Safe and Together Model a perpetrator pattern, child …safeandtogetherinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/...6/15/14 1 the Safe and Together model: A perpetrator pattern, child

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the Safe and Together™ model: A perpetrator pattern, child centered,

survivor strength based approach to the intersection of domestic violence and

child maltreatment David Mandel, MA,LPC

June 2014

International Center for Innovation in Domestic Violence Practice (ICIDVP)

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)

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

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


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Safe and Together™ model: Be:er 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


Safe and Together Model: Application

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

collaboratives

o  New Jersey: support for co-located domestic violence advocates o  Other states: Wisconsin, Louisiana, Vermont, Tennessee, Maine o  Other countries: England, Scotland, Ireland, Singapore, Australia


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……

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Mul$ple pathways to harm

(C) 2014 David Mandel & Associates LLC www.endingviolence.com

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

Perpetrator Pa:ern-‐‑Based to Domestic Violence and Children

•  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 as parenting choices

•  Beyond current relationship: 360 degrees assessment of perpetrator pattern

•  More than adult on adult behavior: Strong nexus between domestic violence perpetrator’s behaviors child safety and well being.


Low Standards for Fathers

Weak Nexus Between

Perpetrator PaPern & Harm to Children


Foundation for “Failure to Protect” approach to intersection of domestic violence and child maltreatment

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High Standards for Fathers

Strong Nexus Between

Perpetrator PaPern & Harm to Children


Foundation for perpetrator pattern-based approach to intersection of domestic violence and child maltreatment

Domestic Violence

Destructive

Domestic Violence

Incapable

Domestic Violence Blindness

Domestic Violence Pre-Competence

Domestic Violence

Competence

Domestic Violence

Proficiency


“Failure to Protect” Perpetrator Pattern

Fathers Invisible High Standards for Fathers

Child v. Adult Survivor Child Safety & Well Being Tied to Adult Survivor

Weak Nexus Strong Nexus

Policy Practice Training Services Collaboration

About the Adults Integrated with children/other CPS issues

Continuum of Domestic Violence Practice (CODVP)


Domestic Violence

Destructive

Domestic Violence

Incapable

Domestic Violence Blindness

Domestic Violence Pre-Competence

Domestic Violence

Competence

Domestic Violence

Proficiency

Domestic Violence Informed Child Welfare System

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Highly gendered view of parenting/low standards

for fathers

Anemic articulation of fathers’ influence in lives of their children/family

No/limited assessment of fathers’ role in family

No/limited documentation/case planning related to

fathers

Lack of development of gender responsive

culturally specific policies/services/interventions for

fathers

Invisible Fathers=Poor Work with Families


High standards for fathers

Explicitly including respect and support of female

partner as part of definition of good father

Broadly assessing fathers’ positive and negative role

in family

Documenting fathers’ role and impact on family/case planning accounts for his influence/includes him

Gender responsive, culturally specific policies/services/interventions for

fathers

High Standards for Fathers = Better Work with Families


Model Characteristics

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


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Safe and Together™ Principles


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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 paPern 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


Practice Tools for Domestic Violence Informed Child Welfare System

Mapping Adult Survivor’s Protective Capacity

Mapping Perpetrator’s

Pattern

Domestic Violence Case Planning Guide

Supervisor Matrix

Pivoting

Pathways and Planning


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Safe and Together Practice Tools

Mapping Perpetrator’s Pa:ern • Assessment • Interviewing • Case Planning

Pivoting • Keeping the focus on the source of the safety and risk

• Strengthening partnership with adult domestic violence survivor


Pivoting Pivoting is a three step process: 1.  Validate the worker: Acknowledgment and validation of the social

workers strengths, challenges and good intent. 2.  Pivot to the Perpetrator: Pivoting from the focus on the survivor to the

focus on the perpetrator. Part 1: What do we know about the perpetrator’s pattern of behavior: Part 2: Assess interventions with perpetrator that are designed to reduce risk and safety concerns for children and family

3.  Return to the survivor: After the initial pivot towards the perpetrator has been completed, pivot back to the survivor to check in on the presenting issue and/or determine how the conversation about the perpetrator can impact the practice related to the adult survivor.


