244 R.I. Code R. 244-RICR-00-00-2.5

Current through December 3, 2024
Section 244-RICR-00-00-2.5 - Program Content

Batterers intervention program goals, values, practices, curricula and policies shall reflect the basic principles enumerated in this document and summarized in the Foundation Principles.

2.5.1Group Format Standards
A. Batterers intervention shall ordinarily be conducted in the context of psycho-educational groups of peers under the leadership of professional Facilitators trained and experienced in such work.
1. Completion of a batterers intervention program requires participation in group sessions over a minimum of twenty (20) weeks with a total of at least forty (40) contact hours. Each participant shall be credited only for time actually in attendance.
2. Fee collection and scheduled breaks shall not be considered contact time for the purpose of completing forty (40) contact hours. Any group time spent in pursuit of these activities must be made up by adjusting the length of the group session or adding group sessions.
3. Group sessions shall be scheduled for one and one half to two (11/2 to 2) hours each in duration, exclusive of fee collection and breaks. Groups shall begin and end at scheduled times, with prohibitions against late arrival and early departure.
4. All groups shall be led by a Seasoned Facilitator. For groups with more than ten (10) participants, a Seasoned Facilitator shall have a co-Facilitator: either another Seasoned Facilitator or a qualified Facilitator Trainee. Maximum group size with two (2) or more Facilitators shall not exceed eighteen (18) members.
a. It is recognized that the occasional illness or unanticipated absence of a co-Facilitator may occur, and/or that occasionally the group size may unexpectedly exceed the maximum. Such exceptions shall not constitute non-compliance for a program and/or group that demonstrates overall adherence to the standards and their underlying principles.
5. All groups shall be comprised of batterers of the same gender.
2.5.2Curriculum Topics
A. Batterers intervention programs shall implement a psycho-educational group intervention model of practice that incorporates at a minimum the following topics, concepts, and skills:
1. Domestic abuse shall be defined as part of a pattern of coercive control that may include physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse.
2. Domestic violence shall be defined as a crime with serious legal consequences and not as a private or family problem.
3. Batterers must be held fully responsible for their own abusive behaviors. Consistent with this, all program materials, models, and group content must ensure that batterers are held accountable for their own behavior and are prevented from minimizing or justifying abusiveness, or any other form of defense mechanism.
4. Programs shall ensure that victims are not blamed in any way for the behavior of the batterers. Consistent with this, no program materials, models, or group content shall place blame on the victim, enable the batterer to hold the victim responsible, or presume equal power within an abusive relationship.
5. Batterers intervention programs shall treat violent and abusive behavior as a choice for which the abuser is responsible. Programs shall recognize that violence is a learned pattern of behavior supported by a system of beliefs and attitudes.
6. Curriculum topics shall include learning to choose and practice non-abusive behavior, effective communication, and listening skills.
7. A responsibility plan/safe behavior plan shall be developed with each batterer, including basic steps the batterer agrees to take in conflict situations to recognize and address individual high risk situations and to assure the safety of victim(s) and of themselves (e.g. from self-harm). Program providers shall ensure that the individualized safety plan is current and up-to-date at the time of program completion.
8. The program curriculum shall inform batterers about the impact of abuse on the victim.
9. The program curriculum shall inform batterers about the impact of the abuse on children, the incompatibility of abuse with responsible parenting, and the frequent co-occurrence of domestic violence and child abuse.
10. The program curriculum shall include information about the impact of the abuse on the larger community, including such entities as other members of the household, extended family, neighbors, co-workers, police and courts, hospital and health services, community agencies, and/or public services.
11. The program curriculum shall include information batterers about cultural and social influences, including gender role stereotypes, which can contribute to attitudes that support and/or rationalize abusive behaviors.
12. The program curriculum shall include about sexual abuse (defined as coercion and/or manipulation associated with any form of sexual behavior) as one form of domestic abuse.
13. The program curriculum shall include information batterers about the relationship between substance abuse and domestic violence, including how substance abuse can contribute to the frequency and severity of abuse, rationalizing abuse, and planning abuse. The curriculum shall make clear that substance abuse is not the cause of domestic abuse.
14. The program curriculum shall inform batterers that completion of a batterers intervention program is not a guarantee that the abuse will stop; and shall articulate to batterers that being non-abusive requires long-term commitment and continuing effort on the part of the individual batterer.
2.5.3 Presentation of Curriculum
A. Curriculum language, topics, and approaches must accommodate diverse clients and populations. All materials shall be presented in a manner that demonstrates non-discrimination and sensitivity to diversity of all kinds.
1. Materials shall be presented in a manner that maximizes comprehensibility to batterers of various levels of education, literacy, or cognitive skills.
2. Programs that offer bilingual or non-English speaking groups shall ensure that the Curriculum materials for such groups may be made available in the appropriate language.
2.5.4Written Curriculum Format
A. Each program shall submit its curriculum (or curricula) for review by the Committee. The curriculum shall consist of detailed lesson plans for each session, materials for use by Facilitators, and handouts for group members. Any substantial changes to a program's curriculum shall be submitted to the Committee for review.
1. All materials and tasks shall be presented in a manner that demonstrates their relationship to domestic abuse.
2. Participant disclosure/description of events surrounding an abusive act can be allowed, if relevant to the group process and individual learning in the judgment of the Facilitator, as long as the information conveyed maintains victim confidentiality, does not minimize or justify the batterer's behavior, and does not place blame on the victim.
3. Programs shall ensure through on-going supervision that all Facilitators are familiar with the curriculum and associated materials, including the focus and purpose of each session and how materials are used.

244 R.I. Code R. 244-RICR-00-00-2.5

Adopted effective 1/20/2019