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You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. MAKING CONNECTIONS: You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not SUPPORTING WOMEN WITH EXPERIENCES to blame. You are OF VIOLENCE, SUBSTANCE USE AND/OR not crazy. MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are A FACILITATOR’S GUIDE not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to blame. You are not crazy. You are not alone. You are not to MakingConnections Making Connections: Supporting Women with Experiences of Violence, Substance Use and/or Mental Health Concerns Written by: Louise Godard Jill Cory Alexxa Abi-Jaoude Karen McAndless-Davis Naomi Armstrong Copy Editor Grace Chin Graphic Design and Illustration Pink Sheep Media Copyright 2013 Woman Abuse Response Program, BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada MAKING CONNECTIONS: SUPPORTING WOMEN WITH EXPERIENCES OF ABUSE, SUBSTANCE USE AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS A FACILITATOR’S GUIDE MakingConnections Jennifer Block Vancouver Island Health Authority, Acknowledgments Mental Health & Addictions Karen Mitton South Peace Community Resource Society The Woman Abuse Response Program (WARP) at BC Women’s Kelly Salazar North Shore Crisis Services Society Hospital & Health Centre gratefully acknowledges the many Laura Bruckner Trail FAIR Society people that contributed to the development of this curriculum. Laura Johnson Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Mental Health & Addictions Foremost, we want to thank the many courageous and wise Lori Swanson Interior Health, Mental Health & women who inspired us to write this curriculum: the women of Addictions British Columbia who participated in the Building Bridges focus Margaret Harman North Shore Crisis Services Society groups, who initially highlighted the need for a support group Marina Ursa Northern Health, Mental Health & of this kind; as well as the women who participated in the pilot Addictions of the Making Connections support groups, whose patience and Pavinder Mahnger Howe Sound Women’s Centre willingness to participate in the project, and thoughtful and Shannon Cooley- Howe Sound Women’s Centre constructive feedback each week, helped make this curriculum Herdman relevant and reflective of the needs of women with experiences Siri Brown Canadian Mental Health Association of abuse. Vivien Mencero Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society Many thanks to the numerous service providers who shared their ii Wendy Nolan North Island Crisis and Counselling knowledge and experiences working with women with experiences Centre of violence, substance use and mental health concerns through the Wynn Hartfelder Vernon Women’s Transition House Building Bridges consultations. We are especially thankful to our Society colleagues in the anti-violence and mental health and addictions sectors who supported and co-facilitated the pilot of Making A big thank you to Naomi Armstrong, WARP’s practicum student Connections support groups. We learned so much from all of you. from the Masters in Public Health program at Simon Fraser University, for her contributions to the pilot project. WARP gratefully acknowledges the Canada Post Foundation Making Connections pilot for Mental Health and the Canadian Women’s Foundation project members for providing funding for this project, and the BC Society of Transition Houses for their partnership with us and dedication Ann Godderis Trail FAIR Society, WINS Transition House to improve services for women with experiences of violence, Annabelle Pierre Mount Currie Health Centre substance use and mental health concerns. This project would not Arden Smith South Peace Community Resource have been possible without your support. Society Finally, we want to acknowledge that some of the material in this Bally Bassi Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society curriculum originally appeared in the book When Love Hurts: A Woman’s Guide to Understanding Abuse in Relationships, and Carmen Dodsworth Interior Health, Mental Health & Addictions was used in the When Love Hurts support groups. We are very Constance Eagle Ministry of Children and Family grateful to the authors, Jill Cory and Karen McAndless-Davis, for Development allowing us to adapt this material and for their contributions to Debby Hamilton Vernon Women’s Transition House the Making Connections curriculum. Society Heidy Kux Kardos South Peace Community Resource Society in seven communities in BC. Groups were co-facilitated by a Preface provider from the anti-violence sector and a provider from the mental health and addictions sector. The low-barrier integrated format that we present here, helps create a welcoming, supportive Development of the Making Connections curriculum has been a environment for women, and acknowledges and