Assessment skills around perpetrator behavior risk of harm to children

•  Reading the history and all sources of information including interviews for the pattern of behavior including direct and indirect involvement of the children

•  Integrating high expectations for fathers as parents into interview/assessment

•  Interviewing o  The ability to listen for indicators of coercive control, o  ask questions of all family members without jargon o  Specific ability to talk directly about violence

•  Ability to tell story about how perpetrator’s behavior is harming the children in multiple domains of functioning

•  Not allowing lack of engagement by alleged perpetrator define assessment


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Setting high standards for perpetrators as parent

•  Setting child centered expectations for perpetrator as part of case plans o  Stop identified abusive, controlling behaviors

o  Parenting specific expectations

o  Support for other parent’s parenting

o  Compliance with court orders including child support/custody

o  Support for children’s basic needs

o  Support for recommended children’s therapeutic needs (when necessary)

o  Engage in treatment/intervention specifically designed to address identified pattern

o  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?


Worker’s Skills Related to Perpetrators

•  Ability to introduce child welfare’s concerns relate to abuse in non-judgmental, respectful manner.

•  Ability to keep interview focused on the perpetrator’s behavior and its impact on children and the family.

•  Ability to explore the perpetrator’s own perception of the problem and its impact on himself and others.

•  Develop a case plan that focuses measureable behavior change goals related to coercive control and other identified issues

•  Ability to address the case plan with the perpetrator

•  Understands the resources and services for domestic violence perpetrator (batterer intervention), can articulate dangers related to other interventions e.g. family/couples counseling and the interrelationship of mental health and substance abuse services.

•  Can present and document domestic violence as factor starting with a description of the perpetrator’s behavior

•  Makes effort to coordinate with criminal court and law enforcement when appropriate

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


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CW Worker Skills For Partnering 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


CW Worker Skills Associated with Working With Child Witness of

Domestic violence •  Is familiar with ages and stages of development and how perpetrators’

behavior may impact children throughout the development cycle. •  Is familiar with age appropriate interviewing techniques, e.g. getting

down to eye level of young child •  Asks open ended questions about happened related to the domestic

violence •  Is open to a range of children’s reactions to the domestic violence. •  Explores specifics of how child was impacted? e.g. “what were you

scared would happen?” •  Is familiar with modalities of treatment for children exposed to violence •  Can develop case plan that addresses child’s need for safety, stability,

emotional nurturance


What is the Safe and Together Advocacy Institute?

•  Joint project with Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV)

•  Goals of the Advocate Institute include: o  Strengthening individual advocacy skills of advocates who work

with child welfare involved clients o  Improving cross system collaboration between advocates and

child welfare o  Improving advocates’ ability to provide case consultation/

assistance for child welfare partners (including a better understanding of child welfare policies, timelines, and practice)


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Safe and Together Advocacy Institute

•  5 month intensive process

•  Rigorous application process, including letters of recommendation. Minimum 1 year of experience

•  6 Days of face-to-face training

•  Monthly coaching and individual mentoring

•  Training requirements for peers and child welfare partners

•  Monthly journal entries

•  Successful completion will result in Safe and Together Certification

• 


Advocacy Institute Journal Themes •  Increase in confidence in working with child welfare and

voiced increased skills in working with child welfare-involved clients.

•  Seasoned advocates: a renewed passion in their work •  Newer advocates state that they are feeling more confident

and capable in their roles. •  Better able to identify and support mothers' parenting

strengths and advocate for child welfare-involved clients. •  Using the perpetrator pattern-based approach inherent in the

Safe and Together Model and the associated practice tools, has empowered them to work more collaboratively with child welfare, and help child welfare focus more on effective interventions with domestic violence perpetrators.


