Domestic Violence Offender Classes for Men

What does the Program do?

Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Program for Men works for systemic social change as part of the Coordinated Community Response to ending domestic violence. This includes collaboration with Police Agencies, Family and Criminal Justice Courts, District Attorney's Office, Probation, and Victim Services. The Domestic Violence Program for Men is an additional disposition available to the courts when holding adult-male domestic violence offenders accountable for their criminal offense, therefore, a service to the court. It is only through this legal mandate that the court, or an agent of the court, can hold domestic violence offenders accountable.

Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Program for Men, a New York Model for Batterer Programs, grounded in the Domestic Violence Analysis and perspective of the local, state and national Battered Women's Movement. It is from the experience and the collective wisdom of domestic violence advocates that the New York Model for Batterer Programs take its leadership.

Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Program for Men believes that domestic abuse will end when the entire community recognizes that domestic violence is a human rights and a social justice issue, and is not an individual mental health, substance/alcohol abuse, anger management, or relational problem.

Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Program for Men believes it is essential that communities, institutions, agencies, and individuals demonstrate zero tolerance for domestic violence. To that end, Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Program for Men provides professional education and training on the Coordinated Community Response to domestic violence including the role of the New York Model for Batterer Programs.

What about the Domestic Violence Sessions?

Court ordered participation in the Domestic Violence Program for Men require weekly attendance to a class for 1½ hours for a minimum of 26 (or 52 weeks, if so ordered) consecutive weeks. Staff present information about men's violence against women in our society and how to end it; the historical, societal, and cultural aspects of domestic abuse, oppression, racism, sexism, and community efforts to end domestic violence at the local and national levels. Also, included in the session curriculum is the impact of men's abuse of power on family members.

Is there Information for Victims?

The victims of men who enroll in the sessions are sent information on the Domestic Violence Program for Men including information on what is domestic violence, victim safety planning, as well as, local and national resources on domestic violence services for female and child victim's of domestic violence. Beyond the informational letter, the local and national Battered Women's Movement and Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Program for Men believe it is inappropriate and dangerous for batterer programs to have any contact with a participant's victim. Victim contact is clearly, a role, only appropriate for the local domestic violence program. Duty to Warn is the only exception to the no-contact policy!

Duty to Warn occurs when a participant in the program plans to assault, kill or harm someone else. Program staff always consider any and all threats to harm someone else as extremely serious. The legal authorities, including the person named in the threat, will be immediately notified. Threats of suicide, homicide, acts of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect will be immediately reported to the appropriate agency.

What have we learned . . .

The experience of domestic violence victim's advocates has taught us that men who attend or have completed a batterer program may continue to abuse their victim. The most current literature clearly indicates that batterer program efficacy, as well as, recidivism outcomes for domestic violence offenders are inconclusive.

The only appropriate outcome for Offender Accountability is that the criminal justice system has held him accountable for his criminal offense and that the court will reliably impose additional and graduated legal sanctions for an offender's non-compliance with the court order. This can only be achieved when the batterer programs is established within the criminal justice context of court-ordered only participation.

Are there fees for the service?

• There is a registration fee and sliding-scale-fee for the Domestic Violence Sessions. Fee payment is required at the time service is received.
  
• To participate in the sessions a man must be at least 18 years old, and must be ordered by the court or an agent of the court.

Where are there Sessions?

Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Program for Men are available in the following community based office locations:

Allegany County
24 East Pearl Street, P.O. Box 106
Wellsville, New York 14895
Telephone: (716) 593-2015 Fax: (716) 593-1461

Cattaraugus County
520 West State Street, P.O. Box 554
Olean, New York 14760
Telephone: (716) 372-0101 Fax: (716) 372-3886

Chautauqua County
560 W. Third Street
Jamestown, New York 14701
Telephone: (716) 484-9188 Fax: (716) 484-0766
and
314 Central Avenue, Suite 307
Dunkirk, New York 14084
Telephone: (716) 366-3533 Fax: (716) 363-1184

Erie County
1581 Bailey Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14212
Telephone: (716) 896-6390 Fax: (716) 896-4236

Genesee County
25 Liberty Street, Suite 7
Batavia, New York 14020
Telephone: (585) 343-0614 Fax: (585) 344-3868

Niagara County
345 Third Street, Suite 515
Niagara Falls, New York 14303
Telephone: (716) 282-2351 Fax: (716) 282-0146