COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Annual Conference - February 5-6, 2026
A Conference for Innovators, Critical Thinkers, and Leaders in the Field
Step into a space designed for those who refuse to accept “good enough” in domestic violence intervention. This gathering brings together the most forward‑thinking practitioners, researchers, and advocates to push the boundaries of what intervention can be — and what it must become.
• Engage with the most innovative and critical thinkers in domestic violence intervention
• Advance your skills and deepen your understanding of emerging best practices
• Explore the merging of trauma‑focused and gender‑based approaches
• Reimagine the future of intervention work — bold, inspiring, and transformative.
Conference Agenda
Agenda is Subject to Change
Day 1
8:00 - Welcome
8:15 - Session I: From Resiliency to Resurgence- Shifting Systems by Centering Cultural Strengths - Daniel Goombi
9:30 - Session II: From Resistance to Responsibility: Using Attachment-Informed Strategies to Improve Outcomes - Nada Yorke
11:00 - Session III: Poetic Medicine in the River of Cruelty - Jim Elsaesser
12:15 - Lunch
1:15 - Session IV: Thinking Outside the Box: the Healthy Family Model - Alyce LaViolette
2:45 - Session V & Keynote: Gendered Violence, Child Maltreatment and Substance Abuse - Jess Hill
Day 2
8:00 - Welcome
8:15 - Session VI: Pursuing Wholeness as an Act of Healing and Harm Reduction - Spencer Murray
9:30 - Session VII: Beyond the Classroom: Helping Men Engage - Jim Henderson
11:00 - Session VIII: Trauma Informed Intervention Behind the Walls: Working with Incarcerated Population - Danielle Thompson, Karin Ho, & Steve Halley
12:15 - Session IX: Lunch & Keynote - A Filmmaker’s View: Extremism and Gender-based Violence from Behind the Lens - Deeyah Khan
1:15 - Session X: A Victim's Perspective–Surviving the Survival-Based: Considerations for Effective Victim Contacts - Janay Kent, Dorthy Stucky Halley
2:45 - Session XI: I Feel your Pain: Understanding the need to answer the unanswerable questions in our work with trauma and in our self-care - Ron Frey & Emma Malone
Session Descriptions
DAY 1
Session I: From Resiliency to Resurgence: Shifting Systems by Centering Cultural Strengths – Daniel Goombi
Information Coming Soon
Session II: From Resistance to Responsibility: Using Attachment-Informed Strategies to Improve Outcomes - Nada Yorke
DESCRIPTION: Over the past few decades, the influence of insecure attachment patterns in intimate partner abusers has been explored, yet this dynamic has not been incorporated into abuser intervention programming on a wide scale. When we examine the characteristics which describe the behaviors of those persons with dismissing, preoccupied, or fearful attachment styles, it easily corroborates many of the behaviors found in the clients who enter abuser intervention programs. Identifying the attachment style of the client could contribute to better program responsivity, which is consistent with research informed best practices.
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of the workshop participants will be able to:
- Recognize maladaptive coping mechanisms linked to insecure attachment and their role in relationship dynamics.
- Utilize facilitation strategies to help clients explore their attachment history and its impact on their behaviors.
- Apply intervention techniques that promote accountability while addressing attachment-related resistance.
Session III: Poetic Medicine in the River of Cruelty - Jim Elsaesser
DESCRIPTION: This presentation is designed to provide workable skills for participants who are interested in understanding the principles and implementation of Poetic Medicine in their Batterer Intervention Programs. Poetic Medicine is a process of self-expression and is offered as a method of working with clients from an internally focused perspective. The facilitator of this workshop will share examples of Poetic Medicine garnered from years of experience in working with both survivors of violence and men who have caused harm in their relationships. The facilitator will guide participants through the process of understanding the principles of using Poetic Medicine in the River of Cruelty. The scope of this workshop is intended for participants to gain a deeper, workable understanding of the healing power of Poetic Medicine. This program is offered in a supportive, uplifting, and enthusiastic environment. Time for conversation, writing, and sharing poems is included. Workshop materials and “how to,” lesson plans will be made available for participants. To learn more about Poetic Medicine and the River of Cruelty, visit: The Family Peace Initiative, https://familypeaceinitiative.com/. The Institute for Poetic Medicine, Poetry | The Institute For Poetic Medicine
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of the workshop participants will:
- Understand the principles of using Poetic Medicine in the River of Cruelty.
- Gain a deeper, workable understanding of the healing power of Poetic Medicine.
- Have the opportunity to explore through their own writing and sharing.
