Vietnamese Men s Family Violence Program. Evaluation Report

Transcription

1 Vietnamese Men s Family Violence Program Evaluation Report

2 Contents Acknowledgments 1. Project Background 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Objectives 1.3 Outcomes 1.4 Limitations 2. Project Planning and Implementation 2.1 Setting up the Project 2.2 Reference Group 2.3 Group Facilitators 2.4 Recruitment of Participants 2.5 Family Violence Group Sessions 2.6 Program Evaluation 3. Challenges 4. Recommendations 5. Conclusion 1

3 Acknowledgments Vietnamese Men s Family Violence Group Project, Evaluation Report was prepared by intouch, Multicultural Centre against Family Violence (formerly known as Immigrant Women s Domestic Violence Service) in partnership with Djerriwarrah Health Service Kildonan Uniting Care Relationships Australia Victoria/Sunshine The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture (VFST), No to Violence Male Family Violence Prevention Association Australian Vietnamese Women s Association 2

4 1. Background 1.1 Introduction intouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence - formerly known as Immigrant Women s Domestic Violence Service (IWDVS) - is a statewide notfor-profit organisation that provides support and crisis intervention to women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who are experiencing family violence. Founded in 1984, the organisation is now an established centre of excellence in service provision. intouch has developed an enviable reputation in the community services sector as a responsive, proactive and innovative body committed to women and children of CALD communities who are in an environment where domestic violence is present. intouch has formed strong links with Government and other bodies to ensure a model of service which promotes quality outcomes and accountability delivered in a culturally sensitive and efficient manner. In our 25 years of experience working with CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) women and children, we have recognised that to be truly effective in the minimisation/eradication of family violence and its profound effect on CALD women and children, it is pivotal that men be part of the solution to this issue. We are directly affected by the barriers CALD men experience to Men s Behaviour Change Programs because this hinders our safety planning with women. A high proportion of our clients do not want to leave the relationship but want their partners to find some interventions to change their violent behaviours. We believe that this can be achieved by providing Men s Behaviour Change Programs targeted to CALD men. Men s Behaviour Change (MBC) work with men can also enhance the safety of women and children where she has decided to leave, has left or wants to leave the relationship and work towards independence and self-sufficiency. 3

5 CALD men with limited competency in English simply do not know about Men s Behaviour Change programs or understand what it is about. It has been identified that proficiency in English is a significant predictor of whether people have seen, read or heard anything in the media about gendered violence, suggesting that language is a barrier to reaching CALD communities. This client group has little or no competence in English which provides significant challenges for mainstream services to offer sustainable programs which will result in behavioural change. Due to our ongoing advocacy on this issue within the Family Violence sector and beyond, intouch was successful in receiving support from three agencies (Relationships Australia Victoria (RAV), Kildonan Uniting Care and Djeriwarrah Health Service) from within the North West Men s Integrated Family Violence and Housing Services Partnership. These agencies known as the Partnership Group provided financial support and in-kind expertise to intouch to conduct culturally sensitive intervention for men from CALD backgrounds. Based on the demographics in the North West Region, a Vietnamese group was selected as the pilot constituent. With funding from the three agencies, intouch conducted a pilot project titled Men s Family Violence Group from March to June 2010 where six Vietnamese men were engaged in a 15 session group program. In addition, intensive support was provided to their partners/ ex-partners around family violence issues. 1.2 Objectives The objectives of the project were to: Decrease the prevalence of family violence within the targeted Vietnamese community by engaging Vietnamese men in group sessions To increase safety of Vietnamese women/ partners and other affected family members by providing support to them 4

6 To increase accessibility to Men s Behaviour Change programs in the North West Region for CALD (specifically Vietnamese) men To contribute to increased learning in relation to family violence within the targeted CALD communities by service providers To document the gaps and challenges faced during the project cycle and to advocate for more groups for CALD men 1.3 Outcomes The envisaged outcomes of this project were: Decrease in the prevalence of family violence within these targeted communities Increased safety of women and children Increased learning in relation to family violence within the targeted CALD communities by the service providers Increased commitment for the continuity of groups for CALD men 1.4 Limitations The Vietnamese Men s Family Violence Group was not able at this stage to adhere to the No To Violence standards as a whole, and as such was not a Men s Behaviour Change Program. This was primarily due to two reasons: 1. The first was a very limited budget to pilot the program. Despite the monetary contributions of the three partner agencies from the North West Men s Consortium Group, and the significant in-kind and financial contributions from intouchas the lead agency, the program s budget was significantly smaller than that required to run a Men s Behaviour Change Program that meets the No To Violence minimum standards. 2. A few of the No To Violence standards are difficult to immediately adhere to in the context of pioneering programs such as the Vietnamese Men s Family Violence Group. For example, there is no 5

