Course List

An Introduction to Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is an issue that many of us have encountered either personally or through a friend or family member, but few people fully understand why and how domestic violence happens.  For those of us who work with survivors of domestic violence, the question we hear most often is “why would anyone stay in an abusive relationship?” Many myths and misperceptions surround this issue, and as long as we are focused on the wrong questions, we will never be able to find the right answers to end domestic violence. This e-learning module seeks to shed light on the root cause of domestic violence and to invite people to join the movement to create a world in which everyone is safe in their intimate relationships.

Introduction to Legal Advocacy Part I: Legal Advocacy, Georgia Laws & Systemic Barriers

This two-part module is intended for domestic violence advocates whose primary roles are legal advocacy. Legal advocates emerged to address barriers within legal systems, to help domestic violence survivors navigate legal processes more successfully and to empower survivors through information.  Part one of the Legal Advocacy 101 module focuses on the purpose and roles of legal advocates, Georgia family violence and stalking laws, interventions and barriers to receiving help within the legal system, as well as restrictions related to advocate privilege, confidentiality and unauthorized practice of law. Part one should take approximately one hour to complete.

Introduction to Legal Advocacy Part II: Temporary Protection Orders, Intersecting Systems, Immigrant Considerations & Relationship-building

This two-part module is intended for domestic violence advocates whose primary roles are legal advocacy. Legal advocates emerged to address barriers within legal systems, to help domestic violence survivors navigate legal processes more successfully and to empower survivors through information.  Part two of the Legal Advocacy module focuses on the types of TPOs in Georgia, the process for obtaining a TPO, and the legal advocate’s role throughout; common intersecting court cases, unique considerations and protections when working with immigrant survivors, and the importance of relationship-building and collaboration as a legal advocate.

Racial Justice and White Aspiring Ally-ship in the Domestic Violence Movement

The complex barriers to leaving an abusive relationship are significantly increased for victims of domestic violence who are people of color. According to the Violence Policy Center’s 2018 report, Black women were killed by a male offender at a rate twice as high as White women in 2016. In addition to this alarming statistic, there still remains a lack of representation of people of color in leadership positions throughout the domestic violence movement. In order to best meet the needs of people of color who are victims of domestic violence, those of us who strive to be White allies must be willing to look at the intersections of racism, oppression and victimization in our work.

Safety Planning for Everyone: Basic Tips to Safety Planning with Survivors for the Non-Advocate

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.

Voter Rights, Privacy and Safety for Advocates and Survivors

The right to vote is an essential part of using our voices and participating in our communities to promote our beliefs and values. For survivors, voting can be empowering and can create opportunity to address barriers to safety through policies and government representation. However, voting can create safety issues for survivors who are concerned about an abusive partner locating them through their voter registration record. Survivors also may have safety concerns around going in person to vote, waiting in long lines, or knowing their rights and successfully registering. 

In this webinar, we will address privacy and voter registration, and the unique concerns that survivors may have. We’ll talk about how advocates can provide information, resources, and support in both registering to vote and either voting in person or via a mail-in ballot. We’ll also talk about how exercising our vote is a part of advocacy.