A Balanced Approach: Strategies to reduce offender risk while supporting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault
Using a balanced approach to community supervision for domestic violence and sexual assault cases requires addressing the needs of both the victim and the offender. Probation can be a difficult and intimidating process for victims. Often victims don’t understand what probation supervision entails, or where to go for information about the offender’s status while he/she is being supervised. Our goal is to take a victim-centered approach to supervision, while addressing the risk and needs of offenders using appropriate assessments, case planning, and behavior-based programming. A balanced approach requires probation to collaborate with, and continually improve services for, victims, while also maintaining effective practices to supervise offenders and promote changes in offending behavior. Specifically, this workshop will discuss the components of probation supervision for domestic violence and sex offenses in Colorado. Included in the workshop are examples of tools used in Colorado Probation to educate and inform victims about probation supervision and the case management process. We will also examine tools used to assess risk factors that are linked to re-offending behavior and identify appropriate responses to reduce the likelihood of reoffending. A balanced and collaborative approach can be challenging, and role clarification is essential. These challenges will be discussed openly and strategies for overcoming them will be provided. At the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with strategies to reduce risk and promote effective behavior change, while improving the response to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
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InformationThatCanBeSharedWithVictimsInSexAssaultCases-copyright-2018
InformationThatCanBeSharedWithVictimsInDomesticViolenceCases-copyright-2018