ABOUT THE UNIT

Domestic Violence Assessment/Supervision Unit

This program was created in November of 1992 in conjunction with the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s new Domestic Violence Court. Defendants charged with misdemeanors relating to Domestic Violence, or respondents in Civil Injunction cases can be referred to Advocate Program’s Domestic Violence Assessment/Supervision Unit. Clients are assessed by state certified assessors, and based on their financial ability to pay for treatment, are referred to court contracted treatment providers or the county’s indigent program. The Program has the responsibility of supervising all clients and reporting back to the referring court.

On April 1st, 1999, The Advocate Program’s Domestic Violence Assessment/Supervision Unit became the centralized assessment agency for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s Domestic Violence Court.

All court ordered clients whether criminal or civil who have had a incident with an intimate partner go through the assessment. Once the assessment is complete, the appropriate referral for treatment is made based on the client's choice of language, program availability and income.

The purpose for the psychosocial assessment is to gather background information pertinent to the client's case. The assessment is not to determine whether the client needs to do a batterers' program, but to determine if additional services are warranted such as substance abuse and/or mental health treatment.

The Domestic Violence Unit consists of the following staff positions: a Program Manager, State Certified Assessors (most of which are licensed mental health counselors), Supervision Specialists, a Court Coordinator, and clerical support. In the future, it is the goal of the unit to implement a high risk/intensive supervision position that will handle all high-risk cases. The level of education ranges from a high school diploma to doctorate level degrees.

Domestic Violence Unit Goal
To supervise and assess clients while making appropriate treatment referrals and recommendations so that clients may benefit from treatment(s) to live a violent free lifestyle with their partner(s) and family.