The Hope Haven women’ s shelter’ s Family Violence Program started its long running domestic violence education program earlier this month to give information about domestic violence to those whose lives have by impacted by it.
The Hope Haven women’ s shelter’ s Family Violence Program started its long running domestic violence education program earlier this month to give information about domestic violence to those whose lives have by impacted by it.
The program, called New Perspectives, is a program separated by men and women that informs the class about the dynamics of how it works, the ways it affects adults and children and how people can break the cycle. Topics in the program range from dealing with anger and communication to distinguishing between health and unhealthy relationships to dealing with grief and loss.
“It’ s specifically a social education program to people perspective that they may not have heard anywhere in their life,” said Anita Polturak, who leads Hope Haven’ s Family Violence Program on an interim basis.
New Perspectives started as a men’ s program in 2005 and added a women’ s class in 2011. The topics in the program are the same for the men and women and lasts for 12 weeks. Participants can come into the program at any time and a new program starts each month.
“We do have individual sessions if someone has to miss a week,” said Polturak. “But the best course comes through group sessions.”
Graduates of the New Perspectives program can go on to the Pathways to Change program, which started last year. That program is a more individualized one that also goes deeper into a person’ s psyche and focuses on personal goals.
Family Violence Program facilitator Chantal Sparklingeyes as well as Polturak made a presentation at the Family and Community Support Services’ Integral presentation last Thursday in an attempt to gain attention and support for the New Perspectives and Pathways to Change programs.
“The program focuses on personal growth and personal understanding,” said Polturak during the roundtable discussion.
The two women said that part of that understanding is helping participants see that domestic violence comes in many forms.
“It’ s not necessarily that someone has a black eye,” said Sparklingeyes. “There are physical, psychological, financial, sexual, threatening family members, pets, children and threatening suicide.”
The program has been used in the past as part of mandated probation activities for people who have been convicted on domestic violence charges. One of the signs they say the program has helped people.
“It’ s absolutely mandated at first, but people have come back voluntarily because of the information,” said Polturak. “They’ re looking for more.”
As for what women advise people to do who have been affected by the issue, their advice was straightforward.
“Get help,” said Polturak. “You’ re not alone.”
“Speak up,” said Sparklingeyes.
There are currently 19 men as well as 17 women in the New Perspectives programs. The men’ s program is hosted in the provincial building and the women’ s program in Hope Haven women’ s shelter.
There are two women in the Pathways to Change program also hosted at Hope Haven. As no men have yet graduated to that program, a location for the men’ s program is yet to be determined. Childcare is available.
