Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence: A Tactical Blueprint with Lynn Fairweather

In this episode of the HR Mixtape podcast, host Shari Simpson interviews Lynn Fairweather, a domestic violence response and prevention expert with over 30 years of experience. Lynn shares a pivotal moment in her life that solidified her dedication to this work and discusses the misconceptions that HR professionals often have when addressing domestic violence issues.

Key Takeaways:

1. Listening to the needs and experiences of domestic violence victims allows them to guide their own process and offering support tailored to their specific situation.
2. The need for cultural sensitivity: HR professionals should avoid making assumptions about how individuals from diverse cultures will respond to domestic violence. Instead, they should ask questions, incorporate lived experiences, and tailor their approach to each individual's unique needs.
3. Employees should have a safe and confidential environment to disclose domestic violence, state their observations rather than making assumptions, offer support and resources, and respect the individual's choices and decisions.

Lynn Fairweather, MSW is an abuse survivor who has worked in the domestic violence response and prevention field for more than 30 years. In her role as president of Presage Consulting and Training, Lynn is responsible for providing guidance and education to professionals across the country in both the public and private sector. She is an experienced and engaging public speaker, comfortable with audiences of all sizes and disciplines. Her well-received trainings are informative as well as interactive, with a focus on practical real-life skills for evaluating and managing domestic violence threats. Lynn also creates made-to-order domestic violence programs for organizations wishing to address the issue internally, and serves as a subject matter expert on a variety of projects.