7 one in the Vietnamese community who could immediately step into the role as a Level Three facilitator, or even as a Level Two Facilitator. One of the key objectives of the evaluation process is to assist planning for a development process that will enable the Vietnamese Men s Family Violence Program to progress towards recognition as a Men s Behaviour Change Program in the medium-term future. 6

8 2. Project Planning and Implementation 2.1 Setting up the Project The current pilot project rolled out from within the North West Men s Integrated Family Violence and Housing Services Partnership. A workshop funded by the Department of Human Services (DHS) was held during the early life of the partnership. During this workshop, we brainstormed strategies to work with CALD clients and identified three key actions issues: Cross-cultural training for Men s Behaviour Change facilitators regarding working with CALD men, including working with interpreters Engaging CALD men in mainstream MBC groups The need for a specific CALD group Following that, a one day workshop was then held in February 2009 for all MBC Program staff in the north-west. The workshop titled Working with Interpreters was co-facilitated by intouch and Foundation House. The largest communities in the north-west were Arabic and Vietnamese speaking and these were reflected in intouch statistics regarding contact with women affected by family violence. A proposal was explored with intouch and a project commenced to develop a Vietnamese speaking men s group. Accordingly, intouch entered into partnership with the Partnership Group in early 2009 with financial commitments from Djerriwarrah Health Service;Kildonan Uniting Care and Relationships Australia Victoria/Sunshine. 2.2 Reference Group A Reference Group was set up with members of the Partnership Group. intouch also initiated partnerships with the Australian Vietnamese Women s Association (AVWA), Foundation House, and No to Violence Male Family Violence Prevention Association (NTV) for contribution to the project in their 7

9 various expertise areas. The first Reference Group meeting was held on 17 July, The Reference Group members met on a monthly basis and thereafter to contribute to various phases of the project as well as providing ongoing support. The Reference Group performed a very active and hands-on role in the establishment and ongoing maintenance of the program. Reference group members and particular staff from the agencies they represented invested hundreds of hours of in-kind support in the months leading up to and during the program. This support consisted of the following: Cultural understanding and the contextualisation of Men s Behaviour Change work in the Vietnamese community Conceptualisation and planning for the project, at both macro and micro levels Assistance to intouch in project management Recruitment and selection of group facilitators Provision of opportunities for professional development for the facilitators Development of systems and procedures in administration and record keeping, supervision and other key areas. Advice concerning a range of operational procedures Provision of clinical expertise and advice concerning particular cases and challenging situations in assessment and group delivery Due to the limited budget available to support the program, this and other hands-on support provided by Reference Group members and their representative organisations was vital. With intouch as the lead agency, this collaborative effort ensured the viability of the program based on a strong determination amongst all parties for the pilot to proceed. 8

10 After the initial commitment from the Partnership Group and intouch, the timeframe shifted due to celebrations and festivals in the Vietnamese communities. The next challenge was recruitment of Vietnamese facilitators with relevant experience and qualifications required for the project. 2.3 Group Facilitators Recruitment of Vietnamese facilitators proved to be a very resource intensive process. After reconfirmation from Swinburne Universities database that there were no graduates from the Group Facilitation Course with a Vietnamese background, candidates having experience in family violence and group facilitation skills were prioritised. Consequently, two candidates (male and female) were recruited for the project with acknowledgement that a lot of resources had to be invested towards their professional development. During the orientation stage, the facilitators were provided with opportunities to meet all Reference Group members as well as receiving one on one mentoring opportunities in their various areas of expertise. In addition, a high degree of solid Reference Group work was needed to establish this group. Generous input from the facilitators of Relationships Australia/ Sunshine Men s Behavior Change Groups was provided, offering opportunities for observation and mentoring. During the first few months of their employment, the facilitators were provided the following opportunities: One day training on Introduction to Domestic Violence : DVRC One day Training on Comprehensive Assessment in Men's Behaviour Change programs: Swinburne University Opportunity to observe intouch intake and case management practice with survivors of domestic violence clients (for the female facilitator) 9

