Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:07] Speaker B: Well, hello there and welcome back to another episode of Just say Something podcast. My name is Philip Clark with Just say Something and I want to welcome you back. Please be sure to like share, comment and subscribe.
So today we have a guest with us that's been on before, and I want to introduce everyone to Lillian Garcia. Hello, Lillian.
[00:00:36] Speaker A: Hi, Phil. Thank you for the invite.
[00:00:38] Speaker B: Yeah, glad to have you here. So Lillian is fairly new to the Compass of Carolina team and she is the director over the Family Violence Intervention Program.
So that was a lot. I know we say fvip, so tell our listeners about fvip.
[00:01:01] Speaker A: So FVIP stands for Family Violence Intervention Program.
And we are providing support to victims of domestic violence and batterers that are court mandated to come to our program. And we have a 12 week program and we have a 26 week week, and we are doing this program in English and in Spanish, catering to our community population. And we are pretty successful with these sessions.
They're learning how to cohabitate and to acquire new skills and tools to be in a better relationship and to handle many times their emotional well being.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. So 26 weeks, that's a long time.
[00:01:54] Speaker A: That is six months.
[00:01:56] Speaker B: How.
So what's a session? How long is a session?
[00:02:01] Speaker A: The sessions are 90 minutes a piece.
They can vary from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. And they're facilitated by our skilled staff. And we are doing these sessions during the day, during the evening, on weekends.
We are providing all of these opportunities to our clients so that they can comply with their court mandated.
[00:02:32] Speaker B: Okay.
Yeah. For their. For whatever the judge says you have to do, or probation and parole. Um, so we have, I think last we checked, there was 26 different referring entities. And so what a lot of, I think listeners don't realize is that right now we're providing 19 classes.
[00:02:59] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:03:00] Speaker B: During. During the week.
So we have seven days a week.
Out of those 19 classes, 18 of them are virtual.
[00:03:09] Speaker A: Correct.
[00:03:09] Speaker B: And I know when you started with Compass of Carolina, you were one of our facilitators.
So what's one thing that has surprised you the most?
[00:03:23] Speaker A: I think it has been when perpetrators are about to finish their class or at the end of their class that I asked them to share what they had Learned over the 26 weeks.
So many have been so appreciative that they have learned something new that they've picked up some skills, tools, information that they didn't have before.
And I can read you one text that I did get from a perpetrator when he finished his class. And it says, thank you. It has been a pleasure having you as my instructor. I greatly appreciate everything you have taught me.
I could not have had a better experience that comes from a person who came in, maybe not really happy about having to do these classes. And when they leave, they recognize that, wow, this was something I wasn't expecting. I thought, I'll just do these 26 classes, be done with it, and I'll move on to my life, how I was living it before. But. But they were touched by the information that we shared.
Like I said, we're not there to shame them, but to recognize that there is a breaking point and that there is hope and there's ways to better have relationships and that maybe they weren't as violent as other perpetrators.
But we have lost so many women at the hands of men. And I want them to recognize that they don't need to get to that point, that they have self control.
And so that's what we're trying to teach them over the time, is to recognize when that anger is getting to that point, that they can lose it, to remove themselves from that situation, find something better to do than to inflict anger, pain and trauma to another person in their family.
[00:05:26] Speaker B: Right, right. And so with them being able to recognize that, it's also a great opportunity for them, as we look at aces, to break that cycle. So their children, if they have a son or sons, don't follow in that same same path.
[00:05:42] Speaker A: And as you mentioned, we do have women batters and sometimes they have been victims and they've gotten to that breaking point that they react to their spouse or their partners and they become the batter.
They too come angry about why they're here at the end of their 26 weeks as well. They recognize that this was needed, that separation, that me time to recognize where I am and to evaluate their circumstances and know that there's something better for them than. Than having to be in a violent relationship for them and their children.
[00:06:20] Speaker B: Right, right. What are some of the. So if someone finishes their 26 weeks, are there other programs that we provide for those victims and perpetrators?
[00:06:33] Speaker A: Right now the best thing that has happened with Compass of Carolina is to partner with. Just say something. Because we have so many resources available. However, at Compass of Carolina, we also are offering our perpetrators and victims 6 free sessions of counseling. And we have those sessions in English or Spanish for those who are limited and they're taking advantage of it. And we. I thought maybe the men would not take, but they're taking. They're feeling comfortable enough to Say I need this. And so that is what our 26 weeks and 12 week programs are doing, are getting people comfortable to seek out help when they need it.
And then the connection with just say something and those resources is to offer other family and children programs at no extra cost for them to participate as well. So we open that door and those resources to them to know that we are a community with resources to support you along the way during this time of family conflicts.
[00:07:41] Speaker B: Okay, so if somebody wants to find out more about our family violence intervention programming, where can they go to find that?
[00:07:49] Speaker A: They can either go at our website at www.compassofcarolina.org. they can call us at 864-4673, 3434. And we will be gladly walk you through our programs. And when you enroll in our program, we will also connect you with other resources through Just say something.
[00:08:13] Speaker B: Okay. All right.
So is there one burning thing left that you would like to say about our family violence and intervention programming that you haven't said yet?
[00:08:25] Speaker A: I feel honored to be part of COMPASS of Carolina. As you mentioned, Phil, I've been over the years, I worked as the victim of domestic violence at the Greenville County Sheriff's Office.
I feel that my journey as I came to live in Greenville in 2001 has been led by God. And so I went from victims of domestic violence and violent crimes in Greenville to. To children's advocacy that then took me to family advocacy and back to where I first started. And I think this is a journey led by the grace of God for a superpower. And so I am honored to be here. I started doing perpetrators and thinking, why am I here? And then I started to do the classes, and I really felt why I was here. My why is to also help those who have been through a difficult time in their upbringing or their family or their ancestors, and they don't know why they are where they are emotionally and to support them and know that we're not here to shame you. We're here to walk along with you to be better at what?
To have a safe and loving family.
[00:09:44] Speaker B: Gotcha. Gotcha. Yeah, that's. That's great. And so you are in the right place at the right time, and I'm glad to have you on our team.
[00:09:53] Speaker A: I appreciate it. Thank you.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: All right, well, that'll do it for this episode of Just say Something's podcast.
Again, you can please, like, share, comment, and forward this to someone who you think may benefit from listening again to find out more about the programming that Lillian and I were talking about Today, go to compassofcarolina.org or you can give the phone call at 864-467-3434.
And until next week, we will see you. Please stay safe, warm or cool and hydrated.
Have a great day.
[00:10:36] Speaker A: Sa.
