>>> DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS SOMETHING THAT TEARS FAMILIES
APART, LEAVING PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WOUNDS.
THERE IS A PROGRAM AT GANDARA CENTER TO EDUCATE MEN WITH A
HISTORY OF DOMESTIC ABUSE AND HOPEFULLY BREAK THE CYCLE WITH
GROUP THERAPY.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH GUARD CAR A'S CLINICAL DIRECTOR
WYNN, TO LEARN MORE.
>> THIS IS A STATE CERTIFIED PROGRAM, FORMERLY KNOWN AS
BATTERERS INTERVENTION PROGRAM.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WORKS WITH SPECIFICALLY HETEROSEXUAL
MEN WHO ABUSE WOMEN, INTIMATE PARTNERS, PRESENT OR PAST.
PHYSICAL ABUSE, EMOTIONAL ABUSE, FINANCIAL ABUSE, ANY FORM OF
CONTROLLING A PARTNER IN AN ABUSIVE UNHEALTHY MANNER.
THESE ARE CLIENTS, MEN WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORTH BY THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THEY ARE MANDATED TO OUR PROGRAM
THROUGH, BY A JUDGE, BY THE PROBATION OR PAROLE DEPARTMENTS
THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM.
AND OR BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WHO MIGHT
ASK THEM TO WORK IN THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM IF THAT'S PART OF THEIR
SERVICE PLAN, IF THEY'RE INVOLVED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN REFERRAL SOURCES THAT WOULD
BRING CLIENTS FORWARD TO THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM.
>> WHAT KIND OF SETUP IS IT, IS IT A WEEKLY SESSION?
IS IT GROUP THERAPY?
>> SO THE PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL GROUPS ARE TWO HOURS WEEKLY FOR
A MINIMUM OF 40 WEEKS TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S BY REGULATION FOR 40 WEEKS.
AND IT IS IN GROUP FORMAT.
IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES IT WOULD BE INDIVIDUALIZED, WE CAN
DO THAT.
BUT IT'S PRIMARILY IN A GROUP, THAT'S WHERE THE EVIDENCE BASED
MODEL COMES FROM IS WORKING IN A GROUP TOGETHER WITH FACILITATORS
WHO ARE CERTIFIED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COUNSELORS AND HAVE HAD
EXTENSIVE TRAINING IN HOW TO DELIVER THIS PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL
MODEL.
>> WHY DO YOU THINK A GROUP SETTING WORKS WHEN YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN THE ABUSER?
>> WELL, IT WORKS BECAUSE IT'S SORT OF ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT
BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMPLETELY, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY
AND THE WAY THAT GROUPS WORK SO WELL WHEN WORKING ON BEHAVIOR
CHANGE IS THAT THERE'S A MUTUAL AID FACTOR THAT COMES IN.
SO IF WE'RE DISCUSSING MY ISSUE AND THE STRUGGLES THAT I'VE HAD
WITH IT AND MY NEIGHBOR OR SOMEONE ACROSS FROM ME HAS DEALT
WITH SOMETHING QUITE SIMILAR, THAT HOOKS SOMEONE IN TO BE ABLE
TO START THINKING ABOUT THEIR OWN SELVES, BUT THEN ALSO CUES
THAT PERSON INTO THE BEHAVIORS THAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING THAT ARE
NOW ADAPTIVE OR UNHEALTHY, AND HELPS PEOPLE HOLD EACH OTHER
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT CHANGE.
>> SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY GOSH, YOU KNOW, THIS SOUNDS GREAT,
THIS SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY NICE ATTEMPT TO CHANGE SOMEBODY.
BUT CAN SOMEBODY WHO HAS THIS BEHAVIOR REALLY CHANGE?
HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THAT?
>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY WHO GOES THROUGH THE PROGRAM, OF
COURSE.
BUT IT HAS BEEN SHOWN OVER THE YEARS THROUGH, THIS IS WHY I
THINK THE STATE CERTIFIES THESE PROGRAMS, THROUGH THE LOWER
LEVEL OF RESID VIS IMTHAT IT'S HELPFUL IN CREATING AN AWARENESS
THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE.
