The Caring Dads program emphasises several systems and processes to manage and de-escalate potentially heightening situations.
Caring Dads employs a combination of educational, therapeutic, and accountability mechanisms to manage and de-escalate situations where tensions might rise. The structured approach, combined with external support from referring agencies, plays a significant role in ensuring participant behaviour does not escalate into harmful outcomes.
Referral Process
Referral: Men are referred to Caring Dads by child protection or probation workers, child mental health services, or other organizations that understand and are willing to collaborate to ensure child safety and well-being. The referral process ensures that there's ongoing support and monitoring from these agencies, which can help in managing escalating situations.
Intake Process
Clinical Intake Interview: This is a crucial step where potential participants are screened to determine their suitability for the program. This interview can help identify risk factors or behaviours that need immediate attention or management strategies.
Psycho-Educational Approach
The program structure is designed to provide men with information and skills to prevent future problems. This includes understanding abusive behaviours, improving parenting skills, and enhancing communication with children and their mothers. This educational component can serve as a preventive measure against escalation by fostering better understanding and behavioural change. Homework Exercises: Participants engage in exercises that involve practicing child-centred fathering and reporting on interactions. This ongoing practice helps in self-monitoring and self-correction of potentially harmful behaviours.
Homework
Participants engage in exercises that involve practicing child-centred fathering and reporting on interactions. This ongoing practice helps in self-monitoring and self-correction of potentially harmful behaviours.
Group Dynamics
Facilitator Training: Facilitators are trained to handle group dynamics, recognize signs of escalation, and employ de-escalation techniques. They are equipped to guide discussions in ways that promote reflection and change rather than confrontation.
Facilitator Training
Facilitators are trained to handle group dynamics, recognize signs of escalation, and employ de-escalation techniques. They are equipped to guide discussions in ways that promote reflection and change rather than confrontation.
Collaboration with Referring Agencies
Since men must be referred by agencies that remain connected to at least one family member, there's a system of accountability. If fathers show no progress or continue abusive behaviour, these agencies can intervene.
Safety Protocols
The program's focus includes reducing risk to children, which implies that there are protocols in place for escalating concerns about safety, possibly involving reporting to child protection services or law enforcement if necessary
Post-Program Support
Although the primary intervention is time-limited, there's an emphasis on ensuring men have ongoing support or follow-up to prevent regression into old patterns that could escalate tensions.
Community and Online Support
There's mention of an online practitioner community for facilitators, which indirectly supports the ongoing management of participants by ensuring facilitators are up-to-date with best practices in de-escalation and management.
Cultural Sensitivity
For adaptations like the military version, there's acknowledgment of unique stressors that might require specific de-escalation strategies tailored to the context of military life.
Regular Evaluation
Research and evaluations of the program, like those cited in various studies, indicate a continuous process of assessing effectiveness in de-escalating abusive behaviours, allowing for program adjustments to better manage such situations.