Understanding Mental Health and Substance Use: Training for Professionals Working with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

The purpose of this 13-module training program is to provide professionals working in the gender-based violence field a foundational level of knowledge, expertise, and skill so they can effectively respond to survivors with complex mental health and substance use concerns within their agencies. Each module takes approximately 3 hours to complete.

To complete this program, it is recommended that you use a computer or tablet rather than a phone. On a tablet you will want to be in landscape mode.

Welcome to the Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters online training program, entitled Understanding Mental Health and Substance Use: Training for Professionals Working with Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. The purpose of the program is to increase awareness and understanding of issues relating to mental health (with a specific focus on substance use) among professionals and staff working in the gender-based violence sector in Manitoba. Service providers report they lack knowledge, skills, and resources to serve survivors of IPV who have mental health conditions and use substances. This lack of preparedness may lead some IPV service providers to divert survivors to substance use and mental health-specific treatment programs prior to permitting access to IPV-specific services. Consequently, the substance use- and mental health-related needs of survivors may go unmet within IPV-serving organizations in the province. Further, the lack of awareness, knowledge, and skills may lead service providers to ignore, neglect, or exacerbate survivors’ emotional distress, potentially resulting in further trauma. The goal of this training is to provide professionals working in the gender-based violence field a foundational level of knowledge, expertise, and skill so they can effectively respond to survivors with complex mental health and substance use concerns within their agencies.