**1. Introduction**

Domestic violence is a global social problem and a human rights violation that affects women and children in developed and developing countries regardless of culture, religion, and sociodemographic characteristics. In its broadest sense, domestic violence (DV) includes all acts of violence that occur between relatives, intimate partners, or other individuals, but also child maltreatment, youth violence, some forms of sexual violence and elder abuse [1]. The most common form of violence studied is the one perpetrated by an intimate partner or a former partner [2]. Findings on the prevalence of DV among immigrant women have been mixed.

A few population-based studies have shown that the prevalence of any type of DV is lower among immigrant women compared with nonimmigrant women [3, 4], with those recently settled (<10 years) at significantly lower risk of abuse than longer term immigrants [5]. Smaller community-based studies with nonrepresentative samples, however, suggest that the prevalence of DV among immigrant women is higher than prevalence rates reported from population-based surveys [6–8] and reach as high as 60% in some studies [9]. While findings on prevalence rates of DV among immigrant women are inconclusive, a finding that has been consistently reported across many studies is that immigrant women are less likely than nonimmigrant women to report DV and access formal support services [3–5]. This has significant implications for the health and well-being of not only these women but also their children. Child abuse often co-occurs in families where there is DV [9, 10]. It is estimated that that in at least 30–60% of families where either child maltreatment or domestic violence is identified, the other form of violence will also be present [11].

Despite increasing concern among DV and child welfare agencies, policymakers, and researchers in Canada to provide appropriate prevention and intervention services for immigrant women and children experiencing DV, progress has been slow. This is because of the diversity that exists among immigrant families, the lack of data on how violence plays out among the different families that have relocated to Canada, and the failure on the part of service systems to identify and respond appropriately to the needs of immigrant families experiencing violence [12]. To address these issues and in view of the frequency with which DV is present in the caseloads of statutory child protection workers [13, 14], many child welfare agencies in Canada are developing formal partnerships with community representatives or cultural brokers to build trusting and respectful relationships with immigrant families. In this context, it is important to understand how these partnership arrangements are working from the perspective of the cultural brokers and what is needed to optimize their service capacity.

## **2. Literature review**

#### **2.1 Reasons why immigrant women fail to report and access DV services**

In Canada, as in several countries, there are policies and programs that can help women who experience DV to access social, health, and legal services—through lodging a complaint either in the court or with the police. However, few immigrant women lodge such complaints, and even if they do, they often withdraw these because of family and community pressures [15]. Immigrant women face several barriers to lodging complaints about DV. These barriers include factors like embarrassment, stigma associated with reporting DV in some communities, financial dependence on the perpetrator, fears of deportation and loss of children, especially if they have been sponsored by their spouse, a desire to preserve family honor and community censure for disclosing violence [16–18]. Other factors that have been cited as barriers to disclosing DV and seeking help are language difficulties [19]; low levels of trust toward their neighbors and the people with whom they work or go to school with; unfair treatment from public hospitals and persons in authority like service providers who are integral in women's help-seeking for DV [16]; and discrimination due to ethnicity, nationality, and social class [20–24]. These latter factors influence immigrant women's position in the social structure, and they experience multiple obstacles to seeking support to end abusive relationships compared to nonimmigrant women [23, 25, 26].

It is also recognized that sometimes behaviors occur in immigrant families that are not always recognized by family members as violence or crimes This may

**17**

**3. The Current Study**

*Enhancing Service Provision for Immigrant Families Experiencing Domestic Violence…*

happen for example when immigrants, especially newcomer women, do not know that violence toward them (or any other family member) is a crime or that they are victims of violence [27]. They may also lack knowledge of services and supports they can access when they are at risk of experiencing violence and may have little awareness of their right to seek support and protection from DV. Immigrant women experiencing violence are also more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to have young children living in the home, a finding that is a matter of great concern given the well-documented negative impact of children witnessing

These findings underscore the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate prevention and intervention services for immigrant families, especially women and children who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing DV. Since mainstream statutory service providers like child welfare may lack understanding of the sociocultural context in which violence occurs in immigrant families [19, 31–33] cultural brokers can play a bridging role and prepare the

Singh [34] defines cultural brokers as "people acculturated in one or more minority cultures and the mainstream culture" (p. 3) and can bridge the two cultures for the purpose of facilitating accurate communication. The brokers share the language and/ or culture of the families/communities they serve and act as a bridge between systems and communities to increase understanding, reduce tensions that can arise from sociocultural misunderstandings, and address invisible power disparities [35]. In the case of newcomers to the community, cultural brokers may help them resettle, liaise with, and advocate on their behalf with service providers [36]. Although the term cultural broker is rarely found in the social work literature, working collaboratively with cultural brokers is consistent with the profession's commitment to cultural competency and aligned with community-based practice approaches found in the child welfare literature [37, 38].

