Mapping Voices: Constructing a Multi-Part System of Care for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

In (re)claiming freedom from abuse, survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) may need to reach out to various system entities for assistance including domestic violence shelters, legal aid, courts, law enforcement, homeless shelters, among others. The current study uses qualitative data to visualize the multi-part system of care for IPV survivors in a large, southeastern county. Interviews were conducted with community providers and practitioners (e.g., law enforcement, legal aid, health provider staff, prosecutorial staff, DV shelter and social service staff). Focus group and interview data were obtained from IPV survivors who have navigated the system. Furthermore, public and internal documents were compiled and analyzed. Analyzing the data involved triangulation among data sources to identify connection points among (and within) the system entities to develop a diagram that maps how IPV survivors navigate its components (e.g., the process of obtaining domestic violence shelter services, the process of obtaining restraining orders). Several iterations of the diagram were presented to participants for feedback resulting in the final figure. The value of mapping these data include (a) helping providers/practitioners identify gaps in service provision, (b) allowing survivors to identify their position in the system, and (c) more clearly explicating the dynamics of both help-seeking and help-giving in the context of IPV. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2026 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]