Review of Existing Training
Our repository includes 70 items from over 40 different on-line training modules addressing GBV with some component addressing the needs of newcomers, refugees and/or other immigrant groups. Most of the training was developed by NGOs, with some training offered by academic or government bodies. We cast a wide net in collecting training examples: most of what we collected is directed at service providers, but we also found curriculum specifically designed for survivors.
These are the selected resources found in the Environmental Scan that may be useful to service providers, refugee sponsors and other community members.
HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR ANALYSIS:
● There is a great deal of training on GBV already available on-line
● Most of this training is free and comes in different formats: self-directed on-line courses, recorded webinars, live webinars, handbooks and toolkits. Research done by OCASI in 2018 found that settlement workers preferred in-person training the most, with webinars following second. Self-directed on-line courses were the least preferred format.
● There are many different ways of grouping available training. The content of the training can be organized by (a) the form of GBV e.g. domestic violence, human trafficking, reproductive violence; (b) who is being supported i.e. the needs of under-served populations e.g. training for GBV supports for different categories of immigrants like refugee or non-status; (c) who is providing the support i.e. the sector or context in which supports are being provided e.g. training for first responders, bystander intervention etc. and (d) different levels of support i.e. info and referral versus specialized training in safety planning or risk assessment. We’ve provided some case examples of training below.
Case Example: EVA BC handbook on sexual assault
This is a comprehensive 223-page handbook that is in its fifth edition (2016). It focuses on sexual assault and is primarily intended for anti-violence workers. The handbook uses an intersectional approach and centres the importance of trauma-informed and culturally-safe responses to sexual assault, as well as encouraging workers to reflect on their own personal values and privileges and how these might be shaping their interactions with survivors. The handbook also provides important information about common myths and barriers that survivors experience across multiple intersections, including immigration status.
Source: Ending Violence Association
Case Example: PCAWA resource for creating a safety plan
The Peel Committee Against Woman Abuse (PCAWA) published a booklet and training for survivors on creating a safety plan (2010). The booklet was put together by women who have survived abuse. While it is not focused specifically on newcomers or refugees, the booklet does include important information for women with different immigration statuses. The information is provided in a practical and accessible manner, and is available in multiple languages.
Source: PEEL COMMITTEE AGAINST WOMEN ABUSE
Case Example: OCASI series on GBV for front-line workers working with refugee and immigrant communities
OCASI offers a series of on-line training in English and French for front-line workers. Training on GBV support for refugee and immigrant communities is one of several core areas. Current offerings include self-directed and facilitated courses on a range of topics including:
○ Understanding and Responding to Domestic Violence in Immigrant and Refugee Communities
○ Understanding and Responding to Sexual Violence in Immigrant and Refugee Communities - Level 1 and Level 2*
○ Race, Gendered Violence, and the Rights of Women with Precarious Immigration Status
○ A Future without Gender-based Violence: Building Newcomers' Resilience through Community Education
Case Example: YMCA-Halifax Gender-Based Violence Prevention Guide
YMCA-Halifax has produced training resources for working with children and youth using a trauma-informed approach. This includes a theatre workshop and video with immigrant youth about their ideas about GBV prevention, and their lived experience around topics related to family pressures, bullying and Islamophobia.
Case example: Core competencies for training used in an OAITH report
We did find one evaluation report on GBV foundations training offered by the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Housing (OAITH). The evaluation was conducted by the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (CREVAWC). It identified core competencies for domestic violence training programs. These competencies map nicely onto our survey and we will be able to collect some baseline data that will help us to evaluate any additional training that we develop through this project.
Source: OAITH