What Do Professionals Need to Know?
Social Services
Domestic Violence Training for Homeless Shelter Staff
Introduction
Domestic violence is a major cause of homelessness, particularly for families with children.1 Recent national research shows that 20% of women residing in homeless shelters had current or prior experience with domestic violence. “Shelters provide immediate safety to battered women and their children and help women gain control over their lives. The provision of safe emergency shelter is thus a necessary first step in meeting the needs of women fleeing domestic violence.” 3 Staff training is an important part of enhancing the homeless shelters' response to families affected by domestic violence.
New Curriculum
The NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV), under contract with the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, has been conducting training for homeless shelter staff since 2001. The new curriculum offers participants the opportunity to interact in the classroom through experiential learning. They do so by participating in an exercise that allows them to "walk in the shoes" of a domestic violence survivor who is navigating the system to find support and safety for her children and herself. The development of the curriculum was informed in part by the following:
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An OPDV facilitated focus group about homeless shelter staff’s knowledge and responsibilities regarding victims of domestic violence. The group was convened in New York City and included 16 administrative, supervisory and line staff representing 12 family and single shelters.
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A review of 173 homeless staff training evaluations, pre/post test results and follow-up training evaluations from 2004 to 2005.
- Interviews of key personnel involved in the delivery of services to the homeless families and individuals, including OTDA policy staff and OTDA shelter inspectors.
Training Description
- Domestic Violence
Training for Homeless Shelter Staff
Brief description of the training: topics, benefits, who should attend, comments from participants, contact information, training announcement and registration forms.
Contact Information: opdvldss@opdv.state.ny.us
Comments from Participants
“This DV training was the most interactive, informative and interesting way of demonstrating the impact of DV on our society and within the family unit”.
“I have attended several training in the past years, but I must say this was the best and most interesting training I ever attended”.
Amy Barasch, OPDV’s new Executive Director participated in one of the
new Homeless Shelter trainings in New York City. Ms. Barasch reported that
the "In Her Shoes" exercise was one of the best methods of engaging
people to understand the challenges faced by victims as they attempt to obtain
vital services that she had ever experienced.
Ms Barasch was formerly the Executive Director of the Family Justice Center
(FJC) in Brooklyn, NY. To find out more about the FJC, visit their Web site
at http://www.nyc.gov/domesticviolence.
Training announcement (Text
version)
Registration form
(Text
version) (PDF version)
Project News
OPDV Training Staff goes to Washington D.C.
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- Family Violence Prevention Fund. The Facts on Housing and Domestic Violence. Document accessed July 6, 2007.
- Joan Zorza, “Woman Battering: A Major Cause of Homelessness,” Special Issue 1991
- National Coalition for the Homeless. Domestic Violence and Homelessness NCH Fact Sheet #7. June 2006
- National Alliance to End Homelessness
