TRAINING - ONE HOUR

TOPIC: Brain injury in intimate partner violence

TITLE: Connecting the Dots: Exploring the intersection of brain injury and intimate partner violence

FORMAT: One-hour presentation (in person or online)

PRESENTERS:

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.

*Dr. Paul van Donkelaar is co-founder and scientific advisor for SOAR (Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research). He is also a professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences and Associate Vice Principal, Research at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna, British Columbia. Over his 30+ year career, his research has focused on the basic mechanisms of sensorimotor control, and the cerebrovascular, neurocognitive, and sensorimotor aspects of brain dysfunction resulting from traumatic brain injuries in contact sport athletes and women who have experienced IPV-caused BI. Paul is a member of the Women’s Health Research Institute at B.C. Women’s Hospital, the Canadian Concussion Network, and the ENIGMA International Consortium Working Group on Brain Injury in Intimate Partner Violence.

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, behaviour, mental health, and emotional wellness.
  • Be equipped with foundational knowledge to recognize and respond to brain injury from intimate partner violence.
*Dr. van Donkelaar’s availability is subject to scheduling.

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