Field Placement: Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women (LACAAW)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Preceptor: Cathy Friedman
Student Name: Rebecca Horne
Year: 2004

Violence against women is a major public health issue. The Los Angeles community is fortunate to have the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women (LACAAW). Its dedicated staff has been providing both prevention and intervention services relating to domestic violence and sexual assault to the community for 33 years. LACAAW is a non-profit, multi-cultural, feminist, community-based volunteer organization. Its mission is to eliminate violence against women, youth and children through working toward social change, equality and social justice. As a public health intern, all of my objectives related to the prevention side of its programs.

My field study did not consist of only one project. Rather, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work on several projects and with several groups of people. Working on many projects strengthened my skills and increased my knowledge of the complexities inherent in a grassroots community based organization. Some of the major projects I worked on included program evaluation, preparing grant applications, and implementing a training on teen dating violence. I worked with Cathy Friedman, my preceptor, on preparing funding applications for two Rape Crisis Program grants offered by the Criminal Justice Programs Division of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Grant writing was a completely new experience for me. I quickly gained an appreciation for the detail-oriented nature of the work it requires. I also worked with Cathy and two of the associate directors in designing evaluation plans for both the Students Together Organizing Peace (S.T.O.P.) Program and LACAAW’s Self-Defense Program. Working on designing an evaluation in the real world was an ideal way for me to build on skills I learned in the classroom. I also appreciated some of the nuances associated with evaluation, such as convincing the staff of its importance in ensuring that its services are meeting the needs of our population and that data from evaluation can be the proof funders need for continuing a program’s funding. The last major project I worked on was implementing a training for California School Administrators on Teen Dating Violence. Getting this training designed to build schools’ capacity to address the issue was challenging to get off the ground. Nevertheless, I made important contributions to the development of some of the curriculum and communicating with key school administrators who might be interested in participating.

I would highly recommend a field study at LACAAW to future students. It is appropriate for any initiative taker who would function well in an organization with a feminist philosophy. It would be ideal for students with previous background in this field or those who have taken Dr. Sorenson’s class on Family and Sexual Violence.

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