Training & Technical Assistance

Alianza is currently offering the following trainings:Support and Empowerment Group Facilitator Training, Working with Men and Boys to Eradicate Domestic Violence, Train-the Trainer Financial Independence Workshops, and On the Road to Social Transformation: Culture Proficiency Training; and the Advocates' Toolbox.

There is no training fee for the first 3 trainings listed. They are made possible through two OVW Training and Technical Assistance Grants. Grantees may use OVW funds to cover allowable travel and lodging expenses. The other 2 trainings: On the Road to Social Transformation: A Cultural Proficiency Training Curriculum for Domestic Violence Service Providers and Advocates and The Advocate's Tool Box are available on a sliding scale fee basis.

To request a training for your organization email: ivonneo@dvalianza.org.

1Support and Empowerment Group Facilitator Training. This a 2-day training designed for facilitators of support and empowerment groups for Latina survivors of domestic violence. The purpose of the training is to make the role of support group facilitators a little easier and as effective and successful as possible. The training will enhance the ability of the facilitators to be a bridge to positive life alternatives, to physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, to hope, and to a life free of violence. The topics or themes included in the curriculum guides are those most frequently addressed in current groups with Latina survivors, as suggested by support group participants. This is not an exhaustive list and specific topics may be of more relevance to some groups than others. These topics can be used to enhance the sharing of experiences and circumstances (the women’s stories) and the resulting dialogue that is at the heart of the healing and self-empowerment process of support group sessions.

The training, which can be provided in either English or Spanish is targeted to the following audiences:

• Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) Grantees
• Latina survivors affiliated with a DV organization and who are interested in becoming support group facilitators
• Advocates, community organizers and professionals involved in the DV field
• Community organizations interested in providing survivors’ support groups who are working with Latino communities

2Working with Men and Boys to Eradicate Domestic Violence. This is a training that will assist organizations that want to learn how to engage men and boys as advocates in the struggle to end violence against women. Alianza firmly believes that the eradication of domestic violence from Latino communities requires the ongoing and committed participation of both Latinas and Latinos. Women and men need to work together to prevent and end domestic violence and to jointly promote healing in our families and communities. Whereas, we recognize that Latinos who batter are internal oppressors and victimizers who need to be held accountable (sometimes through the criminal justice system), it is important to develop and promote services and programs that help them to stabilize their lives and enhance their chances of remaining non-violent. We have to go beyond viewing them only as “perpetrators” as is often the case in mainstream domestic violence programming. They are not the “other”; they are part of our families and communities, men who need help being with women, elders and children. Healing from oppression and recovering positive aspects of our cultural traditions, men can find real balance in their lives, recapture a sense of belonging, and become productive members of our communities—nurturing fathers, good husbands/partners, role models for other men and for youth, and advocates for nonviolence.

3Train-the Trainer Financial Independence Workshops. Through a recent 3-year OVW T&TA (Recovery Act Grant), Alianza will conduct up to 15 workshops for OVW grantees that serve Latina survivors of domestic violence. Three pilot workshops will be delivered during Year 1 of the Project (before the end of September 30, 2011) and the rest in Years 2 and 3.

The target audience will consist of the following: OVW grantee organizations including state domestic violence coalitions and STOP Formula grantees, in states with large Latino/Hispanic populations. The trainings will provide workshops on financial literacy and the development of women’s economic cooperatives, and follow-up technical assistance on business planning and marketing.

4On the Road to Social Transformation: A Cultural Proficiency Training Curriculum for Domestic Violence Service Providers and Advocates. This is a two-day cultural proficiency training for domestic violence service providers and advocates, with an emphasis on DV state coalitions and other OVW grantees. The training curriculum is divided into 4 sessions and encompasses the following subject areas:

• Developing Cultural Self Awareness
• An Overview of Latinos in the U.S.
• Introduction to the Concept of Cultural Proficiency and Related Terms
• Overview of Key Latino Cultural Values
• Understanding the Intersection of Oppressions and the Impact of Structural Racism
• Introduction to the Cultural Proficiency Continuum
• Conducting a Cultural Proficiency Organizational Assessment
• Developing Culturally Proficient Programs and Organizational Practices

The material contained in this training program is highly sensitive and could elicit a range of emotional responses from individuals from different socio-cultural backgrounds. Trainers are skilled in sensitively managing conversations about cultural differences, racism, human rights and organizational change.

5The Advocate’s Toolbox. This is a one-day intensive domestic violence training that focuses on providing culturally appropriate services for Latinas/os. The training is targeted to domestic violence service providers and advocates (Latino and non-Latino) who serve Latina survivors and families. It is divided into 2 sessions and encompasses the following subject areas:

• An Overview of Latinos in the U.S.
• Overview of Key Latino Cultural Values
• Culturally Appropriate Service Provision
• Support Groups and Latinas
• Promising Practices

The training will enhance the ability of the training participants to provide culturally appropriate services to Latina victims and survivors of abuse. Through this training, advocates are able to better understand and familiarize themselves with key aspects of Latino culture. Some of the topics included in this training are those most frequently addressed by advocates who work with Latina survivors throughout the United States.