About the LAP

What is it?
The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence developed the Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment Program -- Maryland Model (LAP). The LAP is a multi-pronged intervention program that identifies victims of domestic violence who are at risk of being seriously injured or killed by their intimate partners and immediately connects them to the domestic violence service provider in their area.

How does it work?
The process involves a simple, user-friendly 11-question lethality screening tool and an accompanying response and referral protocol. The LAP can be used by law enforcement officers and other first responders as well as by professionals in many disciplines. If a victim screens in at “high danger,” the screener immediately makes a phone call to the local 24-hour domestic violence hotline to seek guidance and encourages the victim to speak with the hotline worker as well.

Hotline workers trained in the LAP use special guidelines to communicate with and engage victims who have not come to terms with the seriousness of their situation to avail themselves of program services. Victims identified at high risk through the LAP, but who have chosen not to seek program services, often receive follow-up visits or telephone calls of encouragement. The LAP, with its unique approach, was recognized by Harvard University’s Ash Institute as one of the “Top 50” Innovations in American Government programs in 2008.

Why use it?
The MNADV established a statewide Lethality Assessment Committee in Fall 2003 to address research that has shown there is a 60% reduction in risk of severe assault when victims utilize the services of a domestic violence advocacy program and abused women who used community-based domestic violence services are almost never the victim of murder or attempted murder. Yet, despite these good outcomes, only 4% of victims of actual or attempted intimate partner violence utilize the services of community-based domestic violence programs.  The LAP was developed as a response to this research.

What are the results?
It improves victim safety!  In Maryland, the incidence of domestic homicides has declined by an average of 13% over the past three years.  We believe this is a direct result of using the LAP.  The program also serves to educate victims and screeners, empowers victims to take positive actions for themselves and their children, and provides safety planning, information, and resources. It has substantially improved the collaboration and services provided by law enforcement officers and other first responders, domestic violence programs, and professionals in the community.

Status of the LAP

Maryland

Law Enforcement:  96 law enforcement agencies are in various stages of implementation, with 17 remaining to be recruited.

Health Care:  Atlantic General and Frederick Memorial Hospitals are both nearly ready to begin training, likely during the first quarter of 2010.

Faith Community:  The protocols and training documents have been prepared, and a focus group training exercise with seven ministers from Montgomery County was conducted in September 2009.  Comments were obtained from the focus group and the documentation is being redrafted.  The final package is being readied by the MNADV and the Interfaith Community Against Domestic Violence with a target completion date for the early spring of 2010.

Coordinated Community Response:  We are working with Allegany County agencies and organizations to develop a united, coordinated county LAP response.   

USA

• cement agencies and 9 partner programs in 9 counties, representing 6 states (NH, GA, IN, MO, OR, FL), have implemented the LAP.AUSA●          28 law enforcement agencies and 9 partner programs in 9 counties, representing 6 states (NH, GA, IN, MO, OR, FL), have implemented the LAP.●          28 law enforcement agencies and 9 partner programs in 9 counties, representing 6 states (NH, GA, IN, MO, OR, FL), have implemented the LAP.

●         Counties in New Hampshire, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Oregon, and Florida have been trained and are implementing the LAP.

●        The Washington, DC police department and partner domestic violence program were trained in December 2009 and began pilot implementation on January 1, 2010.

●        The Delaware State Police and its partner, People’s Place, piloted the LAP in Kent County.

●        The Barre City, Vermont police department and partner program are preparing for implementation.  

●        Law enforcement agencies and partner programs in Oklahoma have been trained. 

●        Law enforcement agencies and programs in Mississippi have been trained.

More Information About the LAP

NEW!!! Click here to view and print our newest LAP brochure.   

Click here to view the "Lethality Assessment Program for First Responders" Information Packet to learn more about this successful program that's receiving national attention.

