Just Between You and Me: A Peer Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI) Programme for Women in Family Violence Situations

“APPENDIX "C" - JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME
A Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI)
Manual for Training Peers of Abused Women (continued)”

Session III: Preparing to be a PLEI Peer

Session Objectives:

  1. Peers are able to identify at least one personal bias.
  2. Peers are able to identify at least five symptoms of trauma.
  3. Peers are able to describe the Medicine Wheel of abuse.
  4. Peers are able to identify at least 2 ethical obligations.
ACTIVITY PRESENTER/FACILITATOR
Welcome and thank you Connie
Getting connected Connie
Breaking a Bias exercise (dispelling myths)
- Words that hurt (racism, homophobia, etc)		 Connie & Gisele
Presentation – Impact of Trauma & Medicine Wheels Connie & Gayle
Break
Ethics, Duty to Report, Confidentiality, Listening and interviewing skills Gisele and Connie
Sharing – Community Resources Connie
Closing Connie

Resources:

  1. "Communicate Straight" – unknown
  2. "Getting Comfortable Saying No" – Taken from "The Right to Innocence" by B. Engel
  3. Defining Oppression - unknown
  4. Domination, Oppression, Privilege – unknown
  5. "Operating from a lesbian positive perspective: some do's and don'ts" – London Battered Women's Advocacy Centre
  6. Medicine Wheels
  7. "Victims' Response to Trauma and Implications for Interventions: a Selected Review and Synthesis of the Literature" by James K. Hill. Summary. Ottawa : Department of Justice. RR03-VIC-2e
  8. "Empowerment of Women" – unknown
  9. "Signs of Unhealthy Boundaries" – John Bradshaw

Session IV: Getting Out

Session Objectives:

  1. Peers are able to identify at least 3 reasons why women stay in abusive relationships.
  2. Peers are able to describe at least 2 types of income assistance available to women leaving abusive relationships.
  3. Peers are able to identify at least 3 community organizations they can contact for assistance in helping women leave abusive relationships.
ACTIVITY FACILITATOR/PRESENTER
Welcome and thank you Connie
Getting connected Connie
Breaking a Bias – "Welfare Bums" Gisele
Presentation – Maintaining an income after you leave Beth Walden, Algoma Community Legal Clinic (or Gayle)
Break
Problem-solving exercise – "Finding support" Gisele and Connie
Sharing/Caring – Staying safe Connie and Gisele
Closing Connie

Resources:

  1. "Need welfare? How to apply for Ontario Works benefits" – CLEO
  2. "Applying for benefits by phone" – CLEO
  3. "Community Start-up Benefit" – CLEO
  4. "Criminal Injuries Compensation Board – Have you been a victim of a crime of violence?" – Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario
  5. "Housing Programe" – John Howard Society
  6. "Instructions" (for making a safety plan) – from Getting Out: An Escape manual for Abused Women, Kathy L. Cavanagh. 1996, Huntington House Publisher
  7. "How to get the most effective police response" – unknown
  8. "Things to Have in Your Vehicle" – OPP
  9. "Security Recommendations – Residential, Personal, Vehicle, Office" – unknown
  10. "Safety Plans" – unknown
  11. List of shelters in Algoma District
  12. List of police services in Algoma District
  13. List of medical services in Algoma District
  14. Other services and resources

Session V: Understanding the Legal System

Session Objectives:

  1. Peers are able to use the glossary of legal terms provided.
  2. Peers are able to identify at least 3 different ways of obtaining legal advice.
  3. Peers are able to distinguish between "advocating" and disempowering women.
ACTIVITY PRESENTER/FACILITATOR
Welcome and thank you Connie
Getting Connected Connie
Breaking a Bias – legal terms Gisele
Presentation – Accessing Legal Information and Advice, and being an Advocate Gisele and Beth Walden, Algoma Community Legal Clinic
Break
Role plays – Advocating and Using community resources Gisele and Connie
Sharing/Caring – Connie and Gisele
Closing Connie

Resources:

  1. "An advocate does not" - unknown
  2. "Do you know a woman who is being abused – A legal rights handbook" CLEO
  3. "Four characteristics of Advocacy" – unknown
  4. "Say Something" – White Ribbon Campaign
  5. "What Can you do?" – unknown
  6. "Finding a Lawyer – How to find, pay and work with a lawyer right for you" METRAC & OWJN
  7. "Looking for a Lawyer" – Lawyer Referral Service
  8. "Can I get a Legal Aid Certificate?" – Legal Aid Ontario
  9. "Financial Eligibility" – Legal Aid Ontario
  10. "Notice to legal aid applicants, Information Sheet and Legal Aid Ontario application for two hours of free advice" – Legal Aid Ontario

Session VI: Overview of Family Law Issues

Session Objectives:

