Course Description

The VEGA (Violence, Evidence, Guidance, and Action) Project was created to provide evidence-based guidance and education resources for frontline health care and social service providers, supporting their delivery of safe and effective care to those who may have experienced one or more of three intersecting types of family violence: child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and children’s exposure to intimate partner violence.

The VEGA Family Violence Education Resources include interactive how-to videos, educational scenarios, and infographics to support oral health care professionals, including students, in addressing the needs of those who may have experienced family violence. This three-module course was developed by the VEGA Project and McMaster University, with funding provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada, in collaboration with 22 national organizations including CDHA.

The three modules are:

Module 1: Know About Family Violence in Canada

Module 1 provides information about family violence—child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and children’s exposure to intimate partner violence—including definitions, prevalence, risk and protective factors, and common social, emotional, and physical health impacts.

Module 2: Creating Safety

Module 2 addresses how providers can create safe interactions and environments through trauma- and violence-informed care, including patient/client physical, emotional, and cultural safety.

Module 3: Recognizing and Responding Safely to Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence

Module 3 covers how to recognize and respond safely to family violence. Each of the two sub-sections includes a care pathway, scripts, how-to videos, reflection questions, and interactive educational scenarios. You’ll also have an opportunity to listen to the voices of those with lived experiences of family violence.

Additional reference materials including the WHY VEGA whiteboard video and VEGA handbook are available on the VEGA website. Information about the VEGA Project can be found here.

If you have any questions or comments about VEGA’s resources, please contact the VEGA Project Lead, Dr. Harriet MacMillan, McMaster University, at vega@mcmaster.ca.

More Course Information

• Relevance to Practice
• Format for Learning
• Evaluation
• Course Developers