Stopping the Violence Counseling Program
Life Under Construction will offer individual and group counselling for women and men who are currently experiencing domestic violence/intimate partner violence and abuse or who have experienced this in the past. A wide range of issues will be addressed including…
- Recognizing domestic partner/intimate partner violence and abuse
- Understanding the dynamics of domestic violence/intimate partner violence and abuse
- Exploring the psychological and emotional impact of domestic violence/intimate partner violence and abuse
- Developing a safety plan
- Strengthening self-esteem
- Strengthening and learning new coping strategies
- Developing assertiveness skills
Women’s Counseling Program participant
Life Under Construction will have a program available to victims of assault, threats or criminal harassment by an intimate partner or ex-partner. Clients will be given support as they proceed through the criminal justice system, given referrals to community agencies and provided with short-term counselling.
Our service provides the victim with:
- Court orientation and court accompaniment
- Victim impact statements
- Criminal injury compensation applications
- Liaison with criminal justice personnel
- Developing a safety plan
Information on the criminal justice system including:
- Court proceedings
- Victim notification
- Case status and court dates
- Protective orders
- Sentencing and post-sentencing matters
Individual support is also provided to assist women with the transition to independence: housing resources, applications for services, connecting with community resources.
Financial literacy Program
One of the main reasons victims of domestic violence are unable to leave an abusive partner, or must return to one, is because of their financial reliance on them, experts agree. Having financial knowledge gives victims the ability to remove themselves from a dangerous situation.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) reports that U.S. victims of domestic violence cumulatively lose a total of 8 million days of paid work each year with a cost exceeding $8.3 billion annually. Between 21-60 percent of victims lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse, according to the NCADV. The organization also notes that 85 percent of women who leave an abusive relationship return to their abusive partner because of their economic dependence on them. Furthermore, the degree of women’s economic dependence on an abuser is associated with the severity of the abuse they suffer, the NCADV says.
In this program we will teach 5 financial strategies victims can use to protect themselves before and after leaving an abusive relationship. They include:
- Securing financial records, including insurance policies
- Knowing where they stand financially
- Building a financial safety net
- Making necessary changes to insurance policies
- Rebuilding and maintaining good credit