ACCESS

Advancing Career Counseling and

Employment Support for Survivors
of Domestic Violence

Intervention
Curriculum Manual
Krista M. Chronister, Ph.D.
Counseling Psychology
University of Oregon

Cover Illustration:
Survivor I by Audrey Desjarlais
Cover illustration used by permission of Audrey Desjarlais. All figures not
original to the author are used by permission of the respective authors to
Krista M. Chronister and the University of Oregon.

ACCESS Copyright 2006–2009 University of Oregon.

Authored by Krista Chronister, Ph.D., faculty in Counseling Psychology in the College of Education.
 ACCESS: Advancing Career Counseling
and Employment Support for Survivors of
Domestic Violence

A Session-by-Session Curriculum Manual

To Be Used with the Career Information System
University of Oregon

ACCESS Curriculum Manual iii

 Contents

Overview: Intimate Partner Violence and Women 1

Session 1: Identifying My Skills 11
Session 2: Discovering My Interests and Choices 23
Session 3: Looking at Power 31
Session 4: Defining Equality and Support 43
Session 5: Moving forward 53
References 58
Appendices 61

ACCESS Curriculum Manual v

 Intimate Partner Violence and Women
Intimate partner violence, or IPV, is vio-
lence committed by a spouse, ex-spouse,
or current or former romantic partner.
IPV can occur between opposite-sex
and same-sex couples, and IPV is often a
repeated offense (CDC, 2003). The focus of
this curriculum is on the work experiences
and career development of female IPV
survivors, that is, women who have expe-
rienced in the past, or who are currently
experiencing, abuse from an intimate
partner.
It is important to acknowledge that both
men and women experience IPV and that
younger adolescents and early adults
living in the United States are experiencing
IPV at increasing alarming rates (Arriaga &
Foshee, 2004; Capaldi et al., 2003; Kim &
Capaldi, 2004; Renzetti, Edleson, & Bergen,
2001). Understanding and addressing the
impact of IPV on all survivors’ economic
and vocational development or school
success is critical. The ACCESS curriculum,
however, is designed specifically to
advance the vocational development of
women IPV survivors.
Records from around the world show that
abuse of women is the most common and
frequent form of family violence and the
single greatest cause of injury to women
(e.g., Walker, 1999). Based on the United
States National Violence Against Women
Survey data, estimates indicate that 5.3
million IPV victimizations occur every year
among women who are age 18 years or
older. IPV results in nearly 2 million injuries
to women and nearly 1,300 deaths every
year (CDC, 2003).
Although there is controversy about the
accuracy of IPV statistics and the magni-
tude of the problem (Dutton, 1995; Gelles,
ACCESS Curriculum Manual 1
1997; Sev’er, 1997; Straus, 1993), it is im-
portant to consider that IPV rates often do
not account for the experiences of women
who:
• do not report IPV
• are undocumented immigrants
• are non-U.S. citizens
• are non-English speaking
• live on military bases
• are in same-sex relationships
(Browne, 1993; Gianakos, 1999).
IPV and Women’s Career and
Economic Development
The effects of IPV on women’s economic
and career development are devastating,
but too often these effects are neglected
in the literature and by policy makers and
service providers. IPV deprives women
of career, educational, and financial op-
portunities; as well as undermines their
attempts to attain economic stability and
independence (American Psychological
Association, 2000), realize their potential,
and contribute fully to their communities.
• Women living in the U.S. lose nearly
8 million days of paid work every
year because of violence perpe-
trated against them by current or
former intimate partners. This is the
equivalent of 32,114 full-time jobs
(CDC, 2003) and nearly $18 million
in earnings each year (Greenfeld et
al., 1998). Women lose an additional
5.6 million days from household
chores.
• An estimated 13,000 episodes of
 IPV toward women occur at work
(CAEPV, 2002; U.S. Dept. of Labor,
1996).
• Homicide is the leading cause of
death in the workplace for women
(U.S. Dept. of Labor, 1994; Vanden
Bos & Bulatao, 1996; Younger, 1994).
• 75% of employed women in abu-
sive relationships are harassed in
their work settings by their abusers,
and 54% of these women lose their
jobs as a result (Crowell & Burgess,
1996).
• 40% of women in abusive relation-
ships reported that IPV caused
them to be late for work more than
three times a month, and 34% of
women reported missing whole
days from work (Retzlaff, 1999).
• 23% of women in abusive rela-
tionships reported difficulties
advancing in their careers (Retzlaff,
1999).
• Women who are in or have recently
left a physically aggressive/violent
relationship lasting one year or
more are 33% as likely as women
in nonviolent relationships to
maintain stable employment in the
next six months (Browne, Salomon,
