@article{ref1,
title=""There's room to do more": a mixed-methods study of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) diversion program and intimate partner violence in Georgia",
journal="Frontiers in public health",
year="2024",
author="Jahangir, Tasfia and Dahn, Conjay and Devakottai, Ria and Livingston, Melvin D. and Woods-Jaeger, Briana",
volume="12",
number="",
pages="e1326467-e1326467",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for homicides and suicides. As poverty is both a predictor and a consequence of IPV, interventions that alleviate poverty-related stressors could mitigate IPV-related harms. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a monthly cash assistance program, is one such potential intervention. In the state of Georgia, the TANF diversion program, which provides a non-recurrent lump-sum payment to deter individuals from monthly TANF benefits, is an understudied component of TANF that may influence the effectiveness of state TANF programs in supporting IPV survivors. <br><br>AIM: This study quantifies and qualifies the role of Georgia's TANF diversion program in shaping IPV-related mortality. <br><br>METHODS: This study relies on a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. Using data from the Georgia Violent Death Reporting System (GA-VDRS), an interrupted time series analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of TANF diversion on IPV-related homicides and suicides. Semi-structured interviews were then administered with TANF policy experts and advocates, welfare caseworkers, and benefit recipients (n = 20) to contextualize the quantitative findings. <br><br>RESULTS: The interrupted time series analysis revealed three fewer IPV-related deaths per month after implementing TANF diversion, compared to pre-diversion forecasts (coefficient = -3.003, 95%CI [-5.474, -0.532]). However, the qualitative interviews illustrated three themes regarding TANF diversion: (1) it is a &quot;band-aid&quot; solution to the access barriers associated with TANF, (2) it provides short-term relief to recipients making hard choices, and (3) its limitations reveal avenues for policy change. <br><br>DISCUSSION: While diversion has the potential to reduce deaths from IPV, it may be an insufficient means of mitigating the poverty-related contributors to IPV harms. Its limitations unveil the need for improved programs to better support IPV survivors.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2296-2565",
doi="10.3389/fpubh.2024.1326467",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1326467"
}