Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge

The Domestic Violence Intervention Program at Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge is based on the Duluth Model of treatment for domestic violence of offenders.  This model premises that battering is a learned behavior; not an anger management issue, a communication problem or a psychiatric illness.  As with all learned behaviors, what has been learned is learned; however, one can choose different beliefs and behaviors when the appropriate motivation is secondary gain.  The groups are psycho-educational.  They are open ended groups, twenty six weeks duration, and are followed with twenty six weeks of individual therapy sessions.  The program is designed to provide perpetrators of violence with education, awareness, coping skills and support to help prevent recidivism of offense.

The Focus Of This Program Is To Teach Abusers To: 

• Take full responsibility for their behavior
• Understand that abuse is a choice and that they can choose not to be abusive regardless of their feelings
• Identify and change attitudes that lead to abusive behavior
• Learn to respect the wishes and opinions of their partners
• Understand the effects of abuse on their partners and their children

Program Information

• Non-violence and safety is the primary focus of this program
• Groups meet weekly
• Topics of weekly meetings rotate and repeat, so new members are accepted weekly
• Length of program is 26 weeks of group counseling followed up by individual counseling as clinically necessitated
• We report to the court or the DA concerning attendance, participation, and any potential risk
• Group cost is $20.00 each and is due on the day of service
• Group cost is the responsibility of the batterer
• Partners/Victims are contacted on an as-needed basis for information or support