11 Opportunity to observe the current MBC group through RAV Sunshine Opportunity to co-facilitate the Men s Entry Group through RAV Sunshine Opportunity to observe and co-facilitate the Mentor group (Men taking on responsibility) through RAV Sunshine Ongoing support was provided to the facilitators through: Part of the reference group Back up person during and after the sessions for debriefing /additional support Back up host agency of RAV Debriefing and supervision sessions One on one mentoring and support provided by RAV facilitators 2.4 Recruitment of Participants Another major challenge was recruitment of participants. Due to the nonexistence of such programs catering to Vietnamese men who use violence in their relationships, there were no well-established referral pathways. The facilitators engaged in different ethnic celebrations and festivals and distributed information on the Men s Group as a potential avenue to educating communities on family violence and on the project. Community Events The following list conveys the community education opportunities the facilitators utilised, including events : Full Moon Festival : Sunshine, September 2009 Bo De s Temple Event: St.Albans, October 2009 Holy Eucharist Church : St Albans, November 2009 Quang Minh Temple: Sunshine, December 2009 Multicultural Mass at All Saints : Fitzroy, December 2009 Lunar New Year Festival Celebrations: St Albans; Footscray; Richmond; Springvale January / February

12 The facilitators felt that the Vietnamese community did not engage in such events. Talking about family violence in a public space hasnot been a common practice. However, by participation in such events, the broader objective of educating the Vietnamese communities on family violence was achieved. Networking and liaison with service providers Along with education sessions, information about the project was disseminated at various network meetings and forums. The facilitators networked with other service providers for referral pathways. The workers initiated court visits in the North-West region (Sunshine and NJC), providing information on the sessions. In addition, the program was advertised through NW Men s Consortium members and through the broader family violence sector. 2.5 Family Violence Group Sessions Referral and Assessments Vietnamese men were referred to the program through different pathways. Out of the ten men referred, five were referred through the court, one through DHS and the rest from Family Services. Assessments with potential participants were conducted by the facilitators. A lot of interest was expressed by the men in attending some sessions only. Out of the initial assessments done, only six participants demonstrated commitment to attend all 15 sessions and showed interest to work towards behaviour change. Initially, the faciitators conducted the assessments together to further their own learning. After a few sessions, the assessments were conducted by individual facilitators. The assessments were done in various locations to encourage trust building. They were conducted in shorter sessions up to two to three times especially when the issues were complex. A lot of flexibility was offered regarding the venue and timing of the assessments. 11

13 Group Sessions The 15 week group sessions commenced in March In addition to 12 sessions focusing on standard Men s Behaviour Change work, the first three sessions focused on the participant s issues arising from pre-immigration experiences. This included those relating to torture and trauma, as violence many have been a part of their lives prior to settlement in Australia. The three introductory sessions also assisted in building trusting relationships with the participants. The facilitators noticed that by the fourth session, the participants were in a much more comfortable place to open up to issues of family violence and behaviour change. The participants felt that they had common issues and had similar backgrounds which assisted a lot in setting the tone for future sessions. A culturally sensitive approach was incorporated whereby issues of patriarchy, social norms and values in relation to gender roles and gender identity were explored. The socialisation process that reinforced subordination of women in the country of origin was also explored. Considerable focus was paid to family violence being regarded as a family issue and a personal issue. The experiences involved in their journeys to Australia and their settlement was explored, with education regarding the legal and justice system in Australia. A mid-term review was conducted after seven sessions and feedback was provided to the participants. The mid-term review also provided an opportunity to revisit the curriculum for the 15 weeks of sessions and to seek feedback from the participants on the program and topics. The assessment from the mid-term review revealed that: The participants thought the two hour session was too short and suggested longer durations 80 per cent of the participants thought they were benefitting from the program and their outlook towards their partner and children had changed. (However, it is important to note that in Men s Behaviour 12

