DVOMB Quarterly Minute
January 2023
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Reflections on 2022 and Focusing on Trust in 2023
The dawn of 2023 is here and memories from 2022 are now left to the yearbook. Last year was very involved with the DVOMB undergoing sunset, committee hearings at the Colorado State Capitol, creating the new teletherapy requirements, and launching the new data collection systems. Staying busy helped serve as a useful distraction to the disorientation that was 2022. The year of 2022 was historical with incredible innovations curbed against a backdrop of irregularities, inflation, and headlines we thought we would never see in our lifetime. Take for example the story about a 57-year-old Maryland man who received a genetically modified pig heart. On the other hand, breakthroughs in the developments in fusion energy were recorded.
Looking back on 2022, things that were once reliable assumptions may now seem a bit questionable. The unfortunate truth is that trust can be broken with the slightest whisper. Trust in governmental institutions has eroded and building that trust can take years, and even decades to restore. Trust between professionals and our peers takes time to develop and can stall if neglected. And to some degree the trust within ourselves may have been impacted by the pandemic and recent events. The psychology of trust is an important facet to this work which is why it is themed for the upcoming DVOMB/SOMB conference in 2023: "Activating Intersectionality while Building Healthy Lives & Trusting Partnerships." In this next year, our resolve is to address trust so if you are interested in this topic, please consider submitting an abstract to be considered for the conference. Otherwise, you can always reach out to the staff with any questions or concerns, and we will do our best to earn your trust as we move into 2023. We thank you for your service and dedication helping people change and helping protect the community.
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Next DVOMB Meeting
January Board Meeting
The DVOMB meeting is a hybrid event that allows for both in-person and remote attendance. The next meeting falls on January 13, 2023. At this upcoming meeting, a presentation on “The Prevalence of Traumatic Brain Injury in Domestic Violence Offenders” by students from University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology. A training credit of one hour will be offered to those in attendance.
When - January 13, 2023
Time - 9:00AM - 1:00PM
Where - 710 Kipling St, 2nd Floor Conference Room or via WebEx
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Policy Updates
Data Collection Requirements
All systems are set and ready for the data collection launch. Beginning on January 1st, 2023, Approved Providers are required to submit data once a client discharges from treatment. While this new requirement originated from the legislature, there is excitement and anticipation of what the data will provide in our collective understanding of evaluation and treatment services for domestic violence offenders. There are resources available for Approved Providers. Questions can be directed to yuanting.zhang@state.co.us or jesse.hansen@state.co.us. If you missed any of the trainings offered by the DVOMB or ReliaTrax, please feel free to access the recorded trainings below.
Data Collection Trainings for Approved Providers
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Staffing Changes to Reorganize the Office of Domestic Violence and Sex Offender Management
The Office of Domestic Violence and Sex Offender Management (ODVSOM) is excited to announce changes to the office structure and roles regarding the program staff here in the Division of Criminal Justice. In 2016, the program staff supporting the Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) and the Domestic Violence Offender Management Board (DVOMB) were combined into one office under the leadership of Chris Lobanov-Rostovsky. While the SOMB and DVOMB are defined separately by law, both Boards are structured very similarly and possess similar guiding principles and mandates. This convergence of mandates and functions pointed to the need for a new and more responsive organizational framework focused on the implementation of research-informed practices. By consolidating resources the ODVSOM staff have shifted to a shared-services model as seen below.
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What does this shared-services model exactly mean? Well, this means that the staff supporting the Boards will be more specialized, more accessible, and more engaged. Of note, Caroleena Frane’s role as the Standards Coordinator is shifting slightly. Caroleena will have less of a role with the Application Review Committee (ARC) and instead take on a larger role as an implementation specialist for the Standards. She will serve as the lead change agent and support the ongoing implementation of the Standards for training and technical assistance. This means less time processing applications and more time working directly with DVOMB Approved Providers, Supervising Officers and anyone else who uses the Standards. You may be wondering if Caroleena is not managing the application process, then who is? Reggin Palmitesso-Martinez is the newest member of the ODVSOM team and she will be taking on the role of Application and Standards Compliance Coordinator for both the DVOMB and SOMB. Over the last year, the program staff have transitioned to this new model and our hope is that this sets the stage for the next era. Please note that this does not mean the DVOMB is merging with the SOMB; there will still be two separate Boards and staff functions. Please feel free to congratulate the staff in their new roles and opportunities along with welcoming Reggin Palmitesso-Martinez.