& Bassuk, 1999).
• IPV results in more than 18.5 million
mental health care visits each year
by women (CDC, 2003).
• IPV has a direct impact on keeping
welfare recipients from holding
jobs and becoming self-sufficient
(American Psychological Associa-
tion, 2000).
2 ACCESS Curriculum Manual
Why Focus on Career Development
Interventions for Survivors?
The term career is used in this curriculum
to include all forms of paid and unpaid
work and educational pursuits and ac-
complishments during a woman’s lifetime
(Sharf, 2002). There are three primary
reasons for health professionals and educa-
tors to give greater attention to women
survivors’ career development.
XX First, paid work, increased financial
autonomy, and educational and vocational
development promote women’s mental
health and can facilitate survivors’ heal-
ing and rehabilitation (Blustein, 2008;
Chronister & McWhirter, 2006; Murphy,
1997). Health and social service providers
may think that women must first heal from
traumatic experiences before pursuing
career opportunities and employment. It
is true that many women are not able, or
do not feel ready, to focus on their careers
or work due to the violence and trauma
they have experienced. There are a broad
range of employment and career activities,
however, that may be used at different
stages of women’s survival and recovery to
promote their healing.
XXHealth providers, for example, may
assist women with identifying their ac-
complishments, skills, and work interests;
conducting informational interviews;
preparing resumes and job cover let-
ters; completing school and financial
aid applications; and setting goals and
building support networks for each stage
of their career development. Although a
woman may not be ready to seek and/or
maintain employment, service providers
can facilitate her career development and
confidence more broadly, over time, by in-
crease her performance accomplishments, Immediate employment opportunities,
skill development, and contact with sup- however, often include jobs that are tem-
portive people and agencies (Chronister & porary, provide low pay, offer no benefits,
McWhirter, 2003). and give women few opportunities to
develop their skills or advance in their
XX Second, one of the most important
profession. These kinds of jobs are less
factors influencing a woman survivor’s de-
likely to provide women with the resources
cision to access help in an abusive situation
necessary to seek help over time, escape
is the number of personal and economic
an abusive situation if they choose, and
resources she possesses (Sullivan, 1991).
support themselves and their families
Similarly, one of the most significant
long-term. In addition, these jobs do not
reasons for why a woman returns to an
allow women to use the diverse skills they
abusive relationship is a lack of economic
already have and do not further women’s
resources to survive on her own and sup-
personal and professional development
port her children (Sullivan & Bybee, 1999).
and achievement of their full potential.
Women’s paid work, career development,
and economic stability, therefore, are criti- Attention to career development involves
cal to the prevention of intimate partner working collaboratively with women to
violence. That is, fostering women’s eco- develop their confidence and the skills
nomic and career development enhances necessary to secure more satisfying,
women’s access to resources necessary for more beneficial, and better paying work
seeking help, escaping a violent relation- over time — work that provides women
ship, and living their lives free from future with more life choices and opportunities.
violence. Moreover, attention to women’s career
development involves working with
XX Third, a short-term employment
survivors to discover the diverse skills they
focus alone does not provide women with
already posses and the numerous goals
the vocational skills and opportunities
that women have already accomplished.
necessary to live free from violence long-
term and achieve their full potential. ACCESS was developed to help service
providers incorporate a career focus into
It is very challenging for service providers
their existing service work and treat-
to balance the crisis, health, and economic/
ment with women survivors. Planning
career needs of survivors. Given the limited
for long-term financial resources and
time and resources available to many
career choices allows women to advance
agencies and their staffs, social service
toward economic stability, access support
providers do their best to find women
long-term, and take action to live their
jobs and financial resources (e.g., charity
lives free of violence (Sullivan & Bybee,
donations, jobs in classified ads) that are
immediately available so that women can
access different kinds of support (e.g., cul-
tural group connections, counseling) and/
or leave abusive situations immediately.
Such resources are important!

