Once a week or all week?

How do we increase the dosage in our men’s behaviour change programmes? How do we ensure learning transfer of the work we do in programmes continues after the session? How do we ensure programme participants are ready for the session?  

These questions have been central to our thinking over the past forty years. We know that engagement is central to programme outcomes. We know that ideas we share in programme sessions lose their currency quickly after sessions. We know many men do ‘time’ with us rather than ‘change work’.  

During the past eight months, we have taken these ideas and invested heavily in building Ake, an app for men attending intervention programs for domestic and family violence. The app has two key components. The first component is an emotion compass where men can check in on their feeling. Depending on their input, they are directed to curated videos and written resources to support them in managing what is happening. The second component is for facilitators who are supporting men to disrupt patterns of abusive behaviour. We have included direct-messaging functionality to either individual men or a group where they can be sent material outside of sessions, respond to questions, discuss topics together and follow up on session content.   

Both aspects of the app are designed to shift the work from a once-a-week to a daily experience. This allows consolidation of behaviour change while new relationship patterns are developed.   

A big heads up to Gordon and the IT team at He Waka Tapu Trust, who have done the technical behind-the-scenes development.

For more information on how this app can support your agency to undertake more effective interventions, feel free to get in touch. We are happy to walk you through what Ake can offer your team and those you support in change.

Check out the Ake product page here.

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