A Data Analysis of the North Carolina Domestic Violence Workforce
The ReStoryation Healing Project, led by the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV), was part of a larger national effort to examine the experiences of domestic violence (DV) advocates in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through storytelling circles held across the state, advocates shared their personal and professional struggles, emphasizing emotional exhaustion, financial strain, and inadequate workplace support. The project used surveys, as well as oral & visual storytelling to document the impacts of the pandemic. Notably, only 30% of North Carolina participants felt energized by their work, and 25% reported experiencing burnout. Many identified themselves as survivors, highlighting the compounding emotional toll of advocacy work.
The findings call for urgent, multi-level support systems for the DV workforce. Advocates stressed the need for holistic wellness practices, supportive leadership, and long-term structural reforms such as paid leave, equitable compensation, and mental health access. NCCADV has responded with programming to support DV service providers in creating or improving workplace policies that support employees’ wellbeing. The report underscores that the anti-violence movement must center advocate wellness to ensure a resilient and effective workforce.
Nationally, a total of 1322 domestic and sexual violence providers completed the ReStoryation surveys. Of these participants, the majority were female, heterosexual and between 18-44 years old. Many of these workers are survivors themselves who speak about their experiences as a way to educate and connect with others. Most worked directly with survivors at their jobs, which speaks to the need to address burnout and vicarious trauma on the job.
The mental depletion experienced by advocates was heightened by the experience of financial and economic hardships resulting from the pandemic. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, worker challenges were compounded by job insecurity and staff turnover.
Visualizing What Advocates Need to Feel Supported In Their Work
Workplace Supports Needed for DV Advocates
The Top 3 Policies Participants Want for Their Organizations:
NCCADV has advanced the work of the ReStoryation project by creating programming that supports more trauma informed workplace policies and practices. Program offerings include one-on-one support for leadership at domestic violence service providers to make specific policy improvements and training for advocates on recognizing and responding to vicarious trauma and burnout. The goal of these programs is to improve workplace policies that support employees’ well-being, including paid parental leave, sick/safe leave, bereavement leave, and more. In the long run, more trauma-informed workplace policies lead to safer and healthier communities by reducing stress, financial hardship, and risk factors for violence.
Through the ReStoryation project, NCCADV gained valuable insight into how to better support DV professionals. These findings showed that the COVID-19 pandemic made existing health inequities among DV advocates even worse.
Based on this data and trends in DV services over the last 6 years, it’s clear that a cultural shift is needed in the anti-violence field. The focus should be on worker wellness and ensuring that DV professionals have access to essential resources like healthcare, mental health support and basic needs. One of the most effective ways to support these workers is by providing flexible financial assistance, allowing them to meet their unique needs and prioritize their well-being.
To learn more about the finding of the ReStoryation project, please visit the full report at:
https://nccadv.coalitionmanager.org/resourcemanager/resourcefile/details/838