Cultural brokers who partner with organizations like child welfare Services provide a variety of support services for immigrant families who are either involved with or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system. They can work toward building a trusting relationship between child welfare workers and the families they serve by a) helping to weather the conflicts and disagreements that may arise between child welfare workers and the family and b) remaining committed to improving the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families. However, such partnerships can be fraught with challenges if they are poorly planned and executed and cultural brokers can experience frustrations and anxieties arising from power imbalances and their multiple and sometimes conflicting community roles [36, 39]. Currently, there is little information on the challenges cultural brokers experience in meeting the demands of their roles as partners with child welfare agencies and as community advocates. Given that cultural brokers are increasingly being called upon by organizations like child welfare in countries like Canada that have high levels of immigration, to provide a variety of support services for families involved with the child welfare system, or at risk of becoming involved, there is a distinct need for greater research into the challenges cultural brokers face as well as the benefits and limitations of this approach.

This study was conducted with brokers from a multicultural brokers' cooperative that is based in a major city in Western Canada and has been serving

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92078*

ground for culturally sensitive interventions.

**2.2 Cultural brokers as community partners**

violence [28–30].

*Enhancing Service Provision for Immigrant Families Experiencing Domestic Violence… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92078*

happen for example when immigrants, especially newcomer women, do not know that violence toward them (or any other family member) is a crime or that they are victims of violence [27]. They may also lack knowledge of services and supports they can access when they are at risk of experiencing violence and may have little awareness of their right to seek support and protection from DV. Immigrant women experiencing violence are also more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to have young children living in the home, a finding that is a matter of great concern given the well-documented negative impact of children witnessing violence [28–30].

These findings underscore the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate prevention and intervention services for immigrant families, especially women and children who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing DV. Since mainstream statutory service providers like child welfare may lack understanding of the sociocultural context in which violence occurs in immigrant families [19, 31–33] cultural brokers can play a bridging role and prepare the ground for culturally sensitive interventions.

#### **2.2 Cultural brokers as community partners**

Singh [34] defines cultural brokers as "people acculturated in one or more minority cultures and the mainstream culture" (p. 3) and can bridge the two cultures for the purpose of facilitating accurate communication. The brokers share the language and/ or culture of the families/communities they serve and act as a bridge between systems and communities to increase understanding, reduce tensions that can arise from sociocultural misunderstandings, and address invisible power disparities [35]. In the case of newcomers to the community, cultural brokers may help them resettle, liaise with, and advocate on their behalf with service providers [36]. Although the term cultural broker is rarely found in the social work literature, working collaboratively with cultural brokers is consistent with the profession's commitment to cultural competency and aligned with community-based practice approaches found in the child welfare literature [37, 38].

Cultural brokers who partner with organizations like child welfare Services provide a variety of support services for immigrant families who are either involved with or at risk of involvement with the child welfare system. They can work toward building a trusting relationship between child welfare workers and the families they serve by a) helping to weather the conflicts and disagreements that may arise between child welfare workers and the family and b) remaining committed to improving the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families. However, such partnerships can be fraught with challenges if they are poorly planned and executed and cultural brokers can experience frustrations and anxieties arising from power imbalances and their multiple and sometimes conflicting community roles [36, 39]. Currently, there is little information on the challenges cultural brokers experience in meeting the demands of their roles as partners with child welfare agencies and as community advocates. Given that cultural brokers are increasingly being called upon by organizations like child welfare in countries like Canada that have high levels of immigration, to provide a variety of support services for families involved with the child welfare system, or at risk of becoming involved, there is a distinct need for greater research into the challenges cultural brokers face as well as the benefits and limitations of this approach.

#### **3. The Current Study**

This study was conducted with brokers from a multicultural brokers' cooperative that is based in a major city in Western Canada and has been serving

*Global Social Work - Cutting Edge Issues and Critical Reflections*

fied, the other form of violence will also be present [11].

needed to optimize their service capacity.

