About Our Founder David Mandel, MA, LPC

David Mandel, MA, LPC, is the creator of the Safe & Together Model, a transformational approach to changing how systems and practitioners respond to domestic abuse when children are involved. With more than 35 years of experience in the domestic violence and child welfare fields, he has identified how a perpetrator pattern–based approach can improve the ability to partner with survivors, intervene with perpetrators as parents, and improve outcomes for children.

David is also the founder of the Safe & Together Institute, which works with governments and NGOs across the globe, including North America, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Through their live training, organizational consulting, online learning, and trainer certification, the Safe & Together Institute provides organizations and systems with a wide range of practice change tools. The Model has proven its relevance to multiple sectors, including family court, substance use, law enforcement, mental health, multi-agency efforts, and other disciplines.

David has written or co-written numerous journal articles, book chapters, and position papers, including his most recent one on the alignment of the Safe & Together Model with the children’s best interest framework. The Institute’s work is regularly the subject of research studies, including a current project examining the relevance of the Model in a First Nation context in Australia. He has just published his first book, Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers: How to Transform the Way We Keep Children Safe from Domestic Violence, which is available online through Amazon.com.

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Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers by David Mandel

Domestic violence survivors all over the world share the experience of protecting their children yet still being blamed for “choosing their partner over their children,” “failing to protect,” and “parental alienation.”

In this groundbreaking book written for professionals and survivors, David Mandel deconstructs the six key myths at the heart of mother-blaming and father-ignoring culture, demonstrating their flaws and limitations.

Supported by case studies and testimonials of practitioners and survivors, Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers shows you how the Safe & Together Model can help you learn new ways to partner with survivors and intervene with domestic abuse perpetrators as parents.

Keynote Speaking

David Mandel is a sought-after speaker working in the community, government, and academic settings. He speaks on diverse topics associated with domestic abuse-informed systems change, intervening with domestic violence perpetrators as parents, the importance of not ignoring fathers, ending mother blaming, partnering with survivors, and the Safe & Together Model. David is also co-host of the Partnered With A Survivor podcast.

Some keynote topics David can speak on include:

  • How to stop blaming mothers, ignoring fathers, and fix the way we keep children safe from domestic violence

  • The Four Pillars of “Failure to Protect” Culture

  • The Myth of the Child Witness

  • The Myth of Parental Alienation

Contact us to book David as a speaker for your in-person or online event.

Beyond the Myths: A Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers Newsletter

In each newsletter, David explores material related to the impact of professionals holding men and women to such different parenting standards. David will dig deeper into the Stop Blaming Mothers and Blaming Fathers book’s six myths —such as the “myth of the child witness” or the “failure‑to‑protect” culture—expanding how they are inefficient, ineffective, unethical, and unsafe.