HerCircle: Report of the Evaluation of the Pilot Program, November 2015

Transcription

1 HerCircle: Report of the Evaluation of the Pilot Program, November 2015 This research report is produced by HerSpace Limited Funde d by Mar y Mackillop Foundation & HerSpace Regular Givers

2 HerSpace Limited 2016 Published by HerSpace Limited 2 Minona St, Hawthorn VIC 3122 PO Box 3079, Auburn VIC ABN Written by Emily Hanscamp, CEO/Founder, HerSpace Isabella Roxburgh, Research Officer, HerSpace Lalitha Nair, Learning & Effectiveness Manager, HerSpace Report Design by Camille Shaw, Graphic Designer Report Artwork by Natalia Jane Houston nataliajanehouston@gmail.com

3 Content Executive summary Introduction The Healing and Solidarity Circle 1.2 The pilot program 1.3 Participant recruitment 2. Evaluation of the pilot program Methodology 2.2 Data collection 3. Findings Program Delivery Program delivery objectives 1 & 2 A) Strengths of the program B) Limitations of the program Program delivery objective Impact of the program Program Impact objectives 1 & Program Impact objective 3 4. The impact of the program on HerSpace Limitations of the evaluation Summary and Conclusion Recommendations for future programs...28

4 Background HerSpace supports women who self-identify as being sexually exploited by offering a range of mental health and therapeutic programs. HerCircle is an eight-week program that offers a person-centered experiential, arts and sensorybased program for women to explore and heal from the physical, emotional and psychological trauma associated with sexual exploitation. A pilot program of the Healing and Solidarity Circle was conducted during September- October 2015 with funding support from the Mary Mackillop Foundation and HerSpace s Regular Givers, who make individual donations monthly. An in- house evaluation team with support from program staff conducted the evaluation. Participants included service users, service providers and HerSpace management. Initial discussions to finalise the scope and methodology of the evaluation was undertaken with the guidance of the Evaluation Manager at CARE Australia. Evaluation Methodology The evaluation design incorporated assessment of both the process and impact of the program. Process or program delivery evaluation looked at aspects of how the program was delivered including the content, number of participants, recruitment process, schedule, venue and duration of the sessions. The following evaluation questions were asked to explore if these objectives were met: Evaluation question 1: What are the strengths and limitations in the design and delivery of the program? Evaluation question 2: Does the program provide an avenue for collaboration and integration in service delivery? Impact evaluation focused on assessing the effects of the program on participants in terms of levels of knowledge or changes in behaviour specifically in alignment with the stated objectives. The following evaluation questions were asked to explore if these objectives were met: Evaluation question 3: Does the program lead to changes in awareness and skills for participants? Evaluation question 4: Is the program effective in seeking to address specific issues and challenges for participants? Data to assess the program delivery and program impact were collected through: observation and reflection from program manager and the facilitators and feedback from other stakeholders including referral agencies; semi- structured interviews with program staff; pre and post- program questionnaires and goals and outcomes worksheets from participants; de- identified case notes from program staff; quotes from participants as recorded by program staff; feedback from referral agencies; demographic data from intake forms. Findings The program manager, facilitators and participants agreed that the program was delivered in a timely and efficient manner notwithstanding a number of constraints. Discussions with the program staff and feedback from participants have highlighted a number of strengths that contributed to the success of the program and its impact. There were also a number of limitations that restricted its impact. These limitations were mostly the result of resource constraints. PROGRAM DELIVERY: STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS The three program delivery objectives were: Program Delivery Objective 1: to provide an 8- week program of Healing and Solidarity Circles to a minimum of8 participants, each session with a duration of 2 hours. Program Delivery Objective 2: to provide art therapy exercises with a trained therapist during the sessions 01

5 Program Delivery Objective 3: to explore avenues for collaboration and create new partnerships with referral organisations to further support women in their pathways Program Objective 1: Was partially met with the program having a lower number participants than expected with 4 attending. The 8- week program was delivered on time with 2 hour sessions each week. Program Objective 2: Was fully met with the program content incorporating art therapy group work and mindfulness practice with two facilitators with specialised expertise in the area Program Objective 3: Was fully met as five new referral pathway partnerships were established, indicating interest to collaborate in future programs. All the participants appreciated the content and mode of delivery of the program. Some specific components of the program were identified as strengths in participant feedback and in the observation and reflection from the facilitators on how the program was received: The program content delivered new knowledge and coping skills. All the participants who returned the questionnaire gave a rating of 5 on a satisfaction scale of1-5. Flexible and person- centered mode of delivery catered to the differing needs, with the participants and the facilitators agreeing on the capacity of the program design to explore and accommodate individual needs. Half of the participants (50%) gave a rating of 5 for the activities and the other 50% gave a rating of 4. Provided a safe space, physical and emotional. All participants gave a rating of 5. Resourceful and experienced facilitators provided a nurturing environment and made reasonable adjustments in content and mode of delivery to suit the changing needs of the participants. All the participants gave a rating of 5. There were a few limitations identified in the program delivery: The two hour sessions were too short to accommodate all the activities in a well- paced manner Low number of participants affected the group dynamics and sometimes caused disruptions Recruitment of participants was not very rigorous, with some participants not yet ready in their healing process for group therapy Funding constraints made it difficult to balance resources with program needs IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM The 3 program impact objectives were: Program Impact Objective 1: help the women to build social connections Program Impact Objective 2: facilitate healing and build on confidence and self- esteem Program Impact Objective 3: support women in their pathways out of exploitation (this may relate to housing, employment, support networks) Feedback from the participants, the facilitators and the referral agencies indicate that these objectives were met in significant manner for the participants. Results from data collection show the following impacts of the program, under each objective: Program Impact Objective 1: Social connections were build through HerHealing fostering a community of women in which they shared a sense of solidarity. Women s shared experiences and interests, and collective experience of the group allowed them to retain the connections outside of the group ongoing. Program Impact Objective 2: There was an increase in self- confidence and esteem, supporting the women to better advocate for themselves toward meeting their life goals and needs. Program Impact Objective 3: HerHealing did support pathways out of exploitation mainly by increasing an awareness of rights, safety, choices and options in women s lives, and through building life-skills to take action on these. Program strategies to achieve these objectives included: Enhancing women s awareness of safety, increasing empowerment Addressing mental health needs through psycho- education Mindfulness practice for self healing 02

