The Safe and Together™ model: Making good decisions for children impacted by domestic and family...

the Safe and Together™ model:

Making good decisions for children impacted by domestic and family

violence David Mandel, MA, LPC

April 20143rd Annual NW AZ Infant/Toddler Mental Health Symposium

International Center for Innovation in Domestic Violence Practice (ICIDVP)

Materials related to today’s training including Power Point available at:

http://endingviolence.com/nwazsym

(c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission




Mission• The ICIDVP’s mission is to research, incubate, develop, and

implement innovative ideas and sustainable practices to reduce and end domestic violence and child maltreatment.

• ICIDVP is committed to advancing domestic violence practice at the individual, organizational and community level through partnerships with researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.

• We are committed to helping our clients, who are individual practitioners, community agencies and collaborations, and government organizations, achieve their mission to improve the lives of children and families.


ICIDVP Practice Innovations

Safe and Together Model Suite of Tools

and Interventions

Continuum of Domestic Violence Practice (CODVP)

SafeEngagement/FathersPlus for home visitors, fatherhood

programs and others

Perpetrator Accountability and

Change (PAC)


Continuum of Domestic Violence Practice

(CODVP)

Domestic Violence Destructi

ve

Domestic Violence Incapable

Domestic Violence

Blindness

Domestic Violence Pre-Competence

Domestic Violence

Competence

Domestic Violence

Proficiency


Domestic Violence Informed Child Welfare System

The domestic violence

perpetrator and his behavior* are the foundational source of the risk

and safety concerns for

children.* not the adult survivor or her

behavior


When Domestic Violence is the Concern……

Perpetrator Pattern Based Definition of Domestic

Violence • Looks at the perpetrator’s behavior, not the

relationship, as the source of the domestic violence• Highlights the choice(s) to be violent, abusive and

controlling• Beyond current relationship

o Child safety and well is not automatically resolved by ending of the relationship or change in the living arrangement

o Risk and safety assessment needs to include perpetrator’s behavior in other relationships, other settings

• More than adult on adult behavioro Includes the direct and indirect involvement of children in the pattern

of behavioro Requires conscious look at gender based expectations about parenting


Domestic violence perpetrators, in the context of the child welfare system, are

parents and/or caregivers who engage in a pattern of coercive control against one or more intimate partners. This pattern of

behavior may continue after the end of a relationship, or when the couple no longer

lives together. The perpetrator’s actions often directly involve, target and impact any

children in the family.


Multiple pathways to harm


Perpetrator’s Pattern•Coercive control toward adult survivor

•Actions taken to harm children

Children’s Trauma•Victim of physical abuse•Seeing, hearing or learning about the violence

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•Behavioral, Emotional, Social, Educational

•Developmental•Physical Injury

Safe and Together™ Model Suite of Tools and

Interventions• Keynotes and conference presentations• Training and coaching packages• Practice, documentation, supervision and

assessment tools• Data, research and policy consultation• Cross system collaboration packages• Service delivery design • Safe and Together model online learning courses

• Safe and Together model institutes and certification


Practice Tools for Domestic Violence Informed Child Welfare

SystemMapping Adult

Survivor’s Protective Capacity

Mapping Perpetrator’s

Pattern

Domestic Violence Case Planning Guide

Supervisor Matrix

Pivoting

Pathways and Planning


Safe and Together™ model: Better Outcomes for Families and

Systems

Foundation•Model Characteristics •Principles•Critical Components

Practice Tools•Mapping•Pivoting•Case Planning Guide•Supervisor Matrix•Pathways and Planning

Domestic Violence Informed Child Welfare System•Improved Competencies•Improved Cross System Collaboration

Better Outcomes for Families: Safety, Well Being & Permanency•Better Assessment •Better Partnerships•Better Case Plans


Model Characteristic

s

Child centered approach

to domestic violence

Fact based

Gender responsive

Strengths based

Integrative & Inter-

disciplinary

“Beyond Services”

“Removal is an

option of last resort” approach


Interest of Child

Welfare

Interest of Adult

Domestic Violence Survivor


The abuse to stop &

the children

to be okay

Safe and Together™ Principles


1

2

3

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

Safe and Together™ Critical Components

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


Patterns of Coercive Control & Actions Taken by the Perpetrator

to Harm the Children (1st and 2nd Critical Components):

Neglected Connections

Coercive control patterns

Comprehensive: beyond physical violence

What is the impact of the coercive control directed towards the adult survivor on the children?

“As her world get smaller, the children’s world….”

Choices to abuse and control adult partner should be view as parenting choices

Actions taken by the perpetrator to harm the children

Using children as a weapon against the children's other parent

Undermining the other person's parenting efforts

Accidentally physical harm to children as a result of the violence towards non-offending parent

Physical/sexual/emotional abuse or neglect


Safe and Together Practice Tools

Mapping Perpetrator’s Pattern• Assessment• Interviewing• Case Planning

Pivoting• Keeping the focus on the

source of the safety and risk • Strengthening partnership

with adult domestic violence survivor


Setting high standards for perpetrators as parent

• Setting child centered expectations for perpetrator as part of case planso Stop identified abusive, controlling behaviorso Parenting specific expectationso Support for other parent’s parentingo Compliance with court orders including child support/custodyo Support for children’s basic needso Support for recommended children’s therapeutic needs (when

necessary)o Engage in treatment/intervention specifically designed to

address identified patterno Engage in other treatment/services (when necessary)


Child Welfare Perpetrator Checklist

• Has the perpetrator been interviewed?

