Psychology student Oak Airey Madriz says their work at Te Whare Tāwharau Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Centre aligns well with their interest in sexual harm prevention and support.
What’s involved in being a workshop facilitator at Te Whare Tāwharau Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Centre? Laura Hewson talks with Oak Airey Madriz about the mahi and rewards of being part of the team.
For psychology student Oak Airey Madriz there are a lot of positives about working at Te Whare Tāwharau Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Centre.
Te Whare Tāwharau is a space that provides sexual-violence-related support within the campus community for students and staff who are dealing with recent or historic incidents of sexual harm, or who are supporting others who have. They also provide education to students and staff around consent and how to support people who have disclosed an incident of sexual harm.
Oak has been a workshop facilitator at the centre for two years and a volunteer peer supporter for three.
“The mahi undertaken there aligns well with my interests and line of work in terms of prevention and support, and those who run the centre are strong in their ethics,” they say.
“Workplaces where boundaries and self-care are discussed and required is a great sign it'll be a positive work experience.”
The workshop facilitator role is a casual paid position that primarily involves running consent workshops at colleges during O-Week. They are then invited to become volunteers in the centre's student engagement programme.
“As a facilitator we have the privilege of attending colleges and groups around the University and engaging with students – mainly first years – and discussing how we can have strength in community and prevent sexual violence where possible, as well as supporting those who have experienced it.”
Oak, who is in their final year of a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, will next embark on a Masters of Counselling. Being a facilitator has been hugely rewarding, they say.
“We get to share important, yet sensitive, information and do so with great empathy. It's immediately rewarding when groups are vulnerable with us and we're able to challenge common myths surrounding sexual violence.
“It's also rewarding in the long run knowing the work we do has played a part in making campus a safer place.”
Facilitators receive thorough training on a range of subjects, including sexual violence, suicide prevention and LGBTTQIA+ and cultural sensitivity. Trainees can expect to be well supported and learn how to set sturdy boundaries, Oak says.
“This type of training is an asset to you in so many different aspects of your life regardless of what you study, but people in a field related to social work, psychology and law seem to fit especially well with these positions. These students benefit from what they've learnt, and the experience speaks to their character when applying for future roles.
“It’s certainly a great way to gain confidence in teaching or presenting, in that you are gently taught these skills, have space to practice with peers and receive feedback, and then gain lots of experience in this area. I don't know of any other paid role which would provide this type of learning and experience.”
Oak is also a peer supporter, which is a volunteer role focussed on supporting students when they visit the centre.
“Anyone considering these roles should feel free to contact the centre and express their interest in either or both roles. The team is lovely and welcoming and keen to recruit people who are the right fit!”
Here to help are Te Whare Tāwharau staff, from left, Student Engagement Coordinator Ellena Zellhuber-McMillan, Training and Development Coordinator Rebecca Connaughton and Manager Hahna Briggs.
What to know about Te Whare Tāwharau
A Q&A with Te Whare Tāwharau manager Hahna Briggs
How does the centre support students?
Students can come to us to talk, have a cry or a cup of tea, whatever they need. Some students might come and see us once and we never see them again and other students will touch base with us throughout the year or multiple years.
We’re not there to judge or ask intrusive questions. Knowing that there’s somewhere that you can come and you’re not going to meet resistance is really important – belief and validation of someone’s experience is vital.
One thing to point out is that we’re not counsellors. We’re more like connectors in a lot of ways and a safe space as a starting point. A big part of what we do is connecting students in with other services like Student Health or Disability Information and Support. We can also walk alongside them throughout a complaints process if that’s what they’re looking at. So really being there and offering that ongoing support.
How can students be involved in the centre?
We take a community approach to reducing harm and we think everyone has a part to play, even if they’ve never had an experience of sexual harm. Students can get involved through our volunteer peer supporter or workshop facilitator programme. These roles are filled by current students or those who have just finished their studies.
What is a peer supporter?
Supporters are the first point of contact when a survivor enters the office, so they provide that welcoming, comfortable space for someone to be able to share what is going on for them. They offer a safe and confidential conversation and can talk through some of the options for support that are available.
There are good boundaries in the role around what support they can and can’t offer. For example, if someone is interested in reporting an experience through a university complaints process or with the police, then that would be a time when they would get one of the centre support staff members to step in.
How many supporters and facilitators do you have?
We currently have around five or six supporters and ideally would like a pool of about 10. We have a group of 25 facilitators. We need a large pool of facilitators for our work in colleges during O-Week when we roll out our prevention programmes.
Who would suit these roles?
Students who apply are passionate about reducing sexual harm in our communities. Peer supporters are often looking to gain experience to assist with their career goals and need to be empathetic individuals with the ability to actively listen and hold strong boundaries. Workshop facilitators need to be confident, enjoy public speaking, and have the skills to engage participants in discussion.
What kind of education does the centre offer?
We have a range of different workshops. Our consent workshop is the big one. CommUNIty 102 is aimed at first-year students in mainly residential colleges. It's a discussion-based program that emphasises talking about our own experiences and solutions, and how to create safer communities and look out for each other. We’ve had feedback from students saying they feel a lot safer knowing that they’ve all received this workshop and are on the same page. And that even though they may have talked about some of the content in high school it’s great to have a refresher.
Our HYBRID workshop is aimed at slightly older students – students who might be in leadership-type positions like sub-wardens, students on executive of their societies and clubs, tutors, lab demonstrators and Are You OK? volunteers. It focuses on bystander intervention, so how to be a pro-social bystander as well as responding to disclosures in a really safe and empowering way.
And then we also have staff training on responding to disclosures for staff who want to make sure they have the skills and the tools and want to feel confident to support students.
How can you support students academically?
The centre did a campus climate survey in 2019 and there were some pretty significant impacts on academic study for individuals who’ve experienced sexual harm, so that ability to focus and feel confident in your work. Being absent from classes is much more likely and thinking about dropping out.
Certainly, when we approach staff about someone we’re supporting who may need access to extensions or other academic supports, they’re very supportive and go out of their way to be helpful, which is really great. The types of academic supports that students find helpful often include extensions on assignments, lecture notes, a safe study space and alternative arrangements for exams. We work very closely with Disability Information and Support, who are really sensitive to the needs of students who have experienced sexual harm. That academic support is really vital.
– Find out more about Te Whare Tāwharau