For Clients in California
Domestic Violence / Batterers Program Approval in California
Read about the requirements for this class in the California Penal Code 1203.097 and 1203.098. You will see that the probation department in each county is responsible to review and approve its own list of providers. Streets2Schools is approved by a number of counties and new ones are regularly added.
How Do You Know if You are Approved to take the Streets2Schools 52-week Online Domestic Violence / Batterers Program?
You know that you are approved to take the course and will get credit for it if:
- Streets2Schools is on the list of your county's approved providers. or
- Your referral or court document specifies Streets2Schools or s2sdvonline.com or
- Your probation or parole officer or social worker has granted you definite permission, specifying Streets2Schools or s2sdvonline.com.
Special Situations When You May Be Allowed to Take this Course Even If Streets2Schools Is NOT Formally Approved by Your County (and is not on your county's approved provider list)
Sometimes a judge or probation officer WILL specifically allow Streets2Schools if there is a compelling reason to do so. Some examples of special situations where court or probation have allowed attendance in this online domestic violence / batterers treatment course are: clients who work out-of-state (truck drivers, movie industry, salespeople), disabled persons who find it difficult to leave their home, caretakers who cannot leave their patient, clients who live a long distance from the approved providers.
If you have such a situation and are going to ask court or probation for a referral to this class, download Course Documentation her: . These documents demonstrate the alignment of the course with the penal code and also list other counties that have vetted the course and found it to be in alignment with the batterers program requirements in penal code 1203.097 and 1203.098.
Warning About Online Domestic Violence Classes
Be careful! There are many online sites that guarantee court acceptance of their course. Read the guarantee -- it says that you are guaranteed to get your money back if it's not accepted. You are not guaranteed that it will be accepted. Make sure that any course that you take is on your county's list of approved providers (or that you have specific permission to take the course). Get the list of approved providers directly from court or probation (or their official website). Depending on the county, the program may be called Domestic Violence Program, Batterers Program, Batterers Intervention Program (BIP) or Batterers Treatment Program (BTP).
Aligment with Penal Code 1203.097 and 1203.098 Batterers Program Requirements
The Streets2Schools S2S DV-BIP 52 Week program fully aligns with California Penal codes 1203.097 and 1203.098 and includes these features:
- Length of Course. A 52 week program; 52 weekly sessions are required to complete the course. The modular design allows for flexibility where orders are less than 52 weeks.
- Sessions. Defendant is required to attend same-gender, two-hour, weekly group sessions.
- Accountability. Accountability for violence in a relationship is built into the backbone of the program
- Absences. Up to three absences are granted within the 52-week course. Defendant is terminated after the fourth unexcused absence.
- Referral Required. Defendant is not enrolled without written referral stating number of required sessions.
- Agreements at Intake. Documents completed and signed during intake by defendant include: that the defendant will be held accountable for acts or threats of domestic violence, written definitions of violence, written agreement with our program, confidentiality agreement for group sessions, release of information, victim contact information.
- Client Access to Documents. All intake documents and progress reports are part of client file and can be viewed and printed at any time by client (from within account) or by probation (in probation's CCM account).
- Victim Notification. Letters are mailed to victim address provided by defendant (or referring agency) and includes the following information: defendant’s participation in program, available victim resources, a statement that attendance in program does not guarantee that an abuser will not be violent.
- Victim or Couples Counseling. As stated in the penal cole, the program excludes couples counseling and family counseling. Our program does not and will not compel victims to participate in program or in counseling.
- Substance Abuse. Defendant agrees to attend group sessions free of chemical influence (program agreement). Our program uses a baseline attention test at beginning of course. If defendant is suspected to be under the influence during group session, after class the attention test is re-administered and compared to the baseline. Referring agency is notified if test indicates substance abuse.
- Sliding Scale Fees. The standard price is $35/class. Low income clients can fill out a Financial Assessment to see if they qualify for a lower rate based on the sliding scale fee schedule. Indigent defendants may negotiate a deferred or nominal payment schedule.
- Reports and Notifications. Progress Reports are created each month. Referring agency is notified (by CCM, fax or email, as agency requests) if defendant fails to enroll in program, fails to successfully complete program, is terminated from program, is not accepted by the program, is performing unsatisfactorily or is not benefiting from program, is unsuitable to enroll in program. Enrollment reports, progress reports, termination reports, referral, intake documents, client notes, attendance and payments are stored in client’s file and always available real-time to referring agency by logging in to CCM account.
- Curriculum. Curriculum is evidence-based and includes gender roles, socialization, the nature of violence, the dynamics of power and control, and the effects of abuse on children and others. Content provides cultural and ethnic sensitivity. Education services include group discussion, lectures, reading, written responses, practical application of concepts learned.
- Evaluation. Defendant is evaluated during each webinar, and for each weekly written work, using standard evaluation rubric and individualized notes. At end of the program, the defendant’s progress is determined by review and comparison of improvement across the various measurements, and an Exit conference is conducted with the defendant in order to determine that defendant meets criteria set forth in Penal Code section 1203.097 (a)(10)(A) PC, has complied with terms of program contract, and has fully benefited from the program.
- Facilitator Training. All facilitators in our program meet the training requirements set forth in 1203.098 of the code.