VCU Health hosts Twitter chat on domestic violence

By Leha Byrd

Virginia Commonwealth University Health officials are hosting a Twitter chat on domestic violence from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 28. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The participating officials represent the VCU Medical Center Level 1 trauma center’s Injury and Violence Prevention Program and Project EMPOWER. According to The Centers for Disease Control and others, 20 people per minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner, and more than 50 percent of adult female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner.

Caitlin Shiflett, victim advocate and Project EMPOWER coordinator, and Lissette Johnson, a domestic violence survivor and Project EMPOWER peer advocate, will answer questions about VCU’s program offerings and provide information about the intricacies of intimate partner violence. Project EMPOWER, which is under the Intervention and Violence Prevention Program umbrella, is a multi-disciplinary initiative dedicated to enhancing prevention and intervention services for individuals who experience intimate partner violence or sexual violence and their families.

Users can sign into their Twitter accounts, join the conversation and have their questions answered by Shiflett and Johnson. Use the hashtag #VCUHealthChat when posting questions and comments. Questions can be submitted in advance via Twitter using #VCUHealthChat and @VCUHealth.