Conference 2022 Breakout Sessions
Regrouping & Recharging: Gathering to Create Sustainable Change
Breakout Sessions
A Journey into Meditation and Creativity- Bernadette Wagner
Science shows that the practices of meditation and mindfulness are calming, improve focus, and
tap into the subconscious. Its practitioners are better prepared to meet the inherent challenges of
rich and full lives. In this participatory session we will create space for meditation and creativity
exercises from different perspectives.
A Room of One’s Own: How Mental Health Fits into Sustainability- Fakhra Shahid
This workshop will provide documented testimonials of women who have created their rooms, and workplaces that have created that room for their female employees, as well as perspectives from women who have been unable to access this space and the challenges they have experienced.
How Perpetrators Manipulate Systems- David Mandel & Heidi Rankin, Safe and Together
Institute
While awareness of trauma and its impact continues to increase, it often is decontextualized from the dynamics of coercive control. Mental health and addiction professionals are often ill-prepared
by their education and training to integrate coercive control into their assessments. Organizations that are striving to trauma-informed are not always committing to be domestic violence-informed. Domestic violence survivors are often harmed by these gaps.
Intimate Partner Violence in Saskatchewan’s 2SLGBTQ+ Communities- Shaylyn White, RESOLVE Saskatchewan
The rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the prairie provinces are amongst the highest in Canada. However, to date, most IPV research has focused on the experiences of women in heterosexual relationships. Existing research does not provide a clear picture of the context, severity, and consequences of IPV against 2SLGBTQ persons, making it difficult to develop appropriate services to meet the needs of this population. The study “Examining the Nature and Context of IPV in the 2SLGBTQ+ Community” sought to address this gap through examining the experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals throughout the prairie provinces who have experienced IPV with the goal of developing recommendations for improving services. This talk will share the findings and recommendations from Saskatchewan in particular.
Making Safe Spaces for All Family Members: Pet Friendly Sheltering- Stephanie Taylor & Kaitlin Funke, Regina Transition House
Regina Transition House will present on challenges and success and the model they are using for offering Pet Friendly Emergency Shelter Spaces in the Regina region.
Our Journey- Fakhra Shahid
In this interactive workshop, participants will work together to create a community vision board.
Responding to Women Who Experience IPV in Rural Municipalities in Saskatchewan- Karen Wood, RESOLVE Saskatchewan & Crystal Giesbrecht, PATHS
This session will share the Saskatchewan findings from a tri-provincial study conducted by the RESOLVE Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, with community partners from community-based organizations across the three prairie provinces, including PATHS. The purpose of the study was to explore rural women’s experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) and help-seeking across the Prairie Provinces. We will discuss the unique context of IPV on the prairies and in Saskatchewan specifically, share challenges faced by rural survivors in Saskatchewan, and discuss the availability and accessibility of services. We will also share recommendations for to improve services for rural women.
Safeguarding of Migrant and Ethnically Diverse Victims and Survivors- Naz Ghodrati
The session’s overarching outcome is to increase the knowledge and confidence of domestic abuse practitioners and service providers in engaging and safeguarding migrant and ethnically diverse victims /survivors of domestic abuse more effectively and reduce disparity of outcome for safety and recovery from abuse.
The Crisis of Animal Care in Times of Need: An Overview of Animal Safekeeping in Saskatchewan- Laura Zmud, Saskatchewan SPCA & Sandra Archibald, New Hope Dog Rescue
This session will provide information regarding animal safekeeping for survivors of IPV who have animals. An overview of the current state of safekeeping in Saskatchewan and why its important for survivors and service providers to be aware of will be presented, along with a look into a current safekeeping program.
The Divorce Act Amendments in Practice: Creating Meaningful Change?- Curtis Clavelle & Tiffany Paulsen, Robertson Stromberg LLP
This session will focus on the amendments to the Divorce Act which have placed an emphasis on family violence in making parenting orders. The focus would be on the effectiveness of these amendments and whether they have created real change.
The Next Wave: Reshaping Family Service Saskatoon’s Intimate Partner Violence Outreach Program- Jody Hanson & Cara Fox, Family Service Saskatoon
The pandemic, as well as evolving community needs, have made Family Service Saskatoon’s IPVO program adapt and grow. We are constantly figuring out what gaps in and barriers there may be in services for our clients and how we can address them. We have started offering new programming, such as a book club, gender-diverse groups, and joint-program groups. In this presentation, we would like to share some of the new things we have been offering in our program and hear feedback from you, who work in this field alongside us.
The Value and Importance of Natural Supports- Tracy Knutson, STOPS to Violence
Who has the greatest influence in our day to day lives? Who do we reach for when we need help? This session will: explore the concept of ‘natural supports’ and the large scale potential in violence prevention, and share the work of the STOPS network to address gender-based violence through strengthening natural supports.
Three Videos Project: Promoting Indigenous Approaches to Violence Prevention- Jonathan Ballantyne & Bernadette Hillier, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Health Services
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) partnered with PATHS and RESOLVE Saskatchewan to create three video resources to be used in men’s violence prevention groups. These videos feature survivors, Elders, and community members and provide an opportunity to share traditional knowledge about healthy families and discuss the role of men as protectors within Indigenous communities as they reflect on colonialist legacies around gender and intergenerational trauma and celebrate traditional practices of community safety and healing.
Trauma-informed is not Domestic Violence-informed– David Mandel & Heidi Rankin, Safe and Together Institute
While awareness of trauma and its impact continues to increase, it often is decontextualized from the dynamics of coercive control.