From myPlan to ourCircle: Adapting a web-based safety planning intervention for Native American women exposed to intimate partner violence

Abstract

This paper describes the adaptation of a web-based safety planning intervention for Native American women exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). We conducted interviews with Native American women exposed to intimate partner violence (n = 40) and practitioners who work with Native American survivors (n = 41) to gain an understanding of culturally specific risk and protective factors for IPV. Participants were from three regions of the U.S. – the Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest – from a mixture of rural (reservation and non-reservation) and urban settings. These data were then used to inform culturally responsive adaptation of a web-based safety app, called myPlan (renamed ourCircle) by infusing it with culturally specific safety priorities and safety strategies. This research has implications for the Grand Challenges for Social Work, specifically the Challenges to End Family Violence, Harness Technology for Social Good, and Achieve Equal Opportunity and Justice.