The project work focused on the developmental processes necessary to begin collaborative work between domestic violence shelters and substance abuse agencies as they address the challenge of a shared clientele with unique needs. The participating sites will work collaboratively with the Integrated Services Project Team (ISP), and Professor William Downs as Principal Investigator, to develop better practices, cross train staff in regarding battered women abusing substances, and plan for the implementation of integrated services as agency staff members are striving to effectively work with this population of women. The Consortium began providing evaluation services for the project beginning October 1, 2001. Consortium team members provided an independent evaluation of the project that monitored:

1. Attainment of objectives;
2. Participating agency staff degree of satisfaction with educational programming developed and implemented;
3. Degree of positive increase in attitudes toward interagency cooperation.

Professor William Downs, University of Northern Iowa was awarded National Institute of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women funding for his project.