6 Strategy 1: Enhancing women s awareness of safety, increasing empowerment. Safety scores most significantly in terms of ratings. On the issue of safety, the group star indicated progress from 0 to 10, and for an individual participant the rating changed from 1 to 10. This is the biggest change recorded in the data. All the participants felt that the program was an empowering experience with all of them giving a rating of 5 on a scale of 1-5. Participants reported increased ability to move forward in their lives, feeling empowered. Strategy 2: Addressing mental health needs through psycho- education All the data sources provide indicators of significant change in terms of mental health needs of participants. Some of the major changes relating to mental health needs as evident in the data tables are listed below: Reduced effect of trauma increased self confidence increased social connectedness increased self acceptance and expression learned new coping strategies positive connections self respect feeling good moving forward emotionally and goal planning Strategy 3: Mindfulness practice for self healing This modality was specifically appreciated by the participants. One participant commented that she was much more able to be in the here and now than being in the past and worrying about the future. All the participants expressed the desire to do more practice sessions in mindfulness. This was in fact a learning that will help them in their healing as a daily ritual. The impact of the program on HerSpace as an organisation The program manager reported on the impact of the program on HerSpace and its staff and volunteers. Running this pilot program was welcomed as a definite and positive step in realising the vision and mission of HerSpace. HerSpace staff, the Board of Directors and the handful of volunteers all communicated excitement and fulfilment as they felt a validation of their effort. Recommendations for future programs The following recommendations emerge from the evaluation of this pilot program. 1. Length of the sessions: the sessions: It is recommended that the group be 3 hours as this would allow enough time for each activity, social connectedness in the break and transition time for the beginning and end of each session. 2. Group size: The smaller number of participants than anticipated affected the group dynamics. Number of participants is critical in a group therapy program. It is recommended that future groups be run with a minimum of six women and maximum of 8 or potentially two groups of six women. 3. Type of referrals appropriate for the group: It is recommended that the group be made available to women who are in a physically safe environment which is likely to mean that the women are no longer in an exploitative position. 4. The psycho-education element in program content: This was most effectively delivered using art therapy techniques including guided imagery and meditation. It is recommended that the psycho-education part of the group be utilised in an informal way using art therapy techniques. 5. Pre- group planning and intake interviews: It is recommended that the pre- group interview be given more time as to enable discussions with the referral agencies to determine if the group will be appropriate for that individual person. In the future it is recommended to allow at least 2-3 weeks from the referral closing date to complete the pre- group interviews and final planning. 6. Sustainable sources of funding: Considering that the program supported the women s healing journey by addressing some of their most significant concerns, it is recommended that sustainable long term funding be sought to ensure that this program is delivered on a regular basis to benefit women in various stages of their healing journey. 03

7 1. Introduction Background HerSpace (previously called Asha Global Development Organisation) is a Melbourne based not for profit organisation that offers a space of healing and recovery for girls and women affected by sexual exploitation. HerSpace supports women who self- identify as being sexually exploited by offering a range of mental health and therapeutic programs. HerSpace s HerSpace model is specifically designed to address the unique and varying needs of all participants. The eight interconnected programs of the HerSpace model have been designed and developed to provide long term support to girls and women taking them through the healing journey to sustainable pathways out of exploitation. HerCircle is an eight-week program that offers a person- centred experiential, arts and sensorybased program for women to explore and heal from the physical, emotional and psychological trauma associated with sexual exploitation. HerSpace offers an adaptable progression for girls and women to move through a number of therapeutic programs The Healing and Solidarity Circle is one component of the HerSpace model. 1.1 The Healing and SolidarityCircle The Healing and Solidarity Circle is an eight- week program offering a person- centred experiential,arts and sensory based program for women to explore and heal from the physical, emotional and psychological trauma associated with sexual exploitation. The facilitators draw on therapeutic models of trauma informed care such as narrative therapy, emotionfocused therapy, sensorimotor and creative arts therapies as well as mindfulness and meditation. The Healing and Solidarity Circle program is designed to address trauma through mental health therapeutic practices that help women to understand and gain control on all aspects of their lives- even material such as housing and employment. As a step in achieving this, the program aims to combat social isolation for women, fostering a safe space for women to share their stories, be heard and understood by one another and facilitators. Following the experience of exploitation, evidence shows social isolation can further compound the effects of trauma and abuse with survivors struggling to overcome self- blaming tendencies and internalising abuse. Therefore a major component of The Circle will be to address these concerns. The 3 Program Impact Objectives are stated as: 1. help the women to build social connections; 2. facilitate healing and build on confidence and self esteem; 3. support women in their pathways out of exploitation (this may relate to housing, employment, support networks) The ultimate long- term goal of the program is to provide a platform for the women to become their own agents of change and to empower them to make informed choices about decisions that determine their unique pathways. The participants will gain insight and learn more about themselves as well as opportunities to heal from past negative experiences. 1.2 The pilot program A pilot program of the Healing and Solidarity Circle was conducted during September- October 2015 with funding support from the Mary Mackillop Foundation and HerSpace s own fundraising. The eight- week program had weekly sessions facilitated by two experienced therapists. The program content and design allowed for psychoeducation through facilitated discussions and therapeutic processes such as art therapy exercises and mindfulness training. The two- hour sessions also incorporated time for socialising, initiating and establishing connections and individual reflection through an informal afternoon tea. The HerSpace program manager Emily Hanscamp had the primary role of overseeing all the aspects of the program. Emily was also actively involved in the preparation of the program manual, the content design, policies, staff recruitment and supervision. Emily is also the Founder and CEO of HerSpace. Emily holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Psychology, and is a trained mental health, traumainformed practitioner. Emily works as a counsellor in private practice, and counsels women victimsurvivors of sexual assault and exploitation. Emily has 10 years experience as a social worker having worked with groups and individuals, address sexual trafficking, family violence and sexual assault. 04

8 The therapists who coordinated and facilitated the program were Sharon Duthie and Jenny Lord. Sharon holds a Bachelor of Arts - Major in Psychology, a Graduate Diploma in Experiential Creative Arts Therapy and a Masters Degree in Counselling. Sharon is an experienced trauma counsellor, arts and play therapist and group facilitator. Sharon has worked with women, adolescents and children whose lives have been impacted by the effects of relational and developmental trauma including sexual assault, abuse and neglect and family violence. Sharon has over 15 years of experience providing therapeutic group programs, individual counselling, family counselling, supervision and consultation. Sharon is a strong advocate for children s and women s human rights for all to thrive in a world free from violence, exploitation and harm. Jenny holds a Master of Arts in Play Therapy and Social Work. She is a registered Play Therapist with the Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association, of which she sits on the Board of Directors as the Chair of the Special Projects. She has ten years experience in the field of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Child Welfare, and disability. Jenny has worked with children and young people who have been affected by trauma and abuse and uses a person- centred and trauma- informed approach with children, young people and women. In her private practice Jenny offers individual play therapy, therapeutic group programs, parenting groups, therapeutic parenting, training and consultation to professionals. The women who expressed interest were interviewed by the facilitators to ascertain that the program will be the right one for them and to answer any questions women had about the group, and build some relationship with facilitators before the group began. Partnerships Made WIRE; Launch Housing; TOTAL NUMBER Sacred Heart; Project OF AGENCIES 35 Respect; St Kilda CONTACTED Crisis Centre WIRE; Launch Housing; TOTAL NUMBER Sacred Heart; Project OF AGENCY 5 Respect; St Kilda MEETINGS Crisis Centre WIRE; CASA House; TOTAL NUMBER SECASA; OF AGENCIES 5 Launch Housing; WHO RESPONDED Project Respect; WITH REFERRALS The Urban Alchemist Jenny also has experience of working with Aboriginal children, young people and their parents/carers through supporting Kinship Carers and incorporates culturally appropriate interventions into her practice by drawing upon the cultural needs of the client. Jenny is passionate about advocating for children and women affected by sexual exploitation and all forms of human trafficking. 1.3 Participant recruitment Participants were recruited with the help of referral agencies. A list of potential referral agencies was created using personal contacts and Google searches. Flyers promoting the program were sent out to all the agencies. The program manager and/ or the facilitators had telephone conversations with potential referral agencies. Two women made selfreferrals after obtaining program informationfrom referral agencies. 05

