The 14^th Annual BISC-MI Fall Conference
Offering a faculty of 40 experts from around the country

***EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED***
***UNTIL 11-1-2009***

November 4, 5, 6, 2009

If you are currently receiving one of the following OVW Grants:
(1) Grants to Encourage Arrest
(2) STOP Violence Against Women Grants, or
(3) Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grant Program

Contact your Grant Manager to request approval to utilize grant funds to attend this important conference!

A partnership of Batterer Intervention Services Coalition of Michigan
and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women

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Click here to see the conference pictures!

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CONFERENCE SPONSORS INCLUDE
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16.5 CEUs Available

Click here for the Conference Program
 

This project was supported by Grant Nos. 2006-WT-AX-K046 and 2008-TA-AX-K038 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed by program faculty and in program materials, including curriculum outlines, PowerPoint slides, handouts, contents of binders and CD-ROMs, and other program documents, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice.
 

Opening and Introductory Remarks: Catherine Pierce, Acting Director, Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice.

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW: This must-attend event will be rich with engaging presentations, anecdotal success stories, practical information and interactive sessions focused on envisioning, developing, implementing and improving  coordinated community response to ending domestic violence. Our experts, from around the country, include judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, probation agents, domestic violence victim advocates, defense attorneys, and batterer intervention program staff who work in this field on a daily basis.

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In many jurisdictions across the country the criminal justice system has become
less effective in protecting victims. Apathy in many communities is growing.
Batterers have learned to use this indifference to their advantage!

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GET PEOPLE TO
DIG IN AGAIN?

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 BISC-MI Presents a 3-Day Conference showcasing the lessons learned from
the three national demonstration sites of the OVW funded
Judicial Oversight Demonstration Initiative (JODI) and Much MORE!

This conference will identify key components, explore the reality behind the research, and offer creative strategies
for communities to work together to provide "best practices" in eliminating domestic violence and ensuring victim safety and accountability.
There are ways to do this work, get re-energized, and create meaningful and sustainable partnerships, even in the face of diminished resources.

Funded and managed by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs’ Violence Against Women Office and the National Institute of Justice, JODI tested the idea that a coordinated community response to domestic violence with a focused judicial response and a systematic criminal justice response can improve victim safety and increase offender accountability. Collaboration among all JODI partner agencies was a cornerstone of the project.

Each JODI partner agency participated in a national evaluation. Funded by the National Institute of Justice and implemented by the Urban Institute, data derived from the national evaluation will be used to develop “best practices” on how best to eliminate domestic violence and ensure victim safety and offender accountability.

Click Here For Important JODI History and Resources

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click to register
EARLY REGISTRATION REDUCED RATES UNTIL 11-1-2009

Click here for the Conference Program

The 14^th Annual BISC-MI Fall 2009 Conference
November 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 2009

Battle Creek, Michigan

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CONFERENCE RATES:
Before November 2, 2009
     $199.00 BISC-MI Member*
     $279.00 Non Member*
***EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED***
*After November 2, 2009 all fees above increase by $50.00

The conference rates include the following meals:
three continental breakfasts, three lunches, and one dinner.

*To find out more about becoming a BISC-MI member
go to: BISC-MI Membership

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LODGING RATES
The McCamly Plaza Hotel
Room Rates
$65.00 for a double or a single!

You must make your room reservations separate
from your conference registration, rooms at this rate are limited

CLICK HERE TO: Use this form to register for lodging and get the discounted rate!

For Information on Lodging Call: 888.622.2659

Visit online at: The McCamly Plaza Hotel
McCamly Plaza Hotel
50 Capital Ave SW
Battle Creek, MI 49017

Parking at the hotel: REDUCED RATE $4.00 for a day pass
*The parking facility is owned by the city, not the hotel*

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Planning on Flying?
The most convenient airport is the Kalamazoo Battle/Creek International Airport located in Kalamazoo.
The distance is about 25 miles, 1/2 hour drive.
McCamly Plaza Hotel does offer transportation to and from the Airport.
The cost is $30.00 one way.  Each additional person is $10.00
Contact the hotel directly to arrange this reduced rate
McCamly Plaza Hotel Phone: 888.622.2659
Their cost is very reasonable compared to the taxi's or shuttle service ($50.00 and up for one way)

Additional options for flight include flying into Detroit Metro and Lansing airports

To make airline reservations you can contact Carrie Todd
Passageways Travel in East Lansing, MI.
800-968-2238 extension 5860

Questions please contact Peaty at
Phone: 517.482.3933 or
Email: Peatyh@cablespeed.com

Also consider taking the Amtrak Train
TRAIN RATES ARE INCREDIBLE!

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2009 Conference Agenda

Pre-Conference:  Tuesday, November 3, 2009

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Registration

7:30 am - 8:30 am Registration and Continental breakfast
8:30 am - 8:45 am Welcome and Housekeeping
8:45 am - 9:00 am Debi Cain, Executive Director, Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, Opening
9:00 am - 9:15 am Welcome and Opening Remarks: Catherine Pierce, Office on Violence Against Women Acting Director

9:15 am - 10:45 am
Designing an Effective CCR: Thirty Years of the Duluth Model
Faculty: Michael Paymar & Rhonda Martinson
Plenary #1: Many communities claim some version of a CCR, but after examination shows little more than regular networking meetings and improved relationships between disciplines. The Duluth-model CCR goes much deeper. In this plenary session, we will explore the necessity of understanding how institutions are organized and how to analyze whether policies, practices and CCR actions enhance or diminish victim safety. As our understanding of and the response to domestic violence has become more complex and comprehensive, so have the ways to solve problems. Using case scenarios from Duluth and other communities we will demonstrate effective strategies on how to build and maintain relationships within the CCR team and how to keep agencies engaged. We will also examine practical ways to identify problematic practices by intervening agencies in a CCR and demonstrate concrete methods to resolve these problems. This will be a frank, inspirational and hands-on plenary on how to design and maintain an effective CCR by building a richer knowledge base and how to draw on lessons learned not only from research, but also from hard data, observation and practice.
Paymar Barnes Article December 2006 | Batterer Accountability CCR June 2009 | Bridging Social Change Systems Reform | Building Women's Safety into a CCR | CCR Flow Chart | DAIP CCR Overview | Definition of Duluth Model | Recidivism 8 Years | Definition of Power & Control Wheel | Theoretical and research support for the Duluth Model: A reply to dutton and corvo |

10:45 am - 11:00 am Break

11:00 am - 11:10 am Conference Theme Song

11:15 am - 12:45 pm
Unpacking The Research
Faculty: Larry Bennett
Plenary #2: The multi-site evaluation of the JODI project is a major research effort to address the effectiveness of enhanced coordinated intervention in domestic violence cases.  It has rightfully drawn a great deal of attention but also, in its complexity, raised some confusion over its interpretations and application.  Some reviews of the evaluation have used the results to question and even dismiss community coordinated response, and others have raised some tentative support. This session attempts to broaden and clarify the discussion of the JODI evaluation results by reviewing some of the limitations and qualifications of the study. It also will draw on other research experiences that help to assess the JODI evaluation.  One issue that stands out in the field overall is the need for practitioners as well as researchers to participate in the interpretation and application of such studies.
All JODI Reports | PowerPoint Presentation |

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm Lunch provided

1:45 pm - 3:15 pm
A Holistic Court Response to Domestic Violence: The Erie County Integrated Domestic Violence Court
Faculty: Liberty Aldrich, Hallie Brownstein, Colleen Gibbons, Kevin C. Gibbons, Hon. Deborah A. Haendiges, Karen Korkuc
Plenary #3: This session will provide an overview of Erie County's innovative one-family one-judge court which brings together civil and criminal domestic violence cases before a single judge. The judge, resource coordinator, prosecutor, defense attorney/attorney for the child and domestic violence advocate will each discuss how the model impacts their roles, their clients and the community. Additionally, they will present some of the challenges and successes of the integrated approach.
 Plenary #3 PowerPoint |

3:15 pm - 3:30 pm Break

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Exploring The Innovations and Outcomes of Domestic Violence Courts
Faculty: Melissa Labriola, Liberty Aldrich, The Center for Court Innovation
Plenary #4: Led by two staff members from the Center for Court Innovation - the Director of the Domestic Violence and Family Court Programs and a Principal Research Associate - this session will reflect on the past two decades of domestic violence courts and what the research literature tells us concerning their impact. In addition, based on extensive research-practitioner experience, the panel will share lessons learned regarding building and maintaining collaborative relationships.
Two Decades of Domestic Violence Courts | Plenary #4 PowerPoint |

