ARC Services

ARC Services

The ARC Gender Relations Project offers workplace training, groups for men, and a community of practice group for workers. We cover the Lismore and Tweed regions. Please contact us if you would like to join a group, refer your client, or request workplace training.

Workplace Training

The ARC Gender Relations Team offers the following Workplace Training. We can offer a whole day with any combination below:

 

Workplace and Gender:

A half-day workplace training session looking at gender relations in the workplace; employment and gender; an overview of how gender can impact work and home life; and the underlying drivers of sexism, abuse and violence against women and children. This training encourages accountability, and asks some basic questions about identifying and responding to unhelpful attitudes around gender.

 

Sexuality and Gender Diverse Workplace:

A half day workplace training on cultural inclusivity for LGBTQIAP+ communities, co-workers and clients. This includes information on the specific experience of domestic and family violence and lateral violence within LGBTQIAP+ communities. It looks at respectful language for LGBTQIAP+ communities, and specific social and cultural understandings of gender, sex and sexuality.

 

Working with Men:

This half-day training looks at how unhealthy/harmful forms of masculinity impact on men in the workplace, at home and in the community. How can we best work with men to achieve greater wellbeing in the whole community?

 

Adolescents, gender and violence:

Half day on how unhealthy/harmful forms of masculinity impact the behaviour choices of adolescents. This training is specifically for workers who are working with adolescents.  (In development)

 

Bystander Intervention Training:

This training explores how bystanders can intervene in gender-based (and other forms of) violence, in everyday conversations and situations. It shows how gendered social norms and subtle sexist attitudes are linked to disrespectful and abusive behaviours. The training invites reflection and supports participants to develop practical, active bystander intervention skills.

 

Tailored workplace training:

We can offer a tailored training to suit your workplace, that helps to develop knowledge and professional practice around gender relations that promotes gender health and wellbeing in your workplace and the communities you service.

Groups

The ARC group programs are all solidly based in a gender transformative framework that aims to:

 

  • Foster healthy masculinities and challenge rigid gender stereotypes and roles
  • Strengthen positive, equal, and respectful relations between people of all genders
  • Engage men and boys in gender equality by challenging the normalisation of violence as an expression of masculinity
  • Building relationship skills and social connections

 

This framework aligns strongly with the Our Watch Change the Story framework for the primary prevention of violence against women and children in Australia.

 

The group programs include:

 

Accountable, Respectful, Connected Inner Strength

 

The focus of this group program is to:

 

  • Expose the social construction of dominant gender stereotypes and roles
  • Explore the costs and benefits of adhering to ‘masculinity rules’
  • Put respect into action through exploring beliefs, behaviours and practices that inform our everyday lives
  • Increase knowledge of how brains and bodies respond to stress and trauma, in order to enhance self-awareness
  • Develop strategies to regulate strong emotions
  • Understand and practise empathy and compassion for ourselves and others

 

Accountable, Respectful, Connected Dads

 

The focus of this group program is to:

 

  • Explore and understand the pivotal role that Dads play in their children’s development and growth
  • Use The Circle of Security® Parenting™ program to support secure parent-child relationships
  • Increase knowledge of children’s development and the role connection plays in brain development and architecture
  • Learn to read children’s emotional needs through understanding their emotional world
  • Support the ability of children to successfully manage emotions, and enhance the development of their self esteem
  • Reflect on how children learn about gender
  • Explore how children and young people can be supported to develop positive personal identities without being forced to conform to stereotypes

 

Accountable, Respectful, Connected Relationship Toolkit

 

The focus of this group program is to:

 

  • Learn to express needs and set boundaries constructively
  • Practise skills that enable stronger connections and greater empathy
  • Foster diversity in expressions of masculinities and challenge dominant gender stereotypes and roles
  • Strengthen positive, equal, and respectful relationships
  • Put respect and equality into action through examining beliefs and behaviours that influence day to day relationships
  • Understand and change unhelpful patterns of behaviour

 

Supporting Change Group

 

This group offers previous MEND (Men Exploring New Directions) participants an opportunity for ongoing connection with other men who are committed to making positive changes in their lives. The group meets weekly at the Men and Family Centre for two hours. Discussions are led by two facilitators and cover a range of topics.

 

The aims of the group are to provide a space where men can:

 

  • Engage in conversations about how to be more accountable for their behaviour and the impact they have on others
  • Contribute to and benefit from a community of support
  • Integrate the learnings from MEND into their daily lives
  • Reflect on what ‘being a man’ means by breaking down gender stereotypes and roles
  • Access tools and resources to support them to have more positive, equal and respectful relationships

 

Please note: This group is for men who have completed the MEND program modules (36 weeks).

Communities of Practice

The ARC Gender Relations team convenes a community of practice group for professionals who work with men of all ages, in various therapeutic and casework roles. This bi-monthly group is facilitated by experienced Men and Family Centre staff.

 

It is a learning circle that focuses on supporting workers to integrate a gender transformative framework, by providing a space to exchange resources and ideas. The group will discuss professional responsibility and community safety, and share stories around the challenges of our work. Please contact the ARC team for more information.

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ARC Services