Each treatment program certified for any level of treatment must adhere to the following standards regarding co-occurring treatment:

(1) A program may recommend or require a participant to participate in other types of treatment or classes during the same period the client is participating in the required weekly domestic violence intervention treatment sessions;

(2) Any other type of treatment or therapy must support the goal of victim safety by facilitating change in the participant's abusive behavior without blaming the victim for the participant's abuse;

(3) Participants must sign a release of information for all cooccurring treatment providers;

(4) In order to increase victim safety, participants must not engage in marital or couples counseling unless they meet all of the following requirements:

(a) The participant has been regularly attending domestic violence intervention treatment services for a minimum of six months;

(b) The program has documented that the participant has taken full accountability for their abusive behaviors; and

(c) The program has communicated with the victim or current partner and documented that the participant has made cognitive and behavioral changes that reduce the risk of intimate partner violence towards the victim; and

(5) Co-occurring therapies must not be substituted for the required domestic violence intervention treatment sessions, including but not limited to:

(a) Individual therapy;

(b) Family therapy;

(d) Parenting classes;

(e) Substance use evaluations, treatment, drug testing; or

(f) Anger management.

PDFWAC 388-60B-0350

Co-occurring treatment—May participants engage in other types of treatments while they are in domestic violence intervention treatment?