Newsletters from 2009 to 2015

news Volume 17 Number 1 February 2015 “Building the smallest democracies at the heart of society.” The United Nations: The International Year of the Family, 1994 Agreement# 40063171 Experiences of Men Who Attended Domestic Violence Treatment Programs and Made Changes to End Violence in Their Intimate Relationships by Crystal Giesbrecht y Master of Social Work thesis behaviour, and recognition that research study at the University the cause of their violence and the Mof Regina (summarized in changes that they had to make were a presentation at RESOLVE Research internal, not external. Realization that Day 2014), sought to understand the changes that needed to happen experiences of men who were were within themselves gave the men violent in their intimate relationships, agency to do something about the attended domestic violence treatment problem. programs, and successfully made The men’s descriptions of their changes toward an end of their violent formative years included the notion behaviour. Phenomenological research of typical masculine behaviour; they methods were used to conduct in– spoke of growing up with the idea depth qualitative interviews with four that being a man meant not showing men who attended Domestic Abuse/ their emotions. Getting in touch with Violence Treatment Programs (DAVTPs) Crystal Giesbrecht their emotions helped the men to and made changes to their behaviour. be successful in the DAVTPs and to make positive While not all men who attend DAVTPs make changes in many of their relationships, not just in changes, a change among even a few participants their intimate partnerships. makes a substantial difference in the lives of women and children. Three of the four participants continued to attend maintenance programs after completion of the Whether they were court-mandated to attend a DAVTPs, as they continued to need a safe space to treatment program or self-referred, it took some talk about their feelings. These men all emphasized time—in some cases two or three years—for the Treatment Programs... cont. on Page 6 interviewed participants to “buy in” to the program. Until that happened, other things helped to keep Inside this issue... them there, such as potential legal impacts and feeling welcomed and supported by program facilitators. 2. The 2014 Manitoba Trauma 5. RESOLVE Alberta Update Forum Once these men accepted their responsibility—and 6. Treatment Programs, cont. understood that they needed to work on themselves— 3. RESOLVE Manitoba Update 7. Announcements , Conferences & Events they could make changes. Changes that participants 4. RESOLVE Saskatchewan 8. Prairieaction Update made to end violence in their relationships began Update with an acceptance of responsibility for their violent RESOLVE news Page 1 February 2015 Volume 17 Number 1 The 2014 Manitoba Trauma Forum by the Manitoba Trauma Collaborative (MTC) he first Manitoba Trauma Forum in 2007 related to trauma and substance abuse. Ms. resulted in concrete recommendations Poole spoke about how to make agencies and Tto build awareness and capacity around systems more trauma–informed and provided trauma-informed care in Manitoba. Upon examples of how this is being done in Canada. achievement of these recommendations it Dr. Ed. Connor, a clinical psychologist from became apparent that the next steps were Ontario, presented a First Nation’s perspective to make systems of care more trauma– on trauma–informed practices and how First informed. In an effort to guide this process Nations and mainstream approaches are more the MTC turned, as they did in the first forum, similar than different in goals and approaches. Dr. to Manitoba service providers, from direct Connor is on the CASP (Canadian Association of services and from management and policy Suicide Prevention) board of directors. A video making. of Dr. Larkin’s talk and the PowerPoint slides for Ms. Poole’s and Dr. Connor’s presentations can On November 3 and 4, the second trauma be found on the MTC website www.trauma– forum—a joint undertaking by the MTC, the informed.ca. Manitoba Trauma Information and Education Centre (MTIEC), and the Manitoba A number of questions were generated Government—was held. Approximately from these presentations, many of which 250 attendees met in Winnipeg to have been posted for discussion on the discuss the next steps to make services online trauma forum. The online forum and systems trauma–informed in promotes trauma–informed practices Manitoba. Northern, rural, and urban and policies by facilitating conversations areas of Manitoba and health, justice, and information sharing on trauma– family violence, child and youth, shelter related issues. This forum consists of a and counselling agencies were represented number of topics such as intervention, among conference attendees. resources, policy, and program development. Individuals can post questions, read responses, This two–day conference provided information and add to the conversation on previously on evidence–based trauma–informed posted questions. MTC invites everyone to approaches to services and systems. Keynote become part of the online community at www. speakers included Dr. Heather Larkin, Associate traumacommunity.com. Professor at the School of Social Welfare Policy at the University of Albany (SUNY), New In addition, through small group discussions, York, who developed an application of the the forum gathered information from attendees Restorative Integral Support Model for services related to how to make their workplace, to the homeless and has done research on organizations, and larger systems of services more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) in social trauma-informed. Responses to these questions work education and community programming. were gathered and will be analysed and used Dr. Larkin spoke about the results of the ACE to develop recommendations for next steps in Study in the U.S. and how the assessment of the process of becoming a trauma–informed these experiences could help agencies and province. A report consisting of a summary of the systems become more trauma-informed. More forum proceedings, responses to the small group information on ACE studies can be found at discussions, and the resulting recommendations www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/ and immediate, intermediate and long–term index.html. Nancy Poole, Director of the Centre goals will be developed and posted on the MTC for Excellence in Women’s Health in BC, and website by March 2015. These goals will guide Prevention Lead for CAFASD, has been involved the MTC’s future activities. Anyone who wants with building knowledge exchange networks to join the MTC in these new endeavors can and developing programs on issues on issues contact the MTIEC at [email protected]. z Page 2 RESOLVE news Volume 17 Number 1 February 2015 Manitoba Update: RESOLVE Community Working at Home and Around the World ESOLVE has always had a keen interest in Kosovo and in Kenya’s Dadaab Refugee camp, as working with colleagues around the world. well as in Ontario and Saskatchewan. Christine ROver the years we have hosted research Ateah, is a key member of the PDEP team. She scholars from Australia, Portugal, China, Sweden is currently in Prishtina, Kosovo, to train local and England. We learn a great deal from these Save the Children staff, and build their capacity to international exchanges and often have the sustain the program in that country. opportunity to share our work internationally. Jane Ursel was nominated by the American An excellent example of this exchange are the Embassy to participate in a three–city tour in the international activities of Joan Durrant and United States this February. Jane is one of ten Christine Ateah, both active members of our Canadians selected to visit communities around Steering Committee. the country that have developed innovative Joan Durrant was awarded a grant from Grand domestic violence programs. While the itinerary Challenges: Stars in Global Health to mobilize has not yet been finalized, we look forward to a Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (PDEP) in report on this trip in our next issue. low– and middle–income countries. She created While many of our RESOLVE members are active this universal violence prevention program in internationally, we also have a stellar cast of collaboration with Save the Children Sweden. Steering Committee members who work locally The program helps parents shift their focus from to create safer homes and safer communities. As punishment to non-violent, mutually respectful we celebrated the imminent retirement of a long problem solving with their children. Its framework time Committee member Tim Wall, we realized is based on recent research on children’s what rich human resources we had sitting around emotional, cognitive and brain development, as the table at each Steering Committee meeting. As well as children’s rights to protection, participation a result, we decided that on our provincial update and dignity. With the Grand Challenges grant, pages, we would introduce you to one member Joan and her team are working with local Save (each issue) of this amazing cast of community the Children staff to implement the program in activists and program innovators. z Thank You and Farewell to Tim Wall by Jocelyn Proulx For the last 35 years Tim Wall has worked towards promotion of compassion and evidence–based research into all levels of care, first as a clinician and then as the Director of Counselling Services at Klinic Community Health Centre. As Executive

Load more