Using the Safe and Together ™ Model to Guide and Enhance Policy Related to Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Kristen Selleck, MSW David Mandel &Associates, LLC May 10, 2013

Domestic Violence and Policy Policies and practices about domestic violence historically and routinely focus on survivors o “Failure to Protect” o “Woman Defined Advocacy” o Prevention vs. intervention o Privileged communication/confidentiality o Shelter rules Safety-oriented Controlled environments (curfews, dating rules, phone access, etc.) Male children o Juvenile court proceedings: Survivors given responsibility for child safety Survivors given responsibility for ending the abuse © 2013 David Mandel & Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

What Does This Mean for Child Safety and Wellbeing? If it’s a “couple’s issue” or an adult issue, children’s needs often are missed Children’s experiences of the abuse can be ignored Children’s hopes and fears may be ignored Models for children that only the survivor should be making changes Models for children that there are no consequences if you choose to be abusive and violent Doesn’t intervene at the source of the risk Doesn’t support healing as a form of prevention © 2013 David Mandel & Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Child Welfare Policy Using the Safe and Together ™ model as a guide, child welfare can: o Work to keep children safe and together with survivors o Expect partnerships to exist between child welfare and survivors o Expect that perpetrators will be intervened with in various ways Child welfare protocols and policies should: o Use coercive control lens to determine 1. case track, 2. alleged perpetrator, 3. maltreatment/allegations o Have a focus on behaviors and patterns of coercive control to determine risk to children o Determine DV-related removals based on the specific risk posed by a perpetrator rather than the decision of the survivor o Expect workers to engage perpetrators about their behaviors and behavior change routinely o Decisions about the case (planning, legal involvement, closing) should be based on the real risk to children- the perpetrators’ choices © 2013 David Mandel & Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Child Welfare Policy, cont. Policy can dictate that the Safe and Together ™ model “critical components” are used as a guide for assessment and documentation. o Child welfare cannot make clear assessments, meaningful documentation or case plans without this information. Policy can guide workers to focus on survivors’ strengths, protective capacities and efforts to promote the safety and wellbeing of children Should meet the needs of the children, their safety and their healing © 2013 David Mandel & Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Child Welfare Policy Practice Use the Safe and Together model “critical components” as a guide for supervision and discussion of domestic violence cases Provide staff with meaningful training on domestic violence practice, including interventions with perpetrators Develop practices and policies that support the needs of children and survivors while holding perpetrators accountable o Open cases in perpetrators’ names o Remove “failure to protect” as a maltreatment in DV cases o Develop case plans solely for perpetrators © 2013 David Mandel & Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Domestic Violence Agency Policy Make referrals using the Safe and Together ™ model as a guide for information sharing Use the “critical components” to guide MDTs, conversations, case meetings, supervision and provider meetings Releases that allow survivors to choose what to share o Their own strengths, safety plans, protective efforts o Information about their parenting o Information about their (ex)partner’s behaviors Utilizing the assessment tools, skills and strategies used by other systems to help guide difficult situations © 2013 David Mandel & Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Domestic Violence Policy Practice DV survivor psycho-educational and support groups using the Safe and Together “critical components” Supporting survivors to advocate for themselves in other systems Provide training for staff o About perpetrators and how to intervene with perpetrators by focusing on their behaviors in other systems o About the processes of child welfare and other systems o About advocating within child welfare and other systems © 2013 David Mandel & Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Child-Serving Systems Professionals within child serving systems should have policies specific to the needs of children: o Use the critical components to assess the experiences and needs of children o Provide training and guidance to providers: About perpetrators’ tactics and how they harm children regardless of the status of a relationship About perpetrators’ parenting About survivors’ strengths, protective capacities and decision making shaped by perpetrators’ behaviors. o Professionals should have clear guidelines for determining custody, visitation, removal or other legal recommendations In circumstances where the children are angry at survivors/ request to be with perpetrators In circumstances where perpetrators have used systems to manipulate/harass survivors and children © 2013 David Mandel & Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Child Focused Policies Financial orders for perpetrators o On orders of protection/connected to removing perpetrator from home o Focus on children’s needs (housing, electricity, transportation, food, etc.) Expedited court proceedings o Not allowing perpetrators to prolong proceedings (criminal, divorce, custody, violations of probation, etc.) o Not allowing children’s needs to be ignored while awaiting court proceedings Coordinated community responses o Focused on perpetrators’ behaviors, interventions with perpetrators to promote change, perpetrator accountability o Supports stability for survivors and their children Specialized training o Probation officers, child welfare workers, law enforcement, legislators, mental health and substance abuse providers, GALs, evaluators, and others making decisions related to and/or having interaction with perpetrators and the children they’ve harmed © 2013 David Mandel & Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission