# 20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.50: Section 1905.50 Assessment Guidelines

> Illinois · Regulations · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_50

## Section

- **Citation:** 20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.50
- **Heading:** Section 1905.50 Assessment Guidelines
- **Jurisdiction:** Illinois
- **Kind:** Regulations
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Illinois Administrative Code / Title 20 CORRECTIONS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT / CHAPTER VII: SEX OFFENDER MANAGEMENT BOARD / Part 1905 ADULT SEX OFFENDER EVALUATION AND TREATMENT / Section 1905.50 Assessment Guidelines

## Text

Section 1905.50  Assessment Guidelines
a)         Licensed
evaluators shall conduct objective, impartial and reliable sexual
abuser-specific assessments that support well-informed decision making and
maintain the credibility and integrity of the profession.
1)         Evaluators
conduct sexual abuser-specific assessments in accordance with any additional
ethical standards, codes, laws or other expectations for the respective
profession or discipline of practice.  This includes ethical standards
pertaining to, but not limited to, the following:
A)        Informed
consent;
B)        Specialized
training, knowledge, expertise and scope of practice;
C)        Documentation
and retention of records;
D)        Currency
of research;
E)        Confidentiality;
F)         Professional
relationships; and
G)        Conduct.
2)         Evaluators:
A)        explore and disclose any conflicts of interest or
other issues that may interfere with their ability to provide an objective,
fair and impartial assessment; and
B)        refer the potential client to another clinician
or agency if the assessment process and findings will be compromised by those
factors.
3)         Evaluators conducting sexual abuser-specific
assessments:
A)        acknowledge and attempt to address any personal biases
or assumptions they may have based on age, race, gender identity, sexual
orientation, faith practices, cultural differences, socioeconomic differences,
education, language, level of intellectual functioning, and mental or physical
disability; and
B)        refer the potential client to another clinician
or agency if the assessment process and findings will be compromised by those
factors.
4)         Evaluators take into account the client's
current legal status (e.g., no legal status; preadjudication, pretrial psychiatric
hold; presentencing, civil commitment referral; parole hearing; revocation) and
the ways in which that status may influence the nature of scope of the sexual
abuser-specific assessment
the assessment process and findings will be compromised by those
factors.
4)         Evaluators take into account the client's
current legal status (e.g., no legal status; preadjudication, pretrial psychiatric
hold; presentencing, civil commitment referral; parole hearing; revocation) and
the ways in which that status may influence the nature of scope of the sexual
abuser-specific assessment.
5)         Evaluators take reasonable steps to:
A)        afford the client who is the subject of the
assessment (and/or legal guardian) the opportunity to make an informed decision
about participating in the assessment process; and
B)        document those efforts in the report.  These
steps include, but are not limited to the following:
i)          Explaining
the nature and purposes of the assessment;
ii)          Outlining
potential benefits, risks and limitations of the assessment procedures that
will be used;
iii)          Highlighting
the potential benefits and impact of participating or declining to participate;
iv)         Specifying
limits on confidentiality, such as persons or entities to whom the findings
will be provided and the circumstances under which information may otherwise be
released; and
v)         Responding
to questions posed by the client regarding the assessment process.
6)         Evaluators:
A)        inform clients of the evaluator's
responsibilities vis-á-vis the client and the request for the evaluation; and
B)        ensure that clients understand that the
evaluation may still proceed without their consent.
7)         Evaluators recognize the potential for
disclosures of previously undetected sexually abusive behaviors, work closely
with other system stakeholders to establish protocols for the fair, ethical and
responsible handling of the disclosures, and ensure the client understands the
evaluator's duty to disclose as required by law
that the
evaluation may still proceed without their consent.
7)         Evaluators recognize the potential for
disclosures of previously undetected sexually abusive behaviors, work closely
with other system stakeholders to establish protocols for the fair, ethical and
responsible handling of the disclosures, and ensure the client understands the
evaluator's duty to disclose as required by law.
