Definitions:
In this survey, mental health challenges encompasses a broad and complex range of experiences: any kind of challenge related to a person’s emotions, perceptions, or attention that creates problems for them. Some people prefer to talk about their mental health challenges in terms of symptoms and diagnoses, whereas others feel strongly about not using medical terminology to describe their experiences. Domestic violence and other trauma can impact survivors’ mental health by creating new challenges or making existing ones worse. Additionally, coping strategies that survivors use to stay alive, to manage feelings, or to take care of themselves may be seen as problematic by others, but not necessarily by survivors themselves. To add to the complexity, sometimes survivors who are experiencing more severe or disabling mental health challenges, such as those associated with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, may not be able to immediately recognize that what they are feeling, perceiving, or doing are causing problems for them.
This survey also includes items on substance use. “Substances” refers to anything that produces an intoxicating effect, encompassing alcohol and other drugs. Some medications that are prescribed by a physician can be considered “substances” if used other than directed, including use that leads to an intoxicating effect. Substance use occurs across a spectrum: from occasional use that causes no problems to use that leads to major health problems, overdoses, addiction, or death. When people have problems related to their use of substances, there are a variety of different terms that may be used to describe their experiences. Depending on the situation, the person, the degree of problems encountered, and the field or school of thought, the following terms might be used to describe substance use that leads to problems: substance abuse, substance misuse, substance use disorder, or addiction.
In this survey, clinical staff describes staff members with specialized education and/or licensure for providing mental health or substance use disorder treatment services. This may include a wide range of professionals including psychologists, Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor (CADC) professionals, clinical social workers, psychiatrists, or masters’ level therapists/counselors including LCPCs or trauma therapists. For the purposes of this survey, we are only interested in clinical staff who provide these services to domestic violence survivors and/or their kids. This may include clinical staff who are embedded in domestic violence services or programming.