Treatment providers shall recognize and communicate that
successful completion of a sexual abuser treatment program/regimen indicates
that a client has demonstrated sufficient progress in meeting the specified
series of goals and objectives of an individualized treatment plan designed to
significantly reduce and reasonably manage the individual's risk to reoffend.
Completion of treatment should be understood as meaning the successful
completion of treatment, and not as the cessation of court-ordered,
offense-specific treatment or the completion of the sentence imposed by the
court or the Prisoner Review Board. Successful completion of treatment may not
end the sex offender's need for ongoing rehabilitation or elimination of risk
to the community.
a) Treatment
providers develop written treatment contracts/agreements (e.g., treatment
consent forms) to ensure clarity and agreement between the provider and
clients. The contracts address, at minimum, the following:
1) The nature, goals and objectives of
treatment;
2) The expected
frequency and duration of treatment;
3) Rules and expectations of treatment
program participants;
4) Rewards
and incentives for participation and progress;
5) Consequences of noncompliance with program
rules and expectations; and
6)
Criteria used for assessing progress and determining program
completion.
b) Treatment
providers routinely utilize multiple methods in an effort to objectively and
reliably gauge treatment progress, particularly with respect to dynamic risk
factors. These methods include:
1) Structured,
research-supported tools and inventories;
2) Specialized behavioral/psychophysiological
tools;
3) Client self-report;
and
4) Collateral
reports.
c) Treatment
providers routinely review the client's individual treatment plan and clearly
document in treatment records the specific and observable changes in factors
associated with the client's risk to recidivate, or the lack of
changes.
d) Treatment providers
recognize that a client who has successfully completed treatment has generally:
1) Acknowledged the problems for which the
client was referred in sufficient enough detail for treatment staff to have
developed a treatment plan that, if implemented properly, could be reasonably
expected to reduce the risk to reoffend;
2) Demonstrated an understanding of the
thoughts, attitudes, emotions, behaviors and sexual interests linked to
sexually abusive behavior and can identify these when they occur in the
client's present functioning; and
3) Demonstrated changes in managing these
thoughts, attitudes, emotions, behaviors and sexual interests that are
sufficiently sustained to create a reasonable assumption that the client
reduced the risk to reoffend.
AGENCY NOTE: Offenders under conditional release, parole or
probation may have additional specific indicators to enable the treatment
provider to assess treatment completion to include completion of levels of
supervision (this may include various components such as compliance with
conditions of supervision, lack of sanctions, employment, progress in
treatment, etc.), polygraph examinations and/or plethysmographs, etc. The
decision to successfully terminate a supervised offender from treatment should
be made by the multidisciplinary team.
e) Treatment providers evaluate a client's
treatment progress within the context of a thorough understanding of the
client's individual capacities, abilities, vulnerabilities and limitations.
Associated recommendations should reference these factors and aim to stay
within the bounds of what is likely or possible for the individual
client.
f) Treatment providers
providing community-based treatment recommend:
1) more intensive treatment and/or
supervision if a client experiences significant difficulties managing the risk
for sexual abuse in a way that jeopardizes community safety; and
2) gradual adjustments to the intensity of
services as the client consistently demonstrates stability and positive
gains.
g) Treatment
providers prepare their clients for treatment completion, which may include a
gradual reduction in frequency of contacts over time as treatment gains are
made, booster sessions to reinforce and assess maintenance of treatment gains,
and consultation to any future service providers.
h) Treatment providers are clear when
communicating with clients, other professionals, and the public that some
clients may require ongoing management of their risk and treatment
needs.
i) Treatment providers
utilize the client, support persons and appropriate professionals involved in
ongoing case management with written information that includes follow-up
recommendations for maintaining treatment gains.
j) Treatment providers immediately notify
appropriate authorities if a legally mandated client discontinues treatment or
violates a mandated condition of parole, probation or treatment.
k) Treatment providers hold nonmandated
clients to the same treatment expectations as mandated clients.