**2. Literature review**

A few population-based studies have shown that the prevalence of any type of DV is lower among immigrant women compared with nonimmigrant women [3, 4], with those recently settled (<10 years) at significantly lower risk of abuse than longer term immigrants [5]. Smaller community-based studies with nonrepresentative samples, however, suggest that the prevalence of DV among immigrant women is higher than prevalence rates reported from population-based surveys [6–8] and reach as high as 60% in some studies [9]. While findings on prevalence rates of DV among immigrant women are inconclusive, a finding that has been consistently reported across many studies is that immigrant women are less likely than nonimmigrant women to report DV and access formal support services [3–5]. This has significant implications for the health and well-being of not only these women but also their children. Child abuse often co-occurs in families where there is DV [9, 10]. It is estimated that that in at least 30–60% of families where either child maltreatment or domestic violence is identi-

Despite increasing concern among DV and child welfare agencies, policymakers, and researchers in Canada to provide appropriate prevention and intervention services for immigrant women and children experiencing DV, progress has been slow. This is because of the diversity that exists among immigrant families, the lack of data on how violence plays out among the different families that have relocated to Canada, and the failure on the part of service systems to identify and respond appropriately to the needs of immigrant families experiencing violence [12]. To address these issues and in view of the frequency with which DV is present in the caseloads of statutory child protection workers [13, 14], many child welfare agencies in Canada are developing formal partnerships with community representatives or cultural brokers to build trusting and respectful relationships with immigrant families. In this context, it is important to understand how these partnership arrangements are working from the perspective of the cultural brokers and what is

**2.1 Reasons why immigrant women fail to report and access DV services**

In Canada, as in several countries, there are policies and programs that can help women who experience DV to access social, health, and legal services—through lodging a complaint either in the court or with the police. However, few immigrant women lodge such complaints, and even if they do, they often withdraw these because of family and community pressures [15]. Immigrant women face several barriers to lodging complaints about DV. These barriers include factors like embarrassment, stigma associated with reporting DV in some communities, financial dependence on the perpetrator, fears of deportation and loss of children, especially if they have been sponsored by their spouse, a desire to preserve family honor and community censure for disclosing violence [16–18]. Other factors that have been cited as barriers to disclosing DV and seeking help are language difficulties [19]; low levels of trust toward their neighbors and the people with whom they work or go to school with; unfair treatment from public hospitals and persons in authority like service providers who are integral in women's help-seeking for DV [16]; and discrimination due to ethnicity, nationality, and social class [20–24]. These latter factors influence immigrant women's position in the social structure, and they experience multiple obstacles to seeking support to end abusive relationships compared to nonimmigrant women [23, 25, 26]. It is also recognized that sometimes behaviors occur in immigrant families that are not always recognized by family members as violence or crimes This may

**16**

immigrant populations in the city and surrounding areas for 25 years. The cooperative has over 90 trained cultural brokers who provide services to 23 linguistic and ethnic groups. They offer services in variety of settings like perinatal clinics and schools. As part of their role, they provide intercultural consultancy and cultural sensitivity training to mainstream service providers. The brokers also engage in training and receive ongoing supervision from trained social workers and psychologists to ensure appropriate fit with families and overall practice [40].

In 2013, the broker cooperative was invited and entered into a formal partnership with Children's Services, the child welfare agency in the region for providing culturally responsive individual and family-centered care, child and youth support, family mediation and follow-up care for immigrant families where there is domestic violence. While the brokers have been partnering with Children's Services in providing services for immigrant families involved with the system, they have also continued with their long-term role and commitment to providing various kinds of support to families in their own communities.

Lately the brokers have been experiencing challenges in meeting some of the demands that arise from their partnership with Children's Services and balancing these in the context of their role as community leaders and advocates. During the time of this study (2015–2019), they were feeling that their experience with families and challenges arising from the partnership were being lost within the mainstream stream service provision. The coordinator of the cooperative, with the consent of the brokers, therefore invited the first author to undertake a study that would allow the brokers to voice the challenges arising from their multiple roles as partners and prominent members in their own communities and highlight their perspectives on how these can be addressed for the benefit of all the parties involved. The researcher, who is a registered social worker from an ethnocultural background and a faculty member agreed to undertake the study on behalf of the Faculty of Social Work, which is committed to working with community organizations to improve outcomes for new immigrant families. The researcher was aware of the critical need for more culturally responsive services for new immigrant families that are involved with Children's Services. This study can shed light on how to optimize service capacity and partnership arrangements between cultural brokers and mainstream organizations.

#### **3.1 Methods**

#### *3.1.1 Aims*

The specific aims of the study are: (a) to examine the experiences of cultural brokers on the challenges of working with ethnocultural families involved with Children's Services and (b) to understand the demands that the partnership with Children's Services place on them.