ACCESS Curriculum Manual 3

1999). Ultimately, attention to women’s
career development will help end cycles of
intimate partner violence.
Purpose and Rationale for the
ACCESS Curriculum
The ACCESS curriculum is based on current
theory and research in the fields of voca-
tional psychology and career counseling,
domestic violence, empowerment, and
individual and group therapy. An overview
of the ACCESS curriculum purpose and
foundation is provided in the next few
pages. To learn more about the theories
and research that informed the develop-
ment of ACCESS, see the references listed
at the end of this manual.
The purpose of this curriculum is to em-
power intimate partner violence survivors.
Empowerment is defined as “the process
by which people, organizations, or groups
who are powerless or marginalized (a)
become aware of the power dynamics at
work in their life context, (b) develop the
skills and capacity for gaining some rea-
sonable control over their lives, (c) which
they exercise, (d) without infringing on the
rights of others, and (e) which coincides
with actively supporting the empower-
ment of others in their community”
(McWhirter, 1994, p. 12).
The ACCESS curriculum seeks to contribute
to women survivors’ empowerment,
specifically, by (a) increasing women’s
awareness of supportive and abusive
power dynamics in their lives, (b) increas-
ing women’s awareness and development
of occupational and life skills, (c) facilitating
women’s ability to use their skills to make
4 ACCESS Curriculum Manual
life decisions, and ultimately, (d) increasing
women’s ability to contribute to the em-
powerment of others in their communities.
To use the ACCESS program and facilitate
women’s empowerment effectively, it is
essential to remember the following:
XX Empowerment is not something that
you “do” or “give” to survivors, but rather
ACCESS facilitators work collaboratively
with women to contribute to, and support,
women’s empowerment processes.
XX Women’s development and experi-
ences of violence are affected by the many
contexts in which they live (i.e., family,
neighborhood, cultural, and political
contexts).
XX Every woman has life experiences,
skills, and knowledge that allows her to
contribute to others’ learning and develop-
ment and to affect the contexts in which
she lives.
XX Women have multiple and diverse
social and cultural identities (e.g., identifi-
cation as a woman, mother, lesbian, ethnic
minority, immigrant, woman with a disabil-
ity), and group facilitators must recognize
and consider how women’s identities
affect their experiences of IPV, ACCESS
group experiences, and empowerment.
XX ACCESS group facilitators are also
cultural beings who identify with multiple
and diverse social and cultural identities
and who are influenced by the multiple
contexts in which they have lived. Conse-
quently, it is critical for group facilitators
to be aware of how their life experiences,
values, beliefs, and contexts affect how
they work with women survivors.
 Introduction to the ACCESS Program
Who can benefit from participating
in the ACCESS program?
The ACCESS program is for women
who have experienced intimate partner
violence or are currently experiencing
IPV and are not in immediate danger or
crisis. ACCESS may be used in a variety
of settings, including domestic violence
and community shelters, social service
agencies, and employment agency and
educational settings.
The ACCESS program was created in re-
sponse to the unique challenge that many
social service providers are faced with —
balancing the safety, health, and economic
needs of IPV survivors in the short-term
and long-term. ACCESS gives social service
providers the structure and flexibility to
address a broad range of women’s career
needs (e.g., vocational training, immediate
employment, long-term educational pur-
suits such as a college degree, maintaining
employment). In addition, ACCESS helps
service providers acknowledge women’s
diverse skills and life experiences related to
their racial and ethnic backgrounds, spiri-
tuality and religion, age, sexual orientation,
socioeconomic background, abilities, and
other social and cultural identities.
Who can facilitate ACCESS
program groups?
Social service providers and educators best
suited to facilitate ACCESS groups (a) are
knowledgeable about IPV and its impact
on survivors, (b) have direct experience
working with IPV survivors, (c) are familiar
with how to use a state-based or national
ACCESS Curriculum Manual 5
version of the Career Information System
and have access to this program, and (d)
are prepared to use the ACCESS curriculum
by reading this manual carefully and/or
receiving training from the curriculum
author.
What are the specific goals of the
ACCESS program?
The specific goals of ACCESS are associat-
ed with enhancing women’s career devel-
opment and healing:
Goal 1: Increase women’s exploration and
identification of their career interests
Goal 2: Increase women’s identification,
development, and use of career-related
skills
Goal 3: Increase women’s knowledge of
different career opportunities
Goal 4: Increase women’s identification
and planning of future short- and long-
term career goals
Goal 5: Strengthen women’s connection
to and use of community resources and
support networks
What are the ACCESS activities?
ACCESS is a five-session group-based, ca-
reer counseling program that can be led by
one or two group facilitators. Each group
session lasts two hours (for a program total
of ten hours), and typically one session is
held per week, for five consecutive weeks.
Groups comprised of six to eight women
 Session 1: Identifying My Skills

