TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2024//
TI  - "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
JO  - Frontiers in public health
A1  - Jahangir, Tasfia
A1  - Dahn, Conjay
A1  - Devakottai, Ria
A1  - Livingston, Melvin D.
A1  - Woods-Jaeger, Briana
SP  - e1326467
EP  - e1326467
VL  - 12
IS  - 
N2  - 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 "band-aid" 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>
LA  - en
SN  - 2296-2565
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1326467
ID  - ref1
ER  -