The Peer Program at the Family Justice Center is a way to provide survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault with support from those who have experienced it first-hand for themselves.
"Talking to someone who's had to go through it, there's something about that type of relationship and understanding that can help reduce the stigma that a survivor might feel," said Rajima Danish-Engel, the Outreach and Development Manager at the Family Justice center in Ventura.
She says ultimately, it’s giving those experiencing domestic violence the tools to break the cycle—and that could be life-saving.
"It can take some survivors a number of times to leave a relationship that's not safe for a lot of different reasons. So we're hoping that folks not only are able to get to safety and well-being maybe a little bit sooner, but that they're also able to stay there," she said.
The program seeks to develop an evidence-based peer support model specifically designed for adult survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The program design includes one-on-one and group peer support, peer navigation at intake, and a train-the-trainer model that will allow the program’s expansion to additional service areas in the future.