9 2. Evaluation of the pilot program An in- house evaluation team with support from program staff conducted the evaluation. Participants included service users, service providers and HerSpace management. Initial discussions to finalise the scope and methodology of the evaluation was undertaken with the guidance of the Evaluation Manager at CARE Australia. 2.1 Methodology The evaluation design incorporated assessment of both the process and impact of the program. Process or program delivery evaluation sought to find out if the program was delivered to the intended target population in a timely and effective manner as per the program s implementation objectives and schedule. The evaluation looked at aspects of how the program was delivered including the content, number of participants, recruitment process, schedule, venue and duration of the sessions. THE 3 PROGRAM DELIVERY OBJECTIVES WERE: 1. to provide an 8 week program of Healing and Solidarity Circles to a minimum of 8 participants, each session with a duration of 2 hours. 2. to provide art therapy exercises with a trained therapist during the sessions, and 3. to explore avenues for collaboration and create new partnerships with referral organisations to further support women in their pathways The following evaluation questions were asked to explore if these objectives were met: Evaluation question 1: What are the strengths and limitations in the design and delivery of the program? Evaluation question 2: Does the program provide an avenue for collaboration and integration in service delivery? Impact evaluation sought to find out if the program was successful in achieving its intended outcome and if all parts of the program worked well individually and/or together towards meeting the program s objectives and achieving the desired outcomes. The evaluation focused on assessing the effects of the program on participants in terms of levels of knowledge or changes in behaviour specifically in alignment with the stated objectives. Understanding the personal experiences of participants through narrative was also an important aspect of assessment of the progress in their healing journeys. THE 3 PROGRAM IMPACT OBJECTIVES WERE: 1. help the women to build social connections; 2. facilitate healing and build on confidence and self esteem; 3. support women in their pathways out of exploitation (this may relate to housing, employment, support networks) The following evaluation questions were asked to explore if these objectives were met: Evaluation question 3: Does the program lead to changes in awareness and skills for participants? Evaluation question 4: Is the program effective in seeking to address specific issues and challenges for participants? The evaluation was undertaken with the involvement of the program manager, facilitators, participants and other stakeholders including the referral agencies. Where possible data was collected from a variety of sources for the same question in an effort to capture additional perspectives on the topic. 2.2 Data collection Data were collected through a number of methods from a variety of sources before, during and after the program. The following methods were used: pre and post- program questionnaires for participants goals worksheets from participants collected at beginning, middle and end of the program outcome measurement activity sheets representing attitude and behavioural change in a star format from participants measured at the beginning and end of program, semi- structured interviews with the program manager and program staff de- identified case notes from program staff quotes from participants as recorded by program staff feedback from referral agencies demographic data from intake forms The following table captures the major methods and sources of data collection for each of the evaluation questions: 06

10 Table 1: Data sources QUESTIONS Source of data 1. WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS IN THE DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF THE PROGRAM? Observation and reflection from program staff and program manager semi- structured interviews with program staff; post- program questionnaire from participants 2. DOES THE PROGRAM PROVIDE AN AVENUE FOR COLLABORATION AND INTEGRATION IN SERVICE DELIVERY? Semi- structured interviews with program manager and program staff 3. DOES THE PROGRAM LEAD TO CHANGES IN AWARENESS AND SKILLS FOR PARTICIPANTS? Observation and reflection from program staff from program manager and other stakeholders including referral agencies; semi- structured interviews with program staff; Pre and post- program questionnaire, and goals and outcomes worksheets 4. IS THE PROGRAM EFFECTIVE IN SEEKING TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FOR PARTICIPANTS? Observation and reflection from program staff from program manager and other stakeholders including referral agencies; semi- structured interviews with program staff; Pre and post- program questionnaire, and goals and outcomes worksheets 07

11 3. Findings 3.1 Program Delivery Data collected from program manager and program staff indicates that the first objective was only partly met with the program having a lower number participants than expected. The 8 week program was delivered on time with 2 hour sessions each week. The program was able to achieve the desired outcomes for objectives 2 and 3 with the program content incorporating art therapy group work and mindfulness practice with two facilitators with specialised expertise in the area. 3.1 Program Delivery PROGRAM DELIVERY OBJECTIVES Evaluation questions used to assess if the objectives were met PROGRAM DELIVERY OBJECTIVE 1: to provide an 8- week program of Healing and Solidarity Circles to a minimum of 8 participants, each session with a duration of 2 hours. PROGRAM DELIVERY OBJECTIVE 2: to provide art therapy exercises with a trained therapist during the sessions Question 1. What are the strengths and limitations in the design and delivery of the program? PROGRAM DELIVERY OBJECTIVE 3: to explore avenues for collaboration and create new partnerships with referral organisations to further support women in their pathways Question 2. Does the program provide an avenue for collaboration and integration in service delivery? 08

12 The following table presents a snapshot of the program delivery. Table 2: snapshot of program delivery PARTICIPANTS Number of participants-4 Living with mental illness- 4 DURATION 8 weeks Number of sessions: 4 Duration of sessions: 2 hours STAFF Sharon Duthie Jenny Lord PROGRAM MANAGER Emily Hanscamp REFERRAL AGENCIES Launch Housing WIRE Project Respect Empowered Pathways CASA House CONTENT Psychoeducation, Art therapy, Mindfulness, Community building HERSPACE VOLUNTEERS INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM Evaluation manager - Lalitha Nair Finance Manager - Medha Dissanayke Communications Manager - Lauren Ferris. Graphic Designer - Sai Chalermson, Matthew Lord Other volunteers

13 3.1.1 Program delivery objectives 1 & 2 Evaluation question 1: What are the strengths and limitations in the design and delivery of the program? The program manager, facilitators and participants agreed that the program was delivered in a timely and efficient manner notwithstanding a number of constraints. Participants provided feedback on their satisfaction with the program by assigning a rating to a number of questions in the post- program questionnaire and also in discussions with the facilitators during and after the program. Discussions with the program staff and feedback from participants have highlighted a few strengths that contributed to the success of the program and a number of limitations that restricted its impact. These strengths and limitations are discussed in the sections below. A) Strengths of the program The following table captures a snapshot of some of the major points for which participants provided feedback that highlight the strengths of the program in terms of program delivery. CATEGORY SATISFACTION RATING ON A SCALE OF 1-5 WHERE 1 IS NO, NOT AT ALL AND 5 YES, VERY MUCH Relevant Content 100% of the participants gave a rating of 5 Activities 50% of the participants gave a rating of 5 remaining 50% gave a rating of 4 Venue 100% of the participants gave a rating of 5 Safety and trust within the group 100% of the participants gave a rating of 5 Facilitators 100% of the participants gave a rating of

