Did You Know? Of workshop attendees who completed demographic surveys from services offered July 1 to Sept. 30:

The Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault will hold its 2008 conference June 18 – 20 at the Holiday Inn in Norman.

The conference will focus on coordinated community response to domestic and sexual violence. Other topics will include domestic violence and sexual assault issues, safety planning, immigrant battered women issues, financial empowerment for victims and stalking.

Presenters attend the conference at no cost. The average breakout session is 90 minutes long with an average of 35 participants. The target audience includes law enforcement, prosecutors, judiciary, pardon and parole, advocates, LPCs, LMFTs, social workers, shelter staff, case managers, crisis center staff, public health personnel.

For more information and a complete application, contact Beth Stanford at 918-647-5814 or ocadvsa@windstream.net.

Stepfamilies will receive special attention July 12 - 13 at the first Solutions for Couples in Stepfamilies Retreat in Guthrie.

The event is hosted by the Oklahoma Marriage Inititiave in conjunction with grant partners the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and Oklahoma State University.

About 65 percent of remarriages involve children from a prior marriage. Conflict over those stepchildren is the No. 1 reason cited for disagreements and divorce among couples in their second marriage or greater.

“The marital relationship in a stepfamily is the newest and most vulnerable relationship in the family, requiring special attention and skill development in order to survive the often complex issues arising from existing relationships the couples bring to the marriage,” said Tony Russell, a project coordinator for the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative.

The retreat will feature material from the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), but will be specifically geared to the complex issues that stepfamilies face on a day-to-day basis.

“The differences between first and second marriages are like the differences between apples and oranges,” Russell said. “Stepfamilies are more complex than first families and operate differently in many ways. The challenge for stepfamilies is to work through a variety of complex issues and eventually emerge with roles and rules that work and show respect for all family members.”

For more information or to sign up, visit www.yourthrivingmarriage.com.

More than 100 engaged couples took advantage of the All About Us tour stops in Oklahoma City and Tulsa this month. Participants received a $45 discount on the marriage licenses. More importantly, they also gained powerful communication skills and other tools to help them make their new marriage last a lifetime.

“We’ve found that often, when couples are arguing, it’s not so much about solving the problem,” said Amanda Carter, an Oklahoma Marriage Initiative service delivery coordinator. “Each person just wants to feel heard and understood by their spouse. By learning these skills early in their relationships, couples can avoid negative patterns and have an easier time developing good relationship habits.”

Helping couples receive the relationship education early in their marriage can have fundamental affects on the rest of their lives, Carter said.

“With so many engaged couples receiving this education early in their relationships, they are able to develop stable families, and this can only help their future children,” she said. “Children in two-parent homes feel more secure and are more likely to stay married themselves when the time comes. So one couple’s success can pass down through the generations, and we hope that eventually all of Oklahoma will be impacted!”

One-day All About Us workshops also were held in Ponca City and in Spanish in McAlester.

Following is an updated list of All About Us tour dates and locations.

Visit www.okmarriage.org for more information.

The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative has a new look on MySpace. Look for us at www.myspace.com/okmarriage and become a friend of the virtual Oklahoma Marriage Initiative.

Check back regularly to see our new videos.

We’re looking for stories about how couples and families have benefitted from Oklahoma Marriage Initiative programs, seminars and retreats. Please send your stories or contact information to Adam Wilmoth at adam.wilmoth@publicstrategies.com. Adam also can be reached at 405-848-2171 ext. 145 or at 301 N.W. 63rd, Ste. 600, Oklahoma City, OK 73116.

Mother’s Day By The Numbers
82.8 million mothers in the United States
21,135 florists nationwide
101,861 flower shop employees nationwide

Mother’s Day is a special time to pause and be thankful for your mom and your family. Please consider taking a few moments to share your favorite Mother’s Day stories with us.

The Tulsa African American Healthy Marriage Initiative (TAAHMI) is looking for African American and minority PREP and Within My Reach workshop leaders, as well as qualified counselors and therapist to assist with TAAHMI activities.

The TAAHMI’s goal is to provide a variety of support services related to relationship building, marriage preparation and enhancement, and crisis intervention for the community. The initiative connects people in need of services with those who provide high quality services. It is important to nurture those connections by identifying the correct audience of participants and both recognizing and securing appropriate locations for the services to be held. The TAAHMI will offer workshops throughout the community and refer families to professionals. The initiative wants to connect with people who are interested in being a part of the effort and start building community connections and resources.

Time commitment: When workshops are scheduled, TAAHMI will survey the pool of leaders to see who is available to lead the workshops.

Training: In addition to the training workshop leaders have received, TAAHMI will provide additional tips and techniques, as well as general information about the organization and other services available.

For more information, contact Nicole Holman-Alexander at nh-alexander@sbcglobal.net .

Now’s your chance to join the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) team.

The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative will offer PREP workshop leader training June 4-6 in Tulsa. The free training is designed for professionals and paraprofessionals who are committed to delivering community-based marriage and relationship skills-based workshops. Approved licensed professionals qualify for 18 Continuing Education Units.

Potential applicants should consider how they could deliver services and to what populations. OMI staff will provide technical assistance and on-going training support, but workshop leaders are responsible for recruiting participants and determining how to use the material with the services they already provide.

Thank you, workshop leaders.

Join us June 5 for an Oklahoma Marriage Initiative Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Workshop leaders will be recognized at the luncheon, which will be held during the PREP training in Tulsa. Top-producing workshop leaders will receive special honors.

The luncheon will be an opportunity for the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative to thank workshop leaders for their dedication to providing marriage education services in their communities. OMI staff also will provide an update on the new innovations at the marriage initiative.

Contact your Technical Assistance Coordinator at 877-435-8033 for additional information and to register.