Advocacy Institute Journal Sample •  ”My communication with (child protection investigators) is getting better because I

feel more confident and I think that allows me to be more validating of their feelings and to work with them, instead of automatically having defenses up.”

•  I feel that Safe and Together is allowing me to be better at my job. I am not only

learning tools to better support and advocate for clients, but I am also learning how to work with agencies that have stereotypically been at odds with ours. When I know that I have to reach out to a (child welfare) worker, I don’t get the nerves and anxiety that I used to…I know how to speak in their language which allows me to use their tools to support and advocate for a mother.”

•  I can also work better with the referred mothers…I can also give moms the tools in

the language (Child Welfare) will understand. I have learned that by pivoting the behavior back to the perpetrator (and discussing it as a parenting choice), it really opens up conversation…When I suggest that the way he treats her is also a parenting choice because it puts the children in danger even if they aren’t home, moms respond really well to this. It seems like a barrier goes down because it does not seem like they have to lie to protect their children (from being removed from the home). I am showing them that they are being protective and putting the focus on his behavior. It has really made me a better, more confident advocate.


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Safe and Together Ohio Data •  Ohio 3rd Party Evaluation: Study coordinated by Ohio IPV

Collaboration with support from o  HealthPath Foundation o  NCALP o  ODJFS

•  Data collected from 12 of the counties trained during 2013, as well as 12 Ohio counties that had participated in Safe and Together training during previous years, and 7 local CPS from AR counties that had not yet participated in the training.

•  5 data collection activities: o  an online pre/posttest survey of 837 CPS caseworkers and supervisors o  semi-structured interviews with 16 supervisors; o  semi-structured interviews with 8 community stakeholders; o  desk reviews of 191 CPS case files; and o  review of written policies from 15 counties that had completed Safe and Together

training. Exhaustive descriptions of each of these methods are appended to this report.”


Strong evidence that: • CPS staff assign less blame to victims for staying in a violent relationship;

• CPS staff increase their concern about, and documentation of the effects of children witnessing domestic violence.

Mixed Evidence: • CPS staff increase their understanding of coercive control;

•  CPS staff enhance safety planning for victims and children;

•  CPS staff increase perpetrators’ accountability.

LiPle evidence that: • CPS agencies change wri:en policies; and

• Community stakeholders become more receptive to Safe and Together policies and principles.


Safe and Together Florida Data •  Work with both child welfare and domestic

violence advocates o  Multi-site work with DCF in Florida since 2008 o  Relationship with Florida Coalition since 2006 o  Different projects

•  Subject Matter Experts •  Co-located Advocates •  Children’s Legal Services •  Cultural & Linguistically specific work

•  Panhandle o  Training and technical assistance for both child welfare

and co-located domestic violence advocates


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Correla$on between model implementa$on and keeping children

in homes In 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.


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Linear (Judicial action)

Linear (Out of home placement)

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Safe and Together Model Resources & Educational Events

•  Open Events o  2nd National Symposium in Seattle WA October 2014 o  Thursday Webinar Series: Through June 2014

•  Resources o  Website: www.endingviolence.com o  Safe and Together videos:

•  https://www.youtube.com/user/SafeandTogetherModel •  http://endingviolence.com/our-products/training/safe-and-together-

model-videos/ o  Safe and Together model blog: safe-and-together.endingviolence.com/

blog/

o  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DavidMandelAndAssociates o  Twitter: https: //twitter.com/SafeandTogether


Materials from this training are available for download:

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


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

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For more informa+on

David Mandel & Associates LLC 860-‐319-‐0966 (USA) www.endingviolence.com [email protected] Friend us on Facebook at: hOp://www.facebook.com/DavidMandelAndAssociates and on TwiOer: hOps: //twiOer.com/SafeandTogether

International Center for Innovation in Domestic Violence Practice (ICIDVP)

Documents

Safe and Together Model a perpetrator pattern, child …safeandtogetherinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/...6/15/14 1 the Safe and Together model: A perpetrator pattern, child