June 05, 2014
Clinical approach to violence
Justice reform advocate Kim Workman says Maori needs aren’t being considered in the way the Corrections Department is trying to run its community-based family violence services for male offenders.
Mr Workman says community-based providers have developed a great deal of expertise based on research and working with violent offenders and their families.
He says Corrections is trying to impose a clinical psychology model which needs clinicians to engage with offenders, ignoring any cultural or social factors.
That’s why existing providers have boycotted the tender.
"The contracts will have to go organisations that have clinical psychologists on their staff and most family violence prevention programmes don't have that sort of capability because theyre not funded. We will see lots of community organisations missiong out because the department is looking for a different sort of person," he says.
Mr Workman says Corrections has also frozen community groups out of the prisoner reintegration sector.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH KIM WORKMAN CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTg4NDA=
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