Estonia

Implementation of Trauma-informed practices to support survivors of DV

Organisation/Third party
MTÜ Naiste Tugi- ja Teabekeskus

Grant amount
17.599,36 EUR

Website
www.naistetugi.ee

Country
Estonia

Title of the project
Implementation of Trauma-informed practices to support survivors of DV

Project duration
10 months

Target groups
TIPSS is focused on improving specialized interventions based upon TIC for victims of domestic violence and their families. There are several thousands of DV victims who reach out to women’s support centers all over Estonia. Unfortunately, we also have heard stories that victims do not seek support because they have been treated in a non-sensitive way when contacted by some specialists for the first time. There is a lack of understanding of coercive control as such. Therefore, specialists do not recognize either during or post-relationship coercive control.

The needs of DVV are such: multiple support needs, they have intertwined problems, and they require needs provided by multiple services. Criminal justice is a huge part of the work but is relatively rigid to make changes.

To improve interventions for DV survivors and their families, we will target the following groups for trauma-informed training sessions:

Frontline Staff: This includes professionals who directly interact with survivors of domestic violence, such as counsellors, advocates, law enforcement officers, healthcare providers, and social workers. It is essential to involve them because they are often the first point of contact for survivors seeking support. Equipping frontline staff with trauma-informed training ensures they can respond sensitively, recognize signs of trauma, and provide appropriate support while minimizing the risk of re-traumatization. Furthermore, the services that they provide to victims can help or hinder the work of others – shared approaches to implementing trauma-informed services are needed.

Administrative and Support Staff: Administrative and support staff within agencies play a crucial role in creating and maintaining trauma-informed environments. This includes receptionists, intake coordinators, administrative assistants, and managers. Their involvement is necessary to ensure that trauma-informed principles are integrated into all aspects of agency operations, from intake procedures to organizational policies and practices. They can also help bridge gaps between agencies.

Volunteers and Peer Supporters: Volunteers and peer supporters often play a significant role in providing additional support to survivors, whether through hotline services, support groups, or mentorship programs. Training them in trauma-informed practices ensures that they can effectively engage with survivors, provide empathetic listening, and offer appropriate support while upholding trauma-informed principles.

Leadership and Decision-Makers:Leadership within agencies, including executive directors, board members, and policymakers, must also receive trauma-informed training. Their understanding and support are crucial for embedding trauma-informed principles into the agency's culture, policies, and strategic planning processes. By involving leadership, agencies can ensure long-term commitment to trauma-informed care and sustainability of practices.

Involving these target groups in trauma-informed training sessions is necessary to create a comprehensive and cohesive approach to supporting survivors of domestic violence. By equipping a wide range of stakeholders with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and respond to trauma, agencies can enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, and inclusivity of their services while promoting a culture of safety, respect, and empowerment for survivors. In TIPSS, our goal is to train at least 80 professionals/specialists.

Project summary
Women’s Support and Information Centre, the first non-governmental member of EFJCA in Estonia, is seeking to the further develop it’s emerging FJC by improving interventions provided to victims of domestic violence (DV) and their families. We shall do so by implementing the Trauma-Informed Practices to Support Survivors of DV (TIPSS) project. TIPSS will focus on capacity building of different stakeholders on Trauma Informed Care (TIC).

TIC is an approach used to engage people with histories of trauma. It recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role that trauma can play in people's lives. One aspect of TIC is to reduce the number of times victims must tell their story. TIC aspect is also getting impact from survivors on what to change. When applied to criminal justice responses, TIC can help to avoid re-traumatizing individuals. Furthermore, due to its systemic and organizational approach, the effectiveness and impact of TIC can be maximized when it is shared across organizations and services in different areas of interventions.

Implementing trauma-informed practices in agencies supporting victims of domestic violence is imperative due to the profound impact of trauma on victims’ lives. By understanding the complex nature of trauma, agencies can create safe environments that prioritize trust and rapport-building, fostering empowerment and minimizing re-traumatization. Trauma-informed approaches also recognize survivors' strengths and resilience, empowering them to regain control over their lives and choices. These practices emphasize a holistic and collaborative approach to addressing the multifaceted factors contributing to domestic violence, including mental health, substance abuse, and economic insecurity.

Ultimately, trauma-informed care not only promotes healing and recovery but also cultivates a culture of safety, respect, and support within agencies and the broader community, facilitating survivors' journeys toward empowerment and well-being. TIPSS will build upon WSIC’s prior participation in the project Care4Trauma – “Improving GBV victims support services and the access to justice through Trauma-informed Care”. We shall do so by using the training materials on trauma-informed practices that were developed in Care4Trauma. Through Care4Trauma, WSIC organized/planned three 4-day training sessions with different stakeholders in Estonia’s two largest cities of Tartu and Tallinn. In so doing, we discovered that interest in and need for the topic was even higher than we originally anticipated.

Through TIPSS, we will meet this demand in three important ways:

1. We will provide additional training sessions in three different other regions of Estonia that were not previously covered; this includes more peripheral regions such as Ida-Viru in the East, (Narva), Pärnu in the west, Tallinn, and Võru in the south.

1. To make the trainings more cost-efficient, the materials and practical elements will be consolidated into 3-day sessions. Limits on the number of participants in each group will be set to 20 to ensure proper group dynamics and maximize participation in practical exercises.

1. We will also focus more on multi-agency collaboration on trauma-informed approaches. Within each training, we will have participants work on case studies that force them to consider ‘transboundary trauma’ – e.g. how trauma caused by one type of service provider can affect the work of others.

Summary for publication: Women’s Support and Information Centre s seeking to further develop its emerging FJC by improving interventions provided to victims of domestic violence (DV) and their families. This will be done by implementing the Trauma-Informed Practices to Support Survivors of DV (TIPSS) project. TIPSS will focus on capacity building of different stakeholders on Trauma Informed Care (TIC).

Project activities

• Project Work-Plan - Written Action-plan for all activities with specific dates
• 3-day in person training session with 20 participants in Ida-Virumaa.
• 3-day in person training session with 20 participants in Tallinn.
• 3-day in person training session with 20 participants in Pärnumaa.
• 3-day in person training session with 20 participants in Võru.
• In each training pre- and post-questionnaires, and satisfaction surveys will be collected (80 forms) based on the results an Evaluation Report will be compiled

 
Qualitative results

• Increased awareness and understanding of trauma among training participants and their organizations.
• Shifts in attitudes and perspectives towards survivors.
• Improved skills and practices in trauma-informed care.
• Enhanced collaboration and networking among training participants and agencies

Quantitative results

• 1 work plan.
• 80 trained stakeholders.
• 3-day trainings carried out, total 4.