#### *3.1.2 Study design*

A qualitative research design using focus group interviews with cultural brokers was selected as the most appropriate method for conducting this study. The mutual support from others in the group who have shared similar experiences with service providers from Children's Services and immigrant families and the possibility of a more open discussion relating to potential problems with the partnership are benefits of this form of data collection [41].

**19**

*Enhancing Service Provision for Immigrant Families Experiencing Domestic Violence…*

Selection of participants was based on the following criteria: the brokers must be working closely with immigrant families who are involved with Children's Services; and they must be willing to articulate the challenges that they were experiencing in their multiple roles as partners with Children's Services and as community members. Three focus groups were conducted during Fall 2015. The first focus group had 10 participants, second had seven and the third had five participants. Five brokers

A semi-structured interview schedule developed in consultation with the coordinator of the Multicultural Brokers Co-operative was used to elicit the perspectives of the brokers. Discussion questions included items inviting firsthand experience such as "what issues come up for brokers who are working with Children's Services," "what kinds of supports do brokers need to work as partners of Children's Services," "what challenges do brokers face when working in their respective communities," "what are the common causes for the violence in immigrant families and how situations reach a stage of crisis," and "what are the longer term needs of these families." The focus group discussions were facilitated by the first author and a graduate student who took notes as a reference for the analysis phase. The discussions were audio recorded with participants' written consent and transcribed verbatim for coding and analysis. Each

Data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach in order to directly describe the phenomena being investigated, and to ensure the analysis remained true to the accounts provided by participants. Transcripts were independently viewed by the two authors who, after several readings, developed codes, which were subsequently distilled into themes and subthemes along with supporting excerpts. The themes and subthemes are presented in the results and are a true reflection of the voices of the participants [42]. Rigor (trustworthiness and authenticity) of qualitative findings was demonstrated through interrater review completed between the two research investigators, debriefing after initial data analysis was completed, and theme corroboration [43]. Ethics approval for this study was obtained by the Multicultural Brokers Cooperative through the community organizations ethics approval body.

Three themes emerged from the analysis of the focus group interview data: (1) challenges arising from the partnership with Children's Services; (2) challenges arising from their roles as cultural brokers and community advocates; and (3) factors that increase the risk of violence in immigrant families and lead to involvement

Twelve brokers, all women between the ages of 30 and 60 participated in the focus group discussions. They represented 10 ethnocultural communities—Eritrean, Syrian,

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92078*

participated in all the three focus groups.

focus group discussion lasted for about 90–120 minutes.

*3.1.3 Recruitment of participants*

*3.1.4 Data collection*

*3.1.5 Data analysis*

**4. Results**

with Children's Services.

**4.1 Demographic profile of participants**

*Enhancing Service Provision for Immigrant Families Experiencing Domestic Violence… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92078*

#### *3.1.3 Recruitment of participants*

Selection of participants was based on the following criteria: the brokers must be working closely with immigrant families who are involved with Children's Services; and they must be willing to articulate the challenges that they were experiencing in their multiple roles as partners with Children's Services and as community members. Three focus groups were conducted during Fall 2015. The first focus group had 10 participants, second had seven and the third had five participants. Five brokers participated in all the three focus groups.

#### *3.1.4 Data collection*

*Global Social Work - Cutting Edge Issues and Critical Reflections*

support to families in their own communities.

practice [40].

organizations.

**3.1 Methods**

*3.1.2 Study design*

Children's Services place on them.

benefits of this form of data collection [41].

*3.1.1 Aims*

immigrant populations in the city and surrounding areas for 25 years. The cooperative has over 90 trained cultural brokers who provide services to 23 linguistic and ethnic groups. They offer services in variety of settings like perinatal clinics and schools. As part of their role, they provide intercultural consultancy and cultural sensitivity training to mainstream service providers. The brokers also engage in training and receive ongoing supervision from trained social workers and psychologists to ensure appropriate fit with families and overall

In 2013, the broker cooperative was invited and entered into a formal partnership with Children's Services, the child welfare agency in the region for providing culturally responsive individual and family-centered care, child and youth support, family mediation and follow-up care for immigrant families where there is domestic violence. While the brokers have been partnering with Children's Services in providing services for immigrant families involved with the system, they have also continued with their long-term role and commitment to providing various kinds of

