DISABILITY JUSTICE PROJECT

Facilitators Guide

‘Domestic, Family Violence and People with Cognitive Disability’

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NotesThe purpose of this document is to provide an outline of the content and training activities in a training program.It is designed to be used for face-to-face and webinar courses. For online courses, use the Online Course Development Pack

This is the first document to be developed in the course development process

The Lesson Plan will then be circulated for feedback and approval. This feedback can be noted in the final column of the table.Once approval has been given, the following documents will need to be completed:

● Trainer’s Guide● Participant Notes● Power-point presentation

Training Approach

Themes to be covered throughout all courses: Collaborative work Person centred Attitudes/values Applying practical communication strategies Early intervention

This project aims to assist workers to provide services and supports that are aligned to current best practice in the sector and are aligned to the above philosophical themes.

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Collaborative work refers to:1. Workers honouring the expertise those clients have in their own lives, and what works and doesn’t work for them. It requires a

fundamental shift of power in the working relationship, from the more traditional worker as expert and client as a passive recipient of services, to client as an active partner, who is supported to be as autonomous as possible. Particularly in residential settings, the aim is to reduce practice that is coercive and punitive and that leaves clients feeling that they do not have control over their lives and that they are unable to participate in decisions that affect them.

2. Assisting workers to work build relationships and partnerships with a range of agencies/ workers and client’s own natural supports, (Family, extended family, cultural groups and friend, who are able to provide specific services, supports and resources that workers are unable to. Building and maintaining current networks and actively linking clients to a range of relevant resources and services are essential components of collaborative practice.

Another training approach is to promote the use of person first language. Increasingly, we are becoming aware of the importance of using language that acknowledges the whole person and doesn’t totally define a person by a negative label (i.e., calling a person a disabled). Supporting clients to build a positive identity often requires their being able to break free from an identity that has been defined by their disability, and we know that language use is critical to this process.

Traditional disability language Person first languageSuffers from Lives with or managesManipulative Resourceful or has unmet needsNon-compliant Chooses not to because…Resistant Not open to, or doesn’t agree withMy clients Clients who use our serviceCase Name of the person!

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Person centred means that: The client is at the centre of all work assessment, planning and active work. By drawing on, and utilising strengths based approach, workers are assisted to identify, explore and build on clients’ strengths, resilience, hopes and dreams. Work goals are driven by what the client wishes to achieve, and strategies are consistent with what an individual client has identified as being desirable and feasible for them. This requires flexibility and individualised, tailored supports rather than standardised practices that do not best meet individual client needs.

Attitudes/ values:It is important that all training courses encourage and develop the ability of workers to regularly reflect on how their own values, attitudes, beliefs and experiences impact the work that they do with clients. Developing a deep understanding of how a client views themselves and the world around them is another skill that the training will build. Infusing powerful questions and exploratory conversations that encourage workers to question the way they work, the decisions that underpin the choices they make, and the impact on clients when strong personal values are held, are possible ways to facilitate this type of reflection.

Applying practical communication strategies:A core component of many training courses will require building knowledge and skills, and providing opportunities to practice and polish communication skills that enable workers to:

● Actively engage with clients● Develop empathy● Provide safety, ● Build trust and rapport, ● Provide constructive feedback ● Establish roles, responsibilities and clear boundaries● Validate client experiences and perceptions● Reframe unhelpful thinking● Clarify both their own and clients understanding of communications. In line with the diverse range of cognitive disabilities and

impairments that client’s experience? It will be important to include specific communication strategies that assist clients to comprehend and memorise information necessary for them to achieve maximum auton0my in their lives. Equipping clients to self-advocate to achieve

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their rights, and worker advocacy on their behalf where and when needed, will be another core component of building communication skills for this target client group.

Early intervention:A recurring training theme will be how to intervene as early as possible in order to avoid contact with the Justice system, and to minimise the negative impacts of contacts by:

Providing appropriate levels of support for clients with a cognitive disability who are at risk of contact with the Justice system. Being aware of, and advocating for diversion from the Criminal Justice system and promoting community-based sentencing as an

alternative to imprisonment. This will require knowledge of commonly used, relevant diversionary legislation such as Section.32 of the Mental Health (Forensics Provisions) Act 1990 (NSW) to divert people with conditions including intellectual disabilities charged with a criminal offence from the Criminal Justice system.

All training will need a focus on holistic work practice that views a client in the context of their relationships and communities. Rather than merely focussing on individual labels, issues and flaws. A training aim is to enable workers to consider individual, family, community, cultural and societal issues that impact on the lives of clients.

Careful consideration of all these domains and the interactions between them will provide a holistic understanding of client experiences to inform practice strategies and decisions.

