NASSAU, The Bahamas – Officials of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs of the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, Tuesday (February 19) hosted a one-day Gender-Based Violence Intervention, Prevention, and Social Development Capacity-Building Workshop for internal staff.

Employees from the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Rehabilitative and Welfare Services, the Department of Gender and Family Affairs and the Urban Renewal Commission, all participated in the workshop.

Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, commended the staff of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs for facilitating the workshop, which quickly followed on the heels of two officers of the Department recently attending a Train-the-Trainers Workshop in Trinidad and Tobago. The in-house training was held at the Ministry’s headquarters.
 

“Today, we are blessed to have some expert facilitators among us in the persons of Mrs. Elaine Sands and Mr. Henry Johnson of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, who traveled to Trinidad and Tobago at the end of January 2019 to enhance experience they already had,” Minister Campbell said.

“What is so beautiful is that immediately thereafter, we are gathered to share in, and benefit from, what they would have learned and that is what it is all about. We are going to have courses, we are going to have training seminars, but they mean nothing if we keep them to ourselves. Let us be a part of an environment where we continuously dialogue with each other.

“And so I commend all of you for taking time out to come. I commend the facilitators; because I know what is shared here today you will take out to the wider community.”

The workshop covered areas such as concepts, theoretical underpinnings, an integrated approach to intervention; multi-agency case management; the interviewing process; and crisis intervention.

Other areas covered included the intervention process; developing cultural competencies; progress monitoring and reviews.

Minister Campbell said the workshop will be one of many training opportunities for staff at the Ministry and the various Departments and Divisions that fall under its banner.

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PHOTO CAPTION

Director of the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, Dr. Jacinta Higgs addresses delegates attending the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development/Department of Gender and Family Affairs one-day Gender-Based Violence Intervention, Prevention, and Social Development Capacity-Building Workshop for internal staff at the Ministry’s headquarters, February 19, 2019.  (BIS Photo/Matt Maura)