14 Change work, participant self-reports of attitudinal and behavioural change are not necessarily well correlated with actual changes to their attitudes and behaviours). The participants said they were learning about Australian law and systems They became aware of alternative ways to express their feelings and were finding it easier to deal with their own emotions The second half of the sessions continued to address the issue of family violence, behaviour change aspects, and the impact on women and children. During the course of group sessions, contact was maintained with the referral point to update on the participant s progress and identify any issues that impacted on the participant s ability to attend the sessions regularly. Supervision Supervision was provided by a Foundation House worker who had over 20 years of experience in working with Men s Behaviour Change Programs. This was initially provided on a fortnightly basis but this became weekly during the 15 weeks of the group session period. The facilitators provided updates on any issues/ challenges from the previous session, followed by planning for the upcoming session. The supervisor provided advice and guidance to the facilitators on managing and understanding how to use group process to best assist the men in their struggle to change; how to deal with difficult or challenging interactions arising from amongst the participants and how to keep the group on track without being proscriptive. Besides regular supervision from the supervisor, there were also several very experienced Men s Behaviour Change facilitators and supervisors on the reference group, who assisted in the provision of clinical advice on occasions. 13

15 Partner contact Partner contact was provided by intouch svietnamese bicultural family violence case worker throughout the group sessions. The worker provided phone support as well as face to face support to the partners/ex-partners. Few partners/ex-partners stated that they did not wish to be contacted regarding the issue as they had already separated. Regular contacts were maintained with the rest of the partners/ex-partners. At the end of the session, partners/ex-partners were asked about the effectiveness of the program for evaluation purposes. 2.6 Program Evaluation Participants feedback Besides the mid-term review, evaluation was conducted with the participants at the end of the program. The following results were collated from the findings. When interpreting these findings, it is important to remember that participants self-reports of attitudinal and behavioural change are not necessarily good indicators of actual changes. After the 15 sessions, the majority of participants stated that the program had been useful for them. The participants mentioned that the program had helped them to control their behaviour and temper and they now had a better understanding of the importance of changing their behaviour and to respect other family members. I have a better understanding of family violence and I believe that I am a good person now and will be in the future. I learned many things in this program that I didn t know before such as the impact of family violence and the laws in Australia. I feel this program has helped me become a better man. 14

16 One participant stated that when he began this program, he was resentful and did not engage for the first three sessions. He perceived it to be a boring and unhelpful program. Eventually, he disclosed that the program made him aware of the suffering he has caused his family due to his violent behaviour; and that the program had helped him to be aware about Australian laws in relation to family violence. He is now determined to treat his partner and children with respect. Another participant mentioned that he would include their spouses more in decision making rather than making all the decisions by himself. Another said that he now understood the value of his family life. In response to the question of whether they would have participated in a mainstream group, 90 per cent said they would not. One said he might have but would not have felt comfortable and would not have engaged well. Partners feedback Feedback was facilitated from the partners/ex-partners of men participating in the group sessions. (NB Four partners/ex partners were interviewed for feedback.) Most of the partners/ex-partners had witnessed some level of changes in the men. They mentioned that the male partners seemed to be calmer and more relaxed and had not exhibited any violent behaviour towards them. Some male partners continued to control the finances. The partners/expartners thought the program was too short and wanted it as an ongoing program. Eighty precent of them said that if it had not been conducted in Vietnamese, their partners would not have engaged due to limited English proficiency. Engaging in mainstream group sessions with interpreters is perceived as being disadvantaged. Vietnamese men do not want to be seen as being inferior to other participants who have English proficiency. There is no way that my partner would have attended this program if it was not delivered in Vietnamese. 15

17 Based on the feedback, the sessions seem to have benefitted the partners/ex partners as well, besides making a difference in the participant s lives. Facilitators feedback on participants The facilitators believed that the project had helped the participants be aware of their behaviour and work towards change. Over the course of the sessions, they observed that the men became more aware about the impacts of their violent behaviour on their family members. Based on the observations throughout the sessions, the facilitators stated that the participants opened up more towards the second half of the project and the level of change in their communication style was remarkable. The facilitators believed the program had not only helped the users of violence to change their behaviour positively, but their family members had benefited immensely from these changes as well. 16

