HARTFORD — A new report shows Connecticut is the first in the nation to adopt a statewide protocol to identify victims of intimate partner violence at risk of increased or fatal violence.
The Lethality Assessment Program is a two-pronged approach. Once identified, the at-risk victims are immediately connected with one of 18 domestic violence organizations across the state for help.
The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council, or POST, began a statewide rollout of the program in September 2012. The two groups announced last week the five-minute screening tool is being used statewide.
Their report found 22,566 lethality screenings were conducted statewide between October 2012 and September 2017. Fifty-one percent were deemed to be in “high danger.” Most ultimately spoke with counselors.
