Domestic Violence: Inside the Minds of Men who Batter and the Women who Love Them for Social Workers

Course Description

This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval number 886824455-1047) for 2 continuing education contact hours.

This course presents fascinating and critical information about domestic violence for clinical social workers. It is written by award-winning instructors, Matt and Susan McMillan, with a personal story to tell. Matt is a former police officer, prosecutor, and judge, and Susan is a licensed mental health counselor and jury trial consultant. The course presents a perspective you simply will not find in other domestic violence courses, and promises to provide you will tools, tips, and handouts that will give you an edge in recognizing and treating clients and their children who are trapped in the insidious cycle of abuse. Students will come away with a new-found understanding regarding the thought processes of batterers and victims, and the myths and realities of this ongoing societal crisis that affects us all.

Florida: Required for initial licensure and every third renewal.

"This is a topic that I am very familiar with, but I got more out of it than I have from other online CEUs . So I was really pleased by the straight forward/yet compassionate nature in which it was presented. In fact when saw my patients the week, after I kept thinking of them within the framework that was presented.. I haven't had the happen in a very long time."  ~Lia Cooper, LCSW, Rhode Island

Outside Florida: Many other states require this course. Check with your Board.

Course Objectives

By the end of the seminar, participants will:

• Understand the belief systems and thought processes of men and women in battering relationships which enable both partners to rationalize abusive or destructive behavior.

• Identify common tactics of men who batter.

• Identify the characteristics of men who are likely to batter

• Recognize warning signs or red flags of domestic violence in a treatment setting, even when all family members deny its existence.

• Describe the various treatment approaches for men who batter, and understand which forms of treatment are most effective, which are least effective or even dangerous and why, as well as recognize when a referral to batterers intervention would be appropriate.

• Recognize and understand the immediate and lasting effects of domestic violence on children, including the neurological changes caused by traumatic exposure.

• Understand the relationship between substance abuse, mental health issues and domestic violence.