Section 1905.80 Treatment Interventions

Section 1905.80  Treatment Interventions

a)         Sexual

abuser-specific treatment is designed to assist clients with effectively

managing thoughts, fantasies, feelings, attitudes and behaviors associated with

their potential to sexually abuse or their risk for sexual re-offense and to

develop a prosocial lifestyle that is inconsistent with offending.  Sexual

abusers are a heterogeneous population, with risk levels and treatment needs

that can differ markedly.  Therefore, sexual abuser-specific treatment services

are best offered and provided along a continuum of care (from correctional,

institutional, inpatient or residential facilities to community settings) and

are matched to the assessed recidivism risk and treatment needs of a given

client.

b)         Research

indicates that treatment for criminal justice-involved populations, including

adult sexual abusers, is most effective when it is delivered in accordance with

the evidence-based principles of correctional intervention (risk, need and

responsivity).  As applied to treatment interventions for sexual abusers, this

translates into the following:

1)         Risk:

Sexual abusers presenting a higher risk of reoffending receive a greater

intensity and dosage of treatment services, while lower risk sexual abusers

receive less.  Providing an inappropriate intensity of services may negatively

affect treatment effectiveness and recidivism risk.

2)         Need:

Treatment

primarily targets research-supported dynamic risk factors that are linked to

recidivism (i.e., criminogenic needs) over targets of intervention that are not

empirically linked to recidivism.

3)         Responsivity:

To

address general responsivity factors, evidence-based intervention models are

broadly structured, cognitive-behavioral, and skills-oriented.  Unstructured,

insight-oriented models typically are less effective in reducing sexual

recidivism and do not constitute primary interventions in the treatment of

sexual abusers

on that are not

empirically linked to recidivism.

3)         Responsivity:

To

address general responsivity factors, evidence-based intervention models are

broadly structured, cognitive-behavioral, and skills-oriented.  Unstructured,

insight-oriented models typically are less effective in reducing sexual

recidivism and do not constitute primary interventions in the treatment of

sexual abusers.  To address specific responsivity factors, services are

delivered in a manner that accommodates client characteristics, such as level

of intellectual functioning, learning style, personality characteristics,

culture, mental and physical disabilities, and motivation level. Services also

build upon client strengths, which may include motivation, ability to read and

write, lifestyle stability, prosocial support systems, and willingness to

comply with supervision requirements.

c)         Treatment effectiveness for sexual abusers is

also enhanced when providers engage clients in the treatment process and

interact with clients in a respectful, directive and empathic manner.

For

some adult sexual abusers, complementary interventions, such as psychiatric or

mental health care, couples or family therapy, educational, housing or

employment services, and risk management strategies such as community

supervision, may contribute to public safety efforts and promote the overall

stability and success of clients.  Treatment providers often collaborate with

other professionals who have various roles and responsibilities, agents, victim

advocates, and other treatment providers, as well as positive community

resources and supports.  Treatment providers should remain abreast of current

research and align practices accordingly.  Recommended methods include

structured, cognitive-behavioral, and skills-oriented treatment approaches that

target dynamic risk factors.  These methods have the greatest potential for

reducing rates of sexual and other types of criminal reoffending in the male

adult sexual abuser.