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The North Dakota Adult Batterer’s Treatment Forum was
formed in 1995. It was a joint effort of the North Dakota
Council on Abused Women’s Services and the Division of
Parole and Probation. The volunteer members of the forum
include individuals from a variety of human service,
criminal justice, legal, and social service fields. |
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VISION AND MISSION |
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The vision of the North Dakota Adult Batterer’s Treatment
Forum is to realize an end to domestic violence in North
Dakota. |
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It is our mission to develop standards for the treatment
of batterers in North Dakota that will create a network
which promotes the safety of victims and assists batterers
in stopping abusive behavior. |
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PHILOSOPHY |
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The standards define domestic violence as a crime
involving power and control requiring swift and sure
consequences for batterers in order to protect victims.
Cooperation with and intervention by the police, courts,
and probation services, as well as victim advocates,
offender-specific treatment programs, schools, and child
protection service are all necessary to deter this abusive
behavior. |
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PRINCIPLES OF PRACTICE |
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Marriage,
couples, or family counseling should never be an initial
intervention. Such counseling is not precluded forever,
but should never occur during batterers’ treatment and may
be used only when the abuser has completed the program,
the violence has stopped, and the victim is in agreement. |
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Battering a
family member or intimate partner is a crime and is never
the fault of the victim. |
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Intervention
with batterers must be a cooperative effort involving at
least the following: police, probation, courts, victim
advocates, schools, offender-specific treatment and child
protection service. |
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Domestic
violence is not a disease or an illness, but a learned
behavior. |
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Violence is a
choice that is not provoked or elicited by the battered
partner. |
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Victims of
domestic violence should not be mandated into any
treatment or intervention program as a result of their
seeking redress for having been victimized. |
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PROGRAM ETHICS |
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The standards proscribe the following ethical guidelines
for group treatment. Programs should, at minimum: |
| 1.
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Meet the
standards of the Adult Batterers’ Treatment Forum. |
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Establish and
maintain cooperative working relationships with local
domestic violence programs, domestic violence task forces,
victims of violence and the Adult Batterers’ Treatment
Forum. |
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Refrain from
seeking funding for batterers’ treatment services that
competes with funding for victims’ services. |
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Acknowledge in
all services that the safety of victims and their children
takes precedence over all other treatment objectives. |
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Develop and
enforce policies addressing ethical standards for their
staff such as sexual harassment, equal opportunity and
professional practice policies. |
| 6.
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Abide by
standards regarding human subjects research and accept
responsibility for the selection of research topics and
methods that will promote the safety and integrity of
victims, protect victim confidentiality and contribute to
the elimination of domestic violence. |
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TREATMENT STAFF ETHICS |
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All treatment staff should: |
| 1.
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Be of good
moral character, including remaining violence free in
their own lives. |
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Model
respectful personal and professional relationships and
communicate respect toward victims of violence. |
| 3.
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Be open to
self-examination and receptive to feedback on issues of
power and control, victim blaming, sexism and collusion in
their own lives. |
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Immediately
warn victims of any danger that the provider believes they
may be in. |
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Immediately
report suspected child abuse or neglect pursuant to North
Dakota Century Code 50-25.1-02. |
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QUALIFICATIONS OF GROUP FACILITATORS |
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Within each treatment group,
the two facilitators should always have between them the
educational and experiential components listed below. In
the case of only one facilitator (which is not
recommended), he/she will meet all of the following
requirements: |
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Be licensed in
a human service-related field by a North Dakota licensing
board. If one facilitator is not licensed, he/she would be
required to complete continuing education credit in
domestic violence issues. |
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Be experienced
working with both victims and perpetrators of domestic
violence, including a minimum of 50 hours of direct
clinical work with perpetrators and one year of direct
clinical work with victims. |
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Facilitators
should always have training in the following areas prior
to facilitating a group: |
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– dynamics of
violence substance abuse
– power and control gender issues
– interviewing and assessment victims’ issues
– crisis intervention legal issues
– group process resistive issues
– cultural competency character disorder
– diversity criminal personalities |
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For more information or for a referral to a batterers’
program nearest you that is currently in compliance with
the standards contact:
NDCAWS/CASAND
418 EAST ROSSER AVENUE #320
BISMARCK, ND 58501
701-255-6240 or 888-255-6240
FAX: 701-255-1904
[Contact Us] |