Lately the brokers have been experiencing challenges in meeting some of the demands that arise from their partnership with Children's Services and balancing these in the context of their role as community leaders and advocates. During the time of this study (2015–2019), they were feeling that their experience with families and challenges arising from the partnership were being lost within the mainstream stream service provision. The coordinator of the cooperative, with the consent of the brokers, therefore invited the first author to undertake a study that would allow the brokers to voice the challenges arising from their multiple roles as partners and prominent members in their own communities and highlight their perspectives on how these can be addressed for the benefit of all the parties involved. The researcher, who is a registered social worker from an ethnocultural background and a faculty member agreed to undertake the study on behalf of the Faculty of Social Work, which is committed to working with community organizations to improve outcomes for new immigrant families. The researcher was aware of the critical need for more culturally responsive services for new immigrant families that are involved with Children's Services. This study can shed light on how to optimize service capacity and partnership arrangements between cultural brokers and mainstream

The specific aims of the study are: (a) to examine the experiences of cultural brokers on the challenges of working with ethnocultural families involved with Children's Services and (b) to understand the demands that the partnership with

A qualitative research design using focus group interviews with cultural brokers was selected as the most appropriate method for conducting this study. The mutual support from others in the group who have shared similar experiences with service providers from Children's Services and immigrant families and the possibility of a more open discussion relating to potential problems with the partnership are

**18**

A semi-structured interview schedule developed in consultation with the coordinator of the Multicultural Brokers Co-operative was used to elicit the perspectives of the brokers. Discussion questions included items inviting firsthand experience such as "what issues come up for brokers who are working with Children's Services," "what kinds of supports do brokers need to work as partners of Children's Services," "what challenges do brokers face when working in their respective communities," "what are the common causes for the violence in immigrant families and how situations reach a stage of crisis," and "what are the longer term needs of these families." The focus group discussions were facilitated by the first author and a graduate student who took notes as a reference for the analysis phase. The discussions were audio recorded with participants' written consent and transcribed verbatim for coding and analysis. Each focus group discussion lasted for about 90–120 minutes.

#### *3.1.5 Data analysis*

Data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach in order to directly describe the phenomena being investigated, and to ensure the analysis remained true to the accounts provided by participants. Transcripts were independently viewed by the two authors who, after several readings, developed codes, which were subsequently distilled into themes and subthemes along with supporting excerpts. The themes and subthemes are presented in the results and are a true reflection of the voices of the participants [42]. Rigor (trustworthiness and authenticity) of qualitative findings was demonstrated through interrater review completed between the two research investigators, debriefing after initial data analysis was completed, and theme corroboration [43]. Ethics approval for this study was obtained by the Multicultural Brokers Cooperative through the community organizations ethics approval body.

### **4. Results**

Three themes emerged from the analysis of the focus group interview data: (1) challenges arising from the partnership with Children's Services; (2) challenges arising from their roles as cultural brokers and community advocates; and (3) factors that increase the risk of violence in immigrant families and lead to involvement with Children's Services.

#### **4.1 Demographic profile of participants**

Twelve brokers, all women between the ages of 30 and 60 participated in the focus group discussions. They represented 10 ethnocultural communities—Eritrean, Syrian, Somalian, Iranian, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Spanish, Sudanese and Pilipino. All the participants were first generation immigrants, who have lived in Canada between 5 and 40 years. All of them had resident status, with the majority being citizens. All have overseas postsecondary qualifications in various fields, are bilingual—can speak both English and their native language. They have been working with the cooperative for a minimum period of 3 years. They are well known in their respective communities and serve multiple roles. They help newcomer families during the process of resettlement, are advocates for their communities, serve as family conflict mediators, and are community leaders and educators who work in the interest of their respective communities. At the time of the focus group, all the participants were working alongside Children's Services workers helping to interspret cultural issues, delivering culturally relevant services to families, facilitating cross-cultural communication between families and Children's Services workers, educating families about policies and procedures of Children's Services, raising awareness about domestic and child protection issues and referring families to available community resources. They were also receiving ongoing supervision from trained social workers and psychologists for dealing with complex issues that arise when working with families.

#### **4.2 Challenges arising from the partnership with Children's Services**

The participants faced many challenges when working in partnership with Children's Services. Some of these arose in the context of helping the immigrant families who are involved with Children's Services to follow through with the Family Enhancement Agreement (FEA). This agreement falls within the larger Alberta Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act (2019), which provides authority for Children's Services in Alberta to provide services in support of children who are abused, neglected, or otherwise in need of intervention. Although the Act allows for children to be apprehended if they are assessed as not safe in their own homes, every effort must be made to support the family to allow the children to remain in their homes.

