Event Details

This multi-session training series focuses on strengthening support for survivors’ mental health and well-being within domestic violence programs and shelters. Advocates bring deep compassion, skill, and insight to their work with survivors; this series builds on those strengths to enhance confidence and capacity in responding to mental health needs.

Many advocates are navigating increasing mental health concerns among survivors while also balancing the emotional demands of this work. This series offers a space to deepen understanding, strengthen practical skills, and promote both survivor and advocate well-being through empathy, reflection, and connection.

Together, we will explore the intersections of domestic violence and mental health, and the impacts on everyone involved. Advocates will gain tools for having safe conversations about mental health, fostering emotional safety, expanding support networks, responding effectively in stressful situations, and connecting survivors with mental health resources (if/when available and desired by a survivor). The series also introduces simple mind-body-spirit techniques for grounding and sustaining well-being. Through interactive scenarios and discussions, advocates will enhance their ability to respond with compassion, communicate effectively, and support the survivor in front of them while caring for themselves and one another along the way.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this training series, advocates will be able to:

●      Recognize the impacts of domestic violence on mental health and well-being for both survivors and advocates.

●      Strengthen self-awareness, reflection, and emotional safety as foundations for trauma-informed support.

●      Apply practical tools for safe, empathetic conversations about mental health and for connecting survivors to supportive resources.

Session 4: Supporting Survivors with Stigmatized Mental Health Concerns (2 hours)

●      This webinar equips advocates and organizations with strategies to provide survivor-centered support for diverse mental health experiences, including alternative perceptions, suicidality, and self-injury. Participants will learn how to challenge stigmatizing narratives, validate diverse experiences, and build meaningful relationships that promote safety and empowerment. Practical guidance will be offered for supporting advocates and teams in navigating complex situations.

●      Key Resources and Tools:

○       Integrating use of previously discussed tools:

■      Guide for Emotional Support

■      Mind-Body-Spirit Practices (Wildflower Path Toolkit, if published)

■      Responding to crisis (Circles of Support Guide, if published)

■      And others

Date & Time

Event Date(s): 06/23/2026 - 06/23/2026

Event Time(s): 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Credits: 2 Hours

Contact Person

Jennifer Lyon - Director of Training and Capacity Building jlyon@gcadv.org

Location

VIRTUAL VIA Zoom

Speaker Information

Amanda Lyon, LCSW (she/they) is the Training and Technical Assistance Manager at the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health. With a deep commitment to empowering survivors and their families, Amanda develops comprehensive training and technical resources tailored for behavioral health providers, domestic violence and sexual assault programs, hotlines, and coalitions. Their work aims to increase resource accessibility and effectiveness, ensuring survivors receive the support they need on their journey toward healing and empowerment. Amanda has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. This commitment was strengthened through their prior role as a Rural Grant Specialist at the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, where they supported the development of integrated services for Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence and sexual assaults. Amanda’s holistic approach to healing extends to her 17 years of expertise as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist and Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist, integrating trauma-informed principles, mindfulness, and compassion-based practices. In this role, they have served as the Ayurvedic Director for programs in California, Wisconsin, and Alaska, where they developed curriculum, trained practitioners, and supervised interns.