WA DV Offender Counseling Sparse, Not Covered by Insurance

According to officials who work with several Domestic Violence programs in Yakima County, one area is vastly underserved.

Very few programs exist for counseling DV offenders

According to information from Apple Valley News (KAPP-KVEW TV), there are very few programs available to counsel and help people who commit domestic violence and help them modify their behaviors.

YWCA Executive Director Cheri Kilty, who serves Yakima, said during a recent meeting with county officials, that nationally 74 percent of DV offenders who get treatment show positive behavioral changes.

However, compared to DV victim services, counseling opportunities for offenders are few and far between.  According to the Apple Valley report, only four counseling providers are in Yakima. Often, the Department of Social and Health Services mandates such counseling for certain DV offenders, but there's often a backlog.

To compound the problem these officials say DV offender counseling is not covered by insurance.

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  A check of DSHS resources on their state website shows only three providers who offer counseling for DV offenders, two of them in Kennewick, and one in Pasco.  These programs are referred to as DVIT or Domestic Violence Intervention Training by DSHS.

None are listed for Walla Walla, Lincoln, Adams, or other SE WA counties, there is one DVIT treatment provider listed for Grant County, in Moses Lake.