Lethality Assessment and Safety Planning in Domestic Violence Families

Level: Advanced Practice – Lineworker

Credits: 6

Intended Audience: New and current child welfare personnel who have fundamental knowledge about domestic violence issues who want to increase their knowledge and skills in this area

Intended Objectives:

• Ability to assess the lethality of batterers.
• Ability to determine the potential risk of the mother and children if they remain in the home with the batterer.
• Determine the level of intervention needed to ensure the safety of the family.

Topics Include:

• Assessing lethality
• Assessing risk factors to determine the level of intervention
• Interviewing the adult victim, children, and batterer
• Safety planning
• Removing children from the home
• Alternatives to removing children from the home
• Developing case plans
• Services for victims and batterers

CalSWEC Competencies Addressed:

2.6 Student understands the dual responsibility of the child welfare caseworker to protect children and to provide services and support to enable families to care for their children.

2.8 Student understands the dynamics of family violence, including spouse abuse, and can develop appropriate culturally sensitive case plans for families and family members to address these problems.