Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Support and Educational Programs

Learn more about Moving Forward: A Women's Seder to raise awareness of domestic violence in the Jewish community.

Counseling Services:
Jewish Family Service's Counseling Department is unique in its ability to provide counseling and therapy services for the very young to the elderly. JFS’s licenced professional counselors are specialists in individual, marital, family, group, child and adolescent therapy. Each counselor has expertise in working with clients who have experienced various forms of domestic abuse.

Family Life Education:
The Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program (TDVP) helps teens recognize dating violence, warning signs of an abusive relationship, the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships, and how to locate community resources and support. The program is a collaborative effort between Jewish Family Service, the Rape Crisis and Abuse Center of Hamilton County, and the YWCA. Components include interactive classroom presentations in schools throughout Greater Cincinnati, anger management groups through the YWCA’s AMEND program, and a new theater education program for high school students called Reducing Abuse Through Forum Theater (RAFT). Led by an educator from Jewish Family Service, RAFT brings high school students together to engage in active problem solving as they develop and perform scenarios about dating violence.

The Empower Program (aka Students Against Relationship Abuse) offers second through ninth grade students skills to prevent bullying and information about building healthy relationships with peers, family members, and adults. The program is taught in Jewish community congregational schools, day schools and camps. In-service trainings are available for teachers and camp counselors.

Domestic Violence in the Jewish Community: In November 2004, JFS sponsored a symposium on Domestic Violence in the Jewish Community with in-service trainings for social workers, community lay leaders, clergy and teachers in the Jewish community. The featured speaker was Rabbi Cindy Enger from the FaithTrust Institute in Seattle.

Future programs: JFS is currently seeking funding to continue DV awareness programs. Future plans may include a community awareness campaign, a women’s seder, film showings, focus groups and additional education programs. To volunteer, please contact Linda Kean at 766-3318 or lkean@jfscinti.org.

Jewish Family Service partnership with the Family Violence Prevention Project (FVPP) – as a collaborating agency with the county-wide (FVPP), JFS participates in the development of a variety of programs and services and provides the following educational programs to the community: