The family tree choices program to reduce maternal mortality due to violence - in an effort to reduce maternal deaths due to violence, the family tree information, education & counseling center…

The family tree choices program to reduce maternal mortality due to violence - in an effort to reduce maternal deaths due to violence, the family tree information, education & counseling center (TFT) is applying for funding in the amount of $300,000 to provide anger management classes, batterer intervention programs (BIP), education and behavioral health services for at-risk perinatal families in the seven-parish area of the louisiana office of public health region IV (acadiana). The seven parishes included in the service area are acadia (rural), evangeline (rural), iberia (urban), lafayette (urban), ST. Landry (rural), ST. Martin (rural) and vermillion (rural). Lafayette parish serves as the hub of all these parishes. These families experience disparities in perinatal health including maternal mortality resulting from multiple factors including race, education, poverty, and/or living in a rural area, which are common stressors, associated with violence and suicide. The purpose of the choices program will be to increase public knowledge of intimate partner violence and suicide related maternal mortality, decrease recidivism and to reduce maternal deaths due to violence. Research shows that one of the leading factors contributing to maternal mortality among prenatal and postpartum women is intimate partner violence (IE. Domestic violence), and that trauma informed interventions for both the victims, and perpetrators have shown promise in reducing rates of IPV. TFT has conceptualized a multi-concept approach involving 1) health education provided to participants of the family tree healthy start program (tfthsp), 2) evidence based anger management and batterer intervention programs for participants and their spouses of healthy start, nurse family partnership (NFP), and other prenatal home visiting programs and 3) trauma informed counseling to both survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence.