Scaling up Trauma and Violence-Informed Outreach with Women Affected by Violence

“Scaling Up” builds on the findings from the pilot project, STRENGTH, to study the process and impact of implementing an evidence-informed, strengths-based, trauma and violence informed outreach program with self-identifying women affected by gender-based violence (GBV).

GBV can have severe, intersectional impacts upon self-identifying women, particularly those who experience greater social inequities (e.g. poverty, unemployment, and precarious housing) and additional forms of discrimination and violence linked to race, class, ability, and sexuality (e.g, racism, transphobia, ableism). There has been a longstanding and proven need for innovative programming and strategies that mitigate the risks and impacts of GBV and advance women’s engagement with essential services and supports.

The “Scaling Up” project has four sites in Canada – Vancouver, Kelowna, Halifax, and Windsor, referred to as “research intervention hubs.” Adhering to the principles of community-based participatory action research (PAR), community leaders, researchers, staff, and women with lived and living experiences of GBV provide their leadership and guidance across all aspects of the research project.  With the interdisciplinary expertise of this team, each research intervention hub will implement an outreach model that focuses on building and sustaining trusting relationships between outreach teams and women in the community.

Current Activities and Resources

For context and information on Scaling Up’s research activities and methodologies, please access the following resources:

Key Publications

• Exploring the conceptualization, operationalization, implementation, and measurement of outreach in community settings with hard-to-reach and hidden populations: A scoping review
• STRENGTH Pilot Study Report

Project Updates

Click to access the Scaling Up Project Description

The Team

There are 14 partner organizations (not for profit, academic, public and private sector) and 31 co-applicants involved in this project, as well as a community advisory committee of women with lived and living experience of GBV. Research activities are developed collaboratively with academic and community partners, and each intervention site includes academic-community co-leadership. View the full team listing on the SSHRC’s funding announcement page.

More Information

Funded By

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Michael Smith Research BC 

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