The Latinos Ending Abuse Program (LEAP) helps Latino adults to learn and apply skills to end violent behavior in their relationships, families, and communities.
Participants in LEAP receive education and support that address cultural perspectives and factors surrounding patterns of violence and abuse. This program acknowledges the importance of targeting the causes of abuse while providing education and tools to promote non-violent behaviors. The program has been very successful in providing adult offenders with the tools to develop healthy relationships.
A LEAP Story:
Financial problems and spending disagreements can cause stress for couples and lead to depression, anxiety and in some cases, domestic violence. Through financial literacy lessons offered in the LEAP program, clients learn how to make a budget and more efficiently manage their income, which can improve their relationships. Carlos, a married father of two who was referred to the LEAP program for domestic violence, was an example of this. Carlos and his wife were constantly arguing over finances. By participating in financial literacy programming, Carlos learned to make a budget, how to understand checking and savings accounts and how to be more cautious in incurring expenses. Carlos and his wife began to put into practice what he learned in the financial literacy program. Their communication improved as they together made a financial plan, and Carlos reported that the economic stress between them has improved. The LEAP program and the financial topic made a real difference for him.
Topics presented in the Latinos Ending Abuse Program include:
- Program Philosophy
- Family Origins
- Effects of Violence of Children and Family Unit
- Non-Abusive Communication Styles
- Relationships and Intimacy
- Anger and Personal Choice: Trigger and Cues
- Defining Abuse
- Gender Role and Stereotyping
- Most Violent Incident
- Ending Threats and Controlling Behavior
- Shame and Responsibility
- Self-Control Plan
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Maintenance Plan: Tools for Non-Violence