Peer Support Services For
Abused Women
OFFERING PEER BASED SUPPORT
TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AT
RISK OF OR HAVE BEEN ABUSED,
(AND THEIR CHILDREN)
Our Mission
Creating individual and systemic change
to promote respectful, healthy and
peaceful relationships
Our Vision
RESPECTFUL, HEALTHY AND
PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Our Programs
Growth Circles
Growth Circle programs are offered to women
who have left abusive relationships. In Growth
Circles participants share their experiences and
learn from other women who have been there too.
Growth Circles are facilitated by trained volunteers
who may be survivors of family violence
themselves. Growth Circle program is 12 week,
2.5 hours per week. Session topics include;
dynamics of violence, anger, parenting and self
esteem.
Our Programs
Moving on With Mentors
The Moving on with Mentors Program offers
individual peer support to women anywhere on the
domestic violence continuum. The MOWM
program is designed to assist women in meeting
their personal goals, achieving self efficacy,
accessing communities resources. There is a drop
in group component of the program, that included
both sharing of experiences and psychosocial
learning. The Peer Support Mentor is a woman
who herself, may have, experienced family
violence and can act as a ‘mentor’ in facilitating
growth and change for clients.
Our Programs
Finding Our Voices
Finding our Voices is a self esteem group.
The group is available to any women
whether she has experienced abuse or not.
The group runs for 6 weeks, 2.5 hours a
week. Topics include: communication,
body image, assertiveness. The workshop
is designed for any woman grappling with
self esteem issues.
Our Programs
Same Sex Domestic Violence
This program is to address the often marginalized issue
of same sex intimate partner domestic violence. In
partnership with Safety Under the Rainbow, a
collaborative initiative to address this issue PSSAW offers
workshops to service providers on this issue, participates
in awareness campaigns targeted to both the GLBT
community and service providers and conducts research
on this issue. This program is delivered province wide.
INSPIRING TEENS
Scope of the Issue
 Most present day issues of violence for teens come in the form
of verbal abuse, bullying, dating violence and disorderly behavior
(Bear, 1998, Gabor 1995)
 Canadian-based education research suggests that we have high
rates of aggression among school aged children.
 Young men are under served in the area of sexual health and
relationship wellness and that they have been systemically
marginalized and require more services than are being offered to
them (Calgary Sexual Health and Wellness 2008)
INSPIRING TEENS
Scope of Issue
Domestic Violence Statistics for Mountain View
County from Survey in 2008
71% of respondents said they know someone who
had or was experiencing domestic violence
87% of respondents said they see a need in the
community for domestic violence services
70% of respondents said that if the services existed
they would use them for themselves or someone they
know.
INSPIRING TEENS
Scope of Issue
Teens are faced with new types of sexual
harassment and domestic violence (sexting,
cyber bullying/violence etc..)
Teens lack basic understanding of the issues
Teens struggle to understanding how to
address conflict as a bystander
Teens struggle with definitions of violence
INSPIRING TEENS
Media – Advertisement Analysis
What is the target group of the ad and the
product being sold?
What is the primary message of the ad?
What is the secondary message of the ad?
INSPIRING TEENS
Being an Engaged Bystander
Scenario
Who should say or do something?
What can be done?
(keep in mind your own safety in each situation)
INSPIRING TEENS
Program Objectives
Teens understand the definition and
dynamics of violence
Teens understand how to be an effective
bystander to stop violence
Teens understand how to deal effectively
with conflict
Teens have the tools to live violence free
lives
INSPIRING TEENS
Session
Topic
1
Understanding Violence
2
3
4
Objective
To provide participants with an
understanding of domestic
violence/bullying and harassment and
of common terms associated with
violence
Understanding Relationships To provide participants with an
understanding of their definition and
expectations of relationships and to
understand the attitudes that support
dysfunctional relationships
Gender Stereotypes
Participants are able to identify
influences, values and stereotypes and
how these factors affect relationships
Media Influences
Participants are able to identify the
influence of media on relationship
definitions.
Time
45-60 min
45-60
min
45-60
min
45-60
Min
INSPIRING TEENS
Sessio
n
Topic
Activities
Time
5 and 6
Engaging Bystanders To provide teens with an
in Violence
understanding of how to be a
Prevention
‘successful’ bystander and how to
address cyber bullying.
Problem Solving
Participants are able to indentify
problem solving strategies and have
tools to implement them
Violence in
To provide participants with an
Relationships
understanding of violence in
relationships
Sexual Harassment
To provide participants with an
and Date Rape
understanding of what sexual
harassment and sexting are, what
date rape is and how to prevent it.
90-120
Min
7
8
9 and 10
45-60 min
45- 60 min
90-120 min
INSPIRING TEENS –
How it works….
Programs are delivered in partnership with
the Chinooks Edge School Division.
Classes are part of the regular Career and
Life Management curriculum – required by
all high school students to graduate
Teachers grade and test students on the
students based on the material provided
(it is part of their overall CALM grade)
INSPIRING TEENSHow it works….
Students self identify or refer individuals to
Peer Support Services for Abused Women
if experiencing domestic or sexual
violence.
Support of students is provided jointly by
the Inspiring Teens facilitator and the
Wellness Worker within the school
INSPIRING TEENS
Outcomes and Impact
228 Students served in the 2009 – 2010
school year
Delivered in 5 schools in Mountain View
County and Bowden
8-10 classes per CALM class
INSPIRING TEENS
Outcomes and Impact
80% of teen participants understand the
definition and dynamics of violence
86% of teen participants understand how
to be an effective bystander to stop
violence
82% of teen participants understand how
to deal effectively with conflict
87% of teen participants have the tools to
live violence free lives
INSPIRING TEENS
Outcomes and Impact
Pre – Post survey based on the likert scale
Survey measures attitudes, behavior and
beliefs
INSPIRING TEENS
Questions and Contact information
Trina Lonsberry – Program Coordinator,
Mountain View County
403 556 8909 or trina.lonsberry@pssaw.org
Andrea Silverstone – Executive Director
403 234 7337 or
andrea.silverstone@pssaw.org