DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TREATMENT IN COLORADO

The treatment required for a person convicted of domestic violence in Colorado is based on assessing a persons “risk and needs” and then assigning them to one of three risk levels. The Treatment requires attendance at a group meeting (gender specific – i.e. men’s group, women’s group, etc.) once per week for people in the lowest risk category, once per week plus one additional meeting per month for the middle risk category and twice per week for those placed in the highest risk category. A “committee” consisting of the treatment provider, probation officer, and a “victim advocate” review the person’s progress in treatment every two to three months. That committee has to meet at least twice about people in the lowest risk category and at least three times for those in the other two risk categories before a person can be discharged from treatment. To be discharged, a person must demonstrate an understanding of 18 “core competencies” related to domestic violence. Note: treatment is not a set number of weeks and a person must prove progress to compete treatment. Something else to know – a couple cannot go to “couples counseling” while one of them is in “domestic violence treatment”.