FASA Project: Free from Addiction, Safe from Abuse

Free from Addiction, Safe from Abuse

Enhancing the Work-based skills of Social Care Practitioners in the field of Intimate Partnership Violence victim support

M&M is partner in a project funded by Erasmus+ under the name of “Free from Addiction, Safe from Abuse” (FASA). “FASA” project is a Strategic Partnership supporting innovation in the field of Vocational Education & Training. It aims at Enhancing the Work-based skills of Social Care Practitioners in the field of Intimate Partnership Violence victim support, through Capacity Building on the topic of Treatment of Victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) with Substance Abuse problems.

The motto of the project “Free from Addiction Safe from Abuse” illustrates the joint efforts of professionals and stimulates the general societal discussion about the subjects of addictions and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Therefore, FASA’s strength is the efforts for a combined approach towards addictions treatment and IPV which are much interrelated at a number of incidents that front line services need to deal with. It’s a “strong message” directed either at professionals, or the greater public.

FASA will be implemented by a partnership of 7 partners from Greece, Estonia, UK, Iceland, and Spain.

  • Σύνδεσμος Μελών Γυναικείων Σωματείων – Union of Women Association
  • Nexus_NI
  • RIKK Háskóli Íslands
  • Tartu Ülikool
  • University of Crete
  • Naiste Tugi- ja Teabekeskus
  • M&M Profuture Training, S.L.

Why this project?

According to EIGE (“Women victims of violence receive insufficient support in the EU”, 2012), 9 out of 10 victims of IPV in the EU are women. Additionally, in terms of homicide, as stated by the UN Office on Drugs & Crimes (“Global Study on Homicide”, 2018), women and girls bear by far the greatest burden of intimate partner/family‐related homicide, and intimate partner homicide. In Europe, more than one third (38%) of women were killed by intimate partners or family members in 2017.

There is a strong link between IPV and substance abuse. In the context of the proposal substance abuse refers to both the continued use of or dependency on alcohol or other drugs in the face of adverse consequences.

The project methodology is based on two main elements:

  1. a) A Needs-Based approach: the needs of the target group professionals will be taken into account in order to produce the project’s planned results. As well as this, the needs of the beneficiaries of frontline services (i.e. victims of IPV with addiction) will be investigated in order to propose efficient work-based tools and skills to professionals. Therefore, at the first part of the project partners will be engaged with exchanging knowledge and practices in the field, along with researching the needs of professionals. The result will be the production of an analytical report.
  2. b) The second element is a Capacity Building approach for professionals. On the basis of the aforementioned report, partners will engage with developing pedagogical material in the form of a training manual and an online course for professionals in victim support. In addition, a practical guide for professionals in substance abuse will be created, to facilitate practitioners identify IPV victims among their beneficiaries and to promote multiagency collaboration.

The main aims of the project are:

  • Improve social care professionals’ work based skills;
  • Improve the support services for women & children suffering from IPV through educational methods for professionals/volunteers;
  • Promote innovative & focused practices on victim support programs & substance abuse treatment;
  • Improve social care professionals’ skills in substance abuse treatment to early identify the violent behaviours &/or the risks of IPV;
  • Reinforce cooperation, exchanges & multi-agency collaboration between substance abuse & IPV organisations.

In brief, we can say that the project will promote innovative digital learning methods (e-learning) accompanied with innovative intervention methodology as well as practical guidelines & training manual on the topic of supporting victims with addiction.

For more information visit the Facebook page of the project or contact info@mmprofuture.com

#FASAagainstIPV #endVAW #endaddiction #freefromaddictionsafefromabuse

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