Reggin Palmitesso-Martinez - My name is Reggin (pronounced Reegen) Palmitesso-Martinez and I’m so happy to have joined the Division of Criminal Justice, Department of Public Safety! I am originally from upstate New York in the beautiful area of Lake Ontario but have lived most of my life here in sunny Colorado! I have a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Northern Colorado. My previous occupation was as a probation officer supervising domestic violence offenders. I am married with three children and one dog, Nala and one cat, Bounty. In my spare time I enjoy traveling, reading, and being outdoors. My favorite season is fall due to cooler temperatures and the beauty of the colors!
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On the Job, Looking for a Job? The Office of Domestic Violence and Sex Offender Management is Hiring
If you are looking for a change of pace and want to join the Division of Criminal Justice, here is an opportunity for you. The Office of Domestic Violence and Sex Offender Management is hiring a Statistical Analyst. Click here to apply and find out more information about the position.
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Welcome New Board Members
Glory McDaniel - In May of 2018, Glory earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Program from Denver Seminary. She is a bilingual therapist working with specific treatment of co-occurring substance use disorders and post-traumatic stress, leading both English and Spanish groups, educating the community as well as individual counseling. She serves on the board of the Colorado Association of Addiction Professionals (CAAP) and facilitator for Mending the Soul (MTS) groups for women survivors of violence focusing on healing from physical, psychological, emotional, financial, and spiritual abuse. In 2020, Glory founded Crisálida, Inc., a nonprofit shelter for abused women and children.
Yolanda Arredondo - Yolanda Arredondo currently serves as the Deputy Director for Colorado’s Division of Child Welfare (DCW). She has worked in the field of child welfare for the past 15 years in a variety of roles at both the county and state levels. Prior to that, Yolanda worked at a non-profit anti-violence organization for over 8 years. She currently co-chairs the Domestic Abuse Statutory Task Force and participates in other state-wide legislative stakeholder groups. Yolanda is looking forward to learning from others on DVOMB and bringing the cross-sections of her professional experience as the Colorado Department of Human Services representative.
Interested in seeing who else sits on the DVOMB. Click here.
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Community Roundtable Spotlight!
Jesse Hansen and Caroleena Frane traveled to Glenwood Springs, Colorado for the first Community Roundtable since the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 12 professionals from the region joined in this training which included DVOMB Approved Providers, Probation, and Pre-Trial services. The focus of this community roundtable was on the new teletherapy requirements from Appendix I, addressing issues of unsupervised probation, and discussing strategies for substance use monitoring with clients. This roundtable was also followed by a requested training for Judges from the 5th and 9th Judicial Districts. Jesse Hansen and the Honorable Judge Bradley Burback (DVOMB appointed representative for Judges) hosted a virtual training for those judges to answer questions about post-sentence requirements of the DVOMB Standards. Feedback from this training was useful at addressing recent issues in a constructive way. If you are interested in having a Community Roundtable in your area, please fill out this form.
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Research Corner
Research on the nature of domestic violence and the effectiveness of domestic violence treatment is critical for informing revisions to the DVOMB Standards and Guidelines and supporting Providers to deliver evidence-based practices. Among the many studies that are published, we wish to describe two recent reports that highlight salient issues. The first report speaks to the importance of an integrated and effective system-wide response by Courts, probation departments, and program providers for effective domestic violence treatment. The second highlights some of the emerging research on the high incidence of non-fatal strangulation within Interpersonal Violence (IPV) and its association with future near-fatal violence.
California State Auditor (2022). Batterer intervention programs: State guidance and oversight are needed to effectively reduce domestic violence. Report 2021-113. Sacramento, CA: California State Auditor.