5:15 pm - 6:00 pm BISC-MI Annual Meeting

~Dinner on your own~

7:30 am - 8:30 am Continental breakfast
8:30 am - 8:45 am Housekeeping
8:45 am - 9:00 am Welcome: Battle Creek Mayor, Mark Behnke, Opening

9:00 am - 10:30 am
JODI Stories of Lessons Learned: Milwaukee Judicial Oversight Demonstration Team
Faculty: Hon. Carl Ashley, Terese Dick, Jeffrey A. Kremers, Danielle Basil Long, Attiyya Nuruddin, Thomas Salter, Kara Schurman, Carmen Pitre, Gilbert F. Urfer
Plenary #5: This plenary will provide attendees with an overview of the development, key activities, and outcomes of the JODI project created in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Presenters include a representative from each of the key stakeholders in the process: Court, prosecutor, probation, governmental victim advocate, non-governmental victim advocacy/services, batterer intervention program, defense attorneys, and law enforcement. These partners in the JODI project will engage in a frank facilitated discussion of what worked, what did not, and why, and will reflect on the most significant challenges to enhancing victim/survivor safety
and promoting offender accountability.
Milwaukee JOD Fact Sheet | Milwaukee Outcomes Urban Local | Milwaukee JOD Audio Conference | Milwaukee PowerPoint Presentation |

10:30 am - 10:45 am Break

10:45 am - 12:15 pm
JODI Stories of Lessons Learned:  Boston Judicial Oversight Demonstration Team
Faculty: Hon. Sydney Hanlon, Julie S. Higgins, Lois Kanter, Deirdre  Kennedy, Mary-Ann Riva, Mitch Rothenberg, David Weingarten
Plenary #6: This plenary will provide attendees with an overview of the development, key activities, and outcomes of the JOD project created in The Dorchester District, Boston Massachusetts. (Same description as above.)
Dorchester JOD Fact Sheet | Dorchester Probation Guidelines | Dorchester Restraining Order Information Sheet | Dorchester Restraining Order Information| Dorchester Restraining Order Information Tips | Dorchester Restraining Order Information Tips Spanish | Dorchester SCDAO Disposition Sheet | Dorchester PowerPoint |

12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Lunch Provided

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm
JODI County Stories of Lessons Learned:  Washtenaw Judicial Oversight Demonstration Team
Faculty: Brant Funkhouser, David J. H. Garvin, James E. Henderson Jr., Hon. Elizabeth Pollard Hines, Stacy M. Kearney, Brian Mackie, Elizabeth Mcguire, David M. Oblak, Lore A. Rogers.
Plenary #7: This plenary will provide attendees with an overview of the development, key activities, and outcomes of the JODI project created in Washtenaw County, Michigan. (Same description as above.)
Washtenaw  JOD Fact Sheet |

2:45 pm - 2:55 pm Break

2:55 pm - 3:45 pm
Batterer Intervention Programs & Survivor Service Organizations:  The Odd Couple
Faculty: Barbara Hart & David J. H. Garvin, will be joined by additional conference faculty
Workshop #1: This workshop will focus on the optimum relationship between the batterer intervention program and the local domestic survivor services organization. Concepts such as monitoring and victim/survivor contact will be explored.
Safety For Battered Women Monitoring Manual (Please note this is a large file. You will be able to view this file electronically but you not be able to print this file. You will also get an error message when you open the document, but you will still be able to view the contents). | PCADV Funding Guidelines for BIPs | Operationalizing Accountability | What is The Purpose of Partner Contact? | The Problem with "Time-Outs" | Conceptual Clarity | ADA Accountability Workbook 2009 |

2:55 pm - 3:45 pm
Survivor Advocacy Innovations
Faculty: Lore Rogers, Kara Schurman, will be joined by additional conference faculty
Workshop #2: This workshop will focus on innovations that even the most seasoned anti-domestic violence advocate will benefit from.

2:55 pm - 3:45 pm
JODI Discussion Tables: An informal gathering of the faculty for an informal Q & A Session
Faculty: Judge Carl Ashley, Judge Elizabeth Hines, Dierdre Kennedy, Liberty Aldrich, Terese Dick, Lois Kantner, Stacey Kearney, Danielle Long, Attiyya Nuruddin, Lore Rogers, Thomas Salter, Kara Schurman, Gilbert Urfer, Colleen Gibbons, Carl Ashley, David Weingarten.
Workshop #3: This workshop will offer a unique informal and comfortable gathering of JODI team members who will discuss their experiences during this question and answer period.
All JODI Reports |

2:55 pm - 3:45 pm
Prosecutors & Defense Attorneys:  Another Odd Couple
Faculty: Terese Dick, Brian Mackie, will be joined by additional conference faculty
Workshop #4: This workshop will elucidate the importance of collaboration between these two seemingly disparate members of the criminal justice coordinated community response.

