The cost of batterer programs - How much and who pays?

This article documents the economic costs of four geographically and progra mmatically diverse batterer treatment programs and illustrates the componen ts and procedures of a program cost analysis. Such analyses provide an esse ntial component of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and can assist policy makers in understanding how the structure and scope of batterer programs in fluence the costs. Cost per batterer session at the four sites was similar ($22-$32) despite differences in organizational structure and scope of serv ices provided even when cost figures are adjusted ($17-$22)for other servic es offered by the sites. The estimated cost of program completion in 1995 r anged from $264 to $864. Completion costs that take account of other servic es that these sites provide range from $261 to $622, with three of the site s reporting completion costs less than $400. Much of the cost of these prog rams is borne by batterers.