8)         Evaluators take reasonable steps to ensure that
assessments of sexual abusers are current when that information will be used to
inform case management decisions, such as sentencing, civil commitment,
release, treatment and supervision.
9)         Evaluators take reasonable steps to clearly
articulate the specific rationale for all conclusions and recommendations
provided in a given assessment, using language that is readily understandable
to the consumers of the assessment, including the client.
10)        Evaluators consider community safety and the
degree to which the client is capable of and willing to manage his or her
sexual behavior when making recommendations in the assessments.
b)         Evaluators shall clarify with the requestor and
subject the specific purposes for which an assessment is being conducted and shall
document accordingly.
1)         Evaluators conduct sexual abuser-specific
assessments primarily for the following purposes:
A)        Understanding
the nature and extent of a client's sexually abusive behavior;
B)        Exploring
criminogenic and other needs that should be the focus of treatment and other
interventions;
C)        Estimating
short- and long-term recidivism risk, both sexual and nonsexual;
D)        Identifying
specific responsivity factors; and/or
E)        Obtaining
baseline information about a client against which progress and other changes
can be gauged
exually abusive behavior;
B)        Exploring
criminogenic and other needs that should be the focus of treatment and other
interventions;
C)        Estimating
short- and long-term recidivism risk, both sexual and nonsexual;
D)        Identifying
specific responsivity factors; and/or
E)        Obtaining
baseline information about a client against which progress and other changes
can be gauged.
2)         Evaluators recognize that sexual abuser-specific
assessments are not designed or reliable for, and should not be conducted for,
the following purposes:
A)        Substantiating
or refuting allegations that are the focus of a criminal, civil, child custody
or other investigation;
B)        Exploring
the veracity or motivations of an alleged victim's statements;
C)        Guiding
law enforcement, prosecutorial or charging determinations;
D)        Suggesting
the existence of a predetermined profile of a sexual abuser against which an
individual can be compared to determine fact; or
E)        Addressing
or alluding to a client's potential guilt or innocence, or otherwise speaking
to issues that are within the purview of a trier-of-fact.
3)         Evaluators collaborate with other stakeholders
involved in risk reduction, risk management and prevention efforts to promote
the appropriate and effective use of assessment data to inform case management
decisions with sexual abusers.
4)         Evaluators take steps to educate other
stakeholders, including the public, regarding the appropriate purposes,
potential misuses, strengths and limitations pertaining to the assessment of
sexual abusers.
c)         Evaluators shall utilize assessment measures,
instruments and procedures that are appropriate for addressing the specific
goals of the assessment, for the purposes for which the tools were designed,
and for the client being assessed
including the public, regarding the appropriate purposes,
potential misuses, strengths and limitations pertaining to the assessment of
sexual abusers.
c)         Evaluators shall utilize assessment measures,
instruments and procedures that are appropriate for addressing the specific
goals of the assessment, for the purposes for which the tools were designed,
and for the client being assessed.
1)         Evaluators shall be familiar with the
psychometric properties of the assessment measures to be used, including
reliability and validity, and favor well-accepted instruments that are
supported by empirical research.
2)         Evaluators shall use instruments and methods for
which they are appropriately trained, follow recommended administration
protocols for all assessment measures utilized, and offer statements of
findings that are limited to the capabilities of these methodologies.
3)         Evaluators recognize that assessment instruments
developed for and used with adult sexual abusers may not be appropriately
normed, valid or reliable for use with other subpopulations of sexually abusive
clients.
4)         Evaluators shall select the most reliable, valid
and appropriate assessment instruments and procedures given the client's age,
gender, culture, language, developmental and intellectual functioning, and
other unique characteristics.
5)         Evaluators who are unable to communicate
fluently with a client shall refer the client to another qualified professional
who is able to communicate fluently with that client.  A professional
interpreter may be used with the client's permission, provided that
confidentiality agreements are in place.  Evaluators shall note within their
assessments if an interpreter is utilized.
