Career Planning for Assaulted Women: A Unique Experience in Building Women’s Self-Reliance

By Marlene McKintosh

Career Planning for women who are victims of violence requires strategies and methods of service delivery not normally employed in the general scope of Career Counselling. Women victims of violence face multiple challenges, and career planning services designed specifically to meet their needs are virtually non–existent. The Career Planning for Assaulted Women (CPAW) program, a service of MicroSkills is a unique program in Toronto, specifically designed to meet the needs of a growing number of women victims of violence who are desiring an attachment to the labour force. Our approach to programming is client centered and addresses the multiplicity of challenges that victims of violence face in regaining control of their lives and building economic self–sufficiency.

CPAW provides skills assessment, goal setting, career and action planning, and counselling to women who have experienced family violence and want to maintain a violence–free life. We work with women who are in shelters, ex–residents of shelters and/or are isolated due to a number of factors. CPAW is the only program of its kind in Toronto that serves to bridge the gap for abused women who are in transition from the shelter or an abusive relationship to reintegrating in the community and need to determine their employment/career goals. We work closely with local shelters and women’s agencies to ensure that women leaving the shelters access the program in a timely fashion. The program offers a client–centered, supportive environment where women receive information and assistance in assessing their skills, planning their career goals and developing a personal action plan to achieve their goals. Women learn personal management skills, build confidence and self–sufficiency and strengthen their support networks to continue a life free from violence. We work with women by providing individual and group counseling and workshops that assist women in dealing with their current situation while building their courage and skills to move forward.

The program is offered over a three-week period and is conducted in a modular approach focusing on three specific areas: Understanding and Unlearning Violence Against Women, Self Assessment and Career Exploration, and Goal Setting and Action Planning. This approach works best as it focuses not only on women’s personal development but also on their professional development towards living violence free lives. When women can develop or re–engineer skills and competencies to access the labour market, they are setting the pace toward economic self sufficiency, thereby reducing women’s perceived or actual needs to return to a violent lifestyle. The three phases of the program are outlined below:

• Phase 1: Understanding & Unlearning Violence Against Women: This is an ideal juncture at which to start the program, because while some of the women have had opportunities for counselling, and for working through some of the issues related to violence against women, most of the women have not. Through this component, the women are able to explore the root causes of violence and to understand that violence is not their fault but that of the perpetrator. We explore avenues that facilitate the process of unlearning resulting in a process of relearning to live violence–free lifestyles.
• Phase 2: Self Assessment, and Career Exploration allow women to assess themselves from both a personal and professional perspective by exploring skills sets and interests, determining possible career choices and occupations and exploring local labour market, education/training opportunities/resources, and careers and occupations including self–employment. These activities will form the framework for action plans.
• Phase 3: Goal Setting and Action Planning allow women to identify and clarify personal, employment, training or career goals and determine and assess their need for personal interventions, resulting in the development of an individual plan of action outlining necessary steps to achieve their desired goals.

One of the most important aspects of the program is the ongoing follow–up that helps women to build a sense of independence and control over their lives. This gives them a sense of community, caring and concern, along with the added motivation they need to see it through. As a result, upon completion of the series, we work with women by providing ongoing individual support to facilitate successful implementation of their action plans and achievement of their personal and career goals. To facilitate this process, women are provided with access to training and employment services and links to community resources. Success of this program is measured not only by the number of women we serve or by the number of women who access training and employment, but more by the number of women who reject the option of returning to violent relationships and continue to lead meaningful lives free from violence.

Women, through this program, are able to develop their own support networks and resources through the connections they build with co–participants in this program. Being able to give and receive encouragement allows women the ability to garner the strength from one another to move forward.

Throughout the program, women have access to support services such as individual counselling to deal with any external issues that may affect their participation in the program. Additionally, we offer free child–minding services, assistance with transportation and referrals to other in–house or external services.

We have had many wonderful success stories from the CPAW program since its inception three years ago. We see women making the transition from having little or no self–confidence to being able to articulate their wants and needs, and from experiencing sheer desperation to having hope for a secure future. We see women learning new skills, taking on new challenges and creating their own paths. It is a triumphant feeling for us but more so for women when they realize that there is life beyond abuse and that they have to power to make the difference!

Women’s Resources Websites

www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/owd/index.html
www.herplace.org/women-study.html
www.citizenship.gov.on.ca
www.statcan.ca/
http://toolkit.ncjrs.org
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/familyviolence
www.ivillage.com/relationships/
www.metrac.org/index.htm
www.digitaldividenetwork.org/
www.owjn.org/resource/margins.htm
www.possibilitiesproject.com
www.actew.org
www.onestep.on.ca
http://babyparenting.about.com/

Why is Career and Employment Counselling Important for People Experiencing Domestic Violence?

• Economic Conditions are a major reason why women remain in abusive relationships. Income and employment are more important considerations in choosing to leave abusive relationships than psychological characteristics or self esteem.( I.M. Johnson, 1992)
• “Economic abuse is an integral part of domestic violence. Abusers often assert economic control by forbidding their victims from working, giving them little or no access to family finances, or preventing them from obtaining necessary job training or education. Victims of domestic abuse want to work, but often are unable to because of the abuse.” (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2001)
• The abuser often brings violence into the workplace, or may threaten co–workers to obtain information or due to jealousy. This can affect work performance, employment history and references.
• If the person is relocating for safety reasons, they may not be able to give details of former employment or references so that they can not be traced to the new location. They may need to discuss their strategy with a counsellor

Marlene McKintosh is the Women’s Services Coordinator at MicroSkills. She co–ordinates Career Planning for Assaulted Women Program, MicroSkills Mentoring programs and Support Services. Marlene has over 15 years experience in the area of adult education, counselling and facilitation. She can be reached at mmckintosh@microskills.ca

Community MicroSkills Development Centre is a non–profit organization that has served communities in Toronto and surrounding areas since 1984. We provide settlement, employment and self–employment services to individuals, with priority to the needs of immigrants, visible minority people and low–income women. Our programs focus on developing clients’ skills, increasing their information base and facilitating opportunities for them to transfer their skills and knowledge to the Canadian workforce. Visit MicroSkills website at www.microskills.ca