Abuse Intervention
Men's Abuse Intervention Groups
Abuse Intervention Groups provide an accountable and supportive setting for men to understand the role of male socialization, identify the ways they have been abusive or controlling of others, examine and change their beliefs about abuse, and practice acceptable alternatives to abuse.
We respectfully confront their denial and pro-abuse beliefs while supporting them in making non-abusive choices and embracing more pro-social beliefs. We make consistent use of evidence based practices including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral interventions, role plays, and the research of John Gottman.
Groups are co-facilitated by highly qualified and experienced staff, who are responsive to both the needs of the client and the referring party.
Our program meets Oregon state requirements for batterer intervention providers.
Women's Abuse Intervention Group
The causes of women's abusive behavior tend to be more complicated and somewhat different than the common causes of men's abuse. Many women arrested for domestic violence are "secondary aggressors" - while abusive, it is within the larger context of more serious and on-going abuse from their partner.
The women's group curriculum is similar to that of the men's program except there is additional focus on victimization issues common among women including managing trauma, assertiveness, and boundary setting.This group focuses on providing support to women who are either currently in or have been in an abusive relationship.
Group members work towards recovery by learning about various forms of abuse and controlling behaviors and beliefs, while learning how to set clear boundaries, develop effective communication skills, and practice positive self-care methods. The group offers support for day-to-day living in addition to examining the challenges of relationships.
Women's Abuse Recovery Group
This group focuses on providing support to women who are either currently in or have been in an abusive relationship. Group members work towards recovery by learning about various forms of abuse and controlling behaviors and beliefs, while learning how to set clear boundaries, develop effective communication skills, and practice positive self-care methods. The group offers support for day-to-day living in addition to examining the challenges of relationships.
Specialized Groups
Research has found that not all men who are abusive are the same. Allies in Change recognizes that there are subgroups of abusive men that require specialized abuse intervention groups tailored to specific individuals. We offer the following specialized groups:
♦ Emotionally Intense
♦ Low Functioning
♦ Criminally Oriented
♦ Abusive Fathers
♦ Relationship
♦ Advanced
Emotionally Intense
One subgroup of abusive men struggles with psychological distress and emotional intensity as well as their abusive behavior. Typical qualities of these men include: uncontrolled or intense emotions, mood swings, general moodiness, history of mental health problems, insecurity or anxiety about intimate relationships.
In addition to the standard curriculum, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills are taught. DBT skills include teaching clients to effectively manage distress, regulate emotions, and practice mindfulness skills to reduce emotionally impulsive behavior.
Low Functioning
Some abusive men have significant cognitive and/or social deficits that interfere with their ability to learn and function well in a normal group. Such deficits might include low IQ, memory problems, and concrete thinking. This group is designed to compensate for those deficits by offering a simplified curriculum that involves more repetition and is more concrete to increase the likelihood of comprehension and retention of the material. More individual attention is also given to group members.
Criminally Oriented
One subgroup ofabusive men is more criminally oriented.
Typical qualities of this subgroup of abusive men include:
♦ Histories of abusive behavior with non-family members as well as family members
♦ Prior criminal history involving non-domestic violence crimes
♦ Less remorse for their behavior and less genuine concern for their victims
♦ Patterns of criminal thinking and rationalization similar to more generally criminal men
This sub-group of abusive men is at greater risk of recidivating and of making inappropriate use of traditional abuse intervention program skills and concepts.
Unique aspects of this specialized group include:
♦ Addressing issues related to generalized violence and criminality as well as domestic violence through a solution-focused/skill-building approach
♦ Limited Focus on empathy building with a greater focus on "enlightened self-interest" to deter further abusive behavior
♦ Less peer interaction/discussion to deter development of a negative peer culture
♦ Less focus on subtle aspects of abuse and control which might help these men become "better batterers"
♦ Encouraging them to focus less on the short-term benefits of their abuse and to focus more on the long-term consequences to themselves.
♦ Heightened and closer monitoring of criminogenic factors that increase their risk of recidivism including on-going risk assessment.
Abusive Fathers / Parenting Focus
This group is similar in content to our other abuse intervention groups except with a heavier emphasis on parenting issues. This is an especially appropriate group for men who have struggled with parenting issues as well as those who are parenting but are not currently in a romantic relationship.
Relationship
While voluntarily enrolled abusive men are present in most of our groups, these particular groups are exclusively composed of voluntary men. These groups are especially appropriate for voluntary men who are uncomfortable being in a group with court mandated men. This group has less focus on legal issues, probation compliance, and other criminogenic factors.
Advanced
This group is for abusive men who have been enrolled in this or another abuse intervention program for over a year and are intersted in doing further longer term work around their behavior. There is a greater focus on more subtle aspects of abuse, how to heal the relationship, and how to make amends.
Referral Coordination
At Allies in Change Counseling Center, we strive to communicate and coordinate with our referral sources consistently and efficiently. To help do this, we use ManageAttendance, which can allow referral sources 24/7 access to client attendance records, reports, and other helpful client information that keeps both parties informed of any progress or changes.
As an agency, we also offer a variety of free trainings and presentations for referral sources, providers, and the general public. Ask our office for details.
*Our program is a state approved abuse intervention program*
Brochures
 Our brochures are available to download or view in PDF form below. Our Agency Brochure is below on the left and our Specialized Groups Brochure is below on the right.
For more information about any of our state approved abuse
intervention groups, trainings, or other services, please call us at (503) 297-7979. Phones are typically answered 9:00-7:00, Monday - Friday. You are also welcome to contact us via email at Allies@AlliesinChange.org.
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