Engaging with communities and linking clients to community resources necessitates inclusion of training content that assists workers to establish and maintain current, networks and to provide different levels of support and involvement when referring clients to external agencies.

Evidence basePlease document evidence that informs the course content. Evidence needs to be aligned to current best practice and the themes outlined above. We would like a blend of academic evidence, (both qualitative and quantities), and lived experience evidence. Infusion of real life stories and examples of what has worked for clients/ex-clients living with a cognitive disability in contact with the criminal justice system, along with any examples of the inclusion of lived experience expertise in service planning, delivery or evaluation will be highly valued.

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Trainers Guide

Session Content and learning Outcomes

Sessions content and activities Length of session

Training Resources/Notes

9.30 – 11.15 am:Welcome & Introduction

Participants will be provided with an over view of the training session. Schedule of the day and logistics of the venue.

Develop a group agreement

Introduce themselves

Participants will be provided with a general overview of DJP

Participants will be provided with a general overview of the training content and learning outcomes

1. Introduction – Pp. 2 Introduction by facilitator Acknowledgement/Welcome to country Housekeeping – exits, bathrooms, break times Group agreement – Phones on silent, no silly

questions … Participant introductions Overview of DJP – Framework, objectives,

community practice and project and training development

Training overview/ learning outcomesDJP overview is: Pp. 3Project framework Pp. 4‘Build capacity across the NSW disability sector to support people with a cognitive disability who come into contact with the justice system, to be able to exercise their rights under the law”Training overview Pp5

Todays course is focused on providing workers within the Justice System information, tools and practical strategies to use when working with people with cognitive disability that may be experiencing or affected by Domestic and or Family violence.

Learning overview - Pp. 6

20 mins Talk participants through the PP slide2Facilitator to introduce them selves.Facilitator can do an acknowledgement of country, however if the facilitator feels confident enough to ask some body in the group if they would like to do the acknowledgement or a welcome to country that is fine too.For example, I would say. Hello everyone my name is Ashlee Donohue I am a proud Dunghutti woman born and raised in Kempsey on the mid north coast of NSW and as such I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners on who’s land we meet today, pay my respect to the Elders past and present, and to everyone in the room for turning up to participate in today’s session. You can also acknowledge anyone in the room who has lived experience of trauma, disability and or domestic violence – no identifying just

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For participants to have a clear understanding of what constitutes domestic, family violence and the affects on women, children, men, family and communities.

acknowledging, if you like.Facilitator to scope room/area to know where bathrooms, exits etc. are locatedParticipants are to come up with what they would like and not like in their agreement e.g. One speaker at a time, no talking on phones, no silly questions, privacy, safe learning space, what said in here stays in here etc., this helps to engage participants fully, it is also a good opportunity to bring up self care and vicarious trauma – which will be covered later in the day.• This is solely up to facilitators

– either do an ice breaker of get group to do self introductions

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Participants will gain a clear understanding of the definitions of:

Cognitive disability’ Domestic violence, Family violence. What constitutes a

DV relationship Statistics

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2. Definitions & Statistics - Pp. 7-22 Cognitive disability

- Types of Development Delays- Causes

Domestic Violence- What it can be

Family Violence- Examples

Statistics YouTube Clip – ‘Lets change the story’

- Debrief Indigenous women

- Statistics- Justice system- Cognitive disability

Indigenous men offence profile People with cognitive disability Perpetrators may include Indigenous people with cognitive disability

25 minutes Talk participants through slides Encourage conversation during the definitions, ask participants what do they think constitutes:

- Domestic Violence- Family Violence

Get some answers before you go onto the next slide.

Read notes under Pp. slides

Get participants to read out the writing in black after you read out the words in red in the DV slide. (Check info under pp. slide).

Lets change the story (Duration- 4. Minutes 28 seconds) brings together international research, and nationwide experience, on what drives violence against women and their children and what works to prevent it.Get participants to discuss what they thought of “Lets change the Story’..

The indigenous men pp. is included here to highlight the fact that

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Play DVD – Angela’s Story - Pp. 23 Debrief of DVD

______________________________________________

Morning Tea 11am-11.15am

Indigenous men end up in the justice system due to violence. If we work on elimination violence we reduce the incarceration of Indigenous men.

11.15am -12.30pm

Participants will learn how to identify challenges facing people with cognitive disability who have experienced DV/FV.

3. Group Activities – Pp25

Situational Study – participants will break into groups and brainstorm referring to their expertise and experience with working with people with cognitive disability experienced DV/FV.

25 minutes (Case study) has been changed to situational study to highlight a person centre approach.

