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MAJOR RECENT, CURRENT, UPCOMING PROJECTS

Statewide Service Administration (CT DCF): DV Consultants

Subject Matter Expert Training (FL DCF) Gainesville Jacksonville Lake City

CLS Training (FL DCF)

Safe and Together Advocate Training (FCADV)

All Child Welfare Supervisors (LA)

Safe and Together Supervisor Training (KC MO)

Alternative Response Pilot (OH): Train the Trainers

INTERSECTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND OTHER CHILD WELFARE CONCERNS

Substance abuse• A US study reports that 60% of women accessing drug or alcohol services (n = 360)

reported current or past domestic abuse.• A Yale trauma study showed that abused women are 15 times more likely to use alcohol

and 9 times more likely to use drugs than non- abused women.• Findings from a review of the British Crime Surveys revealed that 44% of domestic

violence offenders were under the influence of alcohol and 12% affected by drugs when they committed acts of physical violence.

•  A number of studies have found that the perpetrators use of alcohol, particularly heavy drinking, was likely to result in more serious injury to their partners than if they had been sober.Mental Health

• Multiple studies have documented the correlation between domestic violence and higher rates of depression, anxiety and PTSD for women.

• Most domestic violence perpetrators do not appear to have Axis I or II diagnoses. Interactions between domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health issues

• Domestic violence survivors who have mental health and/or substance abuse issues are more vulnerable.

• Domestic violence perpetrators may sabotage his partner’s efforts at recovery or help seeking and use her issues to maintain control.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS CONCERN AND A CONTEXT

Concern Context

PATHWAYS TO HARM

Abuse by perpetrator

• Towards non-offending parent

• Direct abuse or neglect of child

• Abuse of siblings

Effect on partner’s parenting

• Depression/PTSD/anxiety/substance abuse

• Loss of authority• Energy goes to

addressing perpetrator instead of children

• Interference with day to day routine and basic care

Effects on family ecology

• Loss of income• Housing

instability• Loss of contact

with extended family

• Educational and social disruptions

Harm to child

SAFE AND TOGETHER ASSUMPTIONS: POLICY

• Child Welfare (and others) need DV competencies Distinct from but complements cross system

collaboration Child welfare can benefit from good relationships with

and the expertise of domestic violence advocates

• Child Welfare has distinct and unique role

• 95% alignment

• Double standards around gender can benefit domestic violence perpetrators

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 MODEL

Assumptions Principals

Critical Componen

ts

Better Outcomes

for Families

SAFE AND TOGETHER™ PRINCIPLES

1

2

3( C ) 2 0 11 D AV I D M A N D E L & A S S O C I AT E S L L C F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N O N T H E S A F E A N D

T O G E T H E R ™ M O D E L , G O T O W W W . E N D I N G V I O L E N C E . C O M

Keeping child Safe and Together™ with non-offending parent

Safety Healing from trauma Stability and nurturance

Partnering with non-offending parent as default position

Efficient Effective Child-centered

Intervening with perpetrator to reduce risk and harm to child

Engagement Accountability Courts

Perpetrator’s pattern of coercive control

Actions taken by the

perpetrator to harm the child

Full spectrum of the non-offending

parent’s efforts to promote the safety and well

being of the child

Adverse impact of the

perpetrator’s behavior on the

child

Role of substance

abuse, mental health, culture

and other socio-economic

factors

SAFE AND TOGETHER™ CRITICAL COMPONENTS

ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE BATTERER TO HARM THE CHILDREN

Choosing to expose them to their abusive

behavior

Using children as a weapon against the children's

other parent

Undermining the other person's

parenting efforts

Accidentally causing

physical harm to children as a result of the

violence towards non-

offending parent

Physical/sexual/

emotional abuse or neglect

perpetrated directly

against the children

Do not lump batterer and survivor together. Avoid phrases like– “Couple engages in violence”– “Parents have a history of domestic violence”– “Parents both deny the violence.”

Precise & descriptive– Avoid euphemisms or vague terms like “argued” if what you mean is “hit”– Describe the pattern: “father has engaged in an escalating pattern of

physical violence and intimidation that involved multiple incidents of physical assault, threats to kill the mother and her children.”