Every child receiving services under the FEA must have a Family Enhancement Plan, which is based on the assessment information and is intended to meet the child's needs for intervention and evaluate progress [44]. The Plan is developed by the caseworker from Children's Services by engaging the family, natural support network, and cultural support. It identifies goals and tasks to follow through in order to keep the child/children safe. It identifies the persons responsible for each task, timeframe for completion, and corresponding signs of achievement. It also identifies task items for which the caseworker is responsible, including frequency of home visits. The caseworker is expected to review and record on the family enhancement plan whether tasks are completed within the indicated timeframes. After a period not exceeding 90 days, a review must be conducted by the caseworker and if needed another plan is completed. A copy of the family enhancement plan is provided to all the parties who are involved in developing the plan. If during the review the caseworker is convinced that the parents have followed the terms specified in the plan, Children's Services may close their file.

The study participants reported that they play a major role in facilitating this time limited-plan by guiding the family through it, explaining the objectives of the plan and the outcome, their responsibilities as parents, and consequences if the plan is not followed.

#### *4.2.1 Dissonance between the goals of the brokers and Children's Services*

Although the participants viewed the family enhancement agreement and plan as less intrusive and controlling compared to previous Children's Services

**21**

*Enhancing Service Provision for Immigrant Families Experiencing Domestic Violence…*

interventions, they pointed out, based on their experience, that these did not stop family violence as it often continued in "other forms." This meant that physical violence would decrease but other forms of violence often continued and these included verbal, financial, and emotional abuse. There was consensus among participants regarding the challenges of facilitating the family enhancement plans. The first challenge was balancing accountability to Children's Services while working in the interest of the whole family. Participants stated that they experienced "dissonance" between the mission of their organization (the Brokers Cooperative), which is to mitigate domestic violence and the goal of Children's Services, which is to keep children safe. Participants shared that they experienced a constant struggle to reduce violence and keep the children safe, while keeping the family together. The following excerpt exemplifies their

*Their (Children's Services) goal is how to protect the children from the violence. For us, how to protect the children from violence, and how to reduce the violence affecting the whole family. When we are involved it is a tough job for us how to deal with the family violence, and their goal too. So, we have two goals – on one hand, how to keep a balance between them and the family? It is very tough job, especially* 

Another related challenge for the participants arose when the Children's Services workers, after interviewing the parents and the children, determined that domestic violence has ceased, and children are safe, close the file, and subsequently pass on the file to the brokers for follow-up. The participants shared that children from immigrant communities are often instructed by parents not to discuss family problems with strangers. This means that when children are interviewed by Children's Services, they paint a picture of a loving family although this does not necessarily reflect the reality of what is happening within the home. One participant summa-

*According to the plan, they go and talk to the parents. And they go to interview the children, and the children are educated it's the family secret; you do not have to tell strangers.…They close the file- as they do not see family violence anymore, it's given* 

The file closure on the part of the Children's Services workers created at least three problems for the participants. The first arose because the family tended to lose interest in working toward improving relationships when their file is closed by Children's Services. This made it difficult for the brokers who are now accountable to Children's Services for the outcome of the family goal-setting plan. The second problem came up because once the file is closed by Children's Services, the breath of work done by the brokers and the time invested by them with the family are not documented in the family's case files as these have already been closed. As explained

*in setting a plan around the man. Talking to them about their wellbeing, how to care about partner, how to deal with each other, mediating, including them in the group. But all this does not show in Children Services because they have already* 

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92078*

*when you are very devoted to your mission.*

*4.2.2 Premature closure of files by Children's Services*

*to us, then we go in and we see it's a huge problem.*

rized the situation as follows:

by one of the brokers:

*closed the file.*

difficulties:

#### *Enhancing Service Provision for Immigrant Families Experiencing Domestic Violence… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92078*

interventions, they pointed out, based on their experience, that these did not stop family violence as it often continued in "other forms." This meant that physical violence would decrease but other forms of violence often continued and these included verbal, financial, and emotional abuse. There was consensus among participants regarding the challenges of facilitating the family enhancement plans. The first challenge was balancing accountability to Children's Services while working in the interest of the whole family. Participants stated that they experienced "dissonance" between the mission of their organization (the Brokers Cooperative), which is to mitigate domestic violence and the goal of Children's Services, which is to keep children safe. Participants shared that they experienced a constant struggle to reduce violence and keep the children safe, while keeping the family together. The following excerpt exemplifies their difficulties:

*Their (Children's Services) goal is how to protect the children from the violence. For us, how to protect the children from violence, and how to reduce the violence affecting the whole family. When we are involved it is a tough job for us how to deal with the family violence, and their goal too. So, we have two goals – on one hand, how to keep a balance between them and the family? It is very tough job, especially when you are very devoted to your mission.*

