Responding to Domestic Violence in the Mental Health and Substance Use Fields

Being abused by an intimate partner can have traumatic mental health and substance use-related effects. At the same time, there are high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV)— including domestic and sexual violence—among people who access treatment in mental health and substance use disorder treatment settings. We also know that people who abuse their partners deliberately use mental health and substance use-related issues to undermine and control their partners and to keep them from achieving their treatment and recovery goals. These forms of abuse—known as mental health and substance use coercion—not only jeopardize survivors’ well-being, but also compromise the efficacy of mental health and substance use disorder treatment. It is therefore essential for behavioral health agencies, peer-based support groups, and harm reduction organizations to implement policies and practices for addressing IPV. Knowing how to respond appropriately when a person is in immediate danger or contending with an abusive, controlling partner is critical to supporting the safety and well-being of survivors and their children.