There is great deal of confusion in the Colorado Criminal Justice System regarding Anger Management Classes versus Domestic Violence Treatment — they are not the same thing.
The following chart – taken from the Colorado State web site points up the thinking of those in this area…
Questions |
Anger Management |
Colorado Approved Domestic Violence Offender Treatment |
Are programs or counselors state-certified? |
No |
Yes. State Approval of providers is granted and monitored by the Colorado Domestic Violence Offender Management Board. |
Who is served by the programs? |
Perpetrators of stranger or non-intimate violence. |
Specifically designed to work with intimate partner violence and domestic violence offenders. |
How long are programs? |
Usually 8-20 sessions, with an average program lasting 10 sessions. |
A minimum 36 sessions, treatment is based on offender risk. |
Do programs contact victims? |
No |
Yes. If the victim chooses, the program will remain in regular contact with her/him to provide referrals, updates, safety planning, and information. Victim confidentiality is maintained. |
Are programs monitored by a state agency? |
No |
Yes. By the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice Domestic Violence Offender Management Board. |
Are programs linked with a battered women’s agency? |
No |
Yes. Each Approved Provider must have a linkage with a battered women’s agency. |
Do programs assess batterers for lethality? |
No |
Yes. While not a perfect prediction model, Approved Treatment Providers perform risk and other forms of assessment and evaluation. The intake evaluation explores many sources of information such as criminal history. |
Be forewarned – If you are convicted of or plead guilty to a domestic violence case — you are subject to a much more complex form of treatment than simple Anger Management Classes.
(To understand the shift in treatment modalities for Colorado Domestic Violence cases — I strongly recommend you read the following article:)
http://dcj.state.co.us/odvsom/Domestic_Violence/DV_Pdfs/5.0%20Draft%20CURRENT%206.23.10.pdf