What is a certified Intimate Partner Abuse Education Program?

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Intimate Partner Abuse Education Programs (IPAEP) are education programs for people who abuse their intimate partners. Your intimate partner can be someone you date or used to date, be married to, have children with, etc. These programs used to be called "batterer intervention."

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What is the goal of IPAEPs?

IPAEPs use group counseling sessions to teach the abusive person what is wrong with the way they have been acting. The programs try to do 2 things:

  • Help the abusive person stop acting abusive and controlling. And
  • Keep the people they have abused safe.

See the Massachusetts Health and Human Services website for more information and a list of programs.

Certified Intimate Partner Abuse Education programs can work with people from different cultural backgrounds and who speak languages other than English. There are groups in Spanish, Portuguese, and Vietnamese. They also serve people with disabilities, offenders in same-sex relationships, parents referred by DCF, and teenage offenders.

How can I get my partner to attend?

People can choose to sign up for a program because they want to. People can also be ordered to go to a program by a court. This may be as part of a family court case, a criminal case, or through the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The court can only order an abusive person to go to a program that has been "certified" by the state.

How much does the program cost?

The person participating must pay for the program.

  • Not all programs cost the same.
  • All programs have a sliding fee.
  • If you have a low income and can't afford the fee, ask if you can do 4 hours of community service instead.
What will my partner have to do as part of the program?

If the court orders your partner to go to a certified IPAEP, expect that:

  • They must go to a few intake sessions so the program can figure out if they are a good fit for the program.
  • If they get into the program, they must sign an agreement that says:
    • They will finish the program.
    • They will not be violent to their intimate partner. And
    • In some programs, they cannot use drugs or alcohol at all while they are in the program.
  • They must go to 80 hours of sessions to complete the program. The sessions are usually 2 hours long and run for 40 weeks.
  • This is not like a private counseling program. The program has to share things they say and do with the court and some other agencies. The program will also tell the court how many sessions they attend and how they’re doing in the program.
  • The program will contact you, the person who has been abused, if you want to be contacted.
    • The program will try to help you get help for yourself.
    • The program will tell you when your partner finishes the program.
    • The program may also warn you about things they say, like threats or any violent things they said about you.
  • The program can refer them to other services they need, like drug or alcohol programs, employment training, and parenting skills classes.
What are other programs that might help my partner?

There are other programs that might help your partner, such as parenting programs and anger management programs. These programs have important differences from intimate partner abuse education programs. You can read more about these programs and the differences in the questions below.

Fatherhood Programs and Certified IPAEPs: What’s the difference?

Fatherhood programs are often called Nurturing Fatherhood Programs or Responsible Fatherhood Programs. They can be helpful for fathers, but they are not a replacement for Certified IPAEPs.

Certified IPAEPs may talk about parenting, but their main goal is to help people learn how to make nonviolent choices. IPAEPs also contact participants' partners. They can refer people to substance abuse and mental health programs.

The differences between Fatherhood programs and Certified Intimate Partner Abuse Education Programs are in the chart below.

QuestionsFatherhood ProgramsCertified Intimate Partner Abuse Education Programs
Who do the programs serve?Fathers, step-fathers, and father figures whether or not they have custody of their childrenDomestic violence offenders, including those with children and step-children.
Do the programs address domestic violence?Not typically although some programs might devote 1-2 sessions to this.All 40 sessions are devoted to this.
Do programs contact partners of program participants?NoYes. If the victim/survivor chooses, the program will remain in regular contact with them and provide referrals, safety planning, and information to help protect children.
What is the goal of the program?To promote father re-engagement and/or to strengthen relationships with children, to teach understanding of children’s needs, to teach parenting skills.To help participants identify all forms of abusive behavior and how it affects their partners and children. To teach participants how to avoid abusive behavior and to learn and practice behaviors that support healthy and respectful relationships.
How long are programs?Varies greatly from as few as 5 weeks to 20 weeks, 1.5 to 2.5 hours per session.40 sessions with a minimum of 2 hours per session.
Do programs assess participants for dangerousness?NoYes. Programs use established methods for identifying risk factors for lethality and re-assaults, and for managing risk.
Are group facilitators trained about domestic violence?There are no requirements for this although some group leaders might get limited training.Yes. State standards require 24 hours of specialized training at a certified intimate partner abuse education program site, plus 12 hours of group observation.
How is participant progress evaluated?Based primarily on program attendance.Based on attendance and level of participation. Participants must be violence-free for 20 weeks to be able to complete the program.
Do programs work with other community programs about domestic violence?NoYes. This often includes participation in domestic violence high risk teams, domestic violence roundtables, partnerships with victim advocacy programs, and outreach with community agencies.
Are the programs certified and/or monitored by a state agency?NoYes. The Programs are certified and monitored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

 

Anger Management and Certified IPAEPs: What’s the difference?

The chart below explains the differences between Anger Management programs and Certified IPAEPs.

QuestionsAnger ManagementCertified Intimate Partner Abuse Education Programs
Are programs state-certified?NoYes. The programs are certified by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Who do the programs serve?People who have been violent toward strangers or people who are not their partners/family members.Domestic violence offenders.
How long are programs?Usually 8-20 sessions. Most programs last 10 sessions.40 sessions with a minimum of 2-hour sessions.
Do programs contact victims/survivors?NoYes. If the victim/survivor chooses, the program will remain in regular contact with them and provide referrals, safety planning, and information to help protect children.
Are programs monitored by a state agency?NoYes. By the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Are programs linked with a domestic violence survivor services program?NoYes. Each program must have a formal relationship with a domestic violence survivor services program.
Do programs assess participants for dangerousness?NoYes. Programs use established methods procedures for identifying risk factors for lethality and re-assaults, and for managing risk.
What is the focus of the program?Violence is seen as a momentary outburst of anger. So perpetrators are taught to use techniques like “time outs.”Physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse and violence are behaviors chosen by abusive people to control their partners. IPAEPs hold abusers accountable for their violent and abusive choices and teach them to recognize how their abuse affects their partners and children and to practice alternatives to abusive behaviors.
Are group facilitators trained about domestic violence?It is up to the program.Yes. State standards require 24 hours of Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved specialized training at a certified site and at least 12 hours of group observation.
What if I have a problem with the program?Talk to the director of the program.1) Talk to the director of the program.
2) Call the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at 617-624-5497.
Does the program collect data?No statewide system.The Massachusetts Department of Public Health collects statewide data.

 

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