FVIP: A Domestic Violence Intervention Program for Georgia Refugees Georgia Department of Human Resources

Refugee Assistance Program Michael Singleton – State Refugee Coordinator 5 Project Administrators

Family Violence Intervention Program (FVIP) Men’s Program Women’s Support Groups Community Education Sessions Media Outreach Collaborating Agencies: The Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc.

Target Population Refugees in Metro- Atlanta Other communities with high refugee populations At-risk families (as identified through court systems, etc.)

Goals and Objectives To organize and facilitate community education sessions for refugees, caseworkers and community members to increase knowledge and awareness of family violence, U.S. laws and resources. To conduct a culturally competent FVIP for refugee men. To provide support services to family members, partners and other interested women on areas of domestic violence. To conduct media outreach, to include print releases and Public Service Announcements that increase awareness of family violence and existing services.

Successes Media Outreach – Outreach pieces were published in various ethnic newspapers and magazines including: Ethiopian, Somali, Russian and Vietnamese. Materials on domestic violence are now available in Arabic, Bosnian, Kirundi, Farsi, Somali and Swahili. Knowledge Level: Increase of basic domestic violence education - 87% of men’s group participants, 90% of women’s group participants and 66% of the Community Education participants have shown increase in knowledge.

Challenges Men’s Program/FVIP: Men from countries including Burma, Burundi, Bhutan, Liberia and Russia have participated in the program.  Difficult to recruit male participants; they fear repercussions of the sessions, i.e. ‘male-bashing, stigma, etc. Also cultural misunderstandings.

Technical Assistance Interpretation Training – important to have culturally competent interpreters with direct knowledge of domestic violence issues.

THANK YOU!