• Can we describe the perpetrator’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 perpetrator?

• Do these specific steps address the perpetrator’s pattern of coercive control?

• Is there coordination between criminal court, CPS and/or other systems regarding the perpetrator?

• Is the perpetrator being referred to appropriate resources, e.g. evaluation and treatment?

• Is court/CP agency outlining the changes they expect the perpetrator to make?

• Is the perpetrator being held equally accountable as parent or parental figure for the safety and well-being of their children?(c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Case Planning

Safety Threats (Described Behaviorally)

Behavioral Description of what has to change in order for children to be safe/reduce risk

Interventions Are They Working ?

What are the batterers’ specific behaviors (control, violence, threats, verbal, harming the children

Cease violence, cease threats, not interfere with children’s needs or mother’s access to services or providing for children

CPS behavioral expectations of perpetrators, hold them accountable, support survivorsOther BIP, DV services, parenting, etc.

Assess perpetrators’ compliance, ability to admit behaviors, ability to see harm to children, are kids safer? Is the risk reduced?

Interviewing, Collaterals, Case Record Reassess


Sample of service agreement/ petition specific steps

• No further intimidating behavior towards any member of household. This includes verbal threats, defined or undefined, destruction of property, throwing objects, punching walls, etc.

• The perpetrator will not deny partner access to phone, vehicle or other forms of communication and transportation.

• The perpetrator will support all reasonable efforts to provide his child(ren) with appropriate services including childcare, healthcare (e.g. well-baby visits).

• The perpetrator will not interfere with the other parent’s efforts to seek out services for themselves and the children.


Evaluating Change

• Is his behavior different? Specifically related to his pattern of coercive control

• Is he able to focus on the needs of his children versus his own needs?

• Is able to support the children’s relationship with their mother?

• Does he identify his abusive behavior as being wrong?

• Can he describe the impact of his abusive behavior on his children?


Safe and Together Model: Application

• Differential Response States & Effortso Ohio: Certified Safe and Together model trainings (statewide DR add

on)o Connecticut: Safe and Together mode consultants (statewide)o Colorado: Statewide training, policy technical assistance (statewide)o New York: Hotline training, support for co-located DV advocates,

statewide training, region specific training (statewide)o Oregon: support for co-located advocates; other training (statewide)

• Non-Differential Response States & Effortso Florida: Subject Matter Experts, co-located advocates (statewide)o Kansas City, MO & Lincoln NB: Support for local domestic violence

collaborativeso New Jersey: support for co-located domestic violence advocateso Other states: Wisconsin, Louisiana, Vermont, Tennessee, Maineo Other countries: England, Scotland, Ireland, Singapore, Australia


Safe and Together Data• Connecticut

o High utilization rate of domestic violence consultants-involved with 3000 unique cases/year (15,000 over five years)

o Supervisor training (88 supervisors trained, 41% responded to the survey).

• 66% identified specific positive changes in their supervisory practice; • 62% indicated positive change in their workers’ practice as a result of the

training and • 50% of the respondents indicated positive changes in outcomes for families.

o MDT pilot• “100% of respondents indicated that their agency has benefitted from the

teaming of serious domestic violence cases.• “100% of respondents indicated that increased skills and awareness

regarding domestic violence positively impacted how they handled sexual and physical abuse cases.”

• “Over 81% of respondents identified that they felt that teaming domestic violence cases resulted in increased safety for families.”


Safe and Together Data• Colorado: A series of three-day Safe and Together model

trainings for a diverse audience that included child welfare staff and domestic violence advocates. o Of the 125 people who responded to a survey a few months after the

training, 89% rated their experience of the training positive, very positive or excellent and 82% said that the training impacted their practice.

• Ohio o Positive preliminary data from the evaluation of work by DMA staff and

Safe and Together certified trainers.


Correlation between model implementation and keeping children

in homesIn Jacksonville Florida, the child welfare department was able to track the number of filings and removals for cases where domestic violence was identified. The data indicated a significant drop in neglect petitions (approximately 70% decrease) and removals during a period (approximately 50% decrease) correlated with significant Safe and Together model training.


Novem

ber

Jan

2008

Mar

chM

ay July

Septe

mbe

r

Novem

ber

Jan

2009

Mar

chM

ay

July

Septe

mbe

r

Novem

ber

Jan

2010

Mar

chM

ay July

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Judicial action

Linear (Judicial action)

Out of home placement

Linear (Out of home placement)

REGISTER FOR CONFERENCE AT http://www.endingviolence.com

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!2014 2nd National Safe and Together Model

Symposium October 22-24, 2014 Seattle, Washington

Seattle Marriott Waterfront

Building on successful 1st National Safe and Together Symposium, our 2014 event will have the following enhanced features:

• Full day pre-Symposium workshops- October 22, 2014• Presentations by Safe and Together sites and partners

• A wider focus including workshops on fathers, domestic violence informed child welfare systems, implementation fidelity and other

topics

http://www.endingviolence.com/

Materials related to today’s training including Power Point available at:





For more information

David Mandel & Associates LLC860-319-0966 (USA)[email protected]

Friend us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/DavidMandelAndAssociates and on Twitter: https: //twitter.com/SafeandTogether


http://www.endingviolence.com/

The Safe and Together™ model: Making good decisions for children impacted by domestic and family...

Documents

Transcript of The Safe and Together™ model: Making good decisions for children impacted by domestic and family...