Reasons to Celebrate: A-LAPS Trainers Certified

Congratulations on a job VERY WELL done!

Canada's first A-LAPS trainers have completed their training and are now actively working within First Nations communities to inspire local facilitators to provide parents with new parenting and literacy skills. We salute the following trainers who have fulfilled all of the requirements of the certification process and we proudly welcome them to the ever growing number of certified trainers from all of the LAPS streams:

• Lynne Mourot, Saskatoon/Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
• Leanne McLeod, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
• Maxine Moses, Peace River, Alberta
• Deanna Somerville, Manning, Alberta

There are five other trainers who are nearing completion of the process and we applaud their enthusiasm and commitment.

We continue to receive positive feedback about our Train-the-Trainer sessions and there is no doubt our trainers are spreading the passion and philosophy of the overall LAPS program.

Congratulations to everyone and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with A-LAPS.

New LAPS module addresses needs of abused women

Anyone who has worked with abused mothers / children knows firsthand that dealing with the cycle of violence is a multi-step process that requires special training and a high degree of sensitivity and commitment on the part of support workers. In an effort to assist abused women who participate in the LAPS program, a new module has been created that deals with the impact of family violence on children and parenting relationships.

The module, Parenting After Violence, consists of five specially designed sessions:

• Impact of Witnessing Family Violence
• Family Patterns
• Dealing with Verbal and Emotional Abuse
• Single Parenting
• Assertive Parents (*Optional)

* May not be appropriate for all participants. This session is recommended for women who have already left their abusive partners and have little or no contact with them. The session should also be delivered by a trained specialist who has knowledge of assessing safety factors in abusive situations to ensure the well being of participants.

As with all LAPS streams, Parenting After Violence addresses both the literacy and parenting needs of participants, and the module has been adapted to cater to the specific interests of women who are either currently in or have already left abusive situations.

Feedback from pilot programs held in Calgary over a five-week period in 2004 indicates that the topics covered and the materials utilized are appropriate and meaningful to abused women. Further, the women who participated gained a healthy respect for their roles as single mothers, as well as an appreciation for what their children are going through.

While the new module has been tested with regular parent education facilitators, LAPS co-authors Laureen MacKenzie and Elaine Cairns recommend using Parenting After Violence with caution and care, and suggest consulting with them if you are interested in offering these sessions in your area. Give them a call at (403) 410-1501 to discuss.