Butchers paper Markers

One group will discuss the needs of Aboriginal people with a cognitive disability and compare with other groups to see if the needs are the same.

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Participants will gain an understanding of the risks and difficulties that surround clients with a cognitive disability who are experiencing domestic or and family violence and develop a work plan.

Challenges – Pp. 26What are some of the challenges?

Discuss challenges faced by Aboriginal people – compare with other groups – Are the barriers the same?

4. Identifying the Gaps – Pp. 27Services

Government Community Aboriginal Legal Health Support

-Social-Family

- Community Peer Collaboration Pp. 26– Participants will develop a work plan for a client highlighting the value of cross- agency collaboration and report back to the group

15 minutes

30 minutes

White board and markerFacilitator to lead a brainstorming session with participants under the headings of:Challenges; what are some people with cognitive disability face?What are their rights? Are they the same as people without disability?

Get participants to really think about the challenges.

Get participants to identify a gap in each service, get them to write it on a piece of paper – When everyone is finished go around the room and ask each participant what they wrote – see if there is a particular trend towards one of the service examples falling through the gaps!

Participants will break into three groups and develop a plan for:

One client will require an AVO (Female with a Cognitive disability) Her boyfriend who has no disability keeps

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1.10 – 3.15pm

Participants will develop strategies in addressing boundaries that may affect people with cognitive disability experiencing domestic and or family violence.

______________________________________________

Lunch – 12.30 -1.10pm______________________________________________

5. Boundaries – Pp. 29

Participants will discuss ‘Boundaries’ what they look like, how to affectively apply them, the affects of NOT having boundaries in place.

Question to group: Do the boundaries change for people from different cultural backgrounds?

20 minutes

bullying her for her payments and has become aggressive verbally and emotionally.

One client requires help with electricity (single mother with cognitive disability)

One client is homeless (An Aboriginal male with cognitive disability) who has been living on the streets, since being released from jail he has to find accommodation as part of his bail conditions.

Butchers paper Markers Imagination

Facilitator to offer up some examples of boundaries and examples of boundaries when blurred – be imaginative. Get participants to break into their groups, answer the question then report back.

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And identify and gain insight to the list of what is;

Participants will gain an understanding of what is a True and what is a False around beliefs pertaining to people with cognitive disability who may be experiencing domestic or and family violence, and the justice system.

Good /Best practice – Participants will learn about the key principles that promote Best/Good practice and identify the current DAA policy in place

5.1 What are; Pp.30 Ombudsman report/complaint Duty of care Child protection Risk assessment Apprehended Violence Order (AVO - ADVO) Mandatory reporting

6. True or False Pp.31True or False quiz – 20 questions – discuss answers

7. Best/ Good Practice – Pp. 32-41What does it mean?Does it cover people from different cultural backgrounds?Key principlesCurrent Government policy for DAA

15 minutes

15 minutes

Participants to turn to page29 In Participants Manuel and take the quiz.

Facilitator to go over answers when everyone has finished – to see how well they faired.

Facilitator to ask participant what they think best/good practice is. Write some of the answers on the white board before reading through PP slides outlining the key principles

Read the notes under PPRead out current DAA policy

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Participants will develop and apply effective peer collaboration when responding to people with a cognitive disability who are experiencing domestic and or family violence

Participants will have a variety of services to tap into for perpetrators

8. Peer Collaboration – Pp. 42Participants will develop a work plan for a client with a particular need. Again participants are to highlight the value of cross- agency collaboration and report back to the group.

Group Work scenario’s provided on page 57 in Participants Manual

There is an example of a work plan on page 35 In the Participants Manuel

9. Perpetrators: Pp. 43 - 47What’s out there for them?Are men affected by DV/FVChange your ways DVD

25 minutes

45 minutes

Work towards Developing an understanding of the needs of people with cognitive disability experiencing DV/FV How this may vary. Example: (People with disabilities who live in institutions and residential settings are particularly susceptible to violence from staff and other residents).

Facilitator to highlight the fact that if working in the justice systems workers are more likely to be have perpetrators as clients.

Read out the finding on the graph

DVD - Change your way

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3.30 - 4.30pm

Participants will gain an understanding and the cause of the impacts on working in this field. They will also be given a variety of tools to use around ‘self care’

3.15pm – 3.30 – Afternoon Tea_______________________________________________

10. Impact on workers – Pp. 44-57 Vicarious Trauma Complex PTSD Self Care Supervision

11. Support Services – Pp. 58 List of services who can help

12. Reflection Questions – Pp. 59 Evaluation questionnaire

13. Session Closed. - 4.30pm

40 minutes

5 minutes

10 minutes

5 minutes

This is a very detailed section with lots of information and clips to give a thorough understanding of the impacts of topics listed.

