Rule 125-4-9-.09 - Program Requirements Toward Batterers(a) FVIPs shall require that participants sign a contract to: (1) Immediately stop all violence and abuse towards the victim and others;(2) Remove all weapons from home;(3) Respect any effort by the victim to leave the relationship;(4) Attend 24 90-minute group classes at the rate of one class per week, on time, participating adequately, paying all required fees, completing all assignments, and adhering to the contract;(5) Complete the FVIP where the participant originally enrolled unless approval to change FVIPs is obtained from the court or other referral source and the original program director;(6) Be drug and alcohol free during all FVIP classes.(7) Authorize the release of all information and acknowledge that FVIPs do not limit confidentiality and may release information to victims, victim liaisons, referring courts, law enforcement, Department staff and monitors, the Department's Probation Division, the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Participants also acknowledge the FVIP's duty to warn policy, mandatory reporting requirements, victim contact policies, and programmatic responses to continued violence or breaking the contract.(b)Criteria for terminating participant from an FVIP. (1) Participant is unwilling to sign the contract;(2) Failure to abide by the rules and regulations of the FVIP, including participation, attendance, fee payment or any other violations of the contract, including, but not limited to: (A) Continued use of violence or abuse towards the victim, any current family member or partner, FVIP staff, or FVIP participants;(B) Demonstrated unwillingness to change, by refusal to hear and act on feedback, blaming victims or external circumstances, or justifying abuse;(C) Attending class under the influence of alcohol or drugs;(D) Refusal to remove weapons from the home;(E) Four (4) absences from the program without a leave of absence request approved by the provider and referral source in consultation with the victim liaison in advance of the fourth absence.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 125-4-9-.09
Ga. Constitution 1982, Art. XI, Sec. 1, Par. I, (b), O.C.G.A. Secs. 42-2-11, 42-5-55.
Original Rule entitled "Program Requirements Toward Batterers" adopted. F. Apr. 3, 2003; eff. Apr. 23, 2003.