Allstaters learn how to help domestic violence survivors

The mention of a broken door was an unexpected revelation for Amanda N.

She had just taken Allstate's new domestic violence course, a series of training videos developed by The Allstate Foundation and the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The course was designed to help insurance professionals recognize and respond to signs of domestic violence when they're visiting or speaking with customers. It's the second of a two-part video series the organizations launched in 2023.

For Amanda, the course was also personal. "When I was listening to the training, it called out some things that I didn't even realize were part of my own abuse," the claims consultant for Allstate's National Catastrophe Team recalled.

In one video, instructors recommend checking for damages that seem unrelated to a customer's claim - holes in the walls, broken doors - when visiting a home. These can be indications of domestic violence.

Amanda had found herself in that exact situation a few years prior.

"My ex-husband broke our big, glass patio door with his bare hands," said Amanda, a survivor of relationship abuse herself. "Because there was another door behind it, I just took it off its hinges."

When an insurance adjuster stopped by for an unrelated homeowners claim, he asked why the door had been removed. She made an excuse, saying her children had broken it.

"I avoided that question," Amanda said. "I didn't realize that this could have been the type of sign an insurance adjuster could have looked for to realize that I might be experiencing domestic violence."

The training helped her see how subtle clues can signal a deeper issue.

Protecting more than just things

Beyond helping employees recognize signs of abuse, the new training gives them strategies to offer support and resources to survivors. This was something employees asked for after taking the first course last year, which focused on how to engage potential survivors with compassion, patience and empathy.

Our employees said they really wanted to know how they could point those customers to resources.

Sharisse Kimbro
Relationship abuse program officer for The Allstate Foundation

"We're providing them a way to say, 'I've noticed something, and if you want to talk to somebody about it, these are people who can help," said Kimbro. "That matters, becauseone in four women and one in seven men will experience relationship abuseat some point in their lives, and this training gives Allstate employees the tools they need to support the survivors in our customer base."

Amanda isn't the only frontline employee who found the training beneficial.

"It opened my eyes to things to watch for that I would have never thought about," said Bubba C., an Allstate claims associate. "I just think this is something everybody should take."

For Kimbro, the training serves as a tangible demonstration of Allstate's commitment to protecting people.

"This training is one way we are demonstrating that we're truly invested in this issue and trying to create an ecosystem of support for survivors."

Amanda believes the course will benefit anyone who interacts with Allstate.

"This training will make us a better company to deal with," she said. "Whether it's in our ability to recognize domestic violence or simply empathize with someone's needs, it makes us better."

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.