Paris

A conversation on IPV and Substance Use: Connections, Dual-focussed Support, and Needed action.

10:15am – 11:15am

In this conversational panel, the leads of the Strong Women program, a dual focussed (substance use and intimate partner violence) intervention, will reflect on why the field has been slow to offer such integrated support, what we learned as we examined existing options foundational to the Strong Women program and workbook design, and how as feminists we see the path forward.

The panel will share insights the team has learned through the implementation process, address long held misconceptions, and invite critical thinking on questions such as: How has the stigma directed to women who use substances been a barrier to dual focussed support?; Are we adequately understanding the relationship between substance use and IPV as multifaceted and multidirectional?; What did the CEWH team find that existing substance use and anti-violence supportive programming have in common?; How/can we achieve the goal of being trauma- informed, harm reducing, equity-oriented, culturally safe and empowering in our support of women facing both issues?; and How can various modes of delivery of service and information improve the situation of women experiencing both substance use and IPV?

Speakers

Dr. Nancy Poole

Dr. Poole is the Director of the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, and a leader on online participatory methods for knowledge generation and exchange on complex women’s health issues. She has co-led system change initiatives and co-developed toolkits, training curricula and guidelines on trauma-informed practice with organizations, institutions and governments across Canada. She has a strong commitment to working with Indigenous partners to incorporate strengths based and Indigenous wellness approaches in all health and substance use related initiatives. She received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the Justice Institute of BC in 2021 for her work in advancing women’s health including trauma-informed practice and the treatment of substance use and addiction. She will co-lead the development of and training for the workbook and social support intervention with onsite facilitators during the pilot and implementation phases and lead the development of the knowledge translation products and knowledge dissemination processes.

Dr. Lorraine Greaves

Dr. Greaves is the founding Executive Director of the Centre of Excellence for Women's Health and its Senior Investigator since 2009. She was previously the Director of the Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children in London ON. She is a medical sociologist and has worked in education, government, hospitals, and academia. She was appointed Chair of Health Canada’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Health Products for Women in 2019. She has received numerous awards for her work, including a Doctorate of the University from the University of Ottawa. She is leading the academic evidence review and the co-development of the workbook, social support curriculum, and facilitator’s guide. She has experience in creating social support group curricula, leading numerous national and international projects and has authored twelve books, 120 journal articles, and numerous reports, guidance documents, workbooks, toolkits and articles on sex and gender science, intimate partner violence and substance use.

Dr. Andreea Brabete

Dr. Brabete is a Research Associate at the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health where she is involved in different projects related to women´s health and substance use. Andreea studied psychology and holds a PhD in Women´s Health earned at the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). Her PhD dissertation focused on the impact of immigration on health status and its relationship with sex and gender related factors, acculturation, and personality. Her research interests include the interplay of intersections of social determinants of health in different populations, substance use, mental health, intimate partner violence, and psychometrical characteristics of questionnaires. She will conduct the scoping review, lead the drafting of the scoping review report, and support the development of the workbook and social support curriculum. She will oversee the data analysis and the focus groups, observe the intervention for fidelity at some sites, co-lead focus groups with facilitators and participants and prepare the report on the pilot and implementation findings.

Mini Presentations

11:15am – 12:00pm

11:19am: Gender-Based Violence In The Media: Conducting Prevention Through Transformative Media - Marissa Kokkoros and Danielle Warren (Aura Freedom International)

11:27am: Towards improved access to necessary care for racialized women impacted by intimate partner violence: A qualitative exploration of experiences seeking comprehensive dental care.  - Beverley Essue (Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation)

11:35am: Taking action against gender-based violence and poverty: Systems change through a basic income guarantee - Desiree Salis

11:43am: Applying Design Thinking Methods to Intimate Partner Violence Mental Health Research - Nikoo Aghaei (Queen's University) and Jaden Chong (OCAD University)

Giving and Receiving Warmth, Love, and Care: Women's Processes of Change in an Interpersonal Violence Intervention" 

1:00pm – 1:30pm

This presentation shares findings from a qualitative study evaluating the Connections program—a therapeutic group designed for both general population and Indigenous mothers. The program supports participants in reflecting on their own childhood experiences, exploring their internal models of healthy relationships, and learning about children’s healthy development (BTC, 2014). Drawing on thematic analyses of semi-structured interviews, we highlight the changes women reported after completing the program.,Preliminary findings suggest that Connections fosters reparative experiences that help reshape women’s physiological, perceptual, and intuitive ("gut-level") understandings of relationships. This presentation will explore these insights and discuss the therapeutic significance of creating new relational memories grounded in care and connection.

Speakers

Melissa Major, Dr. Naomi Andrews, & Dr. Debra Pepler

Melissa Major

Melissa is a clinician-researcher who aims to unravel narratives that trauma spreads intergenerationally and cannot be alleviated, by creating experiences of safety and love that reach between generations. She has a goal of providing excellence in clinical services to survivors of intergenerational, colonial, and violence-related trauma. Melissa carries a diversity of lineages and aims to honor them equally. Of relevance to her current clinical and research work are two lived experiences that impacted her deeply: surviving violence rooted in intergenerational trauma and thriving in a loving environment where her grandfather stepped in to raise her as a father, introducing their family to Québec Indigenous culture (Métis; French-Canadian and St-Lawrence Region Abenakis) and information about their family's heritage. Melissa does not have a clear-cut, satisfactory story about her family’s relationship with Indigeneity to offer, she is still searching for answers and family relationships are still healing. Her goal is to become the best psychologist she can be and close race and gender-based gaps in quality of care. She grounds herself with the last thing her grandfather ever said to her about serving Indigenous communities: “The most important thing to do is listen.” 

