National data note one in two women (e.g., 42% prevalence rate) in the United States will experience an incident of interpersonal violence (IPV) at least once in their lifetime with Latinas contending broader lifetime IPV prevalence rates ranging anywhere from 4%-80%. Latinas also find themselves disproportionately affected by IPV resulting in increased risk for negative health outcomes (e.g., chronic pain, sleep difficulty, poorer self-rated physical and mental health) and increased patterns of revictimization. Findings on how social-cultural contexts and community level factors may influence experiences of IPV among Latina immigrants is vastly understudied. However, what we do know is that Latina immigrants are uniquely vulnerable to violence exposure due to the intersections of their ethnic, sex, gender, religious, language, nationality, and legality identities. To this end, this study seeks to understand how the community level factor of non-governmental organization (NGO) operates within Latina immigrants’ experiences of IPV. This study consisted of ethnographic field work (e.g., observations, interviews, and questionnaire) with one NGO in West Michigan that directly works with Latinas that have experienced IPV and the surrounding community. Through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews this exploratory study sought to understand staff perceptions of how they provided services, met with clients, and worked with clients to address issues of IPV. Findings speak to how staff perceive the NGO operating as a social resource that works as a unit to buffer the impact of IPV on their clients’ lives. Staff also recognize the challenges in the work they do, strive to empower participants, and are cognizant that the NGO must function within multiple systemic barriers. A broad theme of recognizing the strain of documentation insecurity amongst client was also identified and staff spoke to operating within a dominant collectivistic perspective when providing services. This paper ends with situating the current study amongst gaps in the literature and providing direction for future studies.
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