To commemorate Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month this February, Laura’s House, a nonprofit with a 25-year legacy of successfully breaking the cycle of domestic violence, today announced the launch of its teen H.E.A.R.T. ® (Healthy Emotions and Attitudes in Relationships Today) prevention education certification program. Available to educators, community-based organizations and healthcare professionals working with adolescents ages 11-24, the H.E.A.R.T. accreditation program is an online-based interactive training that equips professionals with tools and resources to help prevent adolescent dating abuse in their communities by engaging teens on how to establish healthy relationships and boundaries and other appropriate conflict resolution skills.
“Over the years, intimate partner violence has become a rising public health issue and the recent global pandemic has created additional pressures and life-threatening situations for individuals and families experiencing abuse,” said Yanira Mendez, prevention and education specialist, Laura’s House. “With one in three adolescents in the U.S. experiencing physical, sexual, emotional, or cyber abuse from a dating partner – and research proving that prevention education can help mitigate domestic violence from entering the lives of youth – intervention programs like H.E.A.R.T. are vital to breaking the cycle of abuse.”
Mendez added, “For 15 years, the Laura’s House H.E.A.R.T workshop has helped educate teens across Orange County about dating violence, and we feel privileged to be able to extend this successful program nationwide – and even globally – so new partners and professionals can advance teen dating violence prevention efforts.”
Program Advances Global Efforts to Prevent Teen Dating Violence
Priced at $499 with an annual $99 licensing fee, the Laura’s House H.E.A.R.T. facilitator program is comprised of a 16-hour prevention education and training strategy to help lower dating violence incidences. The online program features multi-day instruction, allows participants to complete the training at their own pace and is divided into four key areas: discussion, demonstration, practical exercise, and evaluation. Interested participants can register at: https://heartfacilitator.laurashouse.org/become-a-facilitator.
The module includes an overview of Laura’s House H.E.A.R.T program and key curriculum topics spanning media’s influence on dating violence, why victims and survivors stay, types of abuse, cycle of violence and more. Participants also will learn effective safety planning methods, how to provide crisis intervention and become familiar with local resources and how to deliver this workshop to others. Following the training, participants will have the opportunity to put their presentation skills into practice by providing a lesson to their assigned H.E.A.R.T. workshop trainee, who will conduct a debriefing and provide feedback.
Additional Program Offerings and Benefits for Teen Educators
Beyond the 16-hour training, participants receive access to the Laura’s House H.E.A.R.T. facilitator platform, which includes program materials, curriculum and additional resources.
Participants also will be certified as an accredited H.E.A.R.T. facilitator, which enables the professional to implement the program in his or her community and on school campuses. Accredited youth educators will be added to Laura’s House searchable facilitator database. There are no prerequisites to enroll; however, it’s recommended that participants are professionals delivering classroom-based lessons in their field. As an approved provider, Certified Health Education Specialists also are eligible to receive 16 National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) entry-level continuing education units for the H.E.A.R.T. program.
“As a nonprofit on the forefront of teen dating violence prevention and education programs in the U.S., we wanted to share our curriculum and expertise with educators, nationally and globally, and empower them to make a difference in their own communities,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO/Executive Director, Laura’s House. “Our hope is that they take what they learn to create a network of H.E.A.R.T ambassadors that can further our shared mission of changing social beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate violence – and it starts with our teens.”
Successful Program with Local Roots Extends Footprint
Founded by Laura’s House in 2005 and taught at middle and high schools, colleges, universities and youth facilities across the nation, the Laura’s House H.E.A.R.T. workshop has been delivered to over 60,500 pre-teens, teens and young adults to-date, with more than 94% of participants reporting knowing how to engage in healthy relationships, resolve conflict and access vital resources as a result.
The successful program has experienced a 15-year tenure and its significant growth, coupled with industry demand for an in-depth, online training complete with interactive modules, coaching, ongoing access to resources and support from a network of like-minded professionals, empowered Laura’s House to evolve the H.E.A.R.T. system into an innovative online platform and accreditation program for youth educators around the world.
Featured at the 2019 American Public Health Association Film Festival, H.E.A.R.T. also has been implemented by notable community organizations and universities across the nation including the Boys & Girls Club, Girl and Boy Scouts of America, Chapman University and University of California, Irvine, among others.
