VICTIM'S SERVICES
Domestic violence is a major problem, both in California and throughout the United States. Domestic violence most often refers to intimate partner violence, including violence toward current or former spouses or partners or individuals in dating relationships. It can also refer to violence toward other family members such as an elderly parent or child. Domestic violence can occur inside or outside the home. Domestic violence often involves a pattern of coercive behavior that includes physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and psychological abuse.

Family Services was founded for the original purpose of maintaining a hotline (732-5941 or 685-9515) and an emergency shelter for battered and abused women and children. These crisis intervention services have remained the core of our Domestic Violence program. Additional services include:

Community Crisis Response - Domestic violence advocates meet with victims to provide emotional support, information, referrals, and advocacy as requested by clinics or hospitals, businesses, law enforcement facilities, schools, Family Resource Centers, or other social service agencies to victims and their significant others.

Domestic Violence Survivor Support Groups - Groups are open entry and help survivors better understand the dynamics and effects of domestic violence, improve and maintain their personal safety, and heal from past abuse.

Individual Counseling - Family Services therapists are trained to treat individuals dealing with issues related to domestic violence.

Legal Assistance - Family Services' paralegal staff can assist with completion and filing of requests
for Restraining Orders and Child Custody Orders, and will accompany clients to Court hearings.

Follow-up support services - Advocates are available for as long as requested to provide ongoing information and referral, support counseling and education, and advocacy.

Teen Relationship Violence Prevention - Prevention Educators talk with young adults at middle and high schools throughout Tulare County to encourage healthy relationships. They also partner with youth groups to carry out teen dating violence awareness and prevention efforts.

Community Education - Call Family Services to schedule a presentation on domestic violence to your service club, church group, business, or other group.

OFFENDER SERVICES
Family Services recognizes that the best course of intervention and prevention for domestic violence should include work with both victims and perpetrators. Therefore, we are committed to providing treatment to individuals impacted by domestic violence on all levels, so that the entire family may have an opportunity to heal from this abusive pattern. Our Probation Certified Batterer's Intervention Program, (BIP) features:

	52-week (minimum) group education and treatment program meeting the state mandated criteria as per PC1203.097.
	Master’s-level therapists trained in working with domestic violence issues.
	Option for individual counseling.
	Focus on accountability.

Participation in Batterer's Intervention Program may come through a court order or voluntarily.
To successfully complete this program participants must be able to:

	State specifically what they did to result in a referral to the program.
	Be able to state what the impact was on their victim or victims.
	Be able to articulate the motivation or intent of their violent behavior.

Batterer's Intervention Office - 559-741-7320
815 W. Oak St Visalia CA 93291