Background
Abusers often isolate women, and this isolation severely restricts women’s ability
to succeed at their career pursuits, gain new work experiences and skills, observe
role models, and build supportive networks that reinforce their worth. Women’s
experiences of IPV also create intense feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression, which
may get in the way of women being able to concentrate on career-related tasks. As
a result, these women typically do not perform job or school tasks well, and they
receive fewer positive evaluations and promotions. As a result of emotional abuse,
women often believe that their poor work performance and inability to advance in
their careers is their fault and a sign of their weak skills or low intelligence. The goal
of Session 1 is to increase women’s awareness and ability to identify the skills they
already have and to help them identify new skills.

Goals
• Provide time for women to get to know each other and the facilitator.
• Encourage women to identify and share their accomplishments and skills.
• Complete the SKILLS Assessment.

Things You Will Need

• Copies of the Career Information System SKILLS Assessment Worksheet (hard
copy of worksheet provided at the end of Session 1, or you can print the
SKILLS worksheets directly from the CIS website)
• A dry-erase chalkboard or large writing pad with easel
• ACCESS program workbooks for group members

Group Activities

1. Description of group rules (5 minutes):

As the facilitator, you begin the group by describing group rules, such as mutual
respect and confidentiality, and other rules that may apply to the setting in which you
are working. Allow women to state group rules that are important to them and that
may have been omitted.

ACCESS Curriculum Manual 11

2. Introductions (15 minutes):
Introduce yourself as the group facilitator and describe your purpose in the group
and that of the ACCESS program. Give group members time to introduce themselves.
Depending on the group setting and number of group members,ask members the
following questions to help introduce themselves: “What interested you about this
program?” or “What do you hope to get out of this program?”

3. Identify group similarities (5 minutes):

Share the similarities among group members that you heard during their introduc-
tions. This is an important part of the ACCESS program because it helps encourage
women to connect with one another and become aware of some shared identities
(e.g., all group members are mothers). Following is a script that the group facilitator
may use to help promote group identity:
“I want to point out that all of you are women who at some point in your lives
have experienced intimate partner violence, are currently experiencing domes-
tic violence, and are seeking to explore different career interests by participating
in this program. Choosing to participate in ACCESS is a commitment to mak-
ing time for yourself, for self-discovery, and sharing your skills, knowledge, and
experiences with other women.”

