Eligibility and expectations
It is important to be aware that the safety of all women and children is paramount to the Men’s Behaviour Intervention Programme (MBIP) and any disclosure of harm/risk will be reported in accordance with the Domestic Violence Action Centre’s duty of care.
Catchment eligibility
- All men accessing the MBIP must live in the Toowoomba and Darling Downs catchment area/region.
- Men accessing the online group must be living outside Toowoomba city and surrounding suburbs and living within the Darling Downs.
- Men living in Toowoomba city and surrounding suburbs are required to attend in person.
Expectations and requirements
- Men are required to be accountable and honest for any abusive/violent behaviours that they have used in their intimate/family relationships and a willingness to change.
- Men are required to contribute honestly to group content and engage respectfully throughout the above process.
- Both F2F and online groups are required to follow direction and complete all tasks when requested by facilitators. Tasks will need to be completed outside of the 2-hour group work.
- To complete 6 weekly progress reports, if reports are not completed this will be noted on completion of the 27 weeks document.
Commitment
All men must commit to completing the 27-week programme, regular attendance is a requirement and men will be removed or asked to start again if attendance is inconsistent or participants are taking no responsibility to plan around their group sessions.
Men are encouraged to consider carefully whether they can commit to the 27 weeks prior to enrolling.
Responsibility/accountability
Employment
Men are encouraged to speak with their employers about attending the 27-week programme.
This discussion is essential to ensure that work commitments are not used to excuse non-attendance. If it does occur as a one-off emergency you may be asked to provide a letter from your employer, if absence for employment is continuous you will be asked to re-start the programme.
Men are not to make other appointments at the time of their assessments or during MBIP group/session times.
Assessment documents – online participants only
All participants attending online group will have 10 days to complete, sign and return assessment documents.
F2F groups are encouraged to attend sessions on time and arrange transport/travel to group prior to their sessions.
It is not the partners/parents/children’s responsibility to arrange transport/travel to group sessions it is the participants responsibility.
Online groups are to ensure their phones are charged, they have WIFI or data available prior to their assessments and group session times.
It is your responsibility to email your lead facilitator if you are going to be absent. Emails and phone calls will not be responded to after 2pm on the day of your groups/sessions.
It is the men’s responsibility to initiate contact with the MBIP facilitator. Please do not ask partners, parents, or children to make contact, this is the men’s responsibility.
Absences
If participant is absent for 4 out of first 10 sessions without a medical certificate or signed document from their employer the participant will be required to start the 27-weeks MBIP from the beginning.
Participants absent for three consecutive sessions will be back coursed.
Breach of Domestic Violence Order
Participant will be advised to begin the 27-weeks MBIP from the start.
Important information to note for men being referred/self-referring:
All referrers will be advised of their engagement, attendance, and the reasons behind their removal; the programme may set men up to fail if they cannot commit. Should men be removed for lack of attendance or disruptive behaviour the Domestic Violence Magistrates court will be provided with this information should the men appear before the Magistrates Domestic Violence court in the future.
Initial Zoom process
Prior to scheduling an assessment men must install the Zoom app on the device they wish to use. Once they have installed Zoom, they will be required to sign in and register with the Zoom app. Men will need an email account that only they have access to. (Confidentiality of facilitators and other participants is paramount.)
Assessment times
Men must be available to complete an online assessment on a Tuesday Morning/Friday morning depending on availability. All assessment will take place online. (Confidentiality of facilitators and participants is paramount during assessment.)
Group times
- Monday online group 5:20 pm – 7:30 pm (Please be prepared to come online at 5:20pm)
- Thursday F2f group 4:20 pm – 6:30 pm (Please arrive at 4:20pm to be prepared to start group at 4:30 pm)
The MBIP is beneficial for men who choose to gain more awareness around the dynamics of domestic and family violence.
Awareness – Knowing their story of abuse and where it originated, understanding, and identifying behaviours and how their abusive practices affect others.
Accountability – Introducing ownership of behaviour and accepting responsibility for previous behaviour by not repeating behaviour in the future.
Activation – Creating relationship habits that promote family safety while breaking the traditions of violence and abuse. Accepting the invitation to be curious about why you are using abusive/violent behaviours.
Acceptance – Accepting that their abusive/violent behaviours is affecting the development and well-being of their child/ren and is destructive on the relationship between their child/ren and mother.
Absent Fathers – If they are abusing their children or exposing their children to domestic and family violence, they are not present, they are absent fathers.
After completing the 27-week MBIP the men will have a better insight and a stronger understanding of the specific tactics they use in establishing and maintaining Power and Control within intimate/family relationships
When dealing with challenging behaviours that may have significant effects on others, the MBIP will strive to support men to develop appropriate skills and strategies to support them become safer partners/husbands, safer fathers and safer members of the wider community and society.
Should men choose to continue to perpetrate domestic and family violence after completing the 27-week programme; they are making an informed decision to do so.
The programme is not designed to support men to manage their partners behaviours better, this is a men’s behaviour intervention programme designed to support men to gain more insight in managing their behaviours better.
Consent
Document is to be emailed to participant and read by participant prior to scheduling assessment date. Email consent is to be provided after document has been read. Signature is required with completed assessment documents.