Rule 125-4-9-.04 - General Certification Requirements for Family Violence Intervention Programs(a)Certification Required. No program may accept a participant who is referred to the program by a court or the State Board of Pardons and Paroles pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 19-13-16 without first being certified by the Department as set forth herein. (1)Application for Certification. Each program must submit to the Department completed application forms and all requested documentation, including proof of general liability insurance of at least one million dollars. Programs seeking certification which have two or more branch or satellite offices located within a single judicial circuit are required to submit only one application form. Programs seeking certification which have one or more branch or satellite offices in separate judicial circuits must submit a completed application form for each judicial circuit in which a program is located. In the event that submitted information changes, programs must update the information and notify the Department of the changes. Failure to update information may result in a delay, denial, or revocation of certification. All applications for program certification must be signed by the program owner, or an authorized agent of the program provider. Applications must be truthful, accurate, and complete.(2)Certification Fee. A $150.00 fee will be required for each application for program certification in each judicial district.(3)Program Participant Fee. Each FVIP will be assessed a $20.00 fee for each participant who participates in an FVIP. FVIPs may pass this cost on to the participant. Program participant fees must be submitted to the Department by the tenth day of each month. If a participant reenrolls in an FVIP after either completing the program or being terminated from the program, the FVIP shall be assessed another $20.00 program participation fee for that participant.(4)Conflicts of Interest. No person shall own, direct, facilitate in, be employed by, or be an agent of any FVIP if such status poses an actual, potential, or apparent conflict of interest. Nor shall any person own, direct, facilitate in, be employed by, or be an agent of any FVIP where there exists any type of relationship that would place the owner, director, facilitator, employee or agent in a position to exert undue influence, exploit, or take undue advantage of any participant.(5)Victim Safety Requirements. (A) Victim Contact. An FVIP may initiate contact with victims of family violence only through a paid, subcontracted victim liaison unless FVIP staff have a legal duty to warn the victim of immediate danger. All FVIP contact with victims shall be in accordance with Department SOP.(B) FVIPs must participate in Community Task Forces on Family Violence and be a part of the coordinated community response to domestic violence.(C) Program Termination or Completion Notifications. FVIPs shall notify all referral sources, including the courts, the Department's Probation Division (if applicable), the State Board of Pardons and Paroles (if applicable), and the victim (via the victim liaison) within four (4) working days of a participant's completion of an FVIP, or within two (2) days of a participant's termination from an FVIP. Notification of completion should only include information related to attendance, payment of fees, and participation. FVIPs shall immediately contact the victim, the victim liaison, law enforcement, referring courts, the Department's Probation Division (if applicable), and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles (if applicable) if a participant is terminated due to violence or threats of violence towards himself or the victim.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 125-4-9-.04
Ga. Constitution 1982, Art. XI, Sec. 1, Par. I, (b), O.C.G.A. Secs. 42-2-11, 42-5-55.
Original Rule entitled "General Certification Requirements for Family Violence Intervention Programs" adopted. F. Apr. 3, 2003; eff. Apr. 23, 2003.