#### *4.2.2 Premature closure of files by Children's Services*

Another related challenge for the participants arose when the Children's Services workers, after interviewing the parents and the children, determined that domestic violence has ceased, and children are safe, close the file, and subsequently pass on the file to the brokers for follow-up. The participants shared that children from immigrant communities are often instructed by parents not to discuss family problems with strangers. This means that when children are interviewed by Children's Services, they paint a picture of a loving family although this does not necessarily reflect the reality of what is happening within the home. One participant summarized the situation as follows:

*According to the plan, they go and talk to the parents. And they go to interview the children, and the children are educated it's the family secret; you do not have to tell strangers.…They close the file- as they do not see family violence anymore, it's given to us, then we go in and we see it's a huge problem.*

The file closure on the part of the Children's Services workers created at least three problems for the participants. The first arose because the family tended to lose interest in working toward improving relationships when their file is closed by Children's Services. This made it difficult for the brokers who are now accountable to Children's Services for the outcome of the family goal-setting plan. The second problem came up because once the file is closed by Children's Services, the breath of work done by the brokers and the time invested by them with the family are not documented in the family's case files as these have already been closed. As explained by one of the brokers:

*in setting a plan around the man. Talking to them about their wellbeing, how to care about partner, how to deal with each other, mediating, including them in the group. But all this does not show in Children Services because they have already closed the file.*

*Global Social Work - Cutting Edge Issues and Critical Reflections*

complex issues that arise when working with families.

specified in the plan, Children's Services may close their file.

*4.2.1 Dissonance between the goals of the brokers and Children's Services*

The study participants reported that they play a major role in facilitating this time limited-plan by guiding the family through it, explaining the objectives of the plan and the outcome, their responsibilities as parents, and consequences if the plan

Although the participants viewed the family enhancement agreement and plan as less intrusive and controlling compared to previous Children's Services

**4.2 Challenges arising from the partnership with Children's Services**

The participants faced many challenges when working in partnership with Children's Services. Some of these arose in the context of helping the immigrant families who are involved with Children's Services to follow through with the Family Enhancement Agreement (FEA). This agreement falls within the larger Alberta Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act (2019), which provides authority for Children's Services in Alberta to provide services in support of children who are abused, neglected, or otherwise in need of intervention. Although the Act allows for children to be apprehended if they are assessed as not safe in their own homes, every effort must be made to support the family to allow the children to remain in their homes. Every child receiving services under the FEA must have a Family Enhancement Plan, which is based on the assessment information and is intended to meet the child's needs for intervention and evaluate progress [44]. The Plan is developed by the caseworker from Children's Services by engaging the family, natural support network, and cultural support. It identifies goals and tasks to follow through in order to keep the child/children safe. It identifies the persons responsible for each task, timeframe for completion, and corresponding signs of achievement. It also identifies task items for which the caseworker is responsible, including frequency of home visits. The caseworker is expected to review and record on the family enhancement plan whether tasks are completed within the indicated timeframes. After a period not exceeding 90 days, a review must be conducted by the caseworker and if needed another plan is completed. A copy of the family enhancement plan is provided to all the parties who are involved in developing the plan. If during the review the caseworker is convinced that the parents have followed the terms

Somalian, Iranian, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Spanish, Sudanese and Pilipino. All the participants were first generation immigrants, who have lived in Canada between 5 and 40 years. All of them had resident status, with the majority being citizens. All have overseas postsecondary qualifications in various fields, are bilingual—can speak both English and their native language. They have been working with the cooperative for a minimum period of 3 years. They are well known in their respective communities and serve multiple roles. They help newcomer families during the process of resettlement, are advocates for their communities, serve as family conflict mediators, and are community leaders and educators who work in the interest of their respective communities. At the time of the focus group, all the participants were working alongside Children's Services workers helping to interspret cultural issues, delivering culturally relevant services to families, facilitating cross-cultural communication between families and Children's Services workers, educating families about policies and procedures of Children's Services, raising awareness about domestic and child protection issues and referring families to available community resources. They were also receiving ongoing supervision from trained social workers and psychologists for dealing with

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is not followed.

Another participant added:

*Children Services just close the file and give it to us; and sometimes they set a plan and the plan must be followed by us and the family. Children's Services are not involved in finding a solution, they are only involved in the monitoring.*

The third problem arose because of insufficient resources for the brokers in terms of having enough funds to employ additional staff and their roles being vulnerable to budget cuts. As a result, the brokers ended up with a large caseload of families to follow-up that they were unable to close but have been closed by Children's Services.

