Anger Management Program Description and Philosophy
The Center for Therapeutic Justice Colonial Anger Management Program (AMP) consists of 10 1-1/2 hour psycho-educational group sessions held on week day evenings from 6-7:30 pm at the Colonial Community Corrections site. Ongoing collaboration with CCC includes the exchange of attendance reports, client recommendations and evaluations, group fee management, and client resource information. In addition CFTJ works with the CCC staff to offer random drug screening (breathalyzer tests) during sessions, behavioral health consultations, and mediation services for clients. Comprehensive and collaborative involvement with CCC staff and the local judicial system ensures needed communication and appropriate client service. Court sanctions can be effective as an early intervention strategy and can offer an alternative to incarceration. Our team approach provides a client-focused continuum of care and prevention strategy that promotes therapeutic justice and community safety.
The CFTJ AMP facilitator encourages the expression of feelings at the initial group session, and participants are immediately engaged in the group process. At this time it is natural for a participant or group member to have feelings of anger or resentment. Many clients are outraged because they do not believe they should have to pay for the group, they think the "other party" is at fault and should be sitting in their seat, and they often believe they have experienced injustice in the criminal justice system. Not only is anger the feeling each participant must recognize in him or herself, now each participant is asked to recognize and experience the anger expressed by each of the group members. Clients identify, empathize, and bond with one another. Sharing a "common enemy" or problem, participants experience a collective catharsis in "getting it all out." This intervention, done in a safe and supportive environment, provides the essential human experience of being heard and not judged. Often to the surprise of most group members, this begins the first of a lifetime experience- a journey of self-exploration that was not intended nor ever imagined. The crucial goal of the group for each individual is to "take a good, long, hard, honest look at yourself…" Use of the social learning model through relationship with group peers is the catalyst for client awareness, responsibility, empowerment, and corrective action.
As the group sessions continue, the therapeutic process encourages an increased level of expression of feelings and honesty. In addition, clients demonstrate an increasing ability to listen to one another, respect differences, ask for help, share meaningful life experiences, and express care for one another. The CFTJ AMP facilitator provides AMP education topics and multidimensional audiovideo resources that promote awareness, cognitive dissonance, and discussion that encourages group members to reevaluate preconceived beliefs, as well as, gender, family, and societal programming. Many times a shift in perspective occurs during a role-play where the client hears and sees how the "other party" might have been feeling and thinking. Being able to watch other participants express remorse, loss, and hope, or expressing these him or herself, sparks a longing for an improved quality of life which then propels the group participants through a remarkable process in a short amount of time. Leaving their early resistance and expectations behind, most participants come to realize the value of being accepted, heard and valued, and they begin to realize they can transfer this new awareness to all their relationships. Hungry for more information, most of the group evaluations at the last session state appreciation for the opportunity of being in the group. Not surprisingly, there are clients that state they wish the group would continue. Our final individual, written, clinical evaluation makes recommendations for further services should this be deemed appropriate. In some cases a client might be referred to another service instead of completing this group based on the ongoing assessment of the group facilitator.
Far too often the criminal justice system fails to recognize what can bring about significant and long-lasting change in human behavior and attitude. Lecturing, shaming, threatening, intimidating, punishing, excluding, controlling, and any, less than respectful treatment, are generally miserable failures in bringing about positive turns in people's lives. Acceptance, attention, listening, understanding, valuing, kindness, including caring, and any personal involvement with dignity and respect are always more effective. Human beings learn more from what they experience than from what they are told. Most group participants never forget their time in CFTJ Colonial AMP, and many make important "course corrections" that benefit themselves, their families, and their community. AMP, symbolically similar to the unit of electric unit amp, offers clients an opportunity to channel their energy into a steady, flowing and infinite straight line parallel to the criminal justice system's corrective goals ~ producing an empowering and new direction in corrections.
Center for Therapeutic Justice
PO Box 641
Williamsburg, VA 23187
(757) 561-8907
centerforjustice@aol.com
CFTJ serving the correctional community
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