S.A.F.E Accountable Facilitator Education - 4 Day Program

This training is to prepare, support, and enhance practitioners to facilitate domestic violence intervention groups for men who have been violent, abusive and controlling of their intimate partners and ex-partners. Typically, these are court mandated (or socially mandated) and as such are generally involuntary clients who may present as reluctant and resistant. 

The training will encourage you to work with compassion, collaboration, and challenge in this space. The training is for counsellors, social workers, psychologists, human service workers, probation and parole officers, and criminologists, etc. who want to facilitate men’s domestic violence intervention groups safely and effectively. Women’s advocates who wish to know more about working with men and understand men’s programs, to support their work with women, are also welcome. 

This training is founded on 2 basic principles that must be prioritised for effective practice: 

1. Safety and 

2. Accountability 

These four days will be focused on responding with clarity and intention to 4 fertile questions: 

a) Why do we do this work? 

b) Who do we work with and for? 

c) How do we do this work safely and effectively? 

d) What do we need to do in this work to ensure accountability? 

Learning Outcomes: 

▪ Understanding the key principles of accountable systems 

▪ Identifying strategies and tactics of the predominant aggressor – power and coercive control 

▪ Assessing for risk and safety 

▪ Exploring key strategies to engage and build rapport to enhance motivation 

▪ Managing masculine scripts in the room – analyzing gender dynamics 

▪ Enhancing group facilitation skills and co-facilitation skills 

▪ Unpacking the concept of collusion and perpetrators presenting as victims 

▪ Developing strategies to recognize and minimize collusion 

▪ Addressing the importance of information sharing and documentation 

DAY 1. 

Session 1: Introduction and introductions 

Session 2: The priority of safe accountable and reflective practice – safety first and last and during and after. 

Session 3: Foundations for working with male DV offenders

Session 4: Knowing your clientele – who are these guys? 

DAY 2. 

Session 1: Disturbing Reality checking 

Session 2: What are the Risks and Dangers and Unintended Consequences? 

Session 3: Assessing and managing Risks and Dangers 1. 

Session 4: Assessing and managing Risks and Dangers 2 

DAY 3. 

Session 1: Theory of Change – where worlds collide! 

Session 2: Building engagement and rapport to enhance motivation 

Session 3: How men account for their violence and abuse 

Session 4: Unpacking “masculopathy” to develop safe, responsible, and respectful men 

DAY 4. Session 1: Why Groups and What Groups? 

Session 2: Critical Group Facilitation Skills 1. 

Session 3: Critical Group Facilitation Skills 2. 

Session 4: Program Accountability within the System Response S.A.F.E. training will include PowerPoints for information and knowledge, along with experiential exercises and activities, video clips, question and answer sessions, and handouts. 

These 4 days will provide 25 hours of training and support for those working with men in domestic violence intervention groups. A certificate of attendance and completion will be provided for all participants. Lunch, morning/afternoon tea provided. 

Brian Sullivan PhD has 20+ years academic and practice experience both in Australia and the USA in working with male offenders and in training of professional human service workers to work with male DV offenders. Brian has also worked with Indigenous communities in developing men’s programs. He has worked with government and non-governments services in domestic violence intervention. Brian has trained Magistrates, Lawyers, Police and Corrective Services, women’s services and men’s programs. His more detailed bio is available upon request.

VENUE: Brisbane Quaker Meeting House 10 Hampson Street KELVIN GROVE QLD 4059