#### *4.2.3 Lack of a clear definition of their role within a multidisciplinary context*

The participants expressed that their role is not clearly defined or understood by service providers from the multidisciplinary teams that they work with. These include health care workers, psychologists, social workers, and nurses. They alluded to these professionals having clearly assigned roles, but their role, being vulnerable to budget cuts, impacted the services they can provide for immigrant families. As such, the brokers struggled with defining their identity as part of the professional team although many aspects of the work they did overlapped with those of social workers. As one participant put it:

*People understand what a nurse does, what a doctor does, what a cleaning lady does, what housekeeping does. But what does a cultural broker do. How is this (their role as cultural brokers) different from a social worker?*

A related challenge for the participants when working with professionals from other disciplines is figuring out which aspects of their work complement those of other members of the multidisciplinary team. The difficulty also included sharing of information and finding the best way to work as a team in the interest of the families. In this context, one of the participants added:

*It's a new collaborative practice and we now need more shared clarity on how to be complementary. This is a new area we are moving into now.*

#### **4.3 Tensions arising from multiple roles and responsibilities**

As discussed earlier, the participant brokers also served multiple roles in their communities. They are recognized by their community members as educators, advocates, and leaders and are expected to work in the interest of the whole community. Participants experienced tensions while trying to balance their different roles and responsibilities.

#### *4.3.1 Challenges arising while balancing their multiple roles*

In their role as cultural brokers, participants must inform Children's Services if DV is a persisting problem in the families they are "assigned" to work with, and children are exposed to the violence. The participants shared that in doing so they run the risk of not only losing the trust of the family but also being seen by their community members as agents of Children's Services. As community leaders, one of their roles involves educating families about DV and child protection issues and providing encouragement and support to victims of abuse (mostly women), to

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perpetrators.

*4.3.3 Threats to personal safety*

*Enhancing Service Provision for Immigrant Families Experiencing Domestic Violence…*

report violence and seek formal protection for themselves and their children. Since community members often do not support women who report domestic violence and seek support from external agencies, participants feared that their actions of supporting these women may potentially jeopardize the good relationships developed with other community members who view these actions as letting down their

They also shared that their actions of supporting women victims of abuse are perceived by some men as being woman-centric and failing to take a fair approach to addressing family conflict. The following excerpts highlight the tensions experi-

i.*In so many cases when the police and Children Services or the court is involved, the blame is put on the woman, on the wife who reports the case to the police. They (community members) wonder why we are supporting someone who* 

ii.*I'm concerned about the point that our role is created by the community and even by the men that we are supporting the victim. So, it is very hard for me to put myself in the midpoint that is not be judged that I am always supporting the woman, the victim. So, playing this role, and keeping myself in the midpoint, is very challenging. Because of our fear that we will be judged this way, we do not* 

Participants shared that since men are often the authority figures in many immigrant families, educating them about domestic violence was perceived by some as challenging this culturally sanctioned role. While working with abusive men, participants therefore did not confront them about their cultural beliefs. Instead they initiated a negotiating process with the objective of educating them about the law and the consequences for them and their family if they continued the violence. This included explaining the role of Children's Services and the criminal justice system and the financial impact on the family. As explained by one participant:

*I've said to families (meaning the man), 'if this happens again, this is what is going to happen - the police is gonna come; they will arrest you; you are gonna lose time at work; it will create another financial stress for your family and it is costly, \$250 an hour to \$350 an hour. This is going to be your reality. So, you have the choice of whether this is gonna happen again. And even if no one calls in the house, a* 

The big challenge however was identifying and dealing with abusive men who knew the system well, were manipulative and posed as victims instead of

Some participants reported that they had been accused by immigrant women's husbands for causing the break-up of their families by informing Children's Services or supporting their wives to report violence and seek safety. This had led to threats of physical harm for at least three participants. One participant shared a husband's rant in the following quote: "We were fine, everything was going hunky-dory, and now you come in and you are empowering her, and you are telling her things that

*know how to create a balance between the two parties.*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92078*

enced by the participants in some of these contexts:

*neighbor is gonna call like they did last time'.*

*reported the husband.*

*4.3.2 Working with abusive men*

community.

#### *Enhancing Service Provision for Immigrant Families Experiencing Domestic Violence… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92078*

report violence and seek formal protection for themselves and their children. Since community members often do not support women who report domestic violence and seek support from external agencies, participants feared that their actions of supporting these women may potentially jeopardize the good relationships developed with other community members who view these actions as letting down their community.

They also shared that their actions of supporting women victims of abuse are perceived by some men as being woman-centric and failing to take a fair approach to addressing family conflict. The following excerpts highlight the tensions experienced by the participants in some of these contexts:

