RE: services to intact families

["Larry Earl Wraight" <wraight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Where voluntary services is the only option, joint counseling should be
provided.  A primary treatment goal would be individual counseling for both
parents and anger management services for the physical abuser.  The goal
should not include acceptance of ongoing violence or inbalance of power in
the relationship.  Especially effective is to focus on harm to the abuser of
continued violence.  Joint counseling in the example can be reasonably
viewed as individual counseling for the abusive parent as the non-abusive
parent participates only to the degree of the others permission.

The criticism of my opinion would be fast from my domestic violence
counterparts.  Their position has been that joint counseling is a
programmatically wrong choice initially in domestic violence.  I see the
most strength in their position from my experience that most joint domestic
violence counseling (as the initial service) continues the inbalance of
power and control that exists in domestic violence families.  My opinion
rests in the freedom of choice that exits to request voluntary services.  In
voluntary services you have to start where the client is.  In the example,
it is a very unhealthy place to start.

If the Domestic Violence is ongoing and severe enough:  its mere presence
can be evidence of harm sufficient for a finding of neglect on behalf of the
children with both parents responsible for the neglect.  Where court action
is possible the treatment plan should build on the willingness of family
members to agree to treatment.  In cases similar to the example successful
treatment of intact families can be framed.  Court ordered conditions
including but not limited to;  "joint counseling services with" both parents
after completion of individual assessments of their needs, ...., other
services as needed, Order of Protection ordering no physical or verbal
assaults between the parents.  The key here is to build on the agreement of
the domestic violence parent to attend counseling, but to redefine joint
counseling to require the necessary separate needs.  Reframing parents
agreements to meet the needs of effective treatment is preferred to direct
conflict.  Where reframing fails the Child Protective Proceedings can lead
to more control being exerted.

Larry Earl Wraight
Fighting on the FrontLine for CHILDREN
@Home and NCPWA, Inc. - Wed., evening & weekends:
E-mail: wraight@dreamscape.com - Phone: (315) 635-4791
27 Ford Street Baldwinsville, NY 13027-2328
@Child Protective Service
E-mail: 31A243@dfa.state.ny.us - Phone: (315) 435-2975
7th Floor Civic Center 421 Montgomery St. Syracuse, NY 13202



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu
[mailto:owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu]On Behalf Of
woochan schola shim
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 10:43 PM
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
Subject: services to intact families


Dear all listserve members,

My school and the local child welfare agencies along with the local
domestic violence service agencies recently began a monthly meeting
as a collaborative effort to develope a "best practice" protocol for
dealing with cases where domestic violence and child abuse and neglect
coexist.  Today, we came across with with an area where a conflict might
arise and I would like to ask you for information on how other states
or child welfare and domestic violence agencies deal with such a case
described below.

The children remain in the family where there is clearly domestic violence
going on between two adult couples, and a child welfare service agency is
providing services for this family.  The adult DV victim, however, does
not admit DV, does not confront the batterer, does not wish to leave the
batterer, but is willing to and would only agree to a joint counseling
services with the abusive partner. In such a case:

What is your best practice protocol in terms of providing services to
this family?  Is couple/concurrent/family counseling or therapy perceived
as an appropriate modalities for DV cases?  Do you know of any agency or
state where it is NOT allowed to provide couple counselings for DV cases
in their protocols?

I couldn't think of any better/clearer way to address this issue.  I would
appreciate any comment from you, and please ask questions if things need
to be explained more.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Woochan Shim, M.S.W.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
School of Social Work
Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
1207 W. Oregon St. MC#140, Urbana, Il 61801
O) 217-244-5213		H) 217-359-4614
E) wsshim@uiuc.edu  or wsshim@eudoramail.com