Angelika May, S.I.G.N.A.L. e.V.
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself?
I worked for over 30 years as a social worker in a women's shelter in Berlin, counselling women affected by domestic (and sexual) violence and helping them to find ways for themselves and their children to escape the violence.
I have learnt how exhausting it is to leave a violent relationship. It takes a lot of support from different help systems, and professionals can either help or hinder the help process through their attitudes and dealings with people. This insight motivated me to get involved in the development of support services and the implementation of intervention standards. Since the foundation of SIGNAL e.V. (2000) my focus has been on the healthcare sector. I also have been working as a trainer for health professionals for many years.
Could you describe your role in the IMPROVE project?
I am delighted to be able to contribute my experience of working with survivors of domestic violence and developing intervention standards and implementation strategies in different areas. Through interviews with people, I have identified the main barriers to seeking help, researched new approaches to help systems, and written copy for the website and chatbot. I am involved in the testing phases of the chatbot and the training modules for professionals and work on implementation strategies.
If you could get three wishes related to IMPROVE come true, what would those three be?
The resulting website [the AinoAid™ information database] will hopefully make it easier for many survivors of violence to seek help by providing comprehensive information on key issues and helpful contacts. As a 24/7 service, it can be used anytime, anywhere and provides access to personalised help. This gives us a new starting point for effective help-seeking.
I hope that people will say, "Wow, I can find all the information I need on this website day and night" and that professionals will use it to gain more background knowledge about domestic violence relationships and information about what can be done.
I also hope that the dialogue with stakeholders will lead to the further development of the domestic violence support system and the inclusion of mandatory training in the education and training of professionals. Survivors of domestic violence would certainly benefit from this.
"I have learnt how exhausting it is to leave a violent relationship. It takes a lot of support from different help systems, and professionals can either help or hinder the help process through their attitudes and dealings with people."
"As a 24/7 service, [the chatbot AinoAid™] can be used anytime, anywhere and provides access to personalised help. This gives us a new starting point for effective help-seeking."
"I am delighted to be able to contribute my experience of working with survivors of domestic violence and developing intervention standards and implementation strategies in different areas."
"I hope that people will say 'Wow, I can find all the information I need on [the AinoAid™] website day and night'."
