Using Simulation to Train Service Providers in Responding to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Trauma

This study used simulation-based research (SBR) to gain a better understanding of how intimate partner violence (IPV) service providers engage in trauma-informed practice in a simulated session with a standardized patient. Our qualitative study recruited 18 IPV service providers from Canada and the United States. Each participant engaged in a virtual 30-minute case-based simulated session with an actor portraying a survivor of IPV experiencing vulnerabilities related to violence and immigration status. Following each simulation, IPV service providers participated in a 30- to 45-minute reflective dialogue. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Identified themes included: (a) simulation builds trauma-informed responses that recognize intersecting identities (e.g., race, immigration status, culture) and (b) simulation helps train service providers in responding to IPV. Implications for social work research and practice, including the benefits of using simulation for training IPV service providers, will be discussed.