THE BARE BONES of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TREATMENT ACCORDING TO THE COLORADO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENDER TREATMENT BOARD INCLUDE THE CORE COMPETENCIES FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TREATMENT

The Colorado DVOMB's Core Competencies: 

  It is believed that the process of helping people prevent Domestic Violence from occurring in their lives can be aided through helping them learn about the following concepts that are included in the evolving list of Colorado DVOMB Core Competencies.  

   Learning about these concepts; taking them seriously, and embedding them into our minds, our sense of perception, our hearts and into our behaviors can help us prevent DV from occurring in our lives.  

  Further, on one hand, these competencies are presented as a way to help people with potential of committing Domestic Violence to prevent such thinking and behaviors.  While at the same time, learning about the competencies might also help Victims of Domestic Violence to recognizing Abusive Thinking and Behavior before it happens -- so as to help them avoid being Victims of DV in the future.  

  Over the past 10 years or so, a set of Core Competencies for Domestic Violence Treatment has evolved as set forth by the Colorado Domestic Violence Offender Management Board.

  It is believed that in order to have the best chance of never again committing Domestic Violence; persons who have committed DV in their past and those who are vulnerable to committing DV in the future should do their best to learn about each of the following competencies (including all terms and concepts contained in such); and do their best to embody them into their cognitive beings, and into their social-emotional beings as they learn how to intentionally and habitually allow acceptance of these concepts to help them avoid all types of DV in the future.

  Among the Concepts addressed in the Colorado DVOMB's Core Competencies are the following items that are to be included in each person's heart and mind such that this will help steer them away from any DV-type thinking, feeling or behavior in their futures.   

Core Competencies for Domestic Violence Treatment: 

• Elimination of Abusive Behavior / Prevention of DV
• Completes Personal Change Planning
• Demonstrating Change
• Change as an Ongoing Process
• Aftercare Planning
• Treatment Levels based on Risks and Needs
• Empathy
• Effects of DV on Others. (Effects of DV on Self)
• Compassion
• History of Abuse
• Denial, Minimization and Blame
• Self-Disclosure
• Accepting Responsibility for Impact of Abuse on Others and Self
• Abuse as Unacceptable
• Accepting Accountability
• Full Ownership of Actions and Consequences
• Reporting About Abuse / Talking About Abuse
• Accepting that Behavior has Consequences
• Accepting that Abusive Behavior is a Choice, It is Intentional, It is Goal-Oriented / Goal-Directed
• Participation and Cooperation in Treatment
• Attending Treatment
• Participating Openly in Treatment
• Paying for Treatment
• Attending Second Clinical Contacts
• Defining all Types of DV
• Defines: coercion, controlling behavior, psychological emotional, sexual, physical, animal abuse, property, financial, isolation and all other types of DV  
• Identifies specific types of DV engaged in; 
• Demonstrate understanding of DV by giving examples; 
• Defines continuum of behavior from healthy to abusive
• Understand, identify and manage my own pattern of violence
• Acknowledges past/present violent/controlling/abusive behavior.
• Explores motivation
• Understands learned violence/explain to others.
• Stops violence before it happens / Prevention
• Understanding of intergeneration effects of violence
• Identifies & recognizes past victimization; origin/type/impact. 
• Recognize impact of witnessed violence
• Acknowledges own upbringing influences current behaviors
• Develops/implements plan to distance oneself from traditional violent tendencies/cultural roles
• Understand and use appropriate communication skills
• Responds respectfully and treat partner as an equal
• Knows the difference between passive, passive-aggressive, aggressive & assertive communication
• Demonstrates appropriate active listening skills
• Understand and use “time-outs”
• Recognizes need for time-out or other self-mgmt. skill
• Understands and practices time-out
• Is open to feedback regarding time-out in therapy
• Recognize financial abuse and mgmt. of financial responsibility
• Meets ALL financial responsibilities (MTT may require proof). 
• Maintains employment unless proved otherwise
• Eliminate all forms of violence and abuse
• No further engagement of in acts of abuse, no new charges of DV or violent offenses against animals or others
• Prohibited from purchasing, possessing and/or using firearms or ammo (Exemption by court order only). 
• Must provide court order to Approved Provider
• Approved Provider will design TX plan to address storage, risk, victim safety and safety planning.
• Identify and challenge cognitive distortions that play a role in offender violence

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Where are you in terms of these Core Competencies?  For example, if called upon to describe each of the key concepts included in these Competencies above; could you do so?

2. Would you be able to list off the Core Competencies that you have mastered during your time in DV Treatment?

3. Would you be able to list off the Core Competencies that you still need to learn more about at this time?