Getting Ahead: Prioritizing national training on brain injury from intimate partner violence
Do you work in the gender-based violence sector? Do you love learning new ways to support survivors of intimate partner violence? Are you a comfortable public speaker who enjoys sharing what you learn with others?
Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR), in partnership with Diverse Voices, and thanks to generous funding from the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, is pleased to offer a free, intensive training workshop on recognizing and responding to intimate partner violence-caused brain injury (IPV-BI)
As many as 92% of survivors may be living with ongoing challenges caused by BI through concussion or strangulation, so making sure frontline workers are educated and equipped is critical. This workshop, part of a program called Getting Ahead: Prioritizing national training on brain injury from intimate partner violence is designed to develop, deliver, and evaluate training to create consistent knowledge and awareness of the hidden public health crisis of IPV-BI to shelter and other family violence workers across Canada. Not only will you leave better prepared to support your clients, thanks to the workshop’s integrated, train-the- trainer elements, you’ll also be ready to share what you learned with others in your workplace and region.
When: November 6, 2024 from 10:30 am to 4 pm
Where: Edmonton Public Library, Stanley A. Milner (Downtown) branch - Basement Community Room
Learning Objectives:
At completion of this training, participants will:
- Have a foundational understanding of intimate partner violence and abuse.
- Be able to explain the prevalence of brain injury in women survivors of intimate partner violence, including how it happens, and common signs and symptoms.
- Understand how commonly strangulation occurs in intimate partner violence and be able to recognize specific signs and symptoms.
- Know how brain injury from intimate partner violence affects neurocognitive function, mental health and emotional wellness, and how to support survivors.
- Have a basic understanding of how to take a brain injury and trauma- informed approach to interactions with women survivors of brain injury in intimate partner violence.
- Be comfortable having a conversation/conducting an assessment regarding possible brain injury using the adapted H.E.L.P.S. tool.
- Be familiar with supports for survivors, and be prepared to make referrals as needed.
- Be prepared to share information and training with others on recognizing and responding to IPV-BI.
- Have access to supplementary resources and materials on IPV-BI they can share with others.
- Be capable of leading group learning activities and discussions on IPV-BI.
- Know how to help others link training and resources on IPV-BI to their jobs.
- Understand the importance of effective communication, including maintaining eye contact, listening effectively, conveying confidence, and speaking in a clear and concise manner
Workshop Outline:
- Introduction to intimate partner violence.
- Introduction to SOAR (Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research).
- Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Women’s Support Workers course:
- Overview of traumatic brain injury and the effects of concussion as experienced by survivors of intimate partner violence.
- Warning signs of immediate life-threatening symptoms known as “Red Flags”, and typical concussion signs and symptoms experienced by survivors of intimate partner violence.
- Information on screening for brain injury, including why screening can be important for survivors of intimate partner violence, and an introduction to an adapted version of the HELPS Screening Tool.
- How to accommodate the unique needs of a survivor of intimate partner violence who has a concussion, and strategies to help manage symptoms.
- Educating those who are at risk of a concussion as a result of intimate partner violence.
- Common myths and facts about concussion.
- Strangulation in intimate partner violence.
- Introduction to trauma-informed practice.
- The importance of language.
- Case study scenarios and small group work.
- Tips and tools for sharing the training with others
- Discussion/Q&A
- Feedback survey
Presenter:
Karen Mason is co-founder and director of community practice for SOAR (Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research), and former executive director of Third Space Charity and Kelowna Women’s Shelter in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. A seasoned and passionate non-profit leader, communicator, and community collaborator, Karen brings 30+ years of career experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors to her work advocating for survivors of intimate partner violence, conducting knowledge translation and mobilization activities, and supporting research, development, and dissemination of promising practices. Mason has training in advanced strangulation prevention, and is a member of the Pink Concussions Partner-Inflicted Brain Injury Task Force, the Women’s Health Research Cluster at University of British Columbia, and the ENIGMA International Consortium Working Group on Brain Injury in Intimate Partner Violence.
