Summertime Family Support Groups Being Offered in Franklin County

 

 

Safe Voices is currently enrolling families in two summer sessions of its new Family Support Group being offered in Franklin County. Groups will be offered in both the Phillips and Farmington areas at no charge, and lunch and transportation vouchers will be provided, thanks to support received from the FMH Auxiliary.

 

Family Support Group is offered for children ages 6-11 and their non-offending parent/caregiver who’ve been exposed to domestic violence. The group is designed as a safe, friendly and fun outlet to help kids who have encountered family violence to discuss their likes and dislikes, share ideas about problem solving, form healthy coping skills, and share hopes about the future. Caregivers meet in a separate room to connect around their stories, questions, and concerns and for direct support.

The program is focused on educating both non-offending parents/caregivers and children about violence in the home and its effects on the family. The children’s groups are phase-based, beginning with strategies to enhance a child’s sense of safety, and creating a common vocabulary of emotions for making sense of violent experiences. Later sessions address responsibility for violence, conflict and resolution skills, and family relationships. The parenting program is designed to support and empower caregivers to discuss the impact of violence on their children’s development, to provide a safe place for discussing fears and worries, and to build social connections within a supportive group setting.

 

Studies confirm what other researchers have shown regarding greater success in improving attitudes and reducing aggression when both the non-offending parent/caregiver and child are treated.

 

The Phillips session will be held on Tuesday afternoons and will run for nine weeks, beginning June 24, 2014. The Farmington session will be held on Wednesday afternoons and will run for 10 weeks, beginning June 18.

 

Interested parents/caregivers should call by June 6 to sign up, but are encouraged to reach out anytime with questions or to seek services. For more information, please contact Safe Voices directly by calling (207)778-6107, and provider referrals are also strongly encouraged.

 

 

The mission of Safe Voices is to support and empower those affected by domestic violence and engage the community in creating social change in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties.

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Stacie Bourassa 

Franklin County Community Educator  I  Safe Voices  I  PO Box 517, W. Farmington, ME 04992

Tel/Fax: (207) 778.6297 I  sbourassa@safevoices.org  I  www.safevoices.org  I