The Harbor House's Intervention Program aims to support Harbor House's overall vision of a community without domestic abuse by holding individuals using abusive behaviors accountable, supporting victim safety and empowerment, and building a collaborative community of compassionate, well-informed domestic abuse advocates.
Office:
2277 W Spencer St. | Appleton, WI 54914
Phone:
920-955-9151
Intervention Services
The goal is victim safety, accountability of person using abuse, and to end violence, abuse, and control.
Intervention coordinators monitor the participant’s accountability through information sharing and collaboration with advocates, court systems, ex/partner, corrections, and other referring agencies. We believe in a unified community approach to domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Assessments
The Harbor House's Intervention Program is certified through the Wisconsin Batterer Treatment Providers Association. We provide domestic violence and anger management assessments to individuals in Outagamie and Calumet counties who are arrested or referred to our program. Our Intervention Program receives referrals from a variety of sources including, Probation, Court, Child Protection, Family Court, Mental Health Professionals, Self-referrals, advocates, family members, etc.
We provide an assessment looking at the whole individual.
The purpose of the assessment is to determine supports, challenges, resiliency, and any needs for further programming and services. Our Intervention Program also makes recommendations for outside services. Assessments touch on many different aspects of the individual’s life including past and current relationships, family history, experience with alcohol and other drug abuse, medical history, mental health, and more.
- Schedule by calling 920-955-9151
- Approximately one-hour session
- $35 fee (cash or money order)
- No call/no show will be charged $50 when they reschedule
Importance of Assessing Lethality
Our Intervention Program coordinators assess for risk factors of lethality such as suicidality and depression, past threats to kill, stalking behavior, past use of weapons, perceived loss of control over the victim through separation, divorce, or victim fleeing; extreme jealousy, sexual violence, violation of protection orders, and past criminal behavior. Other areas of risk addressed include substance abuse of the history of mental health.
Once an individual’s assessment is complete, the Intervention Coordinator will make one or more recommendations. These may include non-violence education groups, individual counseling, alcohol or drug abuse counseling, parenting classes, screening for depression and/or mental health, psychological evaluations, or referrals to Veterans Administration.
Intervention Education Programming
In addition to conducting offender assessments, we offer educational groups that teach individuals who use power and control and abuse to look at themselves and their beliefs. Intervention coordinators monitor the participant’s accountability through information sharing and collaboration with advocates, court systems, ex/partner, corrections, and other referring agencies. We believe in a unified community approach to ending domestic violence.
The program includes the following:
Intervention Education Group
Orientation to the group program
- Scheduled every 8-10 weeks and required to start group
- Ex/partners are invited to attend this session
- Schedules for the on-going group will be determined
24 weeks of group
- 2-hour sessions, once a week. Various group times offered (day & evening), need to commit to one time.
- Referring agency will receive weekly progress reports.
Domestic Violence Impact Panel
- Participants will attend based on progress, typically after completing 12 groups and current on fees
- Emphasizes the effects of the individual’s abuse on children and partners.
Ending Violence Through Education Group for Women
15 weeks of group
- 2-hour session, once a week
- Referring agency will receive weekly progress reports
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children
- Scheduled mid-way through group
- Emphasizes the effects of the individual’s abuse on children and partners.
Community Collaboration & Networking
At Harbor House, we understand the profound impact that domestic violence has on our community. We believe it will take the entire community working together to end domestic abuse. Through our participation in various community efforts, we’re working to build a community that holds offenders accountable and keeps victims safe.
Domestic Violence Intervention Team
Was formed in 1986. The mission of the Outagamie County Domestic Violence Intervention Team (DVIT) is to eliminate domestic violence and educate our community by facilitating a coordinated community response with a focus on the safety of victims and their families and holding perpetrators accountable for their behavior.
Numerous Harbor House staff meet monthly with members from various county agencies to discuss domestic violence issues, build strong collaborative relationships with fellow advocates, and enhance the safety of abuse victims, police officers, and other community members. Meetings are held on the 3rd Friday of every month. A smaller group of members serves as the Board to plan the meetings and discuss high-risk offenders as a means of homicide prevention. For further information please contact the facilitator, Jessica Desens, at dvip@harborhousewi.org
Current members include:
- Law enforcement agencies
- Men’s non-violence group facilitators
- Probation and Parole
- Harbor House advocates
- District Attorney’s office
- Child Protection Services
- Family Court Program
- Victim/Witness Program
- Criminal Justice Treatment Services
- Reach Counseling
- DVIP Coordinators
- Child Advocacy Center
- Circuit Court Judges
- Oneida Domestic Abuse Program
- Clerk of Courts
- Outagamie County Dispatch
- Victim Crisis Response Team
- Refugee Family Strengthening Project (Catholic Charities)
- Diverse & Resilient program
- Wise Women Gathering Place
- FBI victim-witness
Fast Track Prosecution
DVIP coordinators collaborate with the District Attorney’s office to provide DV assessments to first time offenders who are offered a Deferred Judgment Agreement through the District Attorney’s office. The goal of this program is to move folks through the criminal justice process as quickly as possible. This process not only educates the offender, but also enhances the safety and security of the victim. Individuals with little to no previous police record are charged within 30 days, schedule initial appearance offering them a Deferred Judgement Agreement and schedule their DVIP assessment within 3 months. If the offender complies with the terms in the agreement, the charges are dismissed after 12-18 months. Fast Track Prosecution began as a project of DVIT.
Other Community Collaborations
In addition to collaborating on the Outagamie County Domestic Violence Intervention Team, our Intervention Program Coordinator also participates as a member of the Calumet County Coordinated Community Response Team and the Oneida Coordinated Community Response Team. Like the Domestic Violence Intervention Team, these two teams serve their respective communities by working to improve community response to domestic violence and sexual assault in order to ensure victim safety and offender accountability.