The essential services that must be in place before or as part of an interagency effort to address domestic violence are emergency housing, confidential victim-directed court advocacy, support and education groups, and financial assistance to enable women to live separate from their abusers. Without these essential services, battered women may experience greater danger when the criminal justice system responds to the offender's violence. The role of advocates in Duluth, Minn., has changed over the past 20 years, particularly since the DAIP emerged in the early 1980's. Two group discussions with seven experienced advocates focused on issues for advocates to consider when developing a community intervention project, as well as unintended consequences of reform efforts. The discussions focused on the changes in advocates' roles over the 20 years, whether the focus on criminal justice reform was the right path to have taken, the potential for criminal justice reform efforts to have negative consequences for battered women, and the relative importance of individual advocacy and institutional advocacy. Note and 5 references