14 From participant feedback and discussions with the program managers and the facilitators the following four aspects emerged as the key strengths of the program that contributed to effective program delivery: Relevant content Flexible and person centered approach A safe space Resourceful facilitators Each of these strengths will now be discussed in more detail in the following sections. RELEVANT CONTENT: Feedback from participants in the post- program questionnaire indicates a high level of appreciation of the program in terms of content. When asked about the content of the program, All the participants who returned the survey rated their satisfaction at 5, on a scale of 1-5where 1 is No, not at all and 5 is Yes, very much. 50% of the participants gave a rating of 5 for a related question on satisfaction with program activities; the other 50% gave a rating of 4. Effectiveness of the program in terms of content was reinforced by the facilitators who observed that the women seemed to enjoy the group and were very engaged in all the activities. Participants also quickly adopted the routine of the sessions in spite of some of them demonstrating signs of anxiety at the start. The content of the program was designed to provide participants with both new knowledge through facilitated discussion of safety and relationships (psycho- education) and new skills in coping with stress and trauma through art therapy exercises and mindfulness training. The women seemed to gain a lot from the art therapy exercises, specifically the sand tray and the use of symbols and metaphors to express their emotions and experiences which may have been difficult for them to verbalise. Other art therapy exercises that participants appreciated were doing a group star of their individual goals, listening and responding to poems, footprints activities that depict their journeys and the rosebush visualisation that represented themselves. It was a new experience for most women. One of the facilitators observed: The women loved the symbols, and lot of beautiful way of saying things they wouldn t have been able to use words for; lots of metaphors and analogies that came from using symbols. It gives a different layer to the women s experience Participant responses reiterate this: I loved the sand tray therapy. I did not realise how powerful this could be for me. It really helped me to have a different perspective about my situation. Mindfulness training was another activity that participants liked and wanted to do more. The principles of mindfulness offered them a process to be more present in their body and be aware of their self, an experience that they enjoyed. Participants expressed interest to do more practice sessions. FLEXIBLE AND PERSON- CENTERED The participants and facilitators considered the flexibility and diversity of content as a highlight of the program. Although it was a group program the facilitators were able to accommodate individual preferences and needs where possible. In the earlier sessions although it was planned to provide more psychoeducation than therapeutic processes there were issues with the group not being ready for discussions on gender or relationships. The responses reflected these topics were too confronting and direct and created discomfort for the women. The facilitators were able to observe participant responses and instantly assess how much processing they were able to cope with and tweak the content to suit their needs. As a result, in the later sessions they focused on art therapy exercises that were more beneficial to the participants. As one of the facilitators observed: The gender equality cards didn t work well; they were used to provoke conversation and dialogue about relationships; and the women were not ready in their situation of trauma; cognitively it was hard for them to reflect and think in that way; some were withdrawn and quiet The small group size also made it possible to offer a more personalised approach and flexibility in activities. 11

15 A SAFE SPACE All the participants gave a rating of 5 for related questions on satisfaction with the venue. When asked about the safety and trust they felt in the group, 100% of the participants who returned the survey rated their satisfaction at 5, on a scale of 1-5 where 1 is No, not at all and 5 is Yes, very much. The program offered the women a safe place to come together, relax and spend time reflecting on their experiences. All the participants rated their satisfaction with the venue at 5 in terms of physical safety. The facilitators recalled women commenting a number of times that they felt it as a safe space for them where they could feel accepted and be part of the group. This can be considered an indication of the emotional and relational safety that the women experienced. The facilitators took considered steps to ensure that the women felt physical and emotional safety. The venue was a spacious room with enough space for participants to move around and for all the activities, informal and formal. A burning candle provided a welcoming and relaxing ambience. They activities were paced well; participants were offered afternoon tea. Participants felt nurtured and cared for. The facilitators often nurtured them by making tea for them, a gesture that made one of the participants recall that it has been a long time since someone made a cup of tea for her. Participants enjoyed the feeling accepted for who they are in a non- judgemental space relationally and emotionally. In terms of emotional safety, the first few sessions were about establishing safety, so they felt safe to come into the program and participate in a way that was respectful of each other s experiences and personal boundaries. Participants were encouraged to express how they felt being in the group. They were supported by the facilitators to overcome anxieties relating to the group. One of the facilitators recounted how a participant moved from feelings of anxiety to safety: At the start of the session I noticed this woman sat outside in the waiting area so I sat with her for a few minutes, she was struggling to come into the group due to some external personal issues she was coping with but once she had been given this time to feel supported and accepted in her current situation she felt able to move into the group with the other women. This shows just how significant it is for the group to establish a sense of emotional safety. And the participant later said: I considered not coming to the session today but I needed to allow myself to feel safety in my life and I really feel safe in the group so I made myself come. RESOURCEFUL FACILITATORS On the role and approach of the facilitators, all the participants who returned the survey rated their satisfaction at 5, on a scale of 1-5where 1 is No, not at all and 5 is Yes, very much. The role of the facilitators in contributing to the effective planning and delivery of the program was also highly appreciated by the program manager and the evaluation manager. The expertise and professionalism of the facilitators were major factors in the program content design, delivery and evaluation. Participant feedback also point to the resourcefulness of the facilitators and the personal qualities that made the women feel welcome, safe and cared for. One participant commented in the post- program questionnaire: I want to say thank you so much for everything, you have both been so kind, positive and caring. I feel progress that I have gained and can learn from. Thank you again for this opportunity you both were so amazing. The facilitators were able to work within the constraints of time and resources and incorporate flexibility in program delivery. They were able to assess individual needs on an ongoing basis and change the content and mode of delivery to reflect that. The coordination and planning was carefully considered and well executed with a range of records to keep track of each participant. These included pre- group assessment forms, consent forms, detailed case notes in each session and follow up calls with participants and referral agencies when required. The facilitators also supported the evaluation process in a major way by blending organically the evaluation activities in a sensitive and professional manner into the therapeutic exercises. 12

16 B) Limitations of the program Participants and the facilitators pointed out some aspects of the program that need improvement for maximum effectiveness of program delivery. The main limitations that emerged in terms of program delivery are: Short duration of the sessions Low number of participants A delayed recruitment process, and Funding constraints that impacted all of the above Each of these limitations will now be discussed in detail in the following sections DURATION OF THE SESSIONS The major limitation reiterated by the facilitators and participants was the short duration of the sessions. This was identified as an issue that can affect the benefit of the program in many ways. As the facilitators observed, the lack of time in a therapeutic program and specifically in art therapy exercises can affect the content, the mode of delivery and the engagement of the participants; and this may limit the effectiveness of the program. The facilitators agreed that the 2- hour sessions were too short. In their view it will need at least 3hour sessions to effectively deliver the programs they planned. The facilitators often felt constrained to give participants time to socialise and connect and to finish and reflect on the activities in each session. The sessions were planned as to give participants a safe and welcoming environment where they can relax, form connections with others, take part in the activities and with time for reflection of their experience. As one facilitator observed: They need time to reflect on an activity, not just do it, but to think about how it was. Conversations around the activity are an important part of the process... After doing a therapeutic process, to cognitively think about an experiential activity, helps concrete or cement their experience and what they have learned from it,that will be really beneficial. Some of the activities had to be changed or missed out to give sufficient time for reflection: For instance, we wanted to do the sand tray and another activity in one session, the sand tray activity took longer for the processing part, so we felt that it was more important than trying to incorporate another activity also within the limited time. I think it was in session 3, the theme was around journeys, we asked the women to cut out 3 footprints, each foot print would represent something different, their past, present and future. Then they were to think about colours, symbols or words anything that represented aspects of the past, present or future and to create footprints and it was really beautiful and powerful session, but not long enough, because it takes time to sit and make the 3 pieces of art- work, we only gave them 40 minutes to do it. Two couldn t finish the activity. As an art therapist I would like to see them completing something... to be able to finish the process and the having time to reflect on it the perspective or insight they gain from looking at it, there wasn t the time to pull it all together Facilitators also observed that they had to do a lot of prioritising so as not to overload the participants. They felt that rituals worked well with the group and if they had more time they would have incorporated mindfulness sessions as a ritual as it has the potential to bring participants into a calmer state of mind and more ready to do the other activities effectively. The participants also felt they had to hurry with the activities. Their feedback indicates that they enjoyed the activities but found that they needed time to sit with it to finish it properly than jump from one activity to the next. Writing a journal was another component that the facilitators considered beneficial for the participants but were not able to accommodate because of the short duration. Strategies to resolve this issue in future programs: Program design to incorporate 3 hour sessions NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS Another limitation that impacted the effectiveness of the program was the lower number of participants than anticipated. This also negatively affected the maximisation of available time as the sessions had to be delayed as participants were late to arrive. As the program manager explained, the reasons for the 13

