Barrhead 's new family violence prevention worker

The Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS) Family Violence program staff has just doubled.

Last week Cheri Jantz joined Heidi Magus as a family violence prevention worker.

Magus, who joined the Barrhead FCSS two-years ago from Westlock’s FCSS where the family violence initiative was developed in 2009, is scaling back her outreach work to focus more on public relations, fundraising and grant applications.

This is in addition to her work with the RCMP where she is the Victim Services Unit manager.

“I will still be around, but it will be in a smaller capacity,” Magus said, adding that she’s pleased to have someone with Jantz’s background join the program.

Like Magnus, Jantz comes to Barrhead via Westlock where she is currently working part-time for FCSS.

Before that she worked with the Westlock Independence Network (WIN), a non-profit organization that provides services for people with various disabilities.

“I actually have worked with the Barrhead FCSS before,” Jantz said.

In about 2009, Jantz took a position with FCSS as a Family School Liason (FSL) worker on a one-year maternity leave contract.

At about the same time, she said the communities of Athabasca, Westlock and Barrhead, through Community Action For Healthy Relationships (CAHR) and Healthy Families Healthy Futures were trying to determine if there was an issue around family violence. The program is run through the FCSS.

CAHR determined that there was an issue and created a position at the Westlock FCSS, which both Jantz and Magus applied for. In the end Magus ended up getting the job.

When Janz did not get the position, she decided go back to WIN when her FCSS contract ended.

“Last year I decided I needed a change and left WIN, so when a position opened in Westlock as a part-time Thrive outreach mentor, I jumped at the chance,” she said, adding about two months after she started her job in Westlock, the position (Thrive mentor) in Barrhead became available.

As a Thrive mentor, Jantz works with people affected by relationship violence, regardless if it is in a marriage, common law or a parent-child relationship.

“My role, specifically, is to teach skills to people in that situation so they get strong enough to get out of that situation,” she said. “Whether it’s restoring the relationship in a healthy way, or leaving it.”

Magus added the reason why the program is called Thrive is because that is what they hope their clients do.

“People who are coming from abusive relationships have to put a lot of work and effort into leaving or repairing that unhealthy relationship, so they are ‘thriving’ through and giving it their all,” she said.

For people who are in an abusive relationship, Jantz said there are two ways to enrol in the program, by self-referral or through referrals from outside agencies.

“So if there are community members who know of someone who would benefit from support they can either get that individual to call in, or they can come in and make a referral to myself, Heidi or someone else here at FCSS,” she said. “However, with the caveat that people have contact information that is safe. We don’t want to put people at risk.”

For example, she said if a community member wants to refer someone to the program, she might tell that person to give them her contact information.

“That way they can contact me when it is safe to do so,” Jantz said. “It’s all about making sure that person isn’t put at risk by having, Cheri, the relationship violence worker call them.”

For more information about the family violence prevention program contact Jantz at Barrhead FCSS at 780-674-3341, ext. 25 or 780-206-7792 (cellphone) or cheri.jantzhfalberta.com.