Domestic Violence Offender Treatment Options in Protection Order and Family Law Cases

As DV survivor advocates have turned a more critical eye toward our reliance on law enforcement as a solution for survivors of domestic violence, the lack of access, awareness and availability of perpetrator treatment in civil cases has become a concern for the Domestic Violence Offender Management Board (DVOMB), perpetrator treatment providers, judicial officers, and survivor advocates, attorneys and others working in the civil legal arena. The DVOMB formed a committee to conduct research and draft a white paper on this issue, which was adopted by the Board and released in 2022. This workshop will bring together victim advocates, offender treatment providers, and an attorney to explain the findings and recommendation in the white paper and the implications for those working with victims. We will include best practices for: ensuring that offender evaluation is treatment is ordered by the court; obtaining court orders that are comprehensive and contain the information necessary for successful evaluation and treatment; and successfully working with offender treatment providers.