3:45 pm - 3:55 pm Break

3:55 pm - 4:45 pm
Low Cost and No Cost CCR Innovations
Faculty: Judge Libby Hines, Danielle Long, Lois Kantner, Danielle Long, Lisa McGuire, Carmen Pitre, Gilbert Urfer, Judge Carl Ashley, will be joined by additional conference faculty.
Workshop #5: This workshop will deliver concrete and specific examples of low and no cost innovations that you can implement in your community
¢¢R'$  don't have to be expen$ive.
BIP Class Report | DV Court Memo | Milwaukee DV Bond Template | Milwaukee PowerPoint Presentation | NCO Modification | Review Hearing Protocol | Memorandum of Conditions of Probation |

3:55 pm - 4:45 pm
Substance Abuse and Other Valuable Community Partners Missing From the Table
Faculty: Jeffrie Cape, Terese Dick, will be joined by additional conference faculty
Workshop #6: This workshop will describe the important efforts to broaden the coordinated community response beyond the criminal justice system.

3:55 pm - 4:45 pm
Law Enforcement & Survivor Advocates; We're On the Same Team
Faculty: Lore Rogers, Lois Kanter, will be joined by additional conference faculty
Workshop #7: This workshop will focus on the rich histories and important experiences of developing the collaboration between these two community partners.

3:55 pm - 4:45 pm
Probation Secrets of Success in Collaborating with Batterer Intervention Programs.
Faculty: Dee Kennedy, Dave Oblak, will be joined by additional conference faculty.
Workshop #8: This workshop will provide experiential knowledge, skills and resources on best practices as they relate to developing a successful collaboration between batterer intervention programs and probation.
Dorchester Probation Guidelines | Probation and BIP PowerPoint |

2:55 pm - 4:45 pm
JODI Judges Round Table Discussion (Judges only)
Faculty: Judge Carl Ashley, Judge Elizabeth Hines, Judge Sydney Hanlon
Workshop #9: A confidential, interactive, and frank discussion for judges only about the JODI, past, present and future: The challenges and benefits of adjudicating partner violence cases in the context of a "coordinated community response."
Among the discussion topics:

• What is ethically appropriate for judges?
• What can you accomplish with limited resources?
• How can judicial reviews promote victim safety and help hold offenders accountable?

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Dinner provided

7:30 am - 8:30 am Continental breakfast
8:30 am - 8:45 am Housekeeping

8:45 am - 9:15 am
Battered Hearts Story
Faculty: Jenny Fopma, Safe Place Director and Judge John Hallacy
Battered Hearts tells the story of family violence through the eyes and voices of women and children who have lived through its terror in their daily lives.  It brings us face-to-face with one of society's gravest problems and enduring impact on its most innocent victim - the child.  Out of this tragedy came new laws that have since saved thousands of lives.  The video will be followed by a brief discussion of the participants current status and the current laws impacting victims of domestic violence.
DVD Order Form |

9:15 am - 10:45 am
Are We Helping? The need to (re)consider "what works" in evaluation if we are to truly understand "what works" in communities
Faculty: Katya Fels Smyth
Plenary #8: Are we helping? The need to (re)consider "what works" in evaluation if we are to truly understand "what works" in communities. How often do we hear "accountability" and "doing what works" as phrases to describe others' work and perhaps our own?  Many policy makers, funders and practitioners are eager to move beyond the quagmire of good intentions and choice anecdotes to a place of rigorous evaluation and analysis. We want to make sure that what we does works, and, if it works, to spread it far. But even as "accountability" and "doing what works" have gained currency, the limitations on what can become "proven" have become greater.  In government and increasingly in philanthropy, a focus reigns on scientific methodology to sort out which interventions work and which don't.  There has been a false promise made to us, that these experimental design evaluations will illuminate whether interventions work with a high level of certainty and precision. In fact, they don't, and over-reliance on these tools threatens to bury some of interventions that hold the greatest promise for our communities, simply because they are a poor fit for the evaluation methodology.  In this plenary session, Katya Fels Smyth will discuss the implications of over-reliance on scientific method evaluations, possible alternatives, and the need for communities and practitioners to be assertive in naming outcomes that matter.
A Lot To Lose | To Judge What Will Best Help Society's Neediest, Let's Use a Broad Array of Evaluation Techniques | Mismatch between Complex Interventions and "Gold Standard" Evaluation | PowerPoint Presentation |