Dr. Naomi Andrews

Dr. Naomi Andrews is an Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock University. She conducts research using a relational perspective to understand children and youth’s social adjustment and problem behaviors, as well as community-based intervention and evaluation research on healthy relationships, in partnership with Mothercraft’s Breaking the Cycle program – a prevention and early intervention program for mothers with substance use issues and their young children.

Evaluating a National Initiative to End the Cycle of Violence for Mothers and Their Children 

1:30pm – 2:00pm

Interpersonal violence is a major public health issue, often rooted in early childhood experiences. When survivors enter motherhood with unresolved trauma, those wounds can resurface in parenting and adult relationships. The prenatal and early parenting years offer a critical opportunity for healing and change. The Connections group intervention supports mothers affected by violence by fostering personal healing and strengthening parenting capacities to prevent the intergenerational transmission of interpersonal violence. Building on earlier positive evaluations, the current initiative aims to expand a national network of trained facilitators, promote wider implementation, and deepen the evidence base. This presentation shares early findings from a multi-method, longitudinal evaluation of the initiative, including facilitator training, intervention delivery, and the supporting community of practice. Key insights, challenges, and implications for future community-based implementation will be explored.

Speakers

Gloria Jooyoung Lee, Dr. Naomi Andrews, and Dr. Mary Motz

Gloria Jooyoung Lee

Gloria (Jooyoung) Lee is a research coordinator at the Breaking The Cycle, Canadian Mothercraft Society. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto. Her research interest is in comparing the effectiveness of an evidence-based intervention for various visible minority communities and analyzing cultural differences in public health perspectives. She is also interested in incorporating cultural sensitivity into the existing intervention for at-risk visible minority mothers and young children.

Dr. Mary Motz

Dr. Mary Motz is a Clinical Psychologist at Mothercraft’s Breaking the Cycle program in Toronto and an Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Psychology at York University. Since obtaining her degree in clinical-developmental psychology at York University in 2003, she has been working with pregnant people, mothers, as well as their infants andyoung children who are at risk for maladaptive outcomes because of challenges related to substance use and mental health difficulties, interpersonal violence and trauma, marginalization by society and systemic violence, and poverty. In collaboration with internal and community research partners, Dr. Motz has led the program evaluation and research at BTC, including Connections for Breaking the Cycle (C-BTC), and has supervised numerous research and clinical practicum students. Dr. Motz has authored numerous academic publications and technical reports, as well as provided training nationally and internationally related to promoting healthy infant and child development, supporting children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and providing trauma-informed interventions for families with infants and young children who have complex needs

Connections and Self-Compassion: How Mothers Heal from Interpersonal Violence 

2:00pm – 2:30pm

Interpersonal violence (IPV) against women—especially mothers—is a significant public health concern. The Connections group intervention aims to disrupt the intergenerational transmission of IPV by supporting mothers’ healing and enhancing their parenting and relationship capacities. While outcome evaluations show positive results, less is known about how these changes occur. To address this gap, researchers analyzed data from mothers who previously completed Connections to identify the specific processes that led to meaningful change. Through interviews and focus groups, participants shared experiences of growth in self-awareness, relationships, and parenting. Key mechanisms for change included increased self-compassion, forgiveness, and reflection. This presentation will share the resulting Pathways of Change model, which highlights the internal processes that enable mothers to shift harmful patterns. Findings contribute to ongoing program development and offer valuable insights for community partners and service providers working to support women and children affected by IPV.

Speakers

Kirsten MacAulay

Kirsten MacAulay is finishing up as an MA student in the Child and Youth Studies department at Brock University. Her previous experience as an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant provided her with a strong understanding and passion for the complexities and richness of new motherhood and mother-infant relationships. Her research interests include parenting, mother-child relationships, adverse childhood experiences, grief, children’s mental health, education equity, children’s agency and participation within family law, social justice, and children’s experiences with environmental injustice. 

Creating Stories of Strength in Diverse Communities - Créer des histoires de force au sein de communautés diverses 

2:30pm – 3:00pm

Stories of Strength is a trauma-informed, culturally agile program that uses the Roots of Safety (ROS) framework to support immigrant and refugee communities impacted by relationship violence. Operating at both individual,family and community levels, the program empowers through personalized empowerment plans and community-led engagement. Community champions are trained to introduce ROS in culturally relevant ways, while coordinators work one-on-one with families to develop tailored plans using the ROS “Three Columns”: identifying challenges, recognizing strengths, and creating actionable empowerment steps. Serving African, South Asian, and Middle Eastern communities, the project developed culturally responsive toolkits. Key learnings include the importance of culturally sensitive engagement, non-judgmental inquiry, and beginning conversations from shared interests—not taboo topics. This presentation will explore the ROS model, community empowerment strategies, and how trauma-informed, culturally safe practices can enhance professional development and support mental health recovery in immigrant and refugee populations

Speakers

Meenu Dhillon

Meenu has worked with Immigrant and Refugee families for over 14 years. She holds M Ed. in Adult Learning. Coming from an immigrant family, she understands the dynamics and challenges of immigrants families in-depth. In her recent role with Stories of Strength project at DIVERSEcity, she is training the Community Champions to develop safety plans with clients. This project is a community effort to prevent violence in families targeting Gender-based violence, Senior Abuse and Child maltreatment.

Golnoosh Hakiman

Golnoosh has worked as a counselor with Violence Prevention programs, supporting immigrant and refugee families for the past 20 years. Her recent programs are Roots of Safety, Stories of Strength and HEAL Employment for women. Her work with DIVERSEcity also includes program development and training staff in safety planning for clients