Self Care Activity read from Pp. 61

There is an activity for participants to complete on page 53 in Participants manual.

A list is provided on Page 37 Of Participants Manual

Read out on PP – leave up so participants can work from them

Thank everyone, pack up and give your self a hug for job well done

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Where to get help – Support services for clients

Wrap up of day – questions

Thank you - goodbye------

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7. True or False – Facilitators Copy

Quiz

Q1: Disability is infectious?

True False F

Q2: People with cognitive disability are entirely dependent on their family?

True False F

Q3: People with a cognitive disability experience domestic and family violence in a variety of settings, relationships and contexts.

True False T

Q4: People with a cognitive disability should not have children?

True False F

Q5: People with a cognitive disability are not able to be financially independent?

True False F

Q6: People can suffer brain injury resulting in cognitive disability impairment from road accidents?

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True False T

Q7: If one parent has a cognitive disability then the child will also have a disability?

True False F

Q8: People who have cognitive disability are at a greater risk of contact with the criminal justice system?

True False T

Q9: People with a cognitive disability can go undiagnosed?

True False T

Q10: Young People with a cognitive disability are at greater risk of entering custody?

True False T

Q11: Domestic violence only happens to people from poor families?

People of any class, culture, religion, sexual orientation, marital status and age can be victims or perpetrators of domestic violence. Because women with money usually have more access to resources, poorer women tend to use community agencies, and are therefore more visible.

True False F

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Q12: Violence affects few women in Australia?

True False F

High numbers of women experience violence in Australia. Last year 90 women died as a result of violence. The count is already up to 20 in 2017. (Facilitator to read out)

Q13: Some people deserve to be abused? They provoke it.

True False F

No one deserves to be abused. The only person responsible for the abuse is the abuser. Abusers tend to blame the victim for their behavior, and friends and family often hear only their perspective.

Q14: Most people who commit violent offences are intoxicated at the time of the offence?

True False F

(Info for facilitator) Although many abusive partners also abuse alcohol and/or drugs, and some are more likely to be physically violent or use more extreme violence when their judgment is impaired, this is not the underlying cause of the abuse. Many people who abuse alcohol or drugs are not violent and abusive.

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Q15: One in three women will be affected by violence by the age of 15 years?

True False T

Q16. Women who have a cognitive disability are at greater risk of becoming victims of violence? True False T

Q17. Proportionally, the rate of hospitalisation as a result of domestic, family violence is greater for Indigenous women?

True False T

Q18. Men are more likely to be victims of domestic violence than women?

True False F

19. Domestic, Family violence only involves physical violence?

True False F

20. Domestic, Family violence does not discriminate?

True False T

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4. Group Activities:

Situational Study – Scenario 1.Zelma is a single 22-year-old woman with a cognitive disability who was forced to move into a group home with two men with autism when her family was no longer able to support her. You have been assigned as Zelma’s caseworker. Zelma comes to you upset explaining she fears for her safety as she had no way of defending herself when she was hit by one of the men … What can you do for Zelma?

Facilitator notes:Do you ring the police?Is this domestic, family violence? If so, what indicates that it is?

Mention to participants duty of care and organizational policies and procedures that may dictate workers response to Zelma’s disclosure of assault.

Suggest making reference to Ombudsman Reporting requirements.

Scenario 2.

You have been working with Joe aged 25 for six months. You have developed a support plan that has led Joe to gain employment. Joe has been diagnosed with cognitive disability due to ‘Fetal Alcohol Syndrome’. Joe has been able to lead a relatively independent life.

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During one of your support sessions, Joe tells you that his employer is now using’ psychometric testing’s to ‘screen out’ candidates with cognitive disabilities, which Joe states is irrelevant to his ability to perform his job.

Joe is worried that he may lose his job and is concerned that they are only using the tests in a generic form rather than job specific manner.

What can Joe do? What advise can you give him? Facilitator notes

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) outlines that it is unlawful to discriminate against people on the basis of their disability, or perceived disability. It emphasises equality, ensuring that people with disability have equal access to information, physical premises and employment, among many other things. Indeed, according to the DDA, changes and alterations must be made to ensure that women with disability are not (intentionally or unintentionally) discriminated against.

Its important to note the psychological impact this scenario could have. Joe may for the first time start to feel like a disabled person rather than a person with a disability. They are two very different feelings.

It’s also important to note that there are still widespread misconceptions and stereotypes influencing the attitudes and behavior of employers, recruiters and government. Such negative attitudes can restrict the ability of people with disabilities to get a job or, if they manage to obtain employment, impact on their ability to do their job effectively.

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