COALITION OF BATTERERS' INTERVENTION PROGRAMS OF FLORIDA
BATTERER INTERVENTION PROGRAM STANDARDS
introduction:
Intervention against the batterer--the perpetrator of domestic violence--stops violence and builds safety only when conducted by an integrated effort of every component of the community. In this document, 'batterer intervention program", or 'BIP", denotes one element of the larger community intervention. A BIP is a program implemented by an agency or individual for the purpose of increasing the safety of victims, usually of domestic violence, by providing educational or counseling services to batters during the course of a larger intervention action against the offender by the community (e.g. probation order, civil order for protection).
1. BIP Ethical Standards:
a. BIP's must remain accountable to victims of domestic violence. through at least the following means:
i. B17s must maintain contact with conununity domestic violence victims'services providers (e.g. battered women's sheiters),at the d@tion of the service provider, for input into
the design and monitoring of the BIP.
ii. BIP's must be accountable to a BIP regional monitoring board.
b. BIP's must not provide services to batterers in a conununity that does not have adequate shelter and services for victims of domestic violence.
C. BIP's must report to potential victims any ducat of violence by a BIP client.
d. BIP's must report to the appropriate judicial or criminal justice authority any violence or committed by a BIP clienl
e. BIP providers must meet the ethical standards of all professional and regulatory organizations applicable to the provider or agency sponsoring the BIP.
f. BIP providers must be violence-free in their own lives.
9. BIP's must not divert funds intended for services to victims of domestic violence.
2. BIP Provider Qualifications:
a. BIP providers must:
EffHER: Be a Florida Licensed or License eligible MentW Health Professional
or the equivalent;
OR: be an employee of a certified domestic violence
center, (one of the above conditions need to be met only if the
program is defmed as a counseling program)
AND: Have one year supervised experience (as deemed
in 2.b. and 2.c.) in a BIP that is a Regular
Member of FCADV
b. A BIP supervisor must be a Florida Licensed Mental Health
Professional or the equivalent; (if the program is defined as a counseling program)
Have two years experience providing supervised intervention
(as defined in 2.a. and 2.c.) with batterers.
C. Supervision is defmed as monthly individual meetings between supervisor and supervises.
d. BIP providers must receive @g in domestic violence issues from FCADV sources.
3. BIP Pro tic Standards:
a. 'Me safety of victims of domestic violence must be the primary concern of BIP'S. BIPs will maintain contact with each victim, at the victixn's discretion, to assess the victim's safety and to make referrals for shelter, advocacy, and support.
b. BIP's must provide victims with accurate and realistic information on the past and projected effects of the BIP.
C. BIP's must provide each BIP client with written notification of the following:
i. The rights of the client and the rights of the BIP
ii. The B[Ps obligation to report ffi=ts or acts of violence to potential victims and the authorities
d. BIP's must report to a referring judicial or criminal justice authority if the BIP client fafls to contact the BIP within a reasonable time or if the client does not comply with the BIP-client agreement.
C. BEPs must include at least twenty-six weekly sessions, of at least ninety minutes each, occurring in not less dm twenty-six weeks.
f. 'Me clients in BIP sessions must be limited to domestic violence offenders.
9. BEP sessions must be conducted in a group or class session fonnat (not in individual, couples, couples' group, or family formats).
BIP sessions must include at least the following elements:
i. Definition of domestic violence and abuse
i.i. Assertion that all domestic violence and abuse is wrong and unjustifiable
i.i.i. Assertion ffix variations in the form or intensity of domestic violence, do not
effect its nature as a wrong and unjustifiable act
iv. Assertion that domestic violence cannot be provoked
V. Idormation about the power and control model of abuse.
k. Any deviation from these programmatic standards must be approved by the appropriate BIP regional monitoring board.
4. FCADV BIP Regional Monitoring Boards:
a. FCADV BIP regions are as follows: (to be dermed)
b. Each FCADV BIP regional moni@g board (RBM) consists of the following members.
i. One formerly battered woman
ii. One representative from each state-certified domestic violence progrmn(s) in the region
i.i.i. One representative from each BIP in the region
iv. One representative Erom the region's judicial body, or its designee
C. Each RMB member is appointed by her/his respective agency;
formerly battered women are appointed by the state-certified domestic violence progrwn(s) for battered women in the region
d. 'Me responsibilities of FCADV regional monitoring boards include the
following:
i. Monitor BIP's to assure their compliance with BIP standards
i.i. Report FCADV concems to sources referring clients into BIP's
ii.i. Report FCADV concerns to battered women and to parties providing services
to battered women
h. Intake and assessment of BIP clients must include at least the following:
i. Assessment Of victim's safety and of risk to victim of hann or homide by the client
i.i. Assessment of client's suicidal risk and additional homicidal risk
i.i.i. Appropriate refeffals for crisis intervention and for ent of immediate psycho-social needs (e.g. child abuse/neglect: substance abuse; sexual abuse; psychosis)
i. Assessment of risk to the victim of harm or homicide by the BIP client must be on-going Lhrough-out the BIP.