Tools for Transformation:

Ending Abusive Behavior

In 1989, the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) advocated for establishing and funding the Battering Intervention and Prevention Project (BIPP). The Texas Legislature established funding and BIPP under the authority of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Community Justice Assistance Division (TDCJ-CJAD) and appropriated $400,000 to fund thirteen battering intervention programs. The funding was the first state-funded civilian program for battering intervention. The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 42.141, defined the nature and consequences of family violence and established the BIPP Parameters.

The Texas Legislature has continued to approve $3.5 million in funding for a select number of accredited BIPPs per biennium.

Accredited and state-funded BIPPs have additional layers of oversight and must coordinate efforts with community agencies, such as local family violence services centers, shelters, and non-residential, to offer support services to victims. These select BIPPs must also offer training to law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, community supervision officers, and others on the dynamics of family violence.

The Establishment of the TDCJ-CJAD BIPP Guidelines

From 1992 through 1994, the Texas Council on Family Violence formed the BIPP Strategic Planning Work Group to develop the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Community Justice Assistance Division (TDCJ-CJAD) BIPP Guidelines. In 1995, the BIPP Strategic Planning Work Group completed its first statewide BIPP Guidelines, and TDCJ-CJAD made the guidelines effective.

In 1998, the Texas Council on Family Violence and TDCJ-CJAD formed a committee to examine the BIPP Guidelines and propose revisions.

In 2007, during the 80th Texas Legislative Session, Senate Bill 44 was passed (Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 42.141). This Code relates to providing intervention or counseling services for persons who have committed family violence and a process for accrediting those services.

In late 2007, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Community Justice Assistance Division (TDCJ-CJAD) formed a committee to examine the BIPP Guidelines for program accreditation. The committee was comprised of representatives from TDCJ-CJAD, funded and non-funded Battering Intervention and Prevention Programs (BIPPs), family violence programs, Community Supervision and Corrections Departments (CSCDs), TDCJ-Parole Division, medical examiners, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors, social workers, and other professionals.

Following the recommendations for the committee, TDCJ-CJAD and the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) submitted a draft to the committee members, BIPPs, licensing authorities described by Chapters 152, 501, 502, 503, 505, Occupations Code, and other stakeholders for their review and comments. Their recommendations were incorporated into the BIPP Accreditation Guidelines effective July 2009.

In 2013, TDCJ-CJAD, in consultation with TCFV, examined and revised the BIPP Accreditation Guidelines and submitted a draft to all accredited programs, stakeholders, and TDCJ-CJAD auditors. Their recommendations have been incorporated into the 2014 guidelines.

The purpose of the Guidelines is to clarify the program and administrative standards under which an accredited program must operate if they are to receive accreditation by TDCJ-CJAD.

Because the preponderance of family violence is male-to-female battering, battering intervention, and prevention programs need to acknowledge the gender-specific nature of that violence.

Accreditation issued by TDCJ-CJAD is solely to provide direct services to adult males.

Texas BIPP Funding

The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) collaborates closely with TDCJ-CJAD each biennium to convene a BIPP Allocations Committee. Since 1990, this committee has offered recommendations for the allocation formula that serves as a distribution methodology for BIPP funds.

The BIPP Allocations Committee’s governing priority is to provide a statewide recommendation to TDCJ-CJAD on allocations that balances the needs of BIPP Programs, increase those using battering behavior access to services, and keep victims’ safety a priority.

Texas is a Battering Intervention and Prevention Programming national leader with over 30 years committed to maintaining programs, funding services, and oversight of service delivery. BIPPs consistently maintain accountability for those using battering behavior.

Ending intimate partner-related family violence begins with addressing the person causing harm. Our communities need all levels of its structure to hold those using battering behavior accountable. Accountability represents one of the strongest steps toward changing battering behavior.

In 2009, the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) recognized that BIPPs represent an important part of Texas’ proactive response to femicide prevention by directly addressing the cause of this violence.

While BIPPs represent a cost-saving alternative to incarceration in Texas for victims of family violence, they represent so much more. When asked about the support they needed, many victims cited help to make their homes safer. They hope their partner will change and stop using violence in their home.

For more detailed information on BIPP Effectiveness and to access the research studies and citations used for this section, download our Battering Intervention and Prevention Program Toolkit.

Complete TDCJ-CJAD-approved training requirements. Maintain an accurate record of approved training received per BIPP provider.

Maintain documentation of all efforts to establish a collaborative working relationship with the Community Supervision and Corrections Department (CSCD) and local family violence agencies to work together to end family violence for each served county.

Receive a letter of good standing from one referral entity.

Complete the Application for Accreditation – Battering Intervention and Prevention Program (BIPP).

Submit the BIPP Accreditation Remittance Form and the one-time application fee of $300.00 via money order or check to TDCJ Cashier’s Office, P.O. Box 4015, Huntsville, Texas 77342-4015. The fee is non-refundable.

Email your completed application and required documents to TDCJ-CJAD via email at CJAD.BIPP@tdcj.texas.gov.

For more detailed information on Getting Your BIPP Started, download our Battering Intervention and Prevention Program Toolkit.

BIPP providers working directly with family violence offenders must obtain a minimum of training hours and continuing staff development as per Guidelines 2 and 3 in the TDCJ-CJAD Guidelines. BIPP providers are also required to maintain an accurate record of approved training received for both initial staff training and continuing staff development.

BIPPs seeking accreditation or hiring new BIPP providers must ensure that each staff completes the required hours of training within six months of hire and before working unsupervised with family violence offenders.

BIPP providers must receive a total of 40 hours of TDCJ-CJAD pre-approved training for initial staff training and continuing staff development in the following:

15 Hours of Family Violence Training
25 Hours of Battering Intervention Training

Any staff member who is a licensed BIPP professional (LPC, LMFT, LCDC, LMSW, etc.) should review TDCJ-CJAD Guidelines 2 and 3 to determine whether they meet the criteria for a reduced set of 15 hours of pre-approved training in the following:

5 Hours of Family Violence Training
10 Hours of Battering Intervention Training

For more detailed information on Getting Your BIPP Training and approved training topics and opportunities, download our Battering Intervention and Prevention Program Toolkit.

The TDCJ-CJAD BIPP Training Hour Approval Form is intended for BIPP providers who are part of an accredited Battering Intervention and Prevention Program (BIPP) and would like to attend, or have attended, a training event in congruent with approved BIPP training topics that are not listed as a TDCJ-CJAD pre-approved training provider.

If you are in the process of seeking accreditation, please do not complete this form. All training records for those seeking accreditation must be submitted directly to TDCJ-CJAD with your accreditation application.

For those interested in offering a training event, conference, and/or webinar in congruent with approved BIPP training topics and seeking to pre-approve for TDCJ-CJAD hours, please contact the TCFV Family Violence Services team at FVSC@tcfv.org for a consultation. Submissions for host training events will not be reviewed through this form.

TDCJ-CJAD BIPP Training Hour Approval Form

The Battering Intervention and Prevention Program Toolkit will provide detailed information and tools to ensure successful BIP Programming and a successful community education campaign. The toolkit contains information detailing:

• The History of BIPP in Texas
• Community Education Campaign BIPP Effectiveness
• Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month + BIPP
• BIPP vs. Anger Management
• Racial Equity in BIPP
• TDCJ-CJAD BIPP Accreditation
• TDCJ-CJAD BIPP Required Training and Background Checks
• TCFV BIPP Tools for Transformation
• TDCJ-CJAD BIPP Pre-Approved Curriculum