Family violence affects an estimated 10 million people every year in the United States, and most health care professionals will at some point evaluate or treat a person who has been abused.
Focusing on the best-prepared workforce is the premise of the James and Jennifer Harrell Center for the Study of Family Violence, a part of USF’s College of Public Health (COPH) that serves as a link between research and practice.
The center just got a boost with a $75,000 matching gift challenge from Meredith Harrell, the late couple’s daughter. This was followed by a contribution in support of the challenge by Dr. Martha (Marti) Coulter, the center’s first director when it opened in 1997.
“My donation is a direct response to the continued support of the Harrell family,’’ Coulter said. “I’m donating this money to jumpstart the response to this challenge in the hopes that it will inspire many others to do the same. The center needs ongoing funding to accomplish its critical goals and this grant can enable that.’’
Every dollar contributed toward the challenge will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $75,000, doubling the impact of each gift and helping more survivors access the support they need. The donations will help the center continue to integrate evidence with best practices, said Dr. Abraham Salinas-Miranda, assistant professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences and director of the center.
“This type of violence creates a complex picture, but it is preventable,’’ he said. “We need to understand the keys to what starts the violence, what can we do to prevent it or how to recognize it once it happens.’’
Family violence can affect the lifelong health, careers and social well-being of individuals and households. It includes economic, physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse of children, adults or elders. It can lead to psychological problems, decreased quality of life and productivity, and in some cases, suicide. But it can be difficult to identify, according to the National Institutes for Health, because many cases aren’t reported to professionals or the police.
“Family violence is an underlying contributor to many of the problems facing people today, most often women and children,’’ said Coulter. “It undermines the health, development and security of children in their formative years and creates dangerous and traumatic environments for adults. Responding to these problems is one of the most critical issues in public health.’’
The center strives to prevent violence before it occurs − and support healing after it happens − through research, training professionals and partnering with communities. It also educates the current workforce as well as the next generation of professionals.
The center provides a training hub for students and involves faculty from public health, medicine, nursing, mental health, social work, aging and other fields. Some of the programs include:
- Domestic and intimate partner violence
- Sexual violence prevention and education
- Community and family violence
- Child maltreatment, adverse childhood experiences and maternal child health
- Trauma, resilience and recovery
“Students need to understand the complexity and importance of these issues to health and well-being and be equipped to knowledgeably enter practice or research fields,’’ Coulter added. “They need to advocate for new policy directions that are supported by new knowledge.’’
The center works with a number of community groups, shelters and hospitals in the area, such as The Spring of Tampa Bay, which is part of the center’s advisory board. By working with USF, officials at The Spring have access to emerging research, which enhances training and workshops and ultimately support survivors of family violence, said Christine Meister, The Spring’s director of coordinated community response.
“Domestic violence prevention cannot happen in a silo,’’ she said. “It requires a multi-disciplinary approach that spans across individual knowledge and behaviors, community providers, legal systems, academia and our social climate. Because of the relationship between our two organizations, researchers and students have a better understanding of the real-world needs and experiences of survivors.’’
So, the relationship with the center and community groups is reciprocal, Salinas-Miranda said: “They share issues with us and we give them the information they can use to improve their services or inform decision-making. Our mission is to study the problems of family violence and provide technical assistance to these groups.’’
The center is the product of a private philanthropist’s gift from 30 years ago. James and Jennifer Harrell wanted to invest in a cause to prevent family violence, so they donated $600,000 in 1997 to set the stage for its founding, endowment and growth. James passed away in 2007 and Jennifer in 2024, but their daughter Meredith remains active on the board.
The couple’s legacy lives on through the center’s motto: “Imagine a world without violence. We can.’’