"Reading the Signs" Newsletter

NEW!!! Fall 2009 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #8
Spring 2009 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #7
Summer/Fall 2008 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #6
Fall 2007/Winter 2008 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #5
Spring 2007 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #4
Fall 2006 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #3
Summer 2006 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #2
Winter 2006 Maryland Lethality Assessment Newsletter #1

Participants' Training Bulletin

August 2009 Participants' LAP Training Bulletin #3
January 2009 Participants' LAP Training Bulletin #2
September 2008 Participants' LAP Training Bulletin #1

MNADV LAP Training Services

                                  Fee-based LAP Training: What We Will Do for You

Trainers: David Sargent served more than 21 years with the Metropolitan    Police Department, Washington, D.C, from 1970 to 1991.  As a trainer, since 1992, he has coordinated and taught domestic violence courses for law enforcement officers in D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland; and personally trained and overseen the training of more than 10,000 law enforcement officers. 

Objectives: When we go to your jurisdiction we are seeking to accomplish two objectives:

To ensure that policymakers and staff members who will be responsible for administering the LAP with your participating agencies are fully informed about the Program; and

To provide a train-the-trainer session for all participating law enforcement agencies/other disciplines and for all participating domestic violence programs.

Information and Training Sessions
We meet first with policymakers and LAP administrators in a two-hour information session. Then, we conduct a five-hour train-the-trainer session, divided into law enforcement/other disciplines and advocate components, for which we ask all trainees to attend the components of the other. We usually prefer to conduct the two assemblies over two days simply because one day makes for a tight schedule. However, we fully realize that one day would save you money and we are open to conducting both assemblies in one day.

Documentation: We will provide you with the following electronic documentation:

Information Packet

Protocol

Protocol Card (3x5)

Lethality Screen

In-service training Lesson Plan for both law enforcement/other disciplines and advocates

PowerPoint Slides accompanying both sets of lesson plans

Guidelines for Communication between (1) officer/other disciplines and hotline worker and (2) hotline worker and victim

Video Study Guide

Implementation Instructions for both law enforcement/other disciplines and domestic violence programs

Sample General Order for law enforcement, if applicable

We will also provide you with a training DVD primarily for law enforcement use, but adaptable to all audiences, and informational for domestic violence programs.

Fee-based LAP Training: What We Need From You

Commitments
We ask your jurisdiction to have the following in place when we arrive for training or by the time you implement the LAP, as applicable:

A 24/7 hotline operation available for screeners to call;

A full-service domestic violence provider service, including shelter, at your disposal;

An agreement by participating agencies to use the Lethality Screen for First Responders;

An agreement by participating agencies to utilize the LAP phone protocol from the scene of a domestic call for service or from the screener's location;

An agreement by participating agencies to encourage High Danger victims to speak on the phone to the hotline worker from the scene of a domestic call for service or the screener's location, per the LAP protocol;

An agreement by participating domestic violence service providers to use the “Guidelines for Communication,” per the LAP protocol;

An agreement by both participating law enforcement agencies/other disciplines and domestic violence service providers to seek to execute the main objectives of the LAP protocol: (1) to encourage High Danger victims to get on the phone with the hotline workers and (2) to encourage the victim to go into domestic violence services;

An agreement for selected policymakers and LAP administrators of both participating law enforcement agencies/other disciplines and domestic violence service providers to attend the two-hour information session; and

An agreement for selected trainers of both participating law enforcement agencies/other disciplines and domestic violence service providers to attend the entire five-hour train-the-trainer session.

Considerations: We ask your jurisdiction to consider adoption of the following practices:

Appointment of an LAP Coordinator to monitor the performance of agencies and providers, to recruit new participants, to train or oversee training of new participants, to collect LAP data and to report same to LAP participants, and to maintain open lines of communication with all participants;

For participating agencies and providers to gather and report data, as outlined in the implementation instructions, to the LAP Coordinator;

For domestic violence service providers to establish standards for screening victims who self-initiate calls to the hotline and to maintain data on such calls, per the implementation instructions;

For domestic violence service providers to become certified in the administration of the Danger Assessment (see www.dangerassessment.org), and to maintain data on such assessments, per the implementation instructions. (There is a fee involved and the MNADV refers you to Dr. Jacquelyn C. Campbell, creator of the Danger Assessment, to discuss the certification and fee arrangement.); and

For domestic violence service providers or other victim advocates to follow-up with High Danger victims by telephone or advocate/officer team unannounced home visits for the purpose of checking on their well-being and encouraging them to go into services.

For more information about the Lethality Assessment Program -- Maryland Model training and fee structure, please email us info@mnadv.org.