6)         Evaluators who conduct assessments on special
subpopulations of sexually abusive clients possess specialized knowledge,
obtained through focused training, regarding these subpopulations
ofessional
interpreter may be used with the client's permission, provided that
confidentiality agreements are in place.  Evaluators shall note within their
assessments if an interpreter is utilized.
6)         Evaluators who conduct assessments on special
subpopulations of sexually abusive clients possess specialized knowledge,
obtained through focused training, regarding these subpopulations.
7)         Evaluators assess/screen clients for acute
mental or behavioral health needs that may require intervention prior to
initiating assessments or interventions specific to sexually abusive behavior
and, if necessary, refer clients to other professionals who are qualified to
provide these services.  The impact of those mental health or behavioral needs
on the assessment procedures or findings should be noted in the evaluator's
report.
8)         Evaluators strive to meet the special needs of
clients with developmental, learning or physical impairments during assessments
(e.g., using taped versions of questionnaires, modifying terminology/language
on self-report instruments).  Reasons and the rationale for using alternative
testing methods should be documented in the report, and it should be noted that
these special accommodations may have an impact on the reliability and validity
of instruments that are typically self-administered.
9)         Evaluators should note in the report any
limitations or biases related to using instruments or procedures that were not
developed to take into account a client's age, race, gender identity, sexual
orientation, faith practice, cultural background, socioeconomic status,
education, language or level of intellectual functioning
idity
of instruments that are typically self-administered.
9)         Evaluators should note in the report any
limitations or biases related to using instruments or procedures that were not
developed to take into account a client's age, race, gender identity, sexual
orientation, faith practice, cultural background, socioeconomic status,
education, language or level of intellectual functioning.
d)         Evaluators shall recognize that conducting
psychosexual evaluations provides a critical opportunity to gain comprehensive
understanding of the client's circumstances, risk, intervention needs and
responsivity factors; engage the client in the assessment and overall
intervention process; and offer reliable data to inform decision making.
1)         Evaluators rely on multiple sources of
information when conducting a psychosexual evaluation, preferably to include
the following:
A)        Client
interviews;
B)        Interviews
with collateral informants, as applicable (e.g., family, intimate
partner/spouse);
C)        Thorough
review of official documents (e.g., police reports, victim impact statements,
criminal justice records, previous assessment and treatment records, presentence
or social services investigations);
D)        Empirically
grounded general psychometric testing (e.g., intellectual, diagnostic);
E)        Empirically
grounded strategies to estimate risk of sexual and/or nonsexual recidivism; and
F)         When
professional judgement dictates:
i)          Empirically
grounded instruments designed to measure broad sexual, as well as
offense-related, attitudes and interests;
ii)         Empirically
grounded, objective psychophysiological measures of sexual arousal, interests
and/or preferences
Empirically
grounded strategies to estimate risk of sexual and/or nonsexual recidivism; and
F)         When
professional judgement dictates:
i)          Empirically
grounded instruments designed to measure broad sexual, as well as
offense-related, attitudes and interests;
ii)         Empirically
grounded, objective psychophysiological measures of sexual arousal, interests
and/or preferences.
2)         Evaluators identify, document and explain the
implications of specific responsivity factors, which include, but are not
limited to, the following:
A)        Age;
B)        Culture;
C)        Psychosocial
and emotional development;
D)        Level
of adaptive functioning;
E)        Neuropsychological,
cognitive and learning impairments;
F)         Language
or communication barriers;
G)        Acute
psychiatric symptoms;
H)        Denial;
and
I)         Level
of motivation.
3)         Evaluators interact with clients in ways that
are designed to promote engagement, decrease resistance, and foster internal
motivation throughout the assessment process.
4)         Evaluators explore and incorporate the client's
own perspectives, interests and goals when interviewing and assessing the
client.
5)         Evaluators take reasonable steps to employ
communication methods that take into account specific responsivity factors such
as culture, developmental level, and intellectual functioning.