17 low intake were many, but it is an issue that can be tackled by careful planning in future. The program manager and the facilitators observed that the low numbers were primarily due to the this being a pilot program by a relatively new organisation. They acknowledged that it takes time to build reputation and establish as a service provider. Strategies to resolve this issue in future programs: Focus on marketing and promotion activities; and Collaborating with established and well known organisations The facilitators felt that the small numbers, especially in this pilot program, was an advantage in one way because of the individual attention they could give each woman. The women also said they liked being in a small group as they felt less anxious and able to form closer connections with each other. However, the facilitators were of opinion that there needs to be at least 6 participants in the group although would be an ideal number to run the sessions. At least six is a good number, so if someone is absent, or late, it won t affect the dynamics of the group activities and we will be able to provide a balance of different activities. RECRUITMENT OF PARTICIPANTS There were a few issues identified with the recruitment process of participants that impacted program delivery and affected participant numbers. Although these issues did not impact the effectiveness of the program the facilitators felt that resolving these issues would lead to improving the quality of the program. Majority of the issues arose out of resource constraints: Participants not ready to undertake a group program: One of the participants discontinued the program after 4 sessions for personal reasons. The facilitators felt that this participant was not ready to undertake the program as she was in an emotionally unstable situation and dealing with some significant risk and safety issues in her own life. In this context, the facilitators reflected on the recruitment process and what they would have done differently. The facilitators observed that the women who completed the program were in a physically and emotionally safer position relatively. When women haven t met their hierarchy of needs, haven t met their basic needs, they aren t ready for any therapeutic work, they need safety and stability before being able to focus on any internal experiences Women who have been in a situation of sexual exploitation needs to have some sort of individual counselling to make them feel safe, before they undertake a group therapeutic program to get the most out of the group program there s a level of awareness that comes from the individual work that you can t do it a group environment In their view in future programs it will help to have more time to speak with case managers and to get a clearer picture of the emotional readiness of women before recruiting them for the program. Strategies to resolve this issue in future programs: Allocating more time to the recruitment process including the pre- intake interviews and discussions with case managers; More detailed assessment of the mental health and readiness of participants at the pre- intake interviews, perhaps with the help of a check list; Careful program planning to include those participants who are at the similar stages in their healing process in one group. Facilitators also observed that while they were recruiting there was this tension between wanting to provide services to the women and having the flexibility to offer it at the right time in their healing process when they are ready to gain the most out of it. This tension arose because the facilitators were not sure if HerSpace will be running another program in the near future. If there was an assurance they would have recruited some of the women they had interviewed to do the future programs. HerSpace not able to provide bilingual program or interpreters: It was not always clearly explained what the program offers whether it will be psycho- education and/ ortherapeutic services. 14

18 Recruitment of the participants has already been taken up as a prime issue in future programs as the program manager s comment on this issue shows: We realised that if we had one on one relationship with the women it is easier to get a referral to the group. Therefore we changed our plan strategically for the next year to focus on individual counselling. So there has been a lot of discussion and planning that will happen at the organisational level. Strategy to resolve this issue in future programs: Provide more clarity on the content and the benefits of the program to referral agencies months in advance. This will help the services to identify and refer those women who are at a stage in their healing journey where they will gain most from the program HerSpace not able to provide bilingual program or interpreters: One of the referral agencies wanted to refer a woman who spoke very little English and asked if an interpreter can be arranged. HerSpace was not able to comply with this because of funding constraints. The facilitators observed that this limitation is imposing restraints on the recruitment of participants, as we are not able to reach a whole group of women in need. A whole group of culturally and linguistically diverse women may have missed out. This is important because a large number of women from other cultural backgrounds are often involved in situations of sexual exploitation Strategy to resolve this issue in future programs: Allocate funding to run a bilingual group program or to seek the services of an interpreter for participants not proficient in English. Delays in promotion and marketing of the program: As the program manager observed the organisations struggled with several unanticipated delays in the planning and coordination of this pilot program. The program promotion and marketing was limited to just over one month. Promotion through Facebook was also delayed. We would have capitalised the effort we put into to get more referrals if we had time, with so much ground work it took time and by then the group referrals closed, so when some people called up and they had women who they wanted to do the program, it was too late; so there was a lot of energy we put in, that we couldn t make the most of In hindsight, the program manager thinks that an ideal time frame to promote and market a group therapy program needs to be at least three months. This will give sufficient time to send out flyers, do follow up and to organise meetings with referral agencies. As the whole process was limited to just over a month this time we often had to turn down requests from referral agencies as the intake was already closed It s good to get more numbers, and good for the connection with the referral agency when we are able to say yes when they recommend someone. There were also staffing issues, HerSpace being an organisation largely dependent on the work of volunteers. There was a clear need of more volunteers to support communications, promotion and marketing. Strategies to resolve this issue in future programs: Longer time frame after promotion and marketing to initiate and conclude recruitment Flexibility in recruitment process allowing intake to happen up to the first two weeks after commencement of the program FUNDING CONSTRAINTS: The program manager observed that in the planning stages of the program there was a constant tension between the funding available to run the program and the resources needed. From a program management point of view time and resources were the major constraints in running the program: Generally, group therapy programs take a lot of time and resources than individual counselling. This being the first group therapy program it required a lot more time to set up and run. There was so much of ground work to do. In addition to issues with the short duration of the sessions, both the facilitators agreed that there was not enough time for the pre- intake processes and for follow up for participants between sessions. One of the facilitators commented: 15

