In 1993, No to Violence developed the Minimum Standards for Men’s Behaviour Change Programs (MBCPs) so that all programs reflected good practice and were safe and effective in working with men who used family violence. The standards were updated once in 1996, and widely used to guide the practice of MBCP providers funded by the Victorian State Government.
In 2017, the Victorian Government (Family Safety Victoria), Monash University, No to Violence and its MBCP members, initiated a review of the standards in order to adapt them to the current practice environment; particularly the need to lengthen programs, align them to Information Sharing changes, and cater to a more diverse cohort of men.
Family Safety Victoria has now released the new Minimum Standards for MBCPs. They have been distilled down into 10 key standards for MBCPs in Victoria, and will take effect from 1 July 2018. No to Violence is currently writing a Practice Manual to accompany the new Minimum Standards, detailing how to practically implement these standards when working with men. The Practice Manual is due to be completed by 1 June 2018 and will be followed by training sessions across Victoria with all MBCP providers.
While there is room for variation in the methods and approaches adopted by individual program providers, the Minimum Standards set benchmarks that apply to all programs and ensure that women and children are not at increased risk as a result of men’s participation in MBCPs.
Versions of these have been adopted in New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Queensland. The Minimum Standards have also supported the work of South Australian based Kornar Winmil Yunti (KWY) and Cross Borders Training.
