Purpose
The Partner Assault Response Program (PAR) is a Domestic Violence Court initiative that delivers a specialized community-based group intervention to individuals who have been ordered by the court to attend the program in response to a charge involving domestic violence. The PAR program at Catholic Family Services of Hamilton offers three referral streams: Coordinated Prosecution, Early Intervention, and referral by Probation and Parole when circumstances exist that suggest domestic violence is a factor. For a limited time, the remained of 2017 the PAR program is now available on a voluntary basis, for individuals who do not have outstanding charges before the court. If you think you may be interested, please call Jan Wilson at ext. 231.

Method
The PAR program consists of twelve weekly group sessions of two hours in length. Through an invitational approach, we support participants as they work toward ending abusive and violent behaviour by:

• Encouraging them to be accountable for abusive behaviour
• Helping them to recognize the impact of their behaviour on their partners, children and themselves
• Teaching strategies for relating to their partners in ways that generate equality and respect
• Identifying warning signs to abuse and coping strategies to assist with avoiding abusive behaviour
• Providing opportunities to discuss progress, celebrate change, and encourage continued growth

Interpreters are provided at no cost, if required.

Process & Fees
After referral, individuals are responsible for contacting the PAR program to arrange an intake. There is a fee for the PAR program. All participants will be engaged in the process of payment planning.

Funding for this program is provided by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Ontario Government or the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.