19 Four hours was very rushed for me two hours to run the group and one hour to set up and one hour to pack and debrief. And often had to do phone calls and case notes outside of those hours need more time particularly in the lead up to the group contacting women, waiting for phone calls to be returned, calling caseworkers, organising time for interviews, travelling. I think six hours per week would be ideal with all the phone calls, follow up and planning during the program. Feedback from the facilitators who also coordinated the program indicate that in future ideal time for the program will be as below: Duration of the program: 8 weeks, same as the pilot program Duration of sessions: 3 hours, as against 2 hours in the pilot program Coordinator time: hours per week Facilitator time: 6 hours per week, as against 4 in the pilot program Marketing & Referral Intake: 3 months prior group begin promoting, and receiving referrals for an 8 week period, to have a 4 weeks period to conduct pre-group interviews Strategies to resolve this issue in future programs: Seek to secure more funding and resources through applying for grants and collaboration and partnership with other service providers Clear staffing arrangements and work allocation Explore the possibility of staff doing volunteer time Seek pro bono contributions from external agencies program manager and WIRE staff further pursued this. WIRE is a well- known and established support and referral service for women. Partnership and collaboration will benefit HerSpace and potential program participants in a number of ways. It is anticipated that the partnership may develop in the following areas: Advertising and promotion of the program WIRE will help HerSpace by advertising and promoting the next program in the avenues accessible to WIRE. This will help HerSpace to recruit a diverse range of participants. Venue to run the program WIRE has access to a friendly meeting space that HerSpace may utilise to run the sessions. This will be beneficial for all parties involved. HerSpace will have a good, safe venue; participants recruited through WIRE will be likely to have a familiar venue which will make it easier for them to attend; and WIRE will be able to recommend the program to more of their service users as travel to attend will not become an additional burden on participants. Funding applications for grants It is anticipated that partnering with WIRE and tapping into their experience and expertise in the area of supporting women, will enable HerSpace as a new player in the arena to secure community development grants. It is anticipated that collaboration with WIRE will lead to better service delivery to women as women will be given the opportunity to participate in HerSpace s programs at the point of their healing journey when they are ready for it. This will help to address a lot more of their needs in a coordinated manner Program delivery objective 3: EVALUATION QUESTION 2: Does the program provide an avenue for collaboration and integration in service delivery? Exploring the possibility of future collaboration with other service providers was one of the stated objectives in terms of program delivery. The program manager anticipates collaboration to be a key factor in running the program every year. One of the referral agencies, Women s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE) expressed strong interest in the possibility of partnership and collaboration in HerSpace s future programs. The 16

20 PROGRAM DELIVERY (3.1): KEY MESSAGES All the participants appreciated and the content and mode of delivery of the program. Some specific components of the program were identified as strengths in participant feedback and in the observation and reflection from the facilitators on how the program was received: 1. the program content delivered new knowledge and coping skills 2. flexible and person- centered mode of delivery catered to the differing needs 3. provided a safe space 4. resourceful and experienced facilitators provided a nurturing environment and made reasonable adjustments in content and mode of delivery to suit the changing needs of the participants Some limitations were identified in the program delivery 1. the two hour sessions were too short to accommodate all the activities in a wellpaced manner 2. Low number of participants affected the group dynamics and sometimes disruptions 3. recruitment of participants was not very rigorous, with some participants not yet ready in their healing process for group therapy 4. funding constraints made it difficult to balance resources with program needs The program will lead to future collaboration with referral agencies, with at least one agency expressing interest 3.2 Impact of the program: 3.2 Impact of the program PROGRAM IMPACT OBJECTIVES Evaluation questions used to assess if the objectives were met PROGRAM DELIVERY OBJECTIVE 1: help the women to build social connections. PROGRAM DELIVERY OBJECTIVE 2: facilitate healing and build on confidence and self esteem Question 3. Does the program lead to changes in awareness and skills for participants? PROGRAM DELIVERY OBJECTIVE 3: support women in their pathways out of exploitation (this may relate to housing, employment, support networks) Question 4. Is the program effective in seeking to address specific issues and challenges for participants? 17

21 Three major sources of data from the participants were used to measure the impact of the program: the pre and post-program questionnaires; Individual goals activity sheets; and the group goals star Other data sources consulted to assess impact included: observation and reflection from program manager and the facilitators and feedback from other stakeholders including referral agencies semi-structured interviews with program staff As the program was more of a person-centered therapeutic process, there were no goals that were imposed on the group. Facilitators encouraged women to come up with their own individual goals and expectations and group goals at the beginning of the program. These were recorded in the pre-program questionnaire, a group goals star and an activity sheet for individual goals. Progress was measured at the midway mark and at the end of the program. There was also a post-program questionnaire to assess the overall impact of the program. All the data sources provided a number of indicators of the impact of the program in terms of participant satisfaction and pre and post-program changes. The following tables summarise the data. Data Source 1: Post- program questionnaire CATEGORY SATISFACTION RATING ON A SCALE OF 1-5 WHERE 1 IS NO, NOT AT ALL AND 5 YES, VERY MUCH Empowering experience 100% of the participants gave a rating of 5 Achievement of individual goals 50% of the participants gave a rating of 5 remaining 50% gave a rating of 3 Reduced effect of the experience of trauma 50% of the participants gave a rating of 4 remaining 50% gave a rating of 3 Increase in self confidence 100% of participants gave a rating of 4 Learned a range of coping strategies 100% of participants gave a rating of 4 Build positive connections 50% of participants gave a rating of 5; remaining 50% gave a rating of 4 Address issues such as housing, employment, social isolation Recommend the program to others 50% of participants gave a rating of 4; remaining 50% gave a rating of 3 100% of participants gave a rating of

22 Data source 2: Individual goals worksheets Participants identified a number of personal and group goals relating to changes in awareness and skills that they expected the program to offer them. The personal goals were recorded in activity sheets in sessions 1, 4 and 7. The group goals were recorded as an art therapy activity in a star shaped format and using miniatures in sessions 1 and 7. The individual goals worksheets also provide a strong indication of the impact through achievement of goals. In the sheet the participants assign a pre and post-program rating for their goals. The following table illustrates the measure of achievement. Satisfaction rating on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is highest rating Data Source 2: Indiv goals worksheet INDIVIDUAL GOALS PRE- PROGRAM RATING POST- PROGRAM RATING Different ways to express self and feelings 0 6 Build self- esteem and confidence 0 5 Achieve goal planning 0 4 Learn to have positive experiences 0 4 To respect myself more 1 6 Positive self talk 1 7 Safe housing 1 10 Moving forward emotionally 2 8 Feeling good

