Diakon Family Life Services - Capital Region - Specialized Counseling Services (Domestic Violence)

Because domestic violence can shatter family life and relationships, Diakon Family Life Services - Capital Region offers a domestic violence treatment program called Choices.

Based on the Power and Control Curriculum developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, Minn., Choices includes four individual sessions and twenty-six group sessions with both educational and experiential components. It teaches such skills as:

Anger management
Conflict resolution

How to take a "time out"
Assertiveness

In addition, Choices identifies the choices men must make in order to become non-violent. These include:

Focusing on their own behaviors, rather than their partner's behaviors
Acknowledging and become responsible for their controlling and abusive behaviors
Re-evaluating attitudes towards and beliefs about women

Learning the communication skills needed for a cooperative relationship
Taking responsibility for the cycle of violence in all their relationships, including those with their children; and
Choosing non-violence as a basic life stance.

Clients contact Diakon Family Life Services to schedule an individual, two-session appointment for intake and assessment. If the assessment indicates the client can benefit from group, he is given a start date. Otherwise, different recommendations may be made.

After 13 sessions, the client participates in an evaluation of his progress. This is done in a one-hour session with staff. If progress is poor, this will be discussed in the individual meeting. At the end of the 26 group sessions, the client participates in a one-hour final evaluation through which he is either given a completion or a recommendation for an extension of treatment.

Payment for services is due at the time of each session. Fees are based on a sliding scale.

Domestic Violence includes a broad range of controlling and abusive behaviors, based on the belief that men have the right to control women. It is not limited to physical abuse. Women who receive such treatment from their male partners are being abused, whether or not they are being physically hit.

Men who are abusive have learned the beliefs and tactics involved in controlling their partners. Because these beliefs have been learned, they can be unlearned.

In the Choices group, members are asked to examine and then change such erroneous core beliefs as:

Women should be subordinate to men
Family violence is a private affair and should be settled in the household

Men have a right to control their female partners
Apologies and promises are all that is needed to end the cycle of violence.

Diakon Family Life Services - Capital Region
960 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Phone: (717) 795-0330 | Toll-free: 1-866-700-6868 | Fax: (717) 795-0407
E-mail: counseling@diakon.org | Home: www.diakon.org/fls/C.asp