Introduction

Manual Overview

BOOK I: Faith Community Curriculum for Clergy and Lay Leaders

BOOK II: Family Violence: Helping Survivors and Abusers
A Manual for Faith Communities

BOOK III: Pastor’s Packet: Family Violence Awareness Materials for Pastors

BOOK IV: Curriculum for Laity

Appendix

The Manual

This manual has four parts with separate purposes and components that are interdependent. The material is self-sustaining requiring only one essential addition, that you acquire the “Broken Vows” video from the Faith Trust Institute. While the focus of these materials is Christian, it is hoped that other faith communities can modify the materials to reflect their particular faiths.

Materials within this manual can be copied providing acknowledgment is given as follows: This material from the manual entitled “Creating a Safe Place” created and written by Marlene Jezierski, RN, BA in Nursing, edited by Lyla Pagels, RN, Parish Nurse Coordinator, and Jayne Kane, Encourage to Hope Ministries.

I: “Creating a Safe Place: Encourage to Change Faith Community Curriculum for Clergy and Lay Leaders”
Course content and tools that teach domestic violence awareness and the role of clergy and lay leaders. This course should be co-taught by a representative of the faith community and a local advocacy services community educator. The curriculum can be covered in 4 – 6 hours in one or two sessions.

Primary components are:

• Leader's guide
• Introductory module and two major subject areas
• Dynamics of domestic violence – the impact of abuse on victims and barriers that make it difficult to change the abusive environment; and
• What individuals and faith communities can do to help victims and batterers.

II: “Family Violence: Helping Survivors and Abusers A Manual for Faith Communities”
This manual provides information and suggestions to those individuals in faith communities who work on a personal basis with laity experiencing violence in the home. It is intended to provide suggested responses when identifying violent relationships. Primary components are:

• Definitions and statistics
• Working with survivors and perpetrators
• Safety plan
• Marriage preparation
• Use of scripture
• Spiritual support measures
• Community resources.

III: “Pastor’s Packet: Family Violence Awareness Materials for Pastors”
A quick reference guide for pastors containing materials that can be used in services, publications and committees. This book includes:

• General information about domestic violence
• “Are you in an abusive relationship?” tool
• Resources
• How the faith community can help
• A family pledge of non-violence
• Materials for worship services
• Education resources

IV: “Creating a Safe Place: Encourage to Change Curriculum for Laity”
This curriculum is divided into 2 sessions and is intended for use as a two-part 45 or 60 minute adult forum.

Part I: Awareness raising and education

Part II : How to help those experiencing violence and those doing the violence, how individuals and the faith community can help

Project Background – A Summary
The process that led to this project really began in 1995 when screening for domestic violence was initiated as part of the nursing assessment at Mercy & Unity Hospitals in Anoka County, Minnesota. In 1997 a group of parish nurses attended a seminar sponsored by the Domestic Abuse Religious Task Force in Anoka County, MN. This task force was a part of the county’s Alliance for a Violence – Free Anoka County also formed in 1997. As a result, domestic violence screening was integrated into the parish nurse’s client assessment tool. In collaboration with the hospital violence educator, the Community Parish Nurse Program of Mercy & Unity Hospitals sponsored a workshop entitled, “People Are Hurting From Family Violence: How Churches Can Respond” in 1998. Well attended by area clergy, lay leaders, faith community staff and parish nurses the group asked for even more information, education and practical tools that would help them make their places of worship safe places to seek help. These requests motivated the production of a “Pastor’s Packet” which provided basic information about domestic violence; what scriptures are often misused to excuse or explain a perpetrator’s actions; how to incorporate the topic into sermons/homilies and worship; and local resources that are available to assist both survivors and perpetrators. This tool still left a gap, that of allowing for full understanding of the dynamics and cycle of violence.

Planning, Education and Implementation Process
The presence of parish nurses in six area congregations as part of the Community Parish Nurse Program provided a natural connection to education and screening activities occurring in the hospitals and clinics and prevention efforts in the community. The Administration for Families and Children of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Allina Foundation and the Community Health Improvement Department of Mercy & Unity Hospitals together provided funding to develop curriculum, manuals and resource materials for use within faith communities.

The project began by identifying and convening an interdisciplinary group of key stakeholders:

• Clergy
• Parish nurses
• Faith community staff and lay leaders
• Survivors of domestic violence and other experts
• Mercy & Unity Hospitals’ Community Health Improvement Department (co-coordinators for the project)
  - Violence Prevention Coordinator
  - Parish Nurse Coordinator
• Alliance for a Violence Free Anoka County
• Alexandra House, Inc., domestic violence services for women and families

The task force developed the project mission and a work plan. The mission statement is: To develop a program which will provide clergy, staff, lay leaders and members of spiritual communities with:

The skills helpful in identifying survivors of family violence; The ability to provide family violence survivors with support; Tools which can contribute to the enhancement of a violence-free society; and Knowledge and information about resources.

This group first became educated about the various issues surrounding domestic violence to provide them with necessary information and appropriate tools before expanding it throughout their congregations. They participated in the development and approval of curriculum content, materials, brochures, posters, etc. to be used within their faith communities. The parish nurses were key in keeping the process going. Their experience in working with individuals, various groups and staff in faith communities was very valuable. They were the communication link between the project coordinators and the faith community staff. In addition, the parish nurses were part of a sub-group, which developed communication and awareness tools including brochures, posters and lapel pins.

Early on, it was clear that some barriers existed. Time was a big issue - clergy schedules are busy and unpredictable.

Assumptions and myths about domestic violence had to be addressed quickly - just because no one had come to them seeking help did not mean their congregation was free of the issue. From time to time the goals and expectations needed to be clarified. The sub-group that was formed to address some details kept things moving forward. With the help of an administrative assistant, the writing and actual development of materials was the responsibility of the co-coordinators of the grant and the consultant that had been hired.

After clergy, staff (including the parish nurses) and lay leaders had their training, curriculum was developed for adults in the congregations. In order for this to take place, it became clear that someone (pastor, parish nurse, staff member or congregant) needed to play the role of “champion”. Survivors of domestic violence started coming forward. They were glad that their place of worship was addressing the issue and that it was safe to talk about their personal struggles with domestic violence.

All of that led to the need for even more education. There were questions such as: What about the perpetrators? How can they be helped? What about our children and teens? How can we keep this from happening in their lives? And then our older adults – what can be done to educate and support their special needs? A couple of the churches have schools on their campuses. Some teachers and school counselors attended the training session. The task force heard presentations by experts in each of these special areas and they were provided with community resources that address these specific issues.

Creating a Safe Place
While good work has been done by providing education to clergy, lay leadership and staff of 6 churches, it is clear ongoing education and awareness activities are essential to maintain awareness and sensitivity to these issues. Activities to achieve this goal must be pursued regularly.