Overcoming Conflicting Loyalties

Irene Sevcik holds a Ph.D., University of Toronto, Faculty of Social Work (1986) and a Masters of Religious Education, Asbury Theological Seminary (1966). Throughout her career, Irene developed and managed intervention programs for children and families, including those affected by intimate partner violence. Prior to her retirement she served as Program Director of FaithLink - a community initiative which built relationships between religious/ethno-cultural communities and secularly-based service providers in collaborative responses to intimate partner violence. Irene's published works include: a working paper (1984) An Ecological Perspective of Child Neglect: Relevant Research Re-ordered: A Service Delivery Model Examine; book chapters (with Nason-Clark, Rothery and Pynn (2011), Finding their Voices and Speaking Out: Research Among Women of Faith in Western Canada; with Reed (2008), Its Everybody's Business; with Nason-Clark, Rothery, Pynn (in press), Caring for the Caregivers: The Efficacy of a Centred Meditation Practice within a Secular Setting); a journal article (with Giesbrecht (2000), The Process of Recovery and Rebuilding Among Abused Women in the Conservative Evangelical Subculture); and many unpublished research and program related reports. She has led numerous discussion groups and developed and offered training to religious organizations regarding the implementation of intimate partner and child sexual abuse protocol guidelines.