MBCP Unpacked Rod West Centrecare Inc MBCP in

MBCP - Unpacked Rod West – Centrecare Inc.

MBCP in WA �Western Australia’s Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Strategy to 2022 �Family and Domestic Violence Common Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework �Guidelines for Multi-Agency Case Management �Memorandum of Understanding: Information Sharing between Agencies with Responsibilities for Preventing and Responding to Family and Domestic Violence in Western Australia �Practice Guidelines: Women’s and Children’s Family and Domestic Violence Counselling and Support Programs �National Outcome Standards for Perpetrator Intervention �Practice Standards for Perpetrator Intervention: Engaging and Responding to Men who are Perpetrators of Family and Domestic Violence

WA Principles for MBCP work 1. Safety of women and children 2. Victim safety and perpetrator accountability are best achieved through an integrated systems response 3. Sustained commitment to professional and evidence-based practice 4. Perpetrators of family and domestic violence must be held accountable for their behaviour 5. Programs able to respond to diverse needs of participants and partners

Men’s Behaviour Change Work Involves; Men – assessment, group work, individual counselling, case management Women - support, information, referral, safety planning, counselling and case management for women & children

Anger Management v MBCP �Promotes idea of violence as a consequence of inability to manager anger �Fails to recognise that men can be violent and controlling when they are not angry �Reinforce men’s belief that their violence is a result of their anger getting out of control rather than a deliberate choice. �Rarely addresses the broader issues of power and control

Aims & Objectives of MBCP work Work towards the safety, autonomy and human rights of women and children �Enhance women’s safety �Enhance children’s safety �Achieve short-term changes �Monitor the use of violence by male participants �Work with the criminal & civil justice system �Help manage high-risk situations �Contribute to coordinated community responses to FDV �Consciously doing no harm

Risks & Limits of MBCP’s �Inadequate responses to risk indicators �Allowing disclosures of violence to pass without notice �Men learning new tactics of control �Men distorting concepts or strategies learnt �Reinforcing sexist beliefs with other participants �Using completion as proof the abuse is ‘fixed’ �Viewing attendance as proof of likely change

MBCP Group Work Positives �Some learnings can only be obtained in group �Reduce participants focus on their behaviour as pathological �Can enhance motivation to attend �Interaction, and activities can support different learning styles �Can break the secrecy and shame that surrounds FDV

MBCP Group Work Limitations �Potential for collusion and reinforcement of violence supporting beliefs and attitudes �Reproduce patterns of hierarchy and interpersonal power �Learning new ways of controlling partner �Unhelpful comparisons of use of own violence �Lack of focus in-depth on each man

Approaches of MBCP �Duluth �Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy �Invitations to Responsibility and narrative approaches �Strengths-based �Adult learning principles

Program Content �Challenging ideas, attitudes, beliefs, myths and constraints �Recognise the impact of FDV on parenting capacity �Recognise effects of violence and control on others �Increase empathy and value others feelings �Learn how to relate in non-violent and non-controlling ways

Process of Change Can be less about program content and more about; �Change to identity of what it means to be a man �Maturation towards responsibility taking �Changes to social networks that are supportive of change �New interests and endeavours �Making meaning of past and future choices �Ongoing support

Program Effectiveness �Will behaviour change improve safety for women & children? �Evaluation should be with the context of an integrated response �Success and effectiveness – different outcomes �Recidivism is a narrow measure �Success is broader and needs to include measuring coercive control and abuse, not just physical assault

Integrated Systems �Appropriate referrals and referral processes �Consistent risk assessment and risk management �Coordinated multi-agency responses to significant risk �Sound information sharing procedures �Consistent messages concerning men’s responsibility for their use of violence �Consistent understanding of MBCP practices

Questions….