This course is designed for advocates and contains two sessions.

Session 1: Explores the intersections of domestic violence, mental health, and substance use through the lens of coercion to understand how mental health and substance use are exploited by abusive partners or ex-partners to exert power and control over survivors. Learn to recognize tactics of mental health and substance use coercion, their impacts on survivor well-being, and increase capacity to provide trauma-informed support.

Session 2: Offers practical guidance for having safe, supportive conversations with survivors about mental health and substance use coercion.  It includes an overview of two tools, the Mental Health Coercion Palm Card for Advocates and the Substance Use Coercion Palm Card for Advocates, which are practical resources for starting conversations, offering validating and affirming responses, and collaborating with survivors to determine strategies for safe access to treatment and services.