California law requires that persons convicted of a domestic violence offense be placed on probation and complete a batterer intervention program of not less than one year. In this government audit, five Californian counties were comprehensively evaluated on the extent they met their statutory requirements to sentence, supervise, and effectively rehabilitate domestic violence offenders. A range of policies and practices were reviewed, and the experience of 100 persons referred to a 52-week batterer intervention program was examined. The audit found that program completion was associated with significantly less violent reoffending than non-completion (20% versus 65%); however, nearly half of the offenders did not complete their full 52-week program, largely due to probation departments, courts, and program providers not adequately holding the offenders accountable for noncompliance. For example, the courts were informed of less than half of all probation and program violations, and when consequences were imposed, these were criticized as often being ineffective and weakening the impact of the programs. The audit was unable to determine the influence of underlying conditions that contributed to offenders’ failure to complete because of insufficient assessments and poor record keeping. The recommendations made by the auditor’s report centered on increasing state oversight and guidance for probation departments and batterer intervention programs through establishing a state agency and comprehensive standards. The audit findings and report highlight the significant influence of the batterer intervention system on the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of domestic violence programs.
Messing, J. T., Campbell, J., AbiNader, M. A., & Bolyar, R. (2022). Accounting for multiple nonfatal strangulation in intimate partner violence risk assessment. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(11-12), NP8430-NP8453.
Non-fatal strangulation is increasingly recognized as a relatively common and particularly dangerous feature of intimate partner violence. As well as being a form of abusive control and physical violence, it often occurs alongside threats or the use of weapons and can cause severe physical and psychological damage, such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. In some instances, particularly when repeated, it becomes lethal. In this study, the association between the presence of non-fatal strangulation and future near-fatal intimate partner violence was examined among a large sample of diverse female IPV victims in the US. Over half the female IPV victims (64%) reported being strangled (“choked”) by their partners, with just over one-third reporting having experienced multiple strangulations. The presence of any strangulation increased the risk of future near-fatal intimate partner violence by almost 3 times. The presence of either multiple strangulations or loss of consciousness due to strangulation increased the risk by over 4 times. There was no significant difference in the ability of these strangulation risk factors to predict future near-fatal violence for women across different race-ethnic identities. The inclusion of an item measuring multiple strangulation/loss of consciousness improved the predictive validity of the Danger Assessment for women, which is an educative tool used by IPV survivors and advocates. The research highlights the importance of inquiring about the presence of strangulation within intimate partner violence and ensuring it is attended to within domestic violence treatment programs.
Concluding Comments
The two reports highlight the wide range of research methodologies that inform our field. Both reinforce known facts about IPV and the implementation of effective treatment programs, yet both also bring a needed emphasis to salient issues. The auditor's report highlights the significant influence of the systems, formal and informal, within which domestic violence treatment programs operate. Collaboration between the different agencies involved is not without its challenges, but it is necessary for programs to realize their rehabilitative goals. The research article highlights the disturbingly high incidence of nonfatal strangulation within IPV and why it is important to attend to its occurrence in risk assessment and treatment.
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Colorado Division of Child Welfare Hosts Town Halls
The Colorado Division of Child Welfare hosts twice monthly town halls on a variety of topics that may be of interest to DVOMB members and stakeholders. Anyone interested in being added to the calendar invite for the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month from 3:00 - 4:00PM can email yolanda.arredondo@state.co.us. All previous town halls have been recorded and can be accessed through the Child Welfare Training System website.
Examples of upcoming topics include:
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DVOMB Training Opportunities |
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Training Opportunities Sponsored by Others
Vista Counseling Services, LLC Presents:
Female Offender Domestic Violence Offender Evaluation & Treatment
Location: On Line
Date/Time: February 23 & 24th 2023
Cost: $200 per person
Trainer: Jeanette Barich, LCSW, LAC, DVCS
Jeanette@jeanettebarich.com or 303-507-5825
Description: This training is a beginner level, two-day (14-hour) training based off the best practices guidelines of Appendix B in the DVOMB Standards: For Providing Court-Ordered Treatment to Female Domestic Violence Offenders. This training satisfies the 14-hour requirement for the Female Specific Offender Population DVOMB application.
We will take an in-depth look at our personal biases around women as offenders
and men as victims, victim advocacy specific to this population, pathways to crime, barriers to treatment, theories around female offenders, offender typologies, assessment, evaluation, curriculum topics and unique aspects of working with this specific population. This training will give you a basic understanding of working with the court ordered female domestic violence offender. This is a fast paced interactive training that utilizes media, and case studies to demonstrate treatment and evaluation principles. Please call or email Jeanette at 303-507-5825 or Jeanette@jeanettebarich.com
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