Establishing LA VIDA: A community-based partnership to prevent intimate violence against Latina women

LA VIDA-the Southwest Detroit Partnership to Prevent Intimate Violence Agai nst Latina Women-evolved in response to community concern about the problem of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the lack of culturally competent pr eventive and support services for Latino women and men in southwest Detroit . Since 1997, diverse organizations have mobilized as a community-academic partnership to ensure the availability, accessibility, and utilization of I PV services. This article describes and analyzes the evolution of LA VIDA w ithin a community-based participatory research framework using a case study approach that draws on multiple data sources including group and individua l interviews and field notes. The challenges and lessons learned in address ing a complex multifaceted problem such as IPV in an ethnic minority commun ity are highlighted in an examination of the process of mobilizing diverse organizations, conducting community diagnosis and needs assessment activiti es, establishing goals and objectives within a social ecological framework and integrating evaluation during the development phase.