Session IV: Thinking Outside the Box: the Healthy Family Model - Alyce LaViolette
DESCRIPTION: This workshop will explore the unique concepts developed by one of the first programs in the country—Alternatives to Violence—to work with abusive partners. Since 1979, this program has implemented trauma-informed practices within a feminist framework and continues to evolve its approach. Participants will learn about our use of “tune-ups,” the long-term voluntary engagement many individuals choose after completing the program, and the rationale behind key elements such as a minimum 52-week duration and the use of a male-female facilitation team. The session will also include an experiential exercise that can be incorporated into group work.
OBJECTIVES:
- Participants will understand the core principles and application of the Healthy Family Model.
- Participants will explore effective strategies for increasing men’s voluntary engagement beyond court-mandated participation.
- Participants will acquire practical tools and approaches they can immediately integrate into their programs.
Session V & Keynote: Too Long Unspoken: Gendered Violence, Child Maltreatment and Substance Abuse - Jess Hill
DESCRIPTION: For decades, governments worldwide have dedicated unprecedented attention and resources to talking gender-based violence. This has brought many advances, but ultimately hasn’t achieved the most important metric reducing violence. Rates of gendered violence remain high.
Prevention work has to find a way into the minds and bodies of those who are most likely to act violently and persuade them not to do so. If our prevention strategies cannot do that, we risk not only failing to reduce men’s violence against women and children, but also slipping back into a position of tacit surrender – that the problem of gendered violence is intractable and will not be improved by any amount of money or effort.
In this address, Jess Hill will present recent finding that support a renewed approach to preventing gendered violence: one that seeks to interrupt the intergenerational transmission of violence; regulates harmful industries like alcohol, gambling, and online pornography; helps men who are willing to do the work to heal; and bolsters accountability for both adult perpetrators and the government systems that protect and enable them.
DAY 2:
Session VI: Pursuing Wholeness as an Act of Healing and Harm Reduction - Spencer Murray
DESCRIPTION: Violence, in all its forms, has a fragmenting effect on the lives of those who are harmed, as well as those who commit harm. The socialization, as well as traumatic experiences of boys and men separates them from their wholeness and produces the dysfunction that precedes violence. Conversely, the trauma experienced by those that are harmed disrupts their sense of wholeness and can leave them in a state of brokenness that is difficult to recover from. To ensure safety for women and communities, our efforts to prevent violence must include an investment in the holistic wellness of boys and men. We must also surround survivors with communities of care that help them to restore their wholeness and repair what has been broken. This presentation will explore the individual and communal ways of restoring the full humanity of those harmed, as well as those who cause harm.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of the training, participants will be better able to:
- Recognize how acts of harm disturb and dishonor the humanity of both the harmed and those who do harm.
- Describe the conditions that contribute to the fragmentation of individuals, communities, and the human family.
- Identify methods and practices that contribute to wellness, restoration, and reconciliation of the self and community.
Session VII: Beyond the Classroom: Helping Men Engage - James Henderson, Jr.
DESCRIPTION: How can a single 90–120 minute class held once per week effectively counter a broader social environment that normalizes, models, and at times glorifies abusive behavior as a means of control, domination, or degradation to achieve desired outcomes? Such dynamics are reflected daily across music, art, film, religion, and politics, often mirroring the very tactics identified by survivors of violence as abusive.
This session explores what the anti-violence field can learn from the substance use disorder treatment community, which has long recognized the need for sustained, multi-layered support in environments where harmful behaviors are widely normalized. In substance use treatment, clients frequently require more intensive interventions, including participation in multiple weekly groups and peer-support models such as Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, or similar programs that actively reinforce and celebrate recovery-oriented choices.
In contrast, there are few comparable community-based support structures for men who use violence. This presentation examines one program’s approach to addressing this gap by engaging participants multiple times per week alongside supportive community members and accountable peers. This model encourages ongoing reflection on triggers, thoughts, emotions, and behavioral choices throughout the week rather than limiting intervention to a single weekly session. The session will highlight how this approach enhances accountability, supports behavior change, and remains cost-effective.
OBJECTIVES:
- Examine how a client’s sphere of influence correlates with positive outcomes in addressing criminogenic needs.
- Analyze the role of social supports in enhancing safety, accountability, and individual resilience.
- Explain how peer-support calls and mentoring models contribute to reduced recidivism and increased program compliance.
- Identify strategies for incorporating community partners into offender management while supporting victim autonomy and safety.
Session VIII: Trauma Informed Intervention Behind the Walls: Working with Incarcerated Populations - Danielle Thompson, Karin Ho, & Steve Halley
DESCRIPTION: This presentation examines both the challenges and the unique strengths of implementing a trauma‑focused approach within correctional settings. Drawing on their extensive experience directing three distinct programs, Steve, Karin, and Danielle will share their individual and collective “Lessons Learned” in applying this powerful framework behind the walls. They will address common questions related to program implementation, measurable outcomes, required steps for institutional approval, and the strategies they used to build meaningful “buy‑in” from facilities that were initially hesitant.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify the core components of the FPI trauma‑focused intervention model and understand its relevance in correctional environments.
- Recognize common institutional barriers and challenges that arise when introducing trauma‑responsive programming behind the walls.
- Describe practical strategies for gaining administrative and staff support in facilities that may be resistant or unfamiliar with trauma‑informed practices.
- Evaluate program outcomes and indicators of success based on the fpresenters’ real‑world experiences across three different correctional programs.
- Apply lessons learned to strengthen or develop their own trauma‑focused approaches within community‑based or institutional BIP settings.
Session IX Lunch & Keynote - A Filmmaker’s View: Extremism and Gender-based Violence from Behind the Lens - Deeyah Khan
DESCRIPTION: In this address, Deeyah Khan will discuss her experiences in over a decade of making empathetic and unflinching films which deal with confronting the world today: extremism, violence against women, inequality, racism and social exclusion. Deeyah has filmed with battle-hardened jihadis, members of armed militia groups, American domestic terrorists and white supremacists, with incisive, illuminating and often surprising results. After spending a number of months filming with members of the United States’ largest neo-Nazi notoriously violent march through Charlottesville in 2017, three high-ranking figures, including the leader, left the movement and rejected its white supremacist ideology. All of them credit their encounters with Deeyah as the catalyst for them to leave the extremist movement
Session X: Victim Contacts and Survival-based Offenders: A Case Example and Victim’s Experience - Dorthy Stucky Halley and Janay Kent
DESCRIPTION: This presentation uses a victim’s perspective—supported by video clips—to demystify survival‑based domestic violence offenders (Types I and II) and equip professionals with practical tools for identification, safety planning, and intervention. Domestic violence lethality and risk factors have traditionally been viewed primarily through the lens of entitlement as the sole motive. While all those who batter seek domination and control, the underlying reasons for their behavior are often misunderstood, complicating prediction and intervention efforts.
Survival‑based offenders are among the most lethal to their partners, family members, and interveners, yet they may appear loving, kind, and stable to coworkers, neighbors, and friends. This session offers a deeper understanding of these offenders and highlights the unique risks they pose.
OBJECTIVES: Participants will:
- Recognize the characteristics and behaviors of survival‑based (Types I and II) domestic violence offenders.
- Strengthen their ability to provide victims with insight and awareness regarding survival‑based offenders, thereby improving victim safety.
- Identify specific risks and lethality factors associated with survival‑based motives and understand key considerations for intervention.
- Assess the impact on children living with a survival‑based‑motivated parent.
- Apply the Motivation Questionnaire Checklist to real‑world cases.
Session XI: “I Feel Your Pain”: Understanding the Need to Answer the Unanswerable Questions in Our Work With Trauma and in Our Self‑Care - Dr. Ron Frey & Dr. Emma Malone
DESCRIPTION: Professionals working in men’s behaviour change programs routinely encounter the emotional residue of trauma—both in the people they serve and within themselves. Yet many of the dominant models of self‑care and vicarious trauma management fall short because they rely on a narrow, content‑based definition of trauma. This presentation challenges that paradigm and introduces a process‑based understanding of trauma that more accurately reflects the lived experience of both clients and practitioners.
Drawing on Emma’s research into vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress, this workshop explores why conventional self‑care advice often feels burdensome, dismissive, or even insulting to frontline workers. Integrating insights from polyvagal theory, attachment theory, and First Nations concepts of deep listening, the session reframes trauma not as a set of events but as a communication process—one that requires us to hear, hold, and metabolize the “unanswerable questions” embedded in traumatic experience.
Participants will learn how projective identification—often misunderstood or pathologized—can instead be recognized as a vital form of communication in trauma work. When understood and used skillfully, it becomes a powerful tool for both therapeutic engagement and practitioner self‑care. The workshop concludes with a practical three‑step model for supervision and self‑care that supports safety, recovery, and genuine processing.
OBJECTIVES: Participants will:
- Understand the limitations of current self‑care models rooted in content‑based definitions of trauma.
- Explore Emma’s research findings on vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress, including what practitioners themselves identify as missing from existing frameworks.
- Examine why self‑care advice can be misinterpreted or experienced as invalidating—and how to apply the theory more effectively.
- Learn a process‑based definition of trauma and how it shifts our understanding of both client behavior and practitioner responses.
- Explore Wallin’s “three Es” (2007) and their relevance to saying the unsayable and thinking the unthinkable in trauma processing.
- Understand projective identification as a form of deep listening rather than a pathology, including its resonance with First Nations approaches to relational knowledge.
- Apply projective identification in supervision and self‑care to identify and work with the “unasked questions” that accumulate in trauma‑exposed practice.
- Implement a three‑step supervision/self‑care model—Re‑establish Safety, Rest and Recover, Process—to support sustainable trauma‑informed work.