Colorado Domestic Violence Treatment Requirements
Colorado Anger Management Classes vs Domestic Violence Treatment
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