23 Data source 3: Group goals star In the group goals star the facilitators encouraged participants to identify their most significant goal of what they would like to gain from the group and represent its position in terms of achievement on a scale of The facilitators identified a number of goals they had for the group and placed a miniature on the star. This was developed in the form of a group activity to develop their own reflection of experiences and awareness of change as they work towards their pre-set goal. Each person selected a miniature that represented their experience and placed them in the star during session 1. Once they designed the activity and set their miniatures they revisited the star in the last session to move their miniatures to a position tracking their current state in relation to the goal. As the facilitators observed it was a group activity that the participants enjoyed and undertook together with the facilitators. The position of the miniature provides a clear indication of the progress that the participants made in their most significant goal. WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF HERCIRCLE PILOT AS REPORTED IN POST-PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRE Women reported to us the following 8 major points of feedback Empowering experience Recommend the program to others Build positive connections Achievement of individual goals Satisfaction rating on a scale of 1-5 where 1 is No, not at all and 5 Yes, very much 100% 100% 90% 80% All women rated their feeling of empowerment during the group as 5 out of 5 All women would recommend the program to others at a rating of 5 out of 5 Half of women rated the building of positive connections in their lives as 5 out of 5, and half rated it as 4 out of 5 Half of women rated their overall achievement of self-set goals as 4 out of 5, and half gave a rating of 3 out of 5 Increase in self confidence Learned a range of coping strategies Address issues such as housing, employment, social isolation Reduced effect of the experience of trauma 80% All women rated an increased level of self confidence at 4 out of 5 80% All women rated the degree to which they had learned a range of coping strategies at 4 out of 5. 70% Half of women rated the groups impact on addressing issues such as housing employment, and social isolation at 4 out of 5, and half rated it at 3 out of 5 70% Half of women rated that the effects of trauma had reduced in their lives at 4 out of five, and half rated it at 3 out of

24 The chart below indicates the progression of the miniatures in the scale as the participants and facilitators reflected on their goals: Findings from all the data sources inform the discussion to see if the program achieved its objectives in terms of impact. Women-self-identified outcomes for HerCircle: PRE PROGRAM RATING POST PROGRAM RATING Art-based self-expression skill 1 10 Social connectedness 1 8 Emotional Intelligence 0 5 Safety 5 9 Group safety 0 10 Empowerment 1 10 Group connections 0 10 Healing 4.5 from trauma 8 Self-identified outcomes: Art-based self-expression skills Emotional Intelligence Group Safety Group Connections Satisfaction rating on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is highest rating * All outcomes have been set by the participants themselves. 21

25 3.2.2 Program Impact Objectives 1 & 2 EVALUATION QUESTION 3: Does the program lead to changes in awareness and skills for participants? As can be seen in the data tables, many of the goals listed by the participants are steps in their healing journey moving from the impact of trauma towards a more positive, self- confident and assertive nature. In these areas they have felt a change as indicated in their feedback. In the program the facilitators adopted three main strategies to help the women build social connections (program impact objective 1) and to facilitate their healing through increased self-esteem and confidence ( program impact objective 2). The program strategies were: 1. enhancing women s awareness of safety, increasing empowerment 2. addressing mental health needs through psychoeducation, and 3. mindfulness practice for self healing The evaluation questions sought to assess if these strategies worked well to achieve the desired objectives. Feedback from participants and observation from the facilitators all converge to demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategies and the achievement of the objectives as can be seen in the pre and post-program ratings for a number of indicators in terms of individual goals. All the three sources of data tabulated earlier and the interviews with program staff clearly demonstrate significant changes in the participants in terms of awareness and skills and in improved indicators of mental health. 1. ENHANCING AWARENESS OF SAFETY Safety scores most significantly in terms of ratings. On the issue of safety, the group star indicated progress from 0 to 10, and for an individual participant the rating changed from 1 to 10. This is the biggest change recorded in the data. The program content incorporated psychoeducational discussions on different types of safety, feeling safe in yourself and in relationships, feeling safe in the group, in the external world and at home. Feedback from the facilitators and case notes indicate that although the women were not very responsive to discussions of relationships because of their trauma, there were situations when women raised issues of safety in the home and in relationships and felt supported by the group. One of the facilitators observed: One of the women shared that she was in some really unsafe housing and we were able to empathise with her and give her the feeling that you have a right to feel safe, I think that helped her then to seek help with the housing issue. She was so used to her situation, that she didn t deserve to feel safe...and in her goal sheet she actually went from 1 to 10. That was fantastic to see her journey through the group... The art therapy activities where they shared stories and reflected on experiences also seemed to develop a sense of personal safety for the women. The comments from one of the participants who chose the symbol of a snake to represent her experience reflect this sense of safety: The snake is with me for protection; it always has been and always will be In the future my heart is whole. It s been shattered in the past. One participant who chose the symbol of a rose bush reflected on her need to feel safe: I m an old and gnarly rosebush but I have exquisite white flowers I m thorny, need to protect myself with my thorns. But I have softness and gentleness. A sense of safety also seems to be a feeling and a skill that the women take beyond to their own selfcare outside of the group. This is safe space for me. I can try and create this space at home to do some art and creative expression. 2. ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS THROUGH PSYCHO-EDUCATION The approach to address mental health needs was through art therapy activities that aimed to decrease the effects of physical and emotional trauma by building resilience and coping skills, stress management and a strong sense of self. Participant feedback reflect the achievement of this aim. 22

26 All the data sources provide indicators of significant change in terms of mental health needs of participants. Some of the major changes relating to mental health needs as evident in the data tables are listed below: Reduced effect of trauma increased self confidence learned new coping strategies positive connections self respect feeling good moving forward emotionally A number of activities were incorporated into the program to support self-awareness and healing through art. The program mainly resorted to art therapy techniques during the sessions to effect healing and recovery through developing the skills to reflect and express internalised trauma. Art Therapy is defined as the deliberate use of art making to address psychological and emotional needs 1. As the program manager explains this modality aligns with HerSpace s feminist, strengths and rights-based approach as art therapy can help women to connect with unconscious processes in a safe way through the use of a variety of art mediums which is particularly important for women who have suffered trauma as their conscious memories can become fragmented and difficult to verbalise. As one of the facilitators recalled: One lady said she gained new skills and would like to use arts, and journaling was also useful, reflecting on their experience, helped them with selfexpression, being able to externalise their feelings. 3. MINDFULNESS FOR SELF-HEALING Mindfulness as a healing practice was an exercise demonstrated by the facilitators during the sessions to support the healing process of the women. Mindfulness as used in therapy has been defined as an intentional awareness in the present moment without judgement. The process of training the mind to focus on the present moment is shown to have many psychologically therapeutic benefits including stress reduction and increased positive emotion, metacognitive awareness (of one s thoughts and feelings), attention and acceptance 2. This modality was specifically appreciated by the participants. One participant commented that she was much more able to be in the here and now than being in the past and worrying about the future. The principles of mindfulness were discussed during the sessions although they could not do practice sessions due to limited time. All the participants expressed the desire to do more practice sessions in mindfulness. This was in fact a learning that will help them in their healing as a daily ritual. As one of the facilitators observed: Trauma recovery it s a process, can t be achieved in 8 weeks, but the way women tracked their goals and addressed their mental health needs make us feel confident that they are on the path.. an example would be those mindfulness techniques and encouraging the women to use them in their daily routine, that really helps in their mental health, something they take beyond the group practise themselves, supporting their healing beyond the group... The following comment by one of the participants on what she has gained from the program reflects this learning and achievement of goals: I feel like I m recognising new things about myself. I am starting to see and focus more on my successes this year. 1 Art Therapy Alliance (2014), About Art Therapy, accessed 17 July 2014, < AboutArtTherapy.html> 2 Gehart, D.R Mindfulness and Acceptance in Couple and Family Therapy, Springer 23

