The C.H.O.I.C.E.S. Program is a twenty six week, psycho-educational model group which focuses on 8 - 10 areas of relationships. The model focuses on themes of power and control and works toward the ideals of respect, equality and safety as major requirements for successful partnerships. These groups meet one time per week for two hours with assignments given. The group member has the support of a sponsor, as well as a Beeper / Hotline Service
available for interventions.
A staff member will spend an extra day doing individuals with the men focusing on their commitment to change and applying the insights developed in group. Graduates of the program can help sponsor men new to the experience.
For those men capable of remaining safe, if they and their partner are interested in remaining together and no protection order is in effect; we offer a "Next Step" couples group. This group lasts four months. The goal is to reintegrate the changed batterer back into the system. We believe this has a direct impact on the children who don't have to experience the split-up of the parents. It also keeps the offenders partner form resorting to crimes of theft,
prostitution, Drugs and Alcohol as means of coping with being a battered and/or single mother.
The program utilized is well documented and very effective. It draws from the
Duluth Model from Minnesota, the
Emerge Model from Massachusetts and the Man Alive Model from Oakland California. There is also a set standard of effectiveness held up through the Batterers Intervention Service Network of Pennsylvania, which we thoroughly adhere to.
This Program is unique in the following ways:
- No other program addresses the battering offender in the community
- We use and educational process to bring about the change for this issue
- We collaborate on a state as well as National level, bringing similar nonviolent initiatives to Berks County
- We work with the batterer's victims only after safety has been established
- We tie together street crime, school misconduct and family violence integrated through the lens of racism, sexism and power imbalances in society
- Our program focuses on self responsibility and accountability to the community