4. Discussion of accomplishments (20 minutes):

This is a preparatory step for the next activity. For this activity, group members need to
identify four to seven accomplishments that they feel most proud of.
First, begin identifying accomplishments as a group. This will likely be a difficult
activity for some group members given their experiences of verbal and emo-
tional abuse as well as family and cultural values that may emphasize humility.
Considering the potential difficulty of this activity, we encourage women to
identify their accomplishments within the larger group so that group members
can help each other identify things that they’ve done well in their lives and can
support each other in sharing their experiences. As women share out loud some
of their accomplishments, write them on the board for everyone to see.
Remember to help women write and identify accomplishments that are specific.
Accomplishments might be defined as (a) things that women have done that they are
proud of, or (b) things that women have done that were really difficult, yet they still
made it through the experience. Accomplishments across women’s lifetimes may be
identified.
Second, after all group members have identified at least one accomplishment
out loud with the group, have each group member, write down on a piece of
paper the rest of her accomplishments (for a total of four to seven). Ask group
members to hold on to their list of accomplishments for the next group activity,
SKILLS Assessment.

12 ACCESS Curriculum Manual

 Session 3: Looking at Power

Background
Power is not a bad thing, except that women survivors of IPV have experienced
abuse of power in many contexts and relationships. Increasing critical conscious-
ness is about increasing women’s awareness of their own power and skills (e.g.,
surviving) and identifying the people, agencies, and communities that have been
abusive and hurtful to them. As women’s understanding and awareness of abusive
power dynamics increases, they are less likely to blame themselves for failed
attempts at pursuing certain careers. In addition, as women’s understanding and
awareness of their own power increases, they are likely to identify ways in which
they can make life changes. Thus, the goal of Session 3 is to increase women’s
awareness of abusive power dynamics and the influence of these power dy-
namics on their lives, particularly their career and economic development.

Goals
• Provide women with information about different careers.
• Examine the influence of different power dynamics at work in women’s lives and
increase women’s understanding of how abusive power dynamics have affected
them.
• Increase women’s attention to their bodies and the connection between their
emotional and physical experiences.
• Increase women’s ability to control and manage their physical experiences, espe-
cially during times of great stress, anxiety, and fear, so that they can move forward
with their goals.
• Increase women’s confidence with interviewing community professionals and
reaching out for support and help.
• Increase group members’ connection with one another and sense of support.

Things You Will Need

• A board or large writing pad with easel to write on
• Phone book

ACCESS Curriculum Manual 31

 Group Activities

1. Discuss journal assignment (15 minutes):

Facilitate discussion about group members’ thoughts and feelings about pursuing
their career interests and the influence of others’ expectations.

2. Discuss power and control (50 minutes):

First, display or draw on the board the Power and Control wheel provided on page
35 of this manual. Label each pie piece of the wheel with the types of abuse tactics
(e.g., coercion and threats, intimidation, emotional abuse, isolation, minimizing,
denying and blaming, using children, using privilege, and economic abuse), but leave
the inside of each pie piece blank so that women can fill in during the group discus-
sion of the abuse tactics (e.g., partner threatened suicide, partner took my money,
partner wouldn’t let me sleep, etc.) they have experienced.
Second, facilitate a discussion about group members’ experiences of abuse as dia-
grammed and described on each section of the Power and Control wheel. Be sure to
have an equal focus on economic abuse and how all forms of abuse have affected
their belief in their abilities, their job interests, their ability to keep jobs, and their
economic development.
You may facilitate discussion by posing the following questions:
“How do you think your experiences with these abuse tactics influenced your
belief in your skills and interests in specific careers or jobs?”
“How have your experiences influenced how you think about your ability to
pursue and succeed in the occupations you choose?”
“How has family, environment, or culture influenced how you feel about your
career abilities?”
Point to Remember
Be sure to make connections in group between women’s experiences of abuse
and the impact on their career and economic development. For example, a group
member might share an experience of when her partner hit her and she had to go
to the emergency room. You want to focus on the physical and emotional conse-
quences as well as the economic consequences. Specifically, she may have had to
miss work and pay for transportation to the hospital because she wasn’t physically
able to drive herself.

3. Facilitate discussion about feelings and physical experiences (5 minutes):

To prepare for activity #4, write on the board a column labeled “Feelings” and another
column labeled “Physical Signs” (see example on the next page). Ask participants
to identify the physical signs that are linked to the feelings (e.g., fear, anxiety) they
discussed during the Power and Control wheel discussion. The purpose of this activ-

32 ACCESS Curriculum Manual