27 3.2.3 Program Impact Objective 3 EVALUATION QUESTION 4: Is the program effective in seeking to address specific issues and challenges for participants? Another major objective of the program was to provide the women pathways out of exploitation (program impact objective 3). Providing specific support to the women to exit situations of sexual exploitation was not particularly relevant for the participants of this group as all of women were already in the path of exiting and recovery. The only participant who was still in a situation of exploitation withdrew from the program midway as she was facing safety issues outside of the group. Therefore the focus for this group of women was to address their current life challenges and issues so they develop the capacity to stay out of contexts of exploitation. Three main strategies were adopted in the program to achieve this objective: 1. to increase empowerment through increased skills in communication and reflective action 2. to minimise social isolation through new connections and enhanced capacity to form and maintain networks 3. to foster a community of women with shared experiences - Women form a strong allegiance and develop a feeling of solidarity within the group, Women gain skills and knowledge and feel motivated to advocate for marginalised women in their communities The evaluation question sought to assess if these strategies worked well to achieve the desired objective. 1. EMPOWERMENT The program primarily aimed for empowering the women to become aware of and move out of situations of exploitations on their own. Group activities to help build self-confidence, selfawareness, and to enhance communication skills and social connectedness were all designed to achieve this outcome. Participants agreed that they have an increased sense of empowerment as all of them have rated this at a 5 on a scale of 1-5. One of the facilitators recalled the experience of a woman who wanted to move out to a safe housing situation and she achieved this during the course of the program through the support and encouragement she received. The participant also confirmed the achievement of this aim through her feedback. One of the women in one of the really positive journeys was in unsafe housing, she shared about her situation...we encouraged her, we could link her in with some housing support. She was like I want to do it myself she wanted her independence... we respected that just made sure we were available when she wanted to talk about it then a few sessions into the program she told us she was meeting the Housing Support to look at some housing...and she ended up transitioning into safe housing during the program. That was really positive because I think it was about her confidence...a lot of the issues were around having the confidence to get help. The group did help her to feel more confident and it s not a weakness to ask for help 2. MINIMISE SOCIAL ISOLATION Social isolation was a major issue identified by participants in their pre-program interviews. The group clearly achieved social connectedness to a high degree within the group as demonstrated by the changes in pre and post-program ratings for connectedness in the group star. This is further supported by feedback from the participants and the facilitators. The facilitators have recorded that during the sessions the participants started communicating more and connecting with each other. In our relationship with them they felt acceptance, unconditional acceptance they received in the group, a place where they can be themselves, without feeling the stigma, they are talking about things they may not be comfortable talking about with others, and this connects well with their social isolation as well. One of the women was very anxious, found it hard to connect because of lack of confidence and the social isolation, as the group went on, you can see her body relax and she started making jokes, used humour more...she started doing more outside of the group as well.. Participant feedback also indicate that the program provided them a safe space to communicate and network. Many participants said that they had formed friendships with other participants that they intend to take beyond the group. They had swapped phone 24

28 numbers and started going to yoga classes together. When asked about the sense of safety and trust they felt within the group, all the participants who returned the post-program questionnaire gave a rating of 5 on a scale of 1-5 where 1 was No, not at all and 5 Yes, very much. Participants also gave a rating of 5 to questions on the group helping them to build positive connections. 3. FOSTER A COMMUNITY OF WOMEN Both the facilitators agreed that they realised that this was one of the strongest goals that was met through the program as they observed, made notes and reflected on participant behaviour in the sessions. The following comment from one of the facilitators summarises this change in participants through the program: They shared interests about food, yoga and quickly developed relationships and some of them will continue as they have shared interests and are comfortable with each other. As the group developed and connections got stronger it was apparent that they started sharing more...personal difficulties, they felt safe and trusted people to start sharing these. Facilitators also observed that during the sessions women started feeling part of a group spontaneously supporting each other, discussing how to help each other and offering help to fill out Centrelink forms for one of the participants who found it difficult. The experience of the women within the group was summed up by one of the participants: All of us have similar struggles, and you don t realise how many people have similar struggles, I don t feel so alone anymore And one of the participants went on to say: Normally I m a runner but I feel like I can be more of a supporter. I don t usually stay in groups for long especially if I don t feel safe but I immediately felt safe in this group and have really enjoyed making new friends and connections. Feedback from the facilitators and participants make it clear that the program provided women an opportunity to come together to connect with others, share stories and feel solidarity with others who may have had similar experiences. Whether the participants would use their new knowledge and skills to advocate and support for other women in similar situations in their community is beyond the scope of this evaluation. 25

29 4. The impact of the program on HerSpace The program manager reported on the impact of the program on HerSpace as an organisation. Running this pilot program was welcomed as a definite and positive step in realising the vision and mission of HerSpace. HerSpace staff, the Board of Directors and the handful of volunteers all communicated excitement and fulfilment as they felt a validation of their effort. As the program manager said: It has been nice to share the stories of the direct impact of what we are doing to the other staff and the Board, and they felt motivated and inspired and energised. We can see that we had something small, but it was really impacting and motivates us to want to grow HerHealing HerHealing is founded on strong partnership with community organisations in Melbourne with effective referral pathways into our program Program Impact (3.2) : Key Messages Data from all sources indicate that significant changes occurred in terms of achievement of personal goals for participants and in the anticipated outcomes of the program. The impact of the program was specifically through the art therapy and mindfulness techniques In terms of changes in awareness and skills participants reported: Increased awareness of safety, physical and emotional, Enhanced skills in social connectedness self confidence self expression acceptance goal planning Moving forward and feeling empowered In terms of the program helping participants to address specific issues and challenges, the following were identified: Supporting pathways out of exploitation mainly by increasing awareness and skills to take reflective action Minimisation of social isolation through increased connections and self- confidence and communication Fostering a community of women through feelings of solidarity within the group, shared experiences and interests, and retaining the connections outside of the group 26

30 5. Limitations of the evaluation There were a number of limitations in the mode and type of data collection for this evaluation. These include the small sample size, sensitivity around the recent trauma of participants and the inability to measure any longer term behaviour changes. It may be argued that the small number of participants in this group program did not provide a robust sample. However the nature of this personcentered group therapeutic program was intended as a subjective and personal experience for the participants. The very nature of this program did not warrant a highly objective and survey type of evaluation method of data collection from participants. It was not easy for the evaluation team to interview the participants directly because of their recent experience of trauma. To overcome these limitations several modes of data collection including questionnaires, goal sheets, and group activities from participants and semi-structured in-depth interviews with the facilitators and the program manager were incorporated to ascertain as much objectivity and triangulation as possible. 6. Summary and Conclusion Data from all sources indicate that significant changes occurred in terms of achievement of personal goals for participants and in the anticipated outcomes of the program as demonstrated in the tables and the group star. It is to be noted that the program objectives, the participants goals and the group goals set by facilitators were all aspects of awareness creation and skills development to empower the women to build resilience and deal with their trauma and its impact. The program posed a few issues and challenges in its delivery and content design. There was a constant tension to balance the available funds with the program needs. However, there was overall appreciation of the program s content and mode of delivery. The art therapy techniques and mindfulness training worked well with the group. Feedback from participants and observation by the facilitators points to the significant and positive impact of the program. In spite of a number of constraints the program was able to meet its objectives in a timely and effective manner. 27