UAMS Domestic Violence Support Group to Assist Women
| LITTLE ROCK – The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Women’s Mental Health Program is initiating a support group for women who have been exposed to domestic violence. The group will meet each Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute.
The group is open to any woman who has experienced domestic violence in the past or is currently in an abusive relationship. Every effort will be taken to maintain a participant’s confidentiality. Participants must be at least 18 years of age, but do not have to be a patient of the Psychiatric Research Institute. There is no cost to attend the hour-long sessions, but participants must call to reserve place.
For a reservation or for more information, contact Lori Graham at (501) 526-8433 or LKGraham@uams.edu.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, designated by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as a month to mourn those who have died as a result of domestic violence and to celebrate those who have survived.
Arkansas was ranked fourth in the nation in 2007 in the number of homicides related to domestic violence, with 33 women murdered by male perpetrators. Last year, 17 women were murdered in the state by a spouse or partner.
Graham, a clinical therapist in the Women’s Mental Health Program, says many women who are involved in domestic violence may not recognize their experience as abusive or coercive.
“Domestic violence can include any combination of physical violence, sexual assault and psychological abuse. Examples of this might be name calling, refusing to practice safe sex or controlling a woman’s access to food, money, transportation or health care,” said Graham. “Sometimes a partner will isolate a woman from friends or family or monitor her phone calls and text messages. These are methods that abusers use to exert power and control over their victims.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###