6)         Evaluators recognize that the varying reasons
for which a client presents for a psychosexual evaluation may impact the client's
demeanor during the interview
ing and assessing the
client.
5)         Evaluators take reasonable steps to employ
communication methods that take into account specific responsivity factors such
as culture, developmental level, and intellectual functioning.
6)         Evaluators recognize that the varying reasons
for which a client presents for a psychosexual evaluation may impact the client's
demeanor during the interview.
7)         Evaluators seek to obtain a range of general
background information about the client, including, but not limited to, the
following:
A)        Developmental
history (e.g., family dynamics, exposure to violence, maltreatment);
B)        Nature
and quality of past and current relationships (e.g., family, peers, intimate
partners);
C)        Medical
and mental health history (i.e., client and family);
D)        Intelligence,
cognitive functioning and level of maturity;
E)        Education
and employment history;
F)         Antisocial
orientation (e.g., antisocial attitudes and values, psychopathy, antecedents of
juvenile delinquency, adult criminal history, violence or aggression); and
G)        History
of substance use and abuse.
8)         Evaluators collect information regarding sexual
history information that includes, but is not limited to, the following:
A)        Psychosexual
development, early sexual experience, and history of age-appropriate,
consensual sexual relationships;
B)        Nature
and frequency of sexual practices (e.g., masturbation, nonabusive and nondeviant
sexual behaviors, unconventional or risky sexual activities);
C)        Paraphilic
interests, fantasies and behaviors that may not be sexually abusive (e.g.,
fetishes, masochism);
D)        Use
of sexually oriented services or outlets (e.g., magazines, internet access,
telephone sex lines, adult establishments);
E)        Abusive
or offense-related sexual arousal, interests and preferences;
F)         History
of sexually abusive behaviors, both officially documented and unreported (if
identified through credible r
y not be sexually abusive (e.g.,
fetishes, masochism);
D)        Use
of sexually oriented services or outlets (e.g., magazines, internet access,
telephone sex lines, adult establishments);
E)        Abusive
or offense-related sexual arousal, interests and preferences;
F)         History
of sexually abusive behaviors, both officially documented and unreported (if
identified through credible records or sources);
G)        Information
about current and/or previous victims (e.g., age, gender, relationship to
client);
H)        Contextual
elements of sexually abusive behaviors (e.g., dynamics, motivators, patterns,
circumstances); and
I)         Level
of insight, self-disclosure and denial (e.g., of the behaviors, motivations or
intent, level of violence and coercion) relative to various aspects of the
sexually abusive behavior.
9)         Evaluators explore and document a client's
strengths, assets and protective factors, which may include, but are not
limited to, the following areas:
A)        Prosocial
community supports and influences, and others involved in care and treatment;
B)        Structure
and support that promote maintaining success (e.g., limited access to potential
victims);
C)        Healthy,
age-appropriate, normative, long-term intimate and sexual relationships;
D)        Motivation
to change;
E)        Insight,
understanding and management of risk factors;
F)         Appropriate
problem-solving and emotional management skills; and
G)        Employment,
financial and residential stability.
e)         Potential Involvement of Adult Victims in the
Evaluation Process
1)         If a victim expresses an interest in having his
or her perspectives represented by actively participating in the evaluation
process of the sexual abuser, the evaluator shall adhere to certain parameters.
A)        The
evaluator should never initiate contact with a victim.  The victim should be
the first to initiate any type of contact
ment of Adult Victims in the
Evaluation Process
1)         If a victim expresses an interest in having his
or her perspectives represented by actively participating in the evaluation
process of the sexual abuser, the evaluator shall adhere to certain parameters.
A)        The
evaluator should never initiate contact with a victim.  The victim should be
the first to initiate any type of contact.
B)        The
evaluator shall inform the victim of the process through which the victim may
provide either a written or oral statement regarding the offense.  The victim
should be made aware that he or she may have someone with him or her, such as a
victim's advocate, to provide support.
