Since 2006, the Calgary Counselling Centre has overseen a unique program, the Male Domestic Abuse Outreach Program (MDAOP), delivering services to men who have been impacted by family violence. The MDAOP is one of only a handful of programs in the country to offer support to male victims of family violence. The program delivers outreach support, connecting clients with community resources (e.g., peer support, food bank, legal advice, credit counseling, shelter), one-on-one counselling (in-person or remote), and a 14-week therapy group for men who have experienced intimate partner abuse.
Collaboration between service providers, researchers and community members is key to ending family violence, including violence against men. While much research has focused on addressing violence against women, less is known about men who have experienced family violence. This presentation seeks to stimulate conversation about this lesser-known topic and shares lessons learned from our agency’s almost two decades of programming for men who have experienced abuse. It also draws on agency outcome data, clinical experience, and includes the voices of men who have accessed the MDAOP since the program’s inception.
Speaker: Stefan de Villiers
Stefan de Villiers is the coordinator of the male domestic abuse outreach program (MDAOP) at the Calgary Counselling Centre. Stefan’s social work career spans outreach and clinical work with individuals, couples and families impacted by domestic violence. He holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Calgary (clinical specialization), as well as a post-graduate certificate in traumatic stress studies.
Stefan participates on numerous domestic violence-related working groups, including as a Gender and Sexual Diversity advisory board member to the Calgary Police Service, and as a member of the Calgary Domestic Violence Collective Ethno-Culturally Diverse Communities working group. He is an educator and has presented on men’s experiences of abuse at numerous conferences, including the Canadian Domestic Violence Conference, and the International Federation of Social Workers conference (IFSW2020).