Common use of Caring Dads Group Program Standards Clause in Contracts

Caring Dads Group Program Standards. 3.3.1. The Caring Dads Group Program was designed as a seventeen-week, closed group model. This number of sessions is required to meet the goals of engaging men, educating them, and promoting and monitoring men’s ability to change. Every Caring Dads Group Intervention must consist of fifteen group sessions and two individual sessions. Sessions must be substantively as outlined in the manual. Sessions may be run once or twice a week. 3.3.2. After Session 3, the group must be run with a closed format (i.e., the same group of men must proceed through Sessions 4 through 17). 3.3.3. The Caring Dads Group Program must not be advertised or administered as an alternative or replacement for court-ordered domestic violence perpetrator intervention. 3.3.4. All Caring Dads Group Programs will be run exclusively by Accredited Caring Dads Facilitators. 3.3.5. Caring Dads Group entry must be preceded by an intake interview that includes an assessment of men’s risk of continued abuse and of their suitability for participation. 3.3.6. For clients who are referred as a result of child exposure to domestic violence, consideration must be given to addressing ongoing risk of domestic violence. This may require referral to an intervention for woman abuse either before or concurrently with the Caring Dads Group Program. 3.3.7. Conditions for Caring Dads Group Program entry must be met. Most importantly, in order to be enrolled in Caring Dads Group men must: 3.3.7.1. Have regular contact (can be supervised) with at least one of their children. Careful consideration should be given about whether to accept fathers who are in the midst of a legal dispute that is likely or fairly likely to lead to a legally-mandated end of contact with his children (e.g. in Canada, an application for Crown Wardship with no contact). There is a high potential for disruption in learning for men who are very worried that each of their contacts with their children will be their last and for the group as a whole in cases where fathers lose all contact with their children during a Caring Dads Group. 3.3.7.2. Be referred due to concerns about physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect or child exposure to domestic violence, or for being at risk for these behaviours. The primary referral issue cannot be the father’s sexual abuse of their children. 3.3.8. One of the core principles of CD is that fathers’ participation in the program should have the potential to benefit children regardless of men’s progress, or lack of progress, in making change. Although the Caring Dads Group Program cannot fully guard against children failing to benefit as a result of men’s participation, it can take steps to meet this principle by ensuring that information about men’s progress towards program goals is communicated to others who are involved with men’s children and families. Minimum and Recommended standards for meeting this principle are outlined as follows:

Caring Dads Group Program Standards. 3.3.1. The Caring Dads Group Program was designed as a seventeen-week, closed group model. This number of sessions is required to meet the goals of engaging men, educating them, and promoting and monitoring men’s ability to change. Every Caring Dads Group Intervention must consist of fifteen group sessions and two individual sessions. Sessions must be substantively as outlined in the manual. Sessions may be run once or twice a week. 3.3.2. After Session 3, the group must be run with a closed format (i.e., the same group of men must proceed through Sessions 4 through 17). 3.3.3. The Caring Dads Group Program must not be advertised or administered as an alternative or replacement for court-ordered domestic violence perpetrator intervention. 3.3.4. All Caring Dads Group Programs will be run exclusively by Accredited Caring Dads Facilitators. 3.3.5. Caring Dads Group entry must be preceded by an intake interview that includes an assessment of men’s risk of continued abuse and of their suitability for participation. 3.3.6. For clients who are referred as a result of child exposure to domestic violence, consideration must be given to addressing ongoing risk of domestic violence. This may require referral to an intervention for woman abuse either before or concurrently with the Caring Dads Group Program. 3.3.7. Conditions for Caring Dads Group Program entry must be met. Most importantly, in order to be enrolled in Caring Dads Group men must: 3.3.7.1. Have regular contact (can be supervised) with at least one of their children. Careful consideration should be given about whether to accept fathers who are in the midst of a legal dispute that is likely or fairly likely to lead to a legally-mandated end of contact with his children (e.g. in Canada, an application for Crown Wardship with no contact). There is a high potential for disruption in learning for men who are very worried that each of their contacts with their children will be their last and for the group as a whole in cases where fathers lose all contact with their children during a Caring Dads Group. 3.3.7.2. Be referred due to concerns about physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect or child exposure to domestic violence, or for being at risk for these behaviours. The primary referral issue cannot be the father’s sexual abuse of their children. 3.3.8. One of the core principles of CD is that fathers’ participation in the in¼the program should have the potential to benefit children regardless of men’s progress, or lack of progress, in making change. Although the Caring Dads Group Program cannot fully guard against children failing to benefit as a result of men’s participation, it can take steps to meet this principle by ensuring that information about men’s progress towards program goals is communicated to others who are who¼are involved with men’s children and families. Minimum and Recommended standards for meeting this principle are outlined as follows: