Media
New online hub designed to be a lifesaver for Albertans experiencing domestic abuse
Calgary woman’s death emphasizes rise of domestic violence over pandemic: advocate
Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter relaunches inclusive initiative in ending family violence
Healing the Healer: Exploring Barriers and Solutions to Supporting Works in the Domestic Violence Sector
by Katrina Milaney, Lisa Zaretsky, Carrie McManus, Becky Van Tassel
Published by Advances in Social Science and Culture
April 1, 2021
Individuals who work with Domestic Violence (DV) survivors are often exposed to traumatic events that can leave them feeling overwhelmed, distressed, and susceptible to experiences of trauma themselves.The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand the health and wellbeing of staff in the DV sector to build capacity around providing safe and supportive working environments. A focus group was conducted with 40 members of a local domestic violence collective while surveys were completed by 61 professionals within the DV sector. Thematic analysis of focus group discussions and descriptive analysis of survey data highlighted primary barriers to supportive and safe organizational cultures including the work environment, leadership, and supervision. Specifically, supervisors and organizational culture play a significant role in contributing to employee health and wellness. Results suggest the need for increased importance on the role that senior/executive staff must take in protecting their staff from trauma-related harms, including focusing on trauma-informed supervision, structure,self-care, education and training, agency policies and the safety of the work environment. Future research could explore the impact of prioritizing the role of senior and executive staff in creating a safe working environment while informing new policies and strategies for mitigating staff burnout.
Moving Fast in Canada's Social Service Sector
by Ken Boessenkool, Carrie McManus, Andrea Silverstone
Published by McGill Max Bell School of Public Policy
November 22, 2021
Shifting the way that the social services sector operates, sees itself and its role, could accelerate a societal shift to wellbeing and stop emerging social issues before they begin.
URL: https://www.mcgill.ca/maxbellschool/max-policy/social-services-sector
Understanding the Experiences of Coercive Control and Sexual Exploitation
by Andrea Silverstone, Carrie McManus, Rod Dubrow-Marshall
Published by Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime
October 3, 2022
This paper presents a policy, practice and legislative review in jurisdictions similar to a Canadian context while also exploring a qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study presenting perspectives of 7 women with lived experience of sexual exploitation and coercive control, describing their journey of sex work, experiences of wellbeing, the impact of coercive control, the efficacy of intervention, services, protection, and enforcement and the impacts of COVID-19 on their experiences. The study offers a unique perspective of lived experience individuals who have been engaged in sex work, their loss of personal agency (capacity to act or exert power over their own actions) while recognizing the complexity of the continuum of voluntary and involuntary sex work. Implications for legislative and intervention practices are offered that include the suggested inclusion of coercive control legislation into the Canadian Criminal Code (CCC) that encompasses sexual exploitation, interventions that recognize the need for strengths bases, long- term, multi-agency approaches and practice frameworks that are multi-faceted and recognize the complexity of the lived experiences of women who engage in sex work.
Impacts of Peer Support on Coping and Cortisol Levels for Women Affected by Domestic Violence and Coercive Control
by Nicole Letourneau, Carrie McManus, Jason Novick, Andrea Silverstone
Published by Canadian Journal of Nursing Research
August 16, 2024
Gendered domestic violence and coercive control are prevalent public heath concerns in Canada with dire consequences for survivors. Peer support groups may address and reduce negative impacts of domestic violence and coercive control on women's stress, coping, safety, and alliances with social support network members, the focus of this study.
Walking Through the Fire
by Katrina Milaney, Debb Hurlock, Carrie McManus, Caitlin Stokvis
Published by Annals of Social Sciences & Management Studies
January 2, 2024
Women involved in sex work experience high rates of abuse often from multiple perpetrators. This study examined the impacts of a novel community-based program addressing the intersecting issues of sex work and abuse using a coercive control framework. Five years of qualitative data from 88 women and 20 peer facilitators revealed complex histories of trauma that deeply impacted women’s capacity for healing. Results also showed that the group program created opportunities for shared learning, a sense of community and relationship equity. Follow-up supports are necessary to sustain and build on the program successes and for long-term safety-related empowerment.
Biography
Carrie McManus breaks down barriers and embraces change as the Director of Innovation and Programs at Sagesse. Her natural curiosity and passion for eradicating domestic abuse allow her to ask “what if” when developing initiatives that change long-standing beliefs and empower individuals, organizations and communities to disrupt structures of domestic abuse.