NOMAS Adopts the NOMAS Model for Domestic Violence Offender Programs (formerly the NY Model for Batterer Programs)

After years of exploring a wide range of batterer program models, the National Council of NOMAS has given its full support and adopted to NOMAS Model for DV Offender Accountability, formerly known as the New York Model for Batterer Programs. This model was determined to be most in keeping with NOMAS principles and beliefs about sexism, domestic violence and batterer programs.
Batterer programs, created in the mid 70’s, were originally designed to “treat” offenders. Today, most programs across the country continue to be entrenched in a treatment-based perspective, despite overwhelming empirical evidence that effective treatment or individual rehabilitation is not an attainable goal for these programs.
The focus of batterer programs under the NOMAS Model is quite different: to provide the courts with a mechanism for offender accountability and judicial monitoring. Expectations thus shift from individual rehabilitation to a range of attainable, measurable individual and systemic outcomes. These include uniform court enforcement of orders to batterer programs, batterer program implementation of reasonable and verifiable policies, and meticulous feedback to the court regarding compliance.
NOMAS recommends that  all who are involved with batterer programs participate in the National Training Institute’s symposium NOMAS Model: Focused on How Courts and Programs Can Bring Real Meaning to Offender Accountability.