In response to the growing problem of domestic violence, the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), its Committee on Violence, and the MMS Alliance (MMSA; an organization of physician spouses in Massachusetts) began a Campaign Against Domestic Violence in 1992. The Campaign is designed to help physicians and other health care professionals: 

• Improve their ability to respond to the needs of patients who have experienced partner violence
• Provide basic information about partner violence and recognize the varied clinical presentations of partner violence; and
• Provide information on referral services to effectively identify, counsel, and offer informed opinions to patients at risk.

The MMS/MMSA Campaign also participates with various Massachusetts-based and national organizations that provide educational, referral, counseling, and related social services to victims of domestic violence, including the Massachusetts Coalition of Battered Women's Service Groups and the Jane Doe Safety Fund, and participates in the annual "Walk for Women's Safety" in Massachusetts.

The MMS/MMSA Campaign materials have also served as a developmental model for several other state medical and service organizations. The MMS/MMSA Campaign was honored in 1995 with the prestigious American Medical Association (AMA) Presidential Award for extraordinary programs of service to the medical profession. 

Since 1992, more than 35,000 copies of the Campaign Kit have been distributed in Massachusetts and nationwide; that year, all practicing physicians in Massachusetts received a kit. The MMS distributes campaign kits annually to emergency departments in all Massachusetts hospitals and all first-year medical students in Massachusetts; in 1996, the Campaign Kit (with the second edition of an updated "Partner Violence" guide) was sent to all Massachusetts Medical Society members. 

This listing includes many, but not all, of the existing resources in Massachusetts that provide support and services for victims of partner violence. The Jane Doe, Inc. website (www.janedoe.org) will contain additional information.

National and Statewide Hotlines

Mandated Reporting and Legal Services

Services for Battered Women

Services for Battered Men

Victim Assistance Programs and Court Listings

Certified Batterer Intervention Services