Strengthening What Works

In an effort to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations and advance the prevention of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation invested in a pioneering effort to evaluate eight diverse IPV prevention programs for immigrants and refugees. The initiative also focused on building the capacity of organizations to conduct and utilize evaluations to enhance their efforts and improve their effectiveness.

Very few IPV prevention programs targeting immigrant and refugee communities have been evaluated. Strengthening What Works provided these eight grantee organizations with the unique opportunity to bridge the gap between practice and the evidence of effectiveness. Despite the different community-based approaches and their diverse ethnic populations, there were common elements across all programs, which can now be shared and leveraged to advance IPV prevention efforts.  

• Culturally-tailored programs that focus on reframing cultural norms and promoting healthy relationships can be effective in preventing IPV within immigrant and refugee communities.
  
• Promoting healthy relationships should occur within the cultural norms of the immigrant and/or refugee community.