A Safe Passage Training

A Safe Passage: Supporting Women Survivors of Abuse through the Childbearing Years

Advanced Practitioner Training

September 27 & 28th, 2008
9:00am-6:00pm
at Nurture 1614 NE Alberta St.
$250/participant

A Safe Passage is an Advanced Practitioner Training program designed to help caregivers gain an understanding of the special needs of women survivors of abuse and learn the skills needed to support them through their pregnancy, labor & childbirth and early postpartum.

Caregivers who would benefit from this training include counselors, doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, nurses and other health care professionals caring for women in the childbearing year.

Women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, sexual violence and woman abuse have unique emotional, psychological and physical needs related to the abuse during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Trauma from the abuse can manifest itself into a variety of complex thoughts and behaviors through the childbearing year, which may pose particular challenges for caregivers and could have lifelong impacts on women and their children when appropriate and sensitive services are not available. Safety, both physical and emotional for both the care-provider and client can be in jeopardy.

At the same time, as a caregiver you have the opportunity to become a trusted ally. Through continuing education and training, support persons can learn appropriate ways of screening clients for abuse related trauma, techniques to respond to disclosures, can learn how to work collaboratively with their clients to devise an action plan for coping with potential triggers that may arise during the childbearing year and offer referrals to supportive community services.

About the facilitator
Jodi has worked with women as a doula and childbirth educator since 1996, with a focus on the intersections between trauma histories and the experiences of women during the childbearing years. Since 2002 she has been employed in both residential and clinical settings as a full-time Woman Abuse counselor, providing counseling as well as facilitating groups for women whose children have been exposed to their abuse, and groups for children who are coping with the impacts of witnessing the abuse of their mothers. Jodi has a certificate in crisis intervention from Fanshawe College and an Honors Degree in Women's Studies from The University of Western Ontario. As of Fall 2007, she is again attending UWO, this time to obtain her PhD in Health Sciences-Health Professional Education.

Jodi's unique combination of skills from both the birthing community and the Violence Against Women sector has spurred a high demand internationally for her workshops aimed at informing other medical and allied health and social service professionals around the complex issue of trauma and the childbearing years. She was recently a guest presenter at The National Summit to Ensure the Health and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Women in Atlanta , Georgia , and provided specialized training in Vancouver at the Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program's provincial conference Celebrating the Health of Our Children, Families and Communities.

Jodi resides with her family in London , Ontario , where she runs a private counseling practice for women, and operates A Safe Passage, the first and only website dedicated to supporting Women Survivors of Abuse through the childbearing year through providing women, their families and their care providers with information on the impacts of trauma on the perinatal period.

To register or for more information contact Mychelle at Nurture: mychelle@nurturepdx.com or (971) 344-7527

$250/person, some sliding scale spots available
$100 minimum pre-registration deposit

Upon receipt of your registration, your confirmation of registration will be sent to you, which will provide the details of your workshop location, maps, and, if requested, lodging advice.

Nursing infants are welcome in the workshop; however, the intense nature of the workshop precludes the attendance of older, more active children. We ask that you respect the learning needs of the other participants by attending to your child when necessary, and taking him/her out of the room if the need arises.

This workshop has limited enrollment and tends to fill up quickly, so please register early to hold your spot or call to confirm that space is available. A deposit of $100 (non-refundable) is required with your registration.

Fees include materials and certificate of completion.
CAPPA Canada, LAMAZE (therefore DONA), continuing education credits available (11 ceu’s)

If there are other organizations that you would like us to contact for ceu's, please let us know.

For full workshop details please visit:
http://www.asafepassage.info/