happiness.com

Why this program?

It is a known fact that anger and violence in our community causes dysfunction, devastation and tragedy. Anger and violence also places a huge economic and social strain on our community and its resources. Quite frankly, it can devastate lives for generations to come.

The Anger Management & Conflict Resolution program could be also helpful for those individuals who have been charged with offences by the police, or are 1^st time Respondents in Domestic Violence Applications, as well as people who want to develop skills to overcome the harmful effects of rage on themselves and their loved ones.

The aim of this course is to provide these individuals with a brief intervention program that will provide them with skills to identify triggers causing anger and ways in which to manage these triggers. There are often very limited, or no brief intervention courses or services in this area where people live that are being offered and those that are available, can be very expensive (through private practitioners), or take a lot of time to complete, (from 16 – 26 weeks). This expense or significant duration of time, may create barriers to help and set people up for failure, particularly when they are best suited to a brief intervention program.

The principle supporting this program is that a brief intervention provides clinical pathways into further treatment. Research affirms that if people have experienced the benefit of a brief intervention, then they are more likely to engage with further intensive services when they need them. The benefit of this program is that anger related offences / domestic violence matters, can dealt with quickly and efficiently through the court system.

If the individual attends and satisfactorily participates in the course, then they will receive a certificate of Participation and Completion which can be presented to the court in their matter.

People can benefit from a short intervention program addressing Anger Management and Conflict Resolution PRIOR to them going to court. 

This brief intervention program can help expedite court matters and relieve congestion from lengthy court adjournments and delays in accessing long term programs for 1^st time Domestic Violence Respondents, that may successfully address aggressive behaviours through brief interventions and counselling follow up.

Whilst we recognise the benefit and necessity of long term rehabilitation and treatment for repeat offenders, some first time domestic violence offenders can be treated with brief interventions and clinical pathways into further treatment and support, (such as counselling), can also be provided as an extension of this brief intervention. Victims can then be provided with the infrastructure they need to be kept safe and supported through counselling services and ensure that professionals help to mediate the reconciliation process.

There are many respondents that do not have a violent criminal record and have become decompensated through an overwhelming crises, (such as death, loss of job etc), that has precipitated this offense. These people can do well with brief interventions, as has been demonstrated over the last 13 years with the QLD Traffic Offenders Program in Australia, that the presenter helped to set up as one of the founding members, as well as the QLD Illicit Drug Diversion for first time drug possession that the presenter was also involved with for 5 years.

These matters and delays can cause significant trauma and stress to children that are alienated from the offending parent even when both parents have agreed to reconciliation with the assistance and mediation of health professionals. However, this reconciliation can be delayed for extended periods of time if first time domestic violence respondents have to wait 3 months to undertake a long term program and then another 4 months to complete the program. This 7 month process can also contribute towards further relationship breakdowns and stress to the children and community as a whole.