Organizational Resilience: Victim Service Delivery during COVID-19

Background and purpose: COVID-19 and the implementation of social distancing measures to mitigate virus spread enhanced vulnerabilities associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual violence and assault (SVA) and human trafficking (HT) victimization. Although timely access to victim services is always critically important, organizations that provide safety and support to victims and their families had to disrupt and, in some cases, discontinue services to comply with COVID-19 ordinances. Understanding the way organizations adapted their approach to service delivery is important given the uncertainty of the pandemic and its long-term impact on organizational operations. Guided by the Organizational Resilience (OR) Framework, the current study explored the following research questions: (1) How has service demand changed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis? (2) What challenges have organizations experienced as a result of the COVID-19 crisis? (3) In what ways have organizations adapted service provision in response to national, state, and local ordinances to continue to provide survivor-centered services?

Methods: The research team conducted five focus groups and one interview with 32 practice experts representing state-based and national organizations that provide direct services or technical assistance to address the needs of IPV, SVA, and HT survivors. Focus group questions were guided by the OR Framework and focused on changes in the demand for victim services, service delivery challenges, and service adaptations. The research team used content analysis to identify themes within the following OR Framework constructs: demand, challenges, adaptations.

Results: In terms of service demand, participants discussed enhanced vulnerabilities among survivors, which suggests an increase in need for services and supports, especially among communities of color. However, participants cautioned against measuring service demand using service access indicators. Participants discussed several service delivery challenges, including uncertainty about how long the pandemic may last and its impact on program funding. Further, participants mentioned difficulty addressing clients’ needs related to housing, transportation, legal services, and collaborating with partners who were also adapting to challenges imposed by COVID-19. Depending on the nature of the survivor’s victimization, participants noted that specific requirements to mitigate disease spread (e.g., wearing masks) may trigger a survivor’s memory of a traumatic event. In terms of service adaptations, participants reported a transition to remote service delivery, investments in infrastructure changes and personal protective equipment, and the integration of new services and technology. Participants also described efforts to provide clients with information about COVID-19, testing, and vaccines.

Conclusions and Implications: The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for victim services organizations and forced adaptations to service delivery approaches. The rapid shift in service delivery while responding to COVID-19 safety measures suggests a level of organizational resilience; however, given the interdependence among service providers that were also in crisis, organizations still faced challenges responding to victims’ needs. Research is needed to understand survivors’ experiences accessing services during the pandemic and their perceptions on service adaptations made in response to COVID-19. Nonetheless, study findings provide guidance about potential strategies for providing survivor-centered services during COVID-19 and other public health emergencies or times of heightened stress.