OAR 137-087-0055: Culturally Informed Interventions

(1) Familiarity with Cultural Demographics. A BIP shall maintain familiarity with the cultural demographics of its service area(s) to help the BIP: (a) Anticipate the various cultural backgrounds that may be represented by participants; and (b) Identify factors within a particular cultural background that influence battering, or that can be used by the participant to excuse the battering or by the BIP to assist the participant in ending battering without using such factors as excuses for battering. (2) Scope. For purposes of these rules, cultural groups shall be construed broadly to include race, religion, and national origin, as well as economic and social groups that are identifiable within the BIP’s service area(s). (3) Basic Service Requirement. Culturally-specific services shall be offered to the extent practicable; however, if culturally-specific services are not available, BIPs shall offer culturally informed services. (4) Culturally Informed Curriculum. A BIP’s curriculum shall address, in a culturally informed way, the factors within the particular cultural background of a participant that influence battering. The curriculum shall avoid cultural stereotyping. Facilitators shall show videos and provide information from a variety of cultural perspectives to staff and participants. (5) Personnel Policies and Procedures. A BIP’s personnel policies and procedures shall require training and other activities that: (a) Promote recognition and understanding of the factors within a particular cultural background that support battering and hinder batterers from stopping violence. Such training shall promote the recognition and avoidance of cultural stereotype views and beliefs by BIP staff. The BIP shall provide staff with the tools to understand their own biases and preconceptions about people from specific cultures, and how to avoid such biases or preconceptions in the provision of BIP services and activities; (b) Inform staff about the negative effects of all forms of oppression and about how individuals within each specific cultural background in the BIP’s service area(s) may experience oppression within their own culture or within the dominant community; (c) Inform staff about how the cultural backgrounds of the populations in the BIP’s service area(s) view gender roles and family structure, and how those cultures typically respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, and conflict; (d) Inform staff about specific strengths of the cultural backgrounds in the BIP’s service area(s), e.g., strong kinship ties and work ethic, adaptability of family roles, and egalitarianism, high achievement goals, and strong religious orientation; and (e) Inform staff about specific traditions within the particular cultural backgrounds in the BIP’s service area(s) that support battering and hinder batterers from stopping their battering. (6) Library of Information and Resources. A BIP shall develop and maintain a library of information and resources about specific cultural backgrounds and culturally sensitive modes of intervention. (7) Diverse Staff and Environment. To the extent possible, a BIP shall provide a staff and environment that reflect the diversity of cultural backgrounds in the BIP’s service area(s). (8) Relationship with Other Programs. BIPs shall develop relationships with appropriate culturally-specific programs to obtain information or training about the culture, and to refer participants for non-BIP culturally-specific services as needed. BIPs shall cooperate with other BIPs in developing culturally specific programs that comply with these standards.