Susan Schechter Memorial Fund
Building Bridges: Domestic Violence and Child Welfare
IWF is pleased to announce the first grant award from the Susan Schechter Memorial Fund.
The Susan Schechter Memorial Fund, established in 2004 by IWF in partnership with her friends and family, honors her work to eliminate violence and improve the lives of women and children. The 2010 grant award of $5,000 is a result of donations and a strong commitment to the fund's purpose.
Aspects of Schechter’s domestic violence work are nationally known and include building bridges between the domestic violence and child welfare fields and exploring the intersection of domestic and child abuse. She is known and revered for advocating coordination of community resources to address these issues. Schechter’s contribution to educating others about domestic violence prevention includes publications which are widely used today, such as her co-authorship of Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice, or the “Greenbook”.
IWF requested grant proposals that reflected aspects of domestic violence work specific to Schechter’s research and leadership. Projects were required to be based in Iowa.
2010 Grant Award
Guided Conversations: A Toolkit for Advocacy with Battered Women and their Children
Waypoint Services for Women, Children and Families
Nurture the valuable relationship between mother and child by addressing and overcoming the negative perception of battered mothers with a statewide curriculum that will teach strategies for handling child resentment, empowering mothers and reversing learned battering behaviors.
Location/Service Area: Cedar Rapids/ Statewide
Amount: $5,000
Mid-Year Highlights: Guided Conversations has provided a much-needed place for victims of domestic violence to talk out difficult issues with their children. Participants have expressed relief in particular about knowing that the parents and children will receive counseling together, which gives them a chance to bond. The mothers also said that while other programs made them feel at fault for their abuse, in Guided Conversations, “mothers are held in high esteem, blame for the abuse is placed on the perpetrator, and ... exercises affirm that the mother is a capable and important authority figure in her children’s lives.” Although the program is currently offered for mothers of four-to-seventeen-year-olds, organizers are considering ways to include the mothers of toddlers as well.
Year-End Highlights: Guided Conversations is an empowerment based curriculum developed by Waypoint Services for Women, Children, and Families, that provides battered mothers the tools they need to lead change within their families. The goal is to “prevent the cycle of domestic violence by strengthening the bond between mothers and children”. This is accomplished through implementation of counseling, education, and support group sessions. Mother and child read pre-written scripts created by domestic violence specialists as a gateway to communicating with each other about their experiences involving domestic violence. The script works as a toolkit to promote the use of child-appropriate language related to sharing feelings, learning healthy choices, and discussing abuse. As a new participant, women are asked to have an initial counseling session with a Guided Conversations advocate to look over the curriculum and set program goals. Child and victim advocacy is also available to participants. The advocates check in with mothers on a regular basis, and hold a final counseling meeting with them individually to reflect and ask for any feedback about the curriculum.
There was an abundance of positive responses from the participants. Participants reported that the script and counseling sessions increased their proficiency and comfort in discussing abuse and healthy choices. In addition, the opportunity to connect with other battered mothers fostered community and support.
Guided Conversations is the first program in the state to systematically employ an empowerment model when addressing disconnects between mother and child. The program emphasizes the knowledge and authority of mothers. Waypoint held two training sessions in 2010 in partnership with the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Combined, Waypoint directed 50 advocates on how to work with battered mothers and their children in a way that empowers and supports families. Their curriculum has already been used in at least one other domestic violence agency in Iowa. Waypoint Services for Women, Children, and Families will continue facilitating the Guided Conversations program, and hopes to see it replicated and utilized by numerous domestic violence agencies statewide.
For more information about the Iowa Women's Foundation contact the IWF Office at 888.488.4293.