No Matter WHERE a person is in Domestic Violence Offender Treatment; it is a great place to begin thinking: "What am I going to do in order to be absolutely sure that this never happens again???"
In Domestic Violence Treatment, we plan for After-Care from Day one. Because the real test of a person's DV Treatment Success will be whether or not he or she is able to maintain a Violence-Free Lifestyle after he or she completes DV Treatment. The Extra-Credit portion of that test comes in the form of being better able to have Healthy and Fulfilling Relationships.
Hence, while our completion of DV Treatment may or may not be close; we are going to be talking about how to do an After-Care Plan. And we will also be completing an After-Care Plan Draft as the Worksheet for this Week's Topic.
Sustained Progress in Life -- a Life Free of DV-Type Behaviors and Free of DV-Related Charges, typically requires a Commitment to a Violence-Free Lifestyle, Careful Aftercare Planning, and Continuing to be a Life-Long Learner in terms of having Healthy Relationships.
AFTERCARE PLANNING is the act of Planning for how one will care for himself or herself after Treatment is completed so as to never again commit DV-Type Behaviors and therefore never again end up with a DV-related Charge. Hence, the overall question is:
Think about this: Have I developed an Aftercare Plan that could help I do the following?
A. Continue to be fully Accountable for my previous DV Offense?
B. Continue to heal from my previous DV Offense?
C. Do I have the Tools it will probably take to have Satisfying, Healthy, Rewarding and Safe Relationships?
D. Am I Committed to Life-Long Learning about how to have Healthy Relationships? and
E. Continue to make changes to my life that will help me better prevent DV-Type Behaviors and Offenses in the future?
Having successfully commenced DV Treatment and made some progress; it is time to plan for sustained progress. It is time to re-shape parts of one's life such that no matter what comes up; DV-type Thinking, Feeling and Behaving is out of the question.
Here, take a look at the following questions and think about how you might answer them. Some Questions to consider as you move along successfully could include:
1. "What effect has this domestic violence offender treatment program had on my life?
2. What changes have I noticed about myself, my relationships, my lifestyle, or your attitudes from when I first started treatment until now?
3. What did I learn about the cycle of violence? If I get into a bad cycle, I can recognize it and get off of the cycle in a healthy way.
4. What are the consequences of violence for everyone involved? When I think of my offense; what were the consequences? Nobody wants to see that happen again. Right?
5. How do I NOW, communicate with my partner and express my feelings? Do I find that my communications are healthier?
6. Describe the steps I use when taking a “time out”? What about the steps one might use to take a Stop-Breathe and Focus break -- or -- Breathing Exercises.
7. What do I take responsibility for in my specific domestic violence incident?
8. What are my major goals in my personal relationships? What would I like to see change in a positive way in my relationship(s)? (3 or more)
9. What have I done to make amends to the victim -- or to the Community or the World (as it were)?
10. What are some alternatives or options I have to acting out violently? (activities, relaxation exercises, meditations, planning, Time Outs, and Better Choices etc.)
11. Who are the people that I rely on to help me understand my thoughts and feelings? Talk about how they are supportive to me. It is important to have a support system.
12. Name three general attitudes, feelings or ways of thinking, or patterns of cognition that I plan to hold in order to keep me from ever again committing DV-Type Behaviors or being charged with a DV-related Offense.
13. Describe what it means to me to become a Life-Long Learner about how to have Healthy Relationships? What can I learn in the future? How can I learn more?
14. How would I Roadmap a Difficult Situation?
15. List 2 Sources of Positive Energy or Helpful Information that I can turn to in helping maintain my Violence-Free Life -- especially in a pinch. Who or what is totally able to distract me from making bad decisions in relationships?
16. List 3 Supporting People I can turn to for help should I be challenged in maintaining my Violence-Free Life? People I can trust to talk me out of it.
(Some Aftercare Planning Questions, Courtesy of SLVBHG)
*** Please CLICK HERE to Complete your Aftercare Planning Worksheet ***
^^^ PLEASE ALSO COMPLETE This Personal Change Plan this week. ^^^
Sources:
(Original DVTPA by Davies and Associates. The Present DVTPA is adapted.)
(Some AFTERCARE PLAN Questions by SLVBHG)
(Originally Posted, Sept. 21, 2020).
(c. 2020, William T. Beverly, Ph.D., LCSW, All information on the Blog (Except where otherwise noted); are the intellectual and/or photographic and/or digital property of Dr. William T. Beverly, L.C.S.W., DVOMB Approved Offender Treatment Provider.).
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