Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Program:
Rebuilding Lives Educational Program
The Rebuilding Lives Educational Program (RLEP) incorporates counseling, advocacy,
and community awareness in a two-part program designed to promote healthy lifestyles
among urban females victimized by the incidence of domestic violence.
Beginning its fifth year of implementation, The Mission's RLEP has successfully helped
550 women who are or were victims and survivors of domestic violence and its associated crime. The
women have broken free of abusive relationships, gotten their children back from the system and
found gainful employment or involvement within the community. The program has a success rate of
50%, as determined by the number of families reconnected, and the number of participants finding
employment or able to give back through community service. Many serve as Domestic Violence
Advocates and are encouraging as they spread the important message of what it takes to break the
cycle of domestic violence…a problem that plagues one out of four (1/4) households in our urban
communities.
Easy and Effective Implementation--
The program is organized into two 6-week courses that feature effective and practical approaches to
the development of healthy life skills. The first course addresses the psychological scars associated
with battering and abuse; and works to help its female participants to understand the cycle of domestic
violence, to begin the process of recovery, and to change the habits of victimization. The second half
of the program focuses on personal financial literacy and money management, and is able to guide its
participants to a place of wherein they are confident in their ability to maintain independence from the
abuser.
Domestic Violence victims (DVV) are identified by partners (Detroit Police Department, the Third Circuit
Court, Friend of the Court, the Legal Aid and Defender Center, and other CBOs) and referred to The
Mission: Prevention. The program's coordinator makes contact with the DVV and assesses the victim's
needs. Once the issues of safety, privacy, transportation and child care have been addressed, the
victim enters into the first course...where emotional, mental and spiritual healing takes place, and the
victim's self-esteem is strong enough to facilitate independence. Intense emotional support is provided
through coaching and group dialoguing, with mentoring arranged as necessary.
The first course is approximately 6 weeks in length and consists of weekly 2 ½ hour group sessions.
The sessions are facilitated by a LSW specializing in Domestic Violence. The sessions included in the
first course aid the victim’s understanding of how they were influenced to participate in the cycle of
abuse, and work to gain their acceptance of options for getting out of the situation.
DVVs completing the first course are given the option to move into the second course, Financial
Literacy. To assist the DVV with working towards autonomy and independence, the second course is
devoted to issues such as budgeting, identity theft, banking, predatory lending, housing, credit, and
understanding how battering effects one’s work performance. All session lessons and discussions play
a significant role in ending domestic violence. A DVV’s belief that they can live and survive
independent of their abuser is directly tied to economic self-sufficiency, and is frequently the deciding
factor whether they return to the relationship or not.
The Rebuilding Lives Educational Program coordinator maintains contact with all DVVs that come into
the program. All DVVs are invited to participate in any and all of The Mission’s program and events.
Program completers are called upon to build community awareness of the prevalence of the issue of
domestic violence by serving as Domestic Violence Advocates who provide speaking presentations as
requested by CBOs.
THE MISSION provides a train-the-trainer workshop for those interested in learning how to conduct the RLEP sessions
and/or to receive a better understanding of how the program components are structured for success. Please contact
staff at: (313) 920-0062 or (313) 659-5070 or (248) 967-9561. For email inquires: mission2hope@yahoo.com
Rebuilding Lives Educational Program
- ...The rose is beautiful, the tulip is beautiful, the mum is beautiful.
There is no flower that is not. God made them all different, but each beautiful.
The Rebuilding Lives Educational Program (RLEP) incorporates counseling, advocacy,
and community awareness in a two-part program designed to promote healthy lifestyles
among urban females victimized by the incidence of domestic violence.
Beginning its fifth year of implementation, The Mission's RLEP has successfully helped
550 women who are or were victims and survivors of domestic violence and its associated crime. The
women have broken free of abusive relationships, gotten their children back from the system and
found gainful employment or involvement within the community. The program has a success rate of
50%, as determined by the number of families reconnected, and the number of participants finding
employment or able to give back through community service. Many serve as Domestic Violence
Advocates and are encouraging as they spread the important message of what it takes to break the
cycle of domestic violence…a problem that plagues one out of four (1/4) households in our urban
communities.
Easy and Effective Implementation--
The program is organized into two 6-week courses that feature effective and practical approaches to
the development of healthy life skills. The first course addresses the psychological scars associated
with battering and abuse; and works to help its female participants to understand the cycle of domestic
violence, to begin the process of recovery, and to change the habits of victimization. The second half
of the program focuses on personal financial literacy and money management, and is able to guide its
participants to a place of wherein they are confident in their ability to maintain independence from the
abuser.
Domestic Violence victims (DVV) are identified by partners (Detroit Police Department, the Third Circuit
Court, Friend of the Court, the Legal Aid and Defender Center, and other CBOs) and referred to The
Mission: Prevention. The program's coordinator makes contact with the DVV and assesses the victim's
needs. Once the issues of safety, privacy, transportation and child care have been addressed, the
victim enters into the first course...where emotional, mental and spiritual healing takes place, and the
victim's self-esteem is strong enough to facilitate independence. Intense emotional support is provided
through coaching and group dialoguing, with mentoring arranged as necessary.
The first course is approximately 6 weeks in length and consists of weekly 2 ½ hour group sessions.
The sessions are facilitated by a LSW specializing in Domestic Violence. The sessions included in the
first course aid the victim’s understanding of how they were influenced to participate in the cycle of
abuse, and work to gain their acceptance of options for getting out of the situation.
DVVs completing the first course are given the option to move into the second course, Financial
Literacy. To assist the DVV with working towards autonomy and independence, the second course is
devoted to issues such as budgeting, identity theft, banking, predatory lending, housing, credit, and
understanding how battering effects one’s work performance. All session lessons and discussions play
a significant role in ending domestic violence. A DVV’s belief that they can live and survive
independent of their abuser is directly tied to economic self-sufficiency, and is frequently the deciding
factor whether they return to the relationship or not.
The Rebuilding Lives Educational Program coordinator maintains contact with all DVVs that come into
the program. All DVVs are invited to participate in any and all of The Mission’s program and events.
Program completers are called upon to build community awareness of the prevalence of the issue of
domestic violence by serving as Domestic Violence Advocates who provide speaking presentations as
requested by CBOs.
THE MISSION provides a train-the-trainer workshop for those interested in learning how to conduct the RLEP sessions
and/or to receive a better understanding of how the program components are structured for success. Please contact
staff at: (313) 920-0062 or (313) 659-5070 or (248) 967-9561. For email inquires: mission2hope@yahoo.com
| All Rights Reserved. Program Copyrighted (C) 2009 by The Mission: Prevention |
