Evaluating a Collaborative Intervention Between Health Care and Criminal Justice in Harris County, Texas, 2001-2002

This study sought to evaluate the Advocacy-Case Management
Intervention designed to increase victim safety and the efficiency of
the protection order process. The intervention was performed by
registered nurses as part of a collaborative partnership between
justice and health care agencies. A two-group experimental design
using random assignments to control and experimental groups was
used. The study subjects were women who qualified for a civil
protection order against a sexual intimate. These women were contacted
via telephone for initial interviews, as well as for three-, six-,
12-, and 18-month follow-up interviews. Variables were obtained from
several instruments used to measure victim safety-seeking behaviors
and levels of violence and harassment.