Unsuspecting Employees Referred to Wife Beating Classes

An unfortunate trend is becoming problematic nationwide. Employees from businesses and governmental agencies are being inappropriately placed in domestic violence/wife beaters classes by their Employee Assistance Providers. This practice is damaging to victims of domestic violence and useless for persons in need of anger management/executive coaching classes.

Employee Assistance Professionals are not required to have training or exposure to anger management as a part of their core training. Consequently, the training which they have in substance abuse, mental health and stress management is inadequate to prepare them to assess and refer employees or dependants in need of anger management.

Corporate executives and Human Resource Managers need to carefully examine the referral patterns of in-house and contracted Employee Assistance Services. A simple inquiry to the local court or probation department can quickly provide information on whether or not the referral source is for wife beaters/domestic violence perpetrators.

Three national resources offer some legitimacy in finding professional anger management providers. A list of these resources can be found at: www.andersonservices.com, www.aaamp.org and www.anger-management-resources.com.

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.angertrends.blogspot.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/e/isd/111124566/2Y0r7nvj/
www.anger-management-resources.org