Affirm the perpetrator’s role in harming the children through his actions– “These behaviors have isolated the mother from her support system, the

children from relatives and led to them moving school systems and residences twice in the past year (as a result of evictions).”

Avoid blaming the victim for the perpetrator’s violent and abusive behavior

Language to avoid:– Dysfunctional” family– Mother “allows” or “enables” the violence– Mother “failed to protect” the children

EXAMPLES OF DOCUMENTATION RECOMMENDATIONS

Use language that focuses on the perpetrator’s role in creating harm or risk to the children.

Example: “Despite the mother’s efforts to protect the

children, the perpetrator is creating conditions injurious and harmful to the children.” (CT Collaborative)

RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE TO “FAILURE TO PROTECT” LANGUAGE

ASSESSING CHILD WELFARE SKILLS REQUIRED TO PARTNER WITH SURVIVORS

• Ability to introduce child welfare’s concerns in a non-blaming way.

• Assessing/listening for her strengths as it relates to day to day safety and well being efforts

• Validating her strengths

• Collaboratively developing a safety plan

• Developing a case plan that supports her needs/doesn’t set her up to fail/helps her

• Working collaboratively with victim services

• Presenting survivors strengths to supervisor and/or team (who may be less than sympathetic)

• Making appropriate referrals to substance abuse , mental health and in-home service providers

• Developing a petition that focuses on the domestic violence perpetrator as the source of the safety concerns

STRENGTHS BASED APPROACH TO NON-OFFENDING PARENT

Develop case plan based on the strengths

Validating her strengths builds partnership

Does not mandate unnecessary services

Assess survivor’s strengths as they relate to the childrenPrior traditional and non-traditional safety

planning

Day to day care of the children

Positive impact on children

Full spectrum of the survivor’s efforts to promote the safety and well being of the childrenGoes beyond “yardstick” of LE,

Injunction, LeaveAvoids double standard around

mothers and fathers

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SURVIVORS How good are your workers in building

partnerships with survivors around the safety of the children?◦How are they framing the Department’s concerns around

child safety to the survivor?◦How are they asking questions to assess her strengths

around safety and well being?◦Are they able to take a non-blaming approach to the

survivor?◦Are they validating her strengths?◦Can they work collaboratively with the survivor to develop

a plan for the child’s safety?

EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE SAFETY PLANNING Requires knowledge about batterer’s pattern of behavior Builds on survivor’s efforts Developed in collaboration with survivor Might include going to shelter, calling police, getting

injunction◦BUT does not rely exclusive on those three things

Includes informal resources (friends, family, employer) Attempts to account for other critical child’s needs like

stability Whatever plan, it needs to be well documented

EXAMPLE OF CASE PLANNING PRACTICE ASSOCIATED WITH PARTNERING WITH THE NON-OFFENDING PARENT Don’ts

◦ “Ms. Smith agrees not to engage in further domestic violence.”◦ “Ms. Smith will not violate the restraining order against Mr. Smith”◦ “Ms. Smith will ensure that Mr. Smith will have no further contact

with the child. ” Do’s

◦ If Mr. Smith begins to escalate his threats or intimidation, Ms. Smith will report concerns to the Department.

◦ Ms. Smith will continue to work with her domestic violence advocate to modify her safety plan as necessary.

◦ Ms. Smith will discuss with her mother a plan for moving in with her if there are new concerns of violence.

◦ Ms. Smith will report any violations of Mr. Smith’s restraining order to law enforcement and the Department.

◦ If Mr. Smith is violent, Ms. Smith will implement the agreed upon safety plan for herself and her children. This involves taking the children to stay with her mother until she can contact her DCF worker.

SAFE AND TOGETHER TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Training

Child Welfare

Community Service

Providers

Domestic Violence

Advocates

Court

Others

Development of

Domestic Violence

Specialists

Intensive domestic violence trainings

Training in consultation

Technical Assistance

Needs Assessment

Review of protocols and

practices

Facilitation of cross system

dialog

Mentoring

Online Training

Coming in 2011

FOR MORE INFORMATION

David Mandel & Associates LLCPh: 860-319-0966

email: davidmandel@endingviolence.comkristenselleck@endingviolence.com

http://safe-and-together.endingviolence.com/blog/