for First Responders" Information Packet
to learn more about this successful program that's receiving
national attention.
"Reading the Signs"
Newsletter
NEW!!!
Fall 2009 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #8
Spring 2009
Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #7
Summer/Fall
2008 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #6
Fall
2007/Winter 2008 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #5
Spring 2007 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #4
Fall 2006
Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #3
Summer
2006 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #2
Winter 2006
Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #1
Participants' Training Bulletin
August 2009 Participants' LAP
Training Bulletin #3
January 2009 Participants' LAP Training Bulletin #2
September 2008
Participants' LAP Training Bulletin #1
MNADV
LAP Training Services
Fee-based LAP Training: What We Will Do for You
Trainers The MNADV will send two trainers to your
jurisdiction. One will be a law enforcement/other discipline
trainer; the other will be a domestic violence advocate
trainer. Both trainers have years of experience with the LAP
and have previously conducted LAP training. You will receive
their bios as part of our arrangements.
Objectives: When we go to your jurisdiction we are seeking
to accomplish two objectives:
To ensure that policymakers and staff members who will be
responsible for administering the LAP with your
participating agencies are fully informed about the Program;
and
To provide a train-the-trainer session for all
participating law enforcement agencies/other disciplines and
for all participating domestic violence programs.
Information and Training Sessions
We meet first with
policymakers and LAP administrators in a two-hour
information session. Then, we conduct a five-hour
train-the-trainer session, divided into law
enforcement/other disciplines and advocate components, for
which we ask all trainees to attend the components of the
other. We usually prefer to conduct the two assemblies over
two days simply because one day makes for a tight schedule.
However, we fully realize that one day would save you money
and we are open to conducting both assemblies in one day.
Documentation: We will provide you with the following
electronic documentation:
Information Packet
Protocol
Protocol Card (3x5)
Lethality Screen
In-service training Lesson Plan for both law
enforcement/other disciplines and advocates
PowerPoint Slides accompanying both sets of lesson plans
Guidelines for Communication between (1) officer/other
disciplines and hotline worker and (2) hotline worker and
victim
Video Study Guide
Implementation Instructions for both law
enforcement/other disciplines and domestic violence programs
Sample General Order for law enforcement, if applicable
We will also provide you with a training DVD primarily
for law enforcement use, but adaptable to all audiences, and
informational for domestic violence programs.
Fee-based LAP Training: What We Need From You
Commitments
We ask your jurisdiction to have the
following in place when we arrive for training or by the
time you implement the LAP, as applicable:
A 24/7 hotline operation available for screeners to call;
A full-service domestic violence provider service,
including shelter, at your disposal;
An agreement by participating agencies to use the
Lethality Screen for First Responders;
An agreement by participating agencies to utilize the LAP
phone protocol from the scene of a domestic call for service
or from the screener's location;
An agreement by participating agencies to encourage High
Danger victims to speak on the phone to the hotline worker
from the scene of a domestic call for service or the
screener's location, per the LAP protocol;
An agreement by participating domestic violence service
providers to use the “Guidelines for Communication,” per the
LAP protocol;
An agreement by both participating law enforcement
agencies/other disciplines and domestic violence service
providers to seek to execute the main objectives of the LAP
protocol: (1) to encourage High Danger victims to get on the
phone with the hotline workers and (2) to encourage the
victim to go into domestic violence services;
An agreement for selected policymakers and LAP
administrators of both participating law enforcement
agencies/other disciplines and domestic violence service
providers to attend the two-hour information session; and
An agreement for selected trainers of both participating
law enforcement agencies/other disciplines and domestic
violence service providers to attend the entire five-hour
train-the-trainer session.
Considerations: We ask your jurisdiction to consider
adoption of the following practices:
Appointment of an LAP Coordinator to monitor the
performance of agencies and providers, to recruit new
participants, to train or oversee training of new
participants, to collect LAP data and to report same to LAP
participants, and to maintain open lines of communication
with all participants;
For participating agencies and providers to gather and
report data, as outlined in the implementation instructions,
to the LAP Coordinator;
For domestic violence service providers to establish
standards for screening victims who self-initiate calls to
the hotline and to maintain data on such calls, per the
implementation instructions;
For domestic violence service providers to become
certified in the administration of the Danger Assessment
(see www.dangerassessment.org), and to maintain data on such
assessments, per the implementation instructions. (There is
a fee involved and the MNADV refers you to Dr. Jacquelyn C.
Campbell, creator of the Danger Assessment, to discuss the
certification and fee arrangement.); and
For domestic violence service providers or other victim
advocates to follow-up with High Danger victims by telephone
or advocate/officer team unannounced home visits for the
purpose of checking on their well-being and encouraging them
to go into services.
For more information about the Lethality Assessment
Program -- Maryland Model training and fee structure, please
email us info@mnadv.org.
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