  1. Peers can identify at least 3 ways that abused women can obtain family law advice.
  2. Peers have a beginning level of knowledge of the process of obtaining interim custody.
  3. Peers have a beginning level of knowledge of separation and support issues.
  4. Peers can name at least 2 community agencies that would be helpful in resolving custody, access and support issues.
ACTIVITY PRESENTER/FACILITATOR
Welcome and thank you Connie
Getting connected Connie
Breaking a Bias – Justice and the Law Gisele
Presentation – Families, Abuse and the Law Gisele/Family Law Lawyer
Break
Partnering to complete legal forms Gisele and Connie
Sharing/Caring – Children and the law Gisele
Closing Connie

Resources:

  1. "Courtroom terms" – unknown
  2. "Family Law Glossary" – METRAC & OWJN
  3. "Do you have a complaint about a lawyer" – Law Society of Upper Canada
  4. "Family Law Information Centres" – Ministry of Attorney General Ontario and Department of Justice Canada
  5. "Child Custody & Access" – METRAC & OWJN
  6. "Child Protection" – METRAC & OWJN
  7. "Child Support" – METRAC & OWJN
  8. "Spousal and Child support" – CLEO
  9. "Custody and Access Disputes Involving Domestic Violence" – Ruth Busch, and "Special Issues in Visitation Disputes with Allegations of Domestic Violence" by Peter G. Jaffe.
  10. "Restraining Orders" – unknown
  11. Superior Court of Justice Financial Statement forms
  12. "Supervised Access Centre" – Algoma Family Services

Session VII: Overview of Criminal Court Issues

Session Objectives:

  1. Peers are able to name at least 3 criminal charges that may be laid against an abuser.
  2. Peers develop a beginning level of understanding of the criminal court process.
  3. Peers are able to identify at least 5 roles in the criminal court process.
  4. Peers are able to identify at least 3 organizations that may be of assistance to abused women experiencing the criminal court process.
  5. Peers have a beginning knowledge of the content of a victim witness impact statement.
ACTIVITY PRESENTER/FACILITATOR
Welcome and thank you Connie
Getting connected Connie
Breaking a bias – Sexual assault Gisele
Presentation – Video "No More Silence: No 4 ‘Is there Justice’" Gisele
Break
Interactive learning – Preparing victim impact statements Gisele and Connie
Sharing/Caring – Children in Conflict with the law Connie and Gisele
Closing Connie

Resources:

  1. "A Crime Victim's Guide to the Criminal Justice System" – Policy Centre for Victim Issues: Department of Justice Canada
  2. "Criminal Law Glossary" – METRAC & OWJN
  3. "Definitions of terminology commonly used by the Police" – unknown
  4. "Victim/witness information" – Victim/witness programme, Sault Ste. Marie
  5. Victim Impact Statements – Criminal Code amendments
  6. Criminal Harassment (Anti-Stalking Law) – Criminal Code of Canada
  7. "No More Silence" video series – Shaunagh Gravelines and Harmony Bay Productions
  8. "Sexual Assault" (2) – METRAC & OWJN
  9. "Intervention Orders" – METRAC & OWJN
  10. "Restraining Orders, Peace Bonds & Terms of Release" – METRAC & OWJN
  11. Peace Bond application forms
  12. "Stalking" – METRAC & OWJN
  13. "Sexual Assault Criminal Trial" – unknown
  14. "Trial Procedures" – unknown
  15. "Women and the Criminal Justice System" – Trainor, Normand and Verdon, Statistics Canada
  16. "Intervention Orders" – Intervention Orders and the Domestic Violence Protection Act, Speakers' Notes
  17. "Sexual Assault The Accused" – unknown
  18. "Sexual Assault Criminal Trial" – unknown
  19. "My Child is in Trouble with the Law" – CLEO

Session VIII: Self-Care and Support Networks

Session Objectives:

  1. Peers are able to identify at least 3 things they need to do on a weekly basis to ensure that they care for themselves.
  2. Peers establish a schedule for support network meetings for a period of at least 6 months.
ACTIVITY PRESENTER/FACILITATOR
Welcome and thank you Connie
Connecting Connie
Breaking the Myths – "Wonder woman" Gisele
Presentation – Empowering women vs burning out Gisele and Connie
Break
Interactive learning – ways to support ourselves Gisele and Connie
Sharing/Caring – Keeping the network going Connie and Gisele
Closing Connie, Gisele and Gayle

Resources:

  1. "My Declaration of Self-Esteem" – unknown
  2. "How to be a Fabulous Feminist" – unknown
  3. "Nurturing things we do for ourselves" – unknown
  4. "Listen" – unknown
  5. "Imagine a Woman" – Patricia Lynn Reilly from "Imagine a Woman In Love with Herself"