Provider perspectives on implementing a student health and counseling center intervention for sexual violence

Abstract

Objective: To describe provider experiences with implementation of the GIFTSS (Giving Information for Trauma Support and Safety) intervention. Participants: Health and counseling center staff from participating campuses attended trainings between August 2015 and August 2016. Interviews were conducted between May and August 2017. Methods: Providers (n = 230) completed surveys prior to and six months following a 3-hour training on the intervention. Structured phone interviews were conducted with a purposively selected subset of 14 providers. Results: Overall, staff found the intervention acceptable. Implementation barriers noted were time and competing patient priorities. Providers noted variation based on patient and visit characteristics. Clinic commitment, particularly in adopting strategies for universal dissemination of the GIFTSS card, was seen as helpful. Conclusion: Implementation of a brief trauma-informed intervention in campus health and counseling centers was feasible and acceptable to most providers. Opportunities to change organizational culture regarding ensuring adequate time and safety for patients are discussed.

Keywords:

• Alcohol use
• implementation
• sexual violence

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the many providers, staff, and students at the partnering college health centers and campuses for their enthusiasm and support for this study. The authors would also like to thank the many community-based advocacy service providers who participated in the trainings.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Pittsburgh.

Notes

1 ^aImages of the original and updated card are included as online supplemental materials. The new version of the card can also be downloaded or ordered from the Futures Without Violence website.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01AA023260 and T32HD087162. The findings and opinions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the NIH.