10:45 am - 10:55 am Break

10:55 am - 11:45 am
Critical Thinking and Analysis about Expanding the Context of The CCR
Faculty: Barbara Hart
Plenary #9: This workshop will explore how communities can come together in creative and accountable ways to engage men who indicate a willingness to engage in a process of non-violence and accountability. It will further explore how critical thinking can expand this context to create services that survivors of domestic violence need in order to feel safe and heard.
Marital Status Variations and Women Abuse in Public Housing | Aggression Bias | DeKeserdy & Schwartz | DeKeserdy Male Peer Support | Gendered Social Bond | JQ Article | Male Peer Police Culture | PowerPoint Presentation | Close 2 Home |

11:45 am - 12:00 pm
Survivor Story of Contact With the Coordinated Community Response

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch Provided

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm
Probation/Parole Group Reporting
Faculty: Jim Henderson
Workshop #10: With more focus on victim safety and community partnerships, probation is feeling the pressures of an over burden system. Traditional one-on-one supervision can be costly in regards to time and resources and less productive then group work. Probation group reporting has taken off in specialty courts as a way to engage defendants in the process of change. Participants will learn how one can set up and conduct an effective group reporting format. Clear examples of how probation group reporting can break down barriers to compliance for the defendant, how they can reduce violations for new probationers, will be discussed. Lastly examples will be given on how this time saving practice allows for enhanced community partnerships and a better community message.
Henderson PowerPoint Presentation |

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm
Judicial Reviews: An effective tool for increasing compliance with the conditions of probation
Faculty: Judge Carl Ashley, Judge Elizabeth Hines, Judge Sydney Hanlon
Workshop #11 : A judicial review is an invaluable process to better insure a defendant's compliance with probation conditions and support for victims.  It confirms and supports that probation/parole officers are consistently following through with their responsibilities. The defendants have swift consequences for violations and recognition for appropriate behavior and the following outcomes are more easily met: Helping judges, probation officers, and batterer intervention providers hold offenders accountable; Promoting victim safety; Helping domestic violence offenders improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Judicial Reviews |

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm
How To Move Cases Forward Without Victim Participation
Faculty: Brian Mackie, Julie Higgins, will be joined by additional conference faculty
Workshop #12: For too many years prosecutors have depended on the participation of victims to determine whether or not to pursue domestic violence prosecution. In recent years more courts are treating domestic violence cases as one would a homicide, relying on evidence other than what can be provided by the victim. This workshop will discuss Crawford and hearsay issues, use of expert witnesses, and evidence based prosecution, utilizing evidence such as 911 tapes, photos, witnesses, police testimony, and medical testimony.

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm
Offender Personality Issues in Intimate Partner Homicide
Faculty: Craig N. Ackley
Workshop #13: When assessing risk for intimate partner homicide, emphasis has historically been placed on such risk factors as prior physical or psychological abuse, threatening behavior, substance use, and access to weapons. While these and other traditional risk factors are critical in any assessment, traits and characteristics of the specific offender can be equally important. This workshop is designed to provide a basic understanding of the various personality issues involved in intimate partner violence, particularly as they relate to lethality.
Ackley PowerPoint Presentation |

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
***Wrap-up/Door Prizes and Certificates***

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Click here for the Conference Program

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Disclaimer:
Any opinion, findings, recommendations or conclusions, expressed by any author(s) or speaker(s) do not necessarily reflect the views of BISC-MI.
BISC-MI reserves the right to substitute a qualified instructor or topic due to unforeseen circumstances

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Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations received before October 7, 2009 are refundable less a $50 administrative fee
No refunds will be given after October 7, 2009
Substitutions may be made

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Who Should Attend?

Staff involved in the Coordinated Community Response to
END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

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ADA or ASA: If you require ADA or ASA accommodations, please contact BISC-MI at least 4 weeks
before the conference begins so that arrangements can be made

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* Click here for the Conference Program*

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Click here for a history of the BISC-MI Conferences

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