In April, the New York Times reported a collateral crisis arising from the coronavirus pandemic and its attendant stressors: a surge in domestic violence.
A Positive Step of Monroe County, a non-profit organization that has served Monroe County’s highest-risk children and their families since 1999, is undertaking a proactive, preventive approach by expanding its existing Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative educational program to include a new, elective, domestic violence awareness and prevention component, titled Understanding Domestic Violence.
“We launched our Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative in early 2019 to provide supportive training for dads, including incarcerated ones, to cultivate new skills in parent, co-parent and child relationships — along with anger management, health and substance abuse awareness,” said Billy Davis, APSMC founder and executive director. “COVID-19 has created a whole new set of challenges and stressors for our clients, many of whom haven’t had a role model – or a good role model, on which to base their own parenting and co-parenting skills.”
For dads who elect to participate in the Understanding Domestic Violence component, the usual 12-week/12-session Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative program will extend to 15 weeks/15 sessions, all conducted via Zoom meetings and conference calls until a safe social distancing situation can be arranged.
“By coming to understand the actual definition of domestic violence, its cyclical nature and how to recognize early warning signs, dads can also learn to defuse potential violence before it occurs,” said Davis.
The Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative program is evidence-based, meaning it has been tested and validated through educational and social service organizations, and includes additional supportive services, including access to 30 hours of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) training and certification, CDL (Commercial Drivers License), and a GED (Graduate Equivalency Degree) program offered through the Monroe County School District.
The program welcomes court-ordered participants as well as self and community partner referrals. All participants receive weekly grocery store gift cards and a certificate of completion at the end of the program.”
The Southernmost Fatherhood Initiative is supported by the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, The Keys Open Door Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, the United Way of the Florida Keys, Key West Sunrise Rotary, and private donors.
For enrollment, contact Davis at 305-304-1969 or APSMCCRP@aol.com. For more information on A Positive Step of Monroe County visit APSMC.org.
