New phone counsellors

Press, 21 January 1982, Page 4

New phone counsellors

A new group of telephone counsellors will start training next month to help battered women. The Christchurch Battered Women’s Support Group runs up to three five-session courses each year for about 10 volunteers. They are briefed on telephone counselling skills, legal advice, family law matters, and how to deal with emergencies. The support group, which started in July, 1978, gives 24-hour counselling and advice for women who have

: been battered by their hus- - bands, or de facto husbands. > It also provides emergency services for women and chil1 dren who are forced to leave 5 home to avoid more assaults, i “This year the group is ! also planning to develop an improved legal service for women who are in urgent need of court orders, and to set up a task force to monitor police performance after calls from battered women,” said the co-ordinator. Mrs Doris Church. A group spokesman, Dr John Church, said there was

no problem filling the training courses — this one was already half full. It will start on February 7. Dr Church said the group helped about 250 new callers each year, and handled about 900 calls altogether annually. Continuing follow-up work would continue for several months with . many of the callers, he said. Women who have been victims of violence and would like to find out more about the training course should telephone the support group at 69-418.