A national expert on the subject of domestic violence will lend her expertise to a two-day workshop running Wednesday and Thursday.
Lori Haskell is a clinical psychologist whose clinical interests include trauma, re-victimization, sexual abuse and sexual violence in relation to psychological development. She has a status appointment as an assistant professor in psychiatry at the University of Toronto, serves as an academic research associate with the Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children.
The Regional Domestic Violence Unit (which includes Saanich Police), the University of Victoria and the BC Post- secondary Counsellors Association in collaboration with the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence host the workshop.
It brings together police officers from area departments, crown counsel, psychologists, social workers and other professionals to learn and understand more about trauma informed approaches to working with survivors and others, whom domestic and sexualized violence has impacted.
Haskell’s research work has focused on victimization and its effects, violence prevention, and trauma and psychological development. She has educated judges, crown attorneys, police officers, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, service providers and community groups on these issues. She has also offered expert evidence in a number of legal proceedings.
The Regional Domestic Violence Unit consists of officers from the RCMP, Victoria Police and Saanich Police. Its purpose is to increase victim safety and offender responsibility by offering a cross jurisdictional but uniform response to cases of violence cases across the Capital Regional District. The unit also includes victim service workers with Victoria Women’s Transition House, and Ministry of Children and Family Development workers.