Transcript The Safe and Together Model

Making good decisions for children impacted by batterers
THE SAFE AND TOGETHER MODEL
DAVID MANDEL, MA LPC
FLORIDA DEPENDENCY COURT SUMMIT
AUGUST 27, 2009
ORLANDO FLORIDA
DAVID’S BACKGROUND
20 plus years in the domestic violence field
 Batterer intervention programming
 Research
 Author
 Over 12 years, working at the intersection of child
maltreatment, domestic violence and child welfare

National
 CT DCF

 Current
position Statewide Services Administrator DCF
Domestic Violence Consultation Initiative
DCF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONSULTATION
INITIATIVE
Safe and
Together
Model
Statewide
Services
Administrator
12.5 FTE DV
Consultants
Improved DV
Skills and
Case Practice
SAFE AND TOGETHER MODEL
Assumptions
Principles
Critical
Components
Better
Outcomes for
Families
SAFE AND TOGETHER ASSUMPTIONS: POLICY

CW (and others) needs DV competencies

Distinct from but complements cross system
collaboration
CW has distinct and unique role
 95% alignment
 CW needs BW advocates expertise
 BW advocates need to engage with CW to help
their clients
 Double standards around gender can benefit the
perpetrator

SAFE AND TOGETHER ASSUMPTIONS: PRACTICE
Batterers can harm children
 Child safety and risk assessment flows first and
foremost from an understanding of the
perpetrator’s tactics


NOT from focusing on where people are living or the
status of the relationship
Better assessment trumps empathy as tool
 Principles and critical components of Safe and
Together provide a framework for case practice
and cross system collaboration

SAFE AND TOGETHER PRINCIPLES
Children ideally should be safe •Safety
and together with non-offending •Healing from trauma
•Stability/nurturance
parent
•Unless otherwise indicated
Partnership with non-offending •Efficient
parent should be child welfare’s •Effective
default position
•Builds on non-offending parents
Partnerships depend on
strengths
comprehensive assessment of •Less likely to increase danger
non-offending parent’s strengths •More likely to lead to effective plans
Intervene with perpetrators to
reduce risk to children
•Conceptualize
•Engage
•Make “visible”
WHAT CHILDREN EXPOSED TO BATTERERS
NEED

Safety
Stability
Talk about
what
happened


What are the
consequences for the
children of the
perpetrator’s actions?
How is each parent relating
to the children around
safety, stability, nurturance
and healing from trauma?
Do we distinguish between
the different roles of
perpetrator and nonoffending parent in our
case work?
DEFINITION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A pattern of coercive control perpetrated by one
person against another in an intimate
relationship.
 This
definition covers
 abuse
that occurs in relationships that have ended
 Current and former partners who are not co-habitating
 Is gender and sexual orientation neutral
CRITICAL COMPONENTS
Batterer’s pattern of
coercive control
Role of substance
abuse, mental
health, culture and
other socioeconomic factors
Adverse impact of
the batterer’s
behavior on the
children
Actions taken by the
batterer to harm the
children
Full spectrum of the
survivor’s efforts to
promote the safety
and well being of
the children
ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE BATTERER TO HARM
THE CHILDREN
Exposure to the abuse
Secondary effects of
battering on family
Using children as a weapon
against the children's other
parent
Physical/sexual/emotional
abuse or neglect
perpetrated directly against
the children.
Undermining the other
person's parenting efforts,
Accidentally causing physical
harm to children as a result
of the violence towards nonoffending parent
SAFE AND TOGETHER IS IDEAL
ADDITIONAL ASPECTS OF THE SAFE AND
TOGETHER MODEL
Strengths based
 Behaviorally focused
 Integrates safety and trauma
 Multi-disciplinary
 Leads to case plans with measurable goals
 Does not burden non-offending parents with
unnecessary services
 Promotes cross systems dialog

STRENGTHS BASED APPROACH TO NONOFFENDING PARENT
Full spectrum of the survivor’s efforts to promote the safety and well being of the children
Goes beyond “yardstick” of LE, Injunction,
Leave
Avoids double standard around mothers
and fathers
Assess survivor’s strengths as they relate to the children
Prior traditional and nontraditional safety planning
Day to day care of the
children
Positive impact on children
Develop case plan based on the strengths
Validating her strengths builds
partnership
Does not mandate unnecessary services
CASE PRACTICE CONCEPTS WITH BATTERERS
•Court
•Law enforcement
•Mandated treatment
•CW Findings
•Cross system collaboration
•Interviewing
•Goals
•Services
•Follo w up
•Identifying and documenting
behaviors
•Understanding role in family
•Making him "visible" in case
work and treatment of survivor
and children
•Context
CONSEQUENCES OF BATTERER’S BEHAVIOR

Batterer'sBatterer's
Pattern
of Coercive
Pattern
of CoerciveControl
Control
Domains of Child's Functioning
School
Family Relationsips
Basic Physical Needs
Emotional Well Being
IMPROVING PRACTICE: BATTERERS
How do we think about batterers'
pattern to better improve our
assessment and care of children?
•Examine how batterers interfere with
normal development of children
•Focus on specific
mechanisms/pathways that effect
children
•Overall pattern of behavior may help
us assess impact on young, preverbal children
•Stay connected the batterer's pattern
as it relates to what children need
Holding batterers responsible for the
impact of their behavior on children
•Setting child centered expectations
for batterers as part of case plans
•What information about the batterers
pattern needs to be given to the
children's therapist?
•How do we talk to children about the
batterer as part of home visits or ongoing assessment?
EVALUATING THE RESPONSE TO BATTERERS

Has the batterer been interviewed?

Can we describe the batterer’s pattern of coercive control and actions taken to harm the children?

Can we describe the non-offending parents efforts to protect the children?

Does the case plan involve specific steps and expectations for the batterer?

Do these specific steps address the batterers pattern of coercive control?

Is there coordination between criminal court, CPS and/or other systems regarding the batterer?

Is the batterer being referred to appropriate resources, e.g. evaluation and treatment?

Is court/CP agency outlining the changes they expect the batterer to make?

Is the batterer being held equally accountable as parent or parental figure for the safety and wellbeing of their children?
RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE TO “FAILURE TO
PROTECT” LANGUAGE

“Despite the mother’s efforts to protect the
children, the perpetrator is creating conditions
injurious and harmful to the children.” (CT
Collaborative)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
David Mandel, MA, LPC
David Mandel & Associates LLC
Ph: 860-490-8638
email: [email protected]
www.endingviolence.com/blog