On-Site Training

Children who witness violence in their homes are seeing, hearing and experiencing domestic violence in a variety of ways that impact the way they understand themselves, their families and the environment around them. Children exposed to domestic violence in Georgia are in need of clinical support, services and care from clinical therapists that can help navigate the complicated experience of witnessing domestic violence as a child.

The “Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Best Practices for Clinical Therapists” training addresses the variety of experiences, needs and best practices that can help child witnesses of domestic violence feel safer, more empowered and less burdened by feelings of shame, blame and guilt. In this one-day training, therapists will be provided with trauma-informed and child-centered information, tools, knowledge and strategies to use in direct practice with children, youth and their non-abusive parents, including:

• Discussing the multiple ways children are exposed to domestic violence

• Building a trusting relationship with the non-abusive parent

• Gaining tools to develop a child-centered safety plan

• Understanding the impact of the abusive parent’s behavior on the child and family

• Exploring evidence-based clinical interventions for best practice

This training has been approved for free CEUs from LPCA. 5 core hours for LPCs, 5 related hours for LCSWs.

Leaving an abusive relationship is often the most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence, and often victims will go to multiple people in their support network for help before ever seeking out assistance from a trained domestic violence advocate. While safety planning with a trained advocate is an essential part of the advocacy process and referrals to an advocate should always be made whenever possible, anyone who is offering support to a victim can learn the basics of safety planning skills. The more we all know about good safety planning, the better we can all help to increase safety for victims. This workshop will provide a basic overview for people who are not training domestic violence advocates on how to safety plan with victims who are either in an abusive situation or who are thinking about or in the process of leaving.

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Outline the Do’s and Don’ts of talking with victims about their domestic violence situation

• Describe the warning signs and danger indicators in abusive relationships

• Identify basic safety steps and practices with victims who are in an abusive situation or who are in the process of leaving

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

This three day training is designed to provide new advocates and domestic violence program staff the basic principles of working with victims of domestic violence.  A variety of topics are addressed including:

• Dynamics of domestic violence
• Barriers faced by victims
• Cultural competency
• Lethality indicators
• Safety planning
• Crisis intervention and crisis line work
• Advocacy foundations such as empowerment, ethics and confidentiality

This interactive training is provided by GCADV staff utilizing lecture, small group activities, role-plays, audiovisuals, and exciting discussion. The training is an excellent opportunity for new advocates to gain a thorough understanding of domestic violence advocacy or for experienced advocates looking for a “refresher” on core knowledge and skills.  

Registration Fee:

• GCADV Member Organizations--Free
• Non-Members--$100 per person

Registration Coming Soon!

This 2 day training, created specifically for executive directors and staff in supervisory positions, will provide an overview of the Ingredients for Effective Supervisory Practice. Together, these approaches are trauma-informed and can be implemented by supervisors with their supervisees working in domestic violence programs.  Attendees will gain understanding of the three functions of supervision (education, support and administration) and strategies for accountability, transparency and staff growth and development. The training will highlight the benefits of incorporating these ingredients into our work to counter burn-out, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma.

This call is limited to advocates working in state-certified or community based domestic violence shelter programs. Please contact Michelle Goodloe at mgoodloe@gcadv.org for additional information. 

Please join us for the Child Advocate Call-In Show! This quarterly interactive webinar and teleconference serves as a time for child advocates to talk and share what's going on in your programs. The intended audience is child advocates from Georgia’s domestic violence programs.

This is designed to be a facilitated conversation between attendees, which that means we want to hear from you! You will connect to the audio portion of this call through your telephone and to the video/chat portion through your computer. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing instructions for joining the webinar/call.