Community Advocacy and Education
Battered Women’s Trust Community Advocacy team work with victims of Family Violence who choose to remain in their homes and communities, rather than moving into the refuge safe house. This in itself brings safety issues for which a safety plan is required. This may include support to obtain Family Court Orders to prevent the abuser from returning to the property.
Other advocacy work includes education on what constitutes Family Violence, empowering the women to report any violence that occurs and enforcement of Family Court Orders through reporting. Advocating for the family may include Oranga Tamariki, NZ Police, Work and Income, schools, doctors and other agencies the family may already be working with.
Women become community clients through the crisis line as self-referrals, referrals from another agency, i.e. the NZ Police, The Integrated Safety Response (ISR), Christchurch Hospital, or by simply dropping into our community office.
Community clients are often referred to further ongoing services such as our 10-week family violence education programme, one on one family violence education, personal counselling and the opportunity to attend an ongoing support group.