Multicultural feminism and domestic violence services in rural communities

During 2011 I completed a master's field placement with a domestic violence service organization in a rural Northern California community. My experiences as a Crisis Worker provided a starting point for studying service accessibility and provision in rural communities. I compare the local program organization and model to multicultural feminist literature on domestic violence interventions. I also make recommendations for agency changes for a more comprehensive delivery of direct and indirect services to a broader clientele of domestic violence survivors. In my placement I trained for domestic violence intervention practices in times of crisis and in advocacy for clients. I became knowledgeable of local resources as well as state and federal policies and funding for non-profit organizations working with survivors of domestic violence. I managed the crisis line during my shifts as well as responded to law enforcement requests for an advocate to be present in the field.