AVERT Training:
The disability advocate provides education to service providers and women with disabilities on the issue of domestic violence/abuse in the lives of women with disabilities. Some of the topics presented include the ADA, unique forms of abuse, barriers to independence, enhancing service provision and the prevalence of abuse among women with disabilities. Continuing education units are offered for service providers in conjunction with this training.
The award winning AVERT (Abuse & Violence Education & Recognition Training) project trains women with mild and moderate mental retardation to recognize and respond to abuse (including domestic violence and sexual assault). A nine-week curriculum, the Being Safe class, has been developed with one two-hour class per week. The curriculum includes a detailed teacher's guide, a participant workbook with unique graphics and a video designed for use with the class. Some of the topics covered in this class are types of abuse, personal boundaries and responding to abuse. This class was developed and is administered in collaboration with the Lorain County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Technical support provided by the Lorain County Rape Crisis Services of the Nord Center.
"Persons with injuries from intimate violence may not be aware of the signs of TBI [traumatic brain injury], putting them at risk for subsequent injury" (Car, Mary. Increasing Awareness about Possible Neurological Alterations in Brain Status Secondary to Intimate Violence. Brain Injury Association of America. 2002). Genesis House has developed an easy to use and effective tool to screen shelter clients for suspected head injuries. In addition the Disability Advocate, along with psychologists, provides workshops to service providers on the issue of brain injury and domestic violence. Some topics include how to identify clients with suspected head injuries, the effects (physical, cognitive and behavioral) of head injuries and how to provide enhanced services to victims with suspected or actual head injuries. Continuing education units are offered.