Week 1 Application

Community Counseling Resources

Application: Community Counseling Resources

Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy (CPSY - 6356 - 1)

In this paper will analyze primary, secondary, and tertiary couple and family interventions

provided by community resources. In this paper will provide a community resource that works

with issues of domestic violence and the primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions that the

resource provides. A further analysis will be provided on any gaps that may exist in the

interventions and an explanation of how to address those gaps.

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Community Counseling Resources

. According to (Wolfe, 2011), prevention efforts are generally considered in terms of

primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary prevention includes efforts to decrease the occurrence

of an issue within a population before it occurs. (Wolfe, 2011) Primary prevention strategies,

may present a particular population with new ways of thinking, values, and relationship skills

that are opposing to violence and that encourage healthy relationships. Secondary prevention

focuses on at-risk individuals. Secondary preventions attempt to decrease the occurrence of an

issue by reducing suspected or known risk factors. (Wolfe, 2011) For example, secondary

prevention efforts with domestic violence may focus on identified individuals who have

displayed specific behaviors related to domestic violence. Tertiary prevention endeavors to

reduce the course of an issue after the issue has already developed and is causing harm. For

example, tertiary prevention includes the identification of sex offenders and domestic violence

(DV) perpetrators, efforts to control negative behavior by punishment or treatment and assistance

for the victims.

The clinical description of domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive behaviors,

including psychological, physical, and sexual attacks that adults or adolescents utilize against

individuals who have or had relations. (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2011)

A community resource that is used in Tulsa Oklahoma for domestic violence is an agency

called Domestic Violence Intervention Service (DVIS). DVIS is a community resource that

provides advocacy, counseling to the victim and perpetrator, education, and shelter. (DVIS,

2013) As a primary intervention, DVIS provides education to businesses, community groups,

faith-based communities, organizations and schools. (DVIS, 2013) DVIS dedicated a great deal

of effort working with local schools as a primary prevention strategies. According to research,

schools are an ideal environment to introduce primary prevention programs to a range of

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Community Counseling Resources

children. (Wolfe, 2009) According to (Wolfe, 2009), a significant amount of children's social

learning takes place in schools. In addition to using the schools as a way to initiate primary

prevention with youth, DVIS also uses the school environment as secondary prevention. DVIS

target at risk youth of violence with the school setting. (DVIS, 2013) DVIS’s school based

program takes youth from high-risk backgrounds through a process of learning about self, issue,

and increase the youth’s efforts to affect change around them. (DVIS, 2013) DVIS offers

counseling and shelter as a tertiary prevention. DVIS provides individual and group counseling

to the victims, families and perpetrators. The program counsels men that are self-referred,

court-referred, DHS- referred, and family court referrals for domestic violence assessments.

(DVIS, 2013) DVIS offers interactive therapy for children who have witnessed or personally

experienced domestic violence. (DVIS, 2013) The women victims are provided with counseling

that helps in recovery for example, creating a safety plan, reducing the risk of future violence,

increasing positive coping skills, and addressing the impact of trauma.

The gap that may exist in the interventions that DVIS provides is within the secondary

prevention methods. DVIS does not provide a distinct protocol for the way teachers can support

students who have disclosed exposure to domestic violence in their homes. One may address

this gap in the intervention by providing education to the teacher on how to assist the children

that have spoken out.

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Community Counseling Resources

Reference Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2011). Definitions of Domestic Violence. Retrieved

September 7, 2013, from U. S. Department of Health and Human Service: https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/defdomvio.cfm

DVIS. (2013). Programs. Retrieved September 7, 2013, from Domestic Violence Intervention Services: http://dvis.org/programs/

Wolfe, D. A. (2009). Emerging Strategies in the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Domestic Violence and Children, 133-144. Retrieved September 7, 2013, from http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml? journalid=47&articleid=228&sectionid=1497

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Community Counseling Resources

Wolfe, D. A. (2011). Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Retrieved September 4, 2013, from National Resource Center on Domestic Violence: http://www.vawnet.org/applied-research-papers/print-document.php?doc_id=390

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