C)        With
expressed consent of the victim, the evaluator may consult with victim
advocates, when involved, and consider alternate methods of incorporating the
perspectives of the victims (e.g., written victim impact statements).
D)        The
evaluator shall exercise caution if interviewing victims because of potential
risk of unintended impact on the victims.
E)        The
evaluator shall interview victims only when possessing the requisite knowledge,
experience, skills and training to work with sexual abuse victims.
F)         The
victim may opt to provide a statement at any time.
f)         The Written Report
1)         In the psychosexual evaluation report, evaluators
outline the full range of information sources used to conduct the psychosexual
evaluation, note any relevant information sources that were unavailable at the
time of the evaluation, and highlight the potential implications of any data
limitations on the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report.
2)         Evaluators provide an addendum to the
psychosexual evaluation report when additional key information is received
about the client that significantly impacts the initial findings, conclusions
and recommendations
e unavailable at the
time of the evaluation, and highlight the potential implications of any data
limitations on the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report.
2)         Evaluators provide an addendum to the
psychosexual evaluation report when additional key information is received
about the client that significantly impacts the initial findings, conclusions
and recommendations.
3)         Evaluators document areas of convergence and/or
divergence among the client's self-report, collateral information, and other
sources of assessment data, including objective behavioral or
psychophysiological assessment measures.
4)         Evaluators clearly articulate conclusions and
recommendations based on supporting evidence documented in the body of the
report, and that generally address the following (as relevant to the purpose of
the assessment):
A)        Recidivism
risk (sexual and nonsexual);
B)        General
and offense-related criminogenic needs;
C)        Responsivity
factors;
D)        Other
intervention needs;
E)        Current
stressors;
F)         Client-identified
goals and interests;
G)        Implications
of the client's strengths and assets;
H)        Potential
risk management strategies that may be important for other stakeholders to
consider (e.g., potential targets for community supervision); and
I)         Recommended
interventions that support the application of the risk, need and responsivity
principles for the client and that sufficiently take into account victim and
community safety.
5)         Evaluators note in the psychosexual evaluation
report any recommended interventions or services that are unavailable due to
limitations of existing resources, while recognizing that the absence of existing
resources does not lessen the evaluator's responsibility for providing
assessment-driven recommendations
ient and that sufficiently take into account victim and
community safety.
5)         Evaluators note in the psychosexual evaluation
report any recommended interventions or services that are unavailable due to
limitations of existing resources, while recognizing that the absence of existing
resources does not lessen the evaluator's responsibility for providing
assessment-driven recommendations.
6)         Evaluators recognize that communicating the
results to the subject of the evaluation may be beneficial (e.g., for clarity,
to facilitate client engagement, to gauge the subject's response to feedback)
and take reasonable steps, using language at a level that is accessible to the
individual being assessed, to:
A)        inform the subject of the conclusions and
recommendations contained in the evaluation report and the basis for those
conclusions and recommendations; and
B)        provide clarification when warranted, practical
and appropriate.

## Nearby sections

- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.30 Section 1905.30  Provider Qualifications](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_30.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.40 Section 1905.40  Assessments](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_40.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.50 Section 1905.50  Assessment Guidelines](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_50.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.60 Section 1905.60  Risk Assessment](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_60.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.70 Section 1905.70  Psychophysiological Assessments](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_70.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.80 Section 1905.80  Treatment Interventions](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_80.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.90 Section 1905.90  Treatment Guidelines](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_90.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.100 Section 1905.100  Treatment Methods](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_100.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.110 Section 1905.110  Treatment Progress and Completion](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_110.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.120 Section 1905.120  Responsivity Factors and Special Populations](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_120.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.130 Section 1905.130  Risk Reduction and Risk Management in the Community](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_130.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.140 Section 1905.140  Pharmacological Interventions](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_140.md)
- [20 Ill. Adm. Code 1905.150 Section 1905.150  Psychophysiological Tools](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_150.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_IL_IAC_T20_P1905_S1905_50. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.