mitigates some multi-stage process involving many women in the province of of their potential barriers to access. While the weekly exercises British Columbia with experiences of abuse, substance use and/or are important, we acknowledge that creating a non-judgmental, mental health issues, and the service providers who support them. non-punitive and safe environment, as well as providing practical In 2006, the Woman Abuse Response Program (WARP) identified supports (transportation, child care subsidies, food), is what gives the need to further our knowledge about the intersecting issues of women the opportunity to connect and heal. abuse, substance use and/or mental health in the lives of girls and women in BC, in response to the large numbers of marginalized Making Connections provides a lens and an approach to discussing and vulnerable women with experiences of abuse who were women’s experiences of abuse, substance use and mental health “falling through the cracks.” WARP engaged in preliminary issues. In drawing from the voices, insights and needs of women consultations and educational forums with community and health around BC, the intention is to provide tools to elicit discussion care stakeholders from around the province, which lead to the and assist women to gain a new perspective on their experiences of Building Bridges: Linking Woman Abuse, Substance Use and Mental abuse, and how it has affected their safety and health. Ill Health initiative. Its purpose was to identify and raise awareness Findings from this initial pilot study show improved outcomes for of the needs of women with experiences of abuse, substance use women in various aspects of their lives. The input from the initial and/or mental health issues, and to share insights about the gaps iii twelve-week pilot participants helped shape the development of within current services; barriers to accessibility, and strategies this sixteen-week curriculum. We hope that this extended version and recommendations for improving policy, programming and better reflects the complexity of women’s experiences. practice. Building Bridges undertook a province-wide consultation in 2008–2010 with 460 service providers and 140 women, to Given that service providers across many sectors are already explore these issues in more depth. supporting women who have experienced the intersecting issues of violence, substance use and/or mental health, and that the A number of recommendations evolved from the consultation, benefits of support groups for women with experiences of abuse particularly regarding the need for more integrated and low-barrier are well known, we hope that this model of support is a relevant services. More opportunities for connection and peer support for and valuable addition to the work you are already doing. women affected by these intersecting issues were also identified as high priority. In 2011, WARP secured funding to develop, pilot and evaluate integrated low-barrier support groups for women with experiences of violence, substance use and/or mental health issues. A twelve-week curriculum was developed and piloted Contents ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Making Connections pilot project members ii iii PREFACE 1 PART 1—THE CONTEXT: WOMAN ABUSE, SUBSTANCE USE AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS I. INTRODUCTION 1 This is Important Work 2 Understanding Woman Abuse 3 Defining Woman Abuse 3 Language Matters 4 Intersecting Oppressions and the Compounding Impacts of Abuse 5 II. MAKING THE LINKS BETWEEN WOMAN ABUSE, SUBSTANCE USE AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS 6 Making the Links between Woman Abuse, Substance Use and/or Mental Health Concerns 6 Harms of Help 7 III. MAKING CONNECTIONS: PROVIDING INTEGRATED, WOMEN-CENTRED SUPPORT GROUPS FOR WOMEN WITH EXPERIENCES OF ABUSE 8 The Purpose and Benefits of Making Connections Support Groups 8 Benefits 9 IV. SIX GUIDING CONCEPTS 11 1. Violence- and Trauma- Informed Practice 11 2. Women-Centred, Gender-Informed Approach 13 3. Harm Reduction for Women with Experiences of Abuse 13 4. Intersectionality 14 5. Anti-Oppression 14 6. Safety 15 17 PART 2—FACILITATION: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FACILITATING MAKING CONNECTIONS SUPPORT GROUPS I. KEY GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR FACILITATORS 17 1. Focus on Women’s Safety and Well-Being 17 2. Believe Women 100% of the Time 17 3. Affirm Women’s Reality: “Taking Sides” 17 3. Affirm Women’s Strengths 18 4. Validate Women’s Conflicting Emotions Concerning Their Partners 18 5. Understand that Women Are the Experts on Their Own Lives and Relationships 18 6. Women Set Their Own Limits On Self-Disclosure 18 7. Abuse is Not the Defining Quality of a Woman’s Life 18 8. There is No Agenda to Have Women Leave Their Relationships 18 II.

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