IT'S A PROGRAM THAT SOMEONE HAS TO FUND THEMSELVES, IT IS
SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE TO, IT'S NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE.
IT'S NOT A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROBLEM, IT'S A PERSON PROBLEM,
YOU KNOW, IT'S A YOU PROBLEM.
SO BECAUSE IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, OF COURSE, SO THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SEES IT THAT WAY, THE COMMONWEALTH
SEES IT THAT WAY.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS COVERED BY MEDICAL INSURANCE OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE HAS TO TAKE FULL OWNERSHIP OF
WHEN THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT ISSUE.
SO I THINK THERE'S A LEVEL OF COMMITMENT THAT COMES WITH THAT.
SO THE LEGAL OF RECIDIVISM, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATA IN
FRONT OF ME, BUT IT'S LOWER WHEN SOMEONE GOES THROUGH THE
PROGRAM.
>> BECAUSE SOME, I'M SURE, AND I DON'T HAVE THE DATA ON THIS, BUT
I'M SURE MANY OF THESE MEN WITNESSED ABUSE WHEN THEY WERE
LITTLE OR HAD BEEN ABUSED THEMSELVES.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME UP IN GROUP THERAPY?
>> THAT CAN COME UP IN THE GROUPS, OF COURSE, BUT WHEN IT
COMES TO THE BEHAVIOR CHANGE AND FOLLOWING THE MODEL FOR THIS
GROUP SPECIFICALLY, WHEN SOMEONE GETS INTO A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE
TALKING ABOUT WHY THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND FOR ANY
REASON PLACING SOME LEVEL OF BLAME SOMEWHERE ELSE BESIDES
THEIR OWN ACTIONS, THAT'S REDIRECTED, AND IF SOMEONE, IF A
FACILITY TATER, FOR EXAMPLE, SEES THAT SOMEONE NEEDS MAYBE
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, LIKE INDIVIDUAL THERAPY, A DIFFERENT
LEVEL OF GROUP THERAPY THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO THEM IN THEIR
OWN PROCESS, THEY WILL SUGGEST THAT TO THEM, THEY'LL MAKE A
REFERRAL FOR THAT SERVICE AND THE PERSON CAN ENGAGE IN ALL
TYPES OF INTERVENTION AROUND THAT.
BUT IN THE PSYCHO ED GROUP ITSELF, THERE'S NO ROOM FOR
BLAMING OR PLACING RESPONSIBILITY ON THE BEHAVIOR
SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IT HAS TO BE WITHIN THE PERSON.
>> SO THAT'S AN INTERESTING WAY OF DEALING WITH IT, OBVIOUSLY,
SOMETHING THAT I'M SURE IS WELCOMED BY A LOT OF PEOPLE.
BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW SOMEBODY WOULD SAY THIS IS HOW I GREW UP.
I GREW UP WATCHING THIS.
SO THERE'S NO ROOM FOR THAT, THERE'S NO TOLERANCE FOR OKAY,
YOU HAD A BAD CHILDHOOD SO NOW YOU CAN RETURN THE FAVOR ON
SOMEBODY ELSE, THAT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTED?
>> THERE'S ROOM TO HEAR WHAT SOMEONE HAS TO SAY, OF COURSE,
AND IT'S NOT ACCEPTED AS A REASON THAT SOMEONE WOULD DO
THAT WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING ACTUAL CHANGE.
UNDERSTANDING THE ROOT OF WHY SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IS VERY
IMPORTANT.
AND IT'S NOT A REASON TO KEEP REPEATING THE BEHAVIOR OR TO
JUSTIFY THE BEHAVIOR.
THERE'S NO ROOM FOR MINIMIZING OR JUSTIFYING.
IT'S ABOUT TAKING FULL OWNERSHIP AND LEARNING HOW TO MOVE
FORWARD, UNLEARNING THE ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR AND LEARNING POSITIVE
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS, SOCIAL SKILLS, ANGER MANAGEMENT SKILLS,
ALL OF THAT.
BUT IT'S DIFFERENT THAN JUST ANGER MANAGEMENT THERAPY,
BECAUSE IT'S SPECIFIC TO INTIMATE PARTNER RELATIONS.
>> WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THE MEN WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS
PROGRAM?
>> OF COURSE I CAN'T SAY SPECIFICS ABOUT WHAT THEY SAY,
IT'S CONFIDENTIAL, BUT I THINK OVERALL AND ON A STATE LEVEL AS
WELL, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE DO KNOW THAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
THAT IT'S POSITIVE.
THE IMPACT IS POSITIVE.
IN DISCUSSING WHAT SOMEONE TAKES AWAY FROM THAT.
IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T SEE LIKE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF
PEOPLE REPEATING THE PROGRAM IN OUR CENTER.
SO THAT'S A GOOD SIGN AS WELL.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO, THEY MIGHT COME BACK FOR A SECOND TIME,
THEY MIGHT HAVE STARTED AND THEN NOT FINISHED FOR SOME REASON OR
ANOTHER, MAYBE THEY CHOSE TO STOP, MAYBE THEY HAD A DIFFERENT
CRIMINAL CASE THAT THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH AND THEY COME BACK
LATER, SO WE WORK WITH PEOPLE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS IN THAT WAY,
BUT THERE IS ALWAYS A TAKE AWAY OF HOW TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR, HOW
TO UNLEARN PREVIOUS BEHAVIOR AND CHANGE BEHAVIOR MOVING FORWARD.
>> AND YOU ALSO HAVE OTHER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS AS
WELL AT GANDARA, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THAT?
>> SURE.
SO THAT PROGRAM IS PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL AS I MENTIONED, BUT
WE DO HAVE GROUP THERAPY THAT'S OPEN TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST THESE
CLIENTS, BUT TO WHOM EVER, PARTICULAR TO THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE MANDATED CLIENTS WE HAVE THE TRADITIONAL INDIVIDUAL
THERAPY, SUBSTANCE ABUSE WORK, ANGER MANAGEMENT THAT'S MORE
GENERALIZED.
WE WORK WITH SEX OFFENDERS WHO ARE ACCUSED IN SEXUAL VIOLENCE
CASES.
SO WE HAVE A MYRIAD OF SERVICES, GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL, THAT ARE
OPEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM OR ARE CURRENTLY IN IT.
>> FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING THIS WHO HAVE HAD DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE SITUATIONINGS IN THEIR FAMILY, OBVIOUSLY IT'S
DEVASTATING.
WHAT COULD YOU SAY THAT WOULD GIVE THEM HOPE THAT THERE COULD
BE A CHANGE, YOU KNOW, WITH SUCH THERAPY?
>> I THINK IT VERY MUCH DEPENDS ON IF THE PERSON, IF THE
SURVIVOR IN THE SITUATION IS WANTING TO STAY WITH THEIR
ABUSER.
THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN SOMEONE WHO HAS DECIDED THAT THE
RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT RESUME AFTER, DURING OR AFTER SOMEONE
IS IN OUR PROGRAM.
BECAUSE THAT VARIES, RIGHT.
SO SOMEONE THAT'S IN THE PROGRAM DOESN'T NECESSARILY GET TO BE
BACK WITH THEIR PARTNER WHO THEY ABUSED AFTER THIS, OF COURSE,
THAT'S UP TO THE PARTNER, THE SURVIVOR OF THE DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE, HOW THEY WANT TO WORK THEIR CHANGE, THEIR OWN PROCESS.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING FOR GENERAL CHANGE
AND KNOWING THAT THERE'S A PLACE THAT SOMEONE CAN WORK ON
THEMSELVES IN THAT WAY, TAKE FULL ACCOUNTABILITY AND
OWNERSHIP OF THEIR ACTIONS, THAT OF COURSE THIS PROGRAM IS THE
PLACE TO DO THAT.
IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING FOR A GUARANTEE, NOBODY CAN MAKE
GUARANTEES, NOBODY CAN DECIDE HOW SOMEBODY ACTS WHILE THEY'RE
DOING THE PROGRAM OR AFTERWARDS.
WE CAN GIVE INFORMATION, WE CAN ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE AN OPEN
SPACE FOR CHANGE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY EVERY INDIVIDUAL IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS.