Cameo of courage, effective interventions, and safety planning.

The value and importance of effective case management, risk planning, and employer support in difficult situations when women take steps to leave extremely abusive, and potentially deadly situations is captured well in this cameo of Mary’s experience with Bel isi PNG.

Bel isi PNG works very closely with clients to ensure steps are taken to keep them safe in their pursuit of leaving violent relationships.

Bel isi PNG recently worked with a subscribing company to support Mary (an alias), an employee who had lived in an extremely abusive relationship for many years. She was left with physical injuries and horrific scars, both physical and emotional, from sustained abuse over many years. She is also a mother of several children and feared for her and her children’s safety.

Her attempts to get support from her extended family and community and requests to the police for help were never successful. Those she turned to for help did not understand that violence is a very serious crime in relationships and not something than can be resolved in the privacy of her home. Cultural obligations were used to justify no action by her family and the community. Mary wanted to leave.

Several of Mary’s colleagues and supervisor were aware of her situation and encouraged her to reach out to Bel isi for support. Working with Mary, her employer, and the Bel isi PNG team were able to extract Mary and her children safely from her situation and provide safe refuge for her. It took a lot of planning and joint work. An application for an Interim Protection Order with the police and Family Court was successful. Bel isi PNG has worked with Mary on a safety plan which she is now implementing to ensure she and her children stay safe.

Taking this step took enormous courage and trust from Mary. It also required very skilled case work and interagency cooperation. It needed a supervisor and colleagues who were able to reach out and support Mary with good information. It needed Bel isi PNG to know how to work with Mary, her employer, and the relevant agencies to get a safety net around her and her children.

This act of courage empowered her to take that huge step of leaving her abusive relationship. Safety planning is a basic but hugely complex case management need. Many working women struggle to cope with abusive relationships on their own. Having a supportive employer and colleagues who were familiar with the services offered by Bel isi provided Mary with the help she needed.