L to R: Alisa Iacovelli, Zoe Nesin, and Marykate Gallagher. Zoe is WIT's Community Education Coordinator, and Alisa and Marykate are Occupational Therapy students from Temple, who helped design and implement this program.
For people seeking safety and sobriety, finding a job can be the key to independence.
Many of our clients have irregular or nonexistent work histories because of the actions of their abusive partners. Getting a partner fired, or preventing them from working at all, are power and control tactics that often used by abusers. And long after they are safe from abuse, survivors often still struggle to get back on their feet and into the workforce. This is where the Vocation Station comes in.
A 9-week program produced this past summer in collaboration with Temple University Occupational Therapy students, Vocation Station promotes independence by developing meaningful life and employment skills. Each session began with a seminar presentation on topics such as resume building, interview skills, professional dress, and work-life balance. After the presentation, participants could sign up for individual sessions to help with their specific situations. One client learned how to address the gap in her work history; one client got tips on how to dress for an interview that also proved valuable for court dates too; one client went into an interview feeling confident for the first time.
Vocation Station builds on WIT's empowerment-based outlook, working with clients on their goals and playing to their strengths. Employment can mean freedom for our clients, and Vocation Station is one of the tools in our toolbox to help clients recover from financial abuse.
Our fall Financial Empowerment program also addresses financial abuse, which occurs in as many as 99% of domestic violence cases.