18 3. Challenges There was recognition of the reality that establishing a new program such as this one takes a lot of energy and resources, hard work and setbacks. As documented, the project involved a lot of challenges during the planning, establishment and implementation phases, which are summarised here. Lack of well-established referral pathways Since there are no current programs to cater to CALD users of violence with no English proficiency, getting referrals was challenging. The development of referral pathways is necessarily linked to the existence of programs and the current challenges facing this pilot program mimics the experience of those involved in the development and provision of Men s Behaviour Change programs in Victoria over 20 years ago. Lack of Funding The current reality is that there is no ongoing commitment to the continuity of the project. Starting something as innovative as this required a high level of commitment and dedication with a lot of coordination with other organisations. However, no real resources have been committed for engaging CALD men in group sessions Lack of continuity of the program beyond the pilot project In encouraging referrals, the facilitators faced challenges when it came to the continuity of the program. The referral sources wanted to know if the program was ongoing. Being a one-off pilot project, we had no assured funding beyond that. There is clearly a great deal of interest and goodwill in this project amongst mainstream service providers, established Vietnamese community and cultural organisations, the courts and the police. In the event that this project receives ongoing funding, these will form an important source of referrals. 17

19 Adhering to NTV minimum standards Men s Behaviour Change programs are required to adhere to 46 minimum standards. The start up of CALD men s group comes with no history and investment of resources. There was a lot of acknowledgement that setting up a new project is usually very resource intensive and does not have the capacity to adhere to all required prerequisites. Lack of well-established human resources to conduct group sessions There are very few graduates from the Group Facilitation Course who have a CALD background. Since the qualification is one of the pre-requisites of conducting a Men s Behaviour Change Program, it would be somewhat challenging to establish similar CALD men s group in other communities. 18

20 4. Recommendations Recruitment and referral pathways Mainstream Men s Behaviour Change groups developed in response to bottom up community demand with, for example, agencies, community health and government bodies responding. Public opinion was ready for these developments and encouraged them. This in turn encouraged further developments in public opinion. Recruitment and referrals occurred within this context. We cannot expect the same considerable shifts that have occurred in mainstream community attitudes to assist us in program development for CALD communities. Due to reasons of culture and language the mainstream context referred to cannot be reproduced without causing lengthy delays, (possibly in terms of decades). The evaluation report highlighted that there was a need for a more strategic approach to recruiting participants as there was growing recognition that the concept of self-referral to such a program was too novel an idea for the Vietnamese community. Compulsory mandate by Courts compelling men to engage in groups would be helpful. A greater reliance upon such referral sources is both inevitable and acceptable while the readiness of particular CALD communities for voluntary or self-referral is addressed through strategically targeted public education initiatives. The provision of Men s Behaviour Change Programs will assist in shifting and developing public opinion within CALD communities. Community education events and festivals may not be the right avenue for referral as the Vietnamese community may not be ready to relate to the idea of self-referral. We need to evaluate whether community education and outreach should be a part of future projects. 19

21 Liaise with broader stakeholders such as Parenting Groups, psychologists, welfare workers, Family Support Services, couple counsellors and mainstream services which work with ethnic communities.. Recruitment also deals with the identification, support and training of a pool of workers within CALD communities wanting to work with men who use violence in their relationships. The need for community meetings of professionals/workers/interested parties from within CALD communities should be investigated. Education and Awareness Like other CALD communities, Vietnamese communities have been isolated from mainstream approaches on prevention and intervention of Family Violence. Compared with the mainstream program which has been in existence for over 20 years, this is just the beginning for the Vietnamese community. As this is a new program, there needs to be ongoing education so men using violence are able to speak openly about themselves. Culturally, Vietnamese men rarely speak about themselves - especially about their weaknesses or limitations - in front of other people. Collaboration and Funding Formation of Advisory Groups (with bigger membership) that meets up to four times a year. These groups could be made up of a cross section of concerned stakeholders with the possibility of inviting representatives from the court (within the Department of Justice) and police to be a part of the groups. 20

22 More focus on referral points, Justice, Child Protection and Public Correction with better coordination between different agencies and service providers There is a need to secure ongoing commitment from all the service providers and advocacy to gain financial commitment from other organisations. Realistic funding for pre-planning needs to be costed and funded. Tap into existing groups and networks to educate on the program and tackle the broader issue of family violence and resources Investigate other men s services that may be interested in being involved and contributing to the project Session improvements Ask a supervisor to attend periodically for a few sessions so the participants could feel more respected. The level of transparency with the supervisor may be fine to some degree; however it may undermine the authority of the facilitators. Therefore, perhaps the supervisor may have some presence with an option of video-taping the sessions randomly for feedback. Establish a protocol for debriefing after each session. Having the opportunity to release the stress right away may be beneficial to the facilitators. The current project did not have that mechanism set up on a regular basis, although this was offered from Relationships Australia Victoria premises. Assessment needs to be conducted on site rather than outreach. The learning is that it needs to be set in a formal and professional setting where the facilitators get more support and debriefing after each 21

23 session. The assessment might lead to a lot of disclosures which need debriefing. Worker safety also needs to be considered with regard to the venue for assessments. Even though a lot of flexibility was offered in the time and venue of the assessment of the potential clients, informal assessment environments are not the best in situations where safety might be a concern or the assessor might require some support (eg when a trick or risk-related situation arises). A more frequent and direct communication between partner contact worker and facilitators needs to be set up whereby the facilitators update the partner contact worker of any concerns around safety issues based on the interaction with participants in the group setting. There is a suggestion to maintain regular contact even after the project is completed (up to 3 or 4 times a year). Besides engagement in group sessions, the participants did not have the opportunity to talk to the facilitators beyond the group setting. This is because the facilitators weren t employed in the lead agency. A more appropriate venue for the delivery of the session should be found during the planning stage. The potential venue for such a program has to safeguard the security of the workers as well as have the support mechanisms incorporated. Services that are open in the evenings for other supports and groups may be the appropriate venue rather than isolated places such as church facilities or agencies that only operate during business hours. 22

24 5. Conclusion This evaluation documents a wide range of strengths and complexities that need to be considered to further future efforts to develop and deliver men s family violence programs in CALD communities. The evaluation demonstrates the vital importance of a strong coalition of active representatives from relevant stakeholder agencies, including experienced Men s Behaviour Change workers, Family Violence workers with culturally sensitive understandings and experience, and local or state-wide advocacy associations for the specific cultural community. The active participation of reference group members and organisations has enabled the Vietnamese Men s Family Violence Group to steadily and successfully address a range of key issues in its development and delivery. This development process serves as a model for other potential efforts to develop Men s Family Violence Programs in languages other than English, that have the clear intention to become recognised as Men s Behaviour Change Programs within a two to three year time period. This developmental process is somewhat analogous to the recently initiated indigenous Men s Family Violence Programs. Funding was provided to assist indigenous organisations to develop the foundations of culturally sensitive programs that will hopefully develop into Men s Behaviour Change Programs at a later point. However, without dedicated sources of funding and ongoing commitments from state and federal government, it is difficult to sustain such a project. The Vietnamese Men s Family Violence Project was designed, implemented and evaluated with a lot of goodwill, dedication and commitment by members of the Partnership and Reference Group. All workers involved in this pilot project exhibited willingness to share ideas, resources, skills and practice knowledge. There was a commitment to talk issues through and to come to 23

25 collaborative agreement, to recognise that the timelines may blow out, and that the project would continue to be resource intensive. All the Reference Group members and their organisations have developed in their knowledge of working towards behaviour change with Vietnamese men who have used violence. Our networks have also developed - as has a real respect for colleagues from a diversity of services. We are passionate about the significance of this work and poised to continue to evolve similar projects into the future. By highlighting the process and challenges involved, this report hopes to secure further funding to continue to provide such service. We also hope to continue to advocate to the wider communities to ensure that Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities do not miss out on their rights to social inclusion. Accessibility must be secured. 24

26 Copyright 2011 State of Victoria First published State of Victoria ISBN InTouch Inc. Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence GPO Box 2905 Melbourne Vic 3001 Phone: (03) (admin line) Fax: (03) Public Intake: (03) Country Callers: (freecall) TTY: (03) (hearing impaired) Website: intouch - Multicultural Centre Against Family Viloence was formally known as Immigrant Women s Domestic Violence Services