TREATMENT COMPLETION CONSIDERATIONS

Assessing “Treatment Completion”

The need for California-specific criteria to determine when treatment has been “completed” for Penal Code (PC) 290 Registrants, who have participated in a sex offender treatment program, has led to the creation of the Treatment Completion Criteria Work Group under the auspices of the California Coalition On Sexual Offending (CCOSO).  The efforts of the Work Group have resulted in this document.

The CCOSO Work Group took into consideration a sampling of treatment completion criteria and checklists used in numerous of programs throughout the nation. Although no well-established and readily-adoptable model was identified which would meet California’s needs, considerable consensus was found among the criteria reviewed.

The approach provided here is put forth as the recommended model for adult community-based sex offender treatment programs when determining treatment completion.

The CCOSO Work Group’s intention in providing guidelines is identical to that of the 2014 Adult Practice Guidelines published by the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA): to help sex-offender-specific treatment providers evaluate a client’s progress in meeting the goals and objectives of his or her treatment plan - a treatment plan which is designed to reduce identified risk factors for re-offense and increase stability along with prosocial behaviors.

In developing these guidelines, the goal was to create a useful tool that will help treatment providers and others involved in sex offender management make good case management decisions that acknowledge the importance and benefit of successful treatment completion. 

Making such a tool available will help California’s systems of sex offender management achieve the ultimate goal: reduce sexual recidivism so that children, women and men do not become future victims of sexual abuse.

 

You may download a copy of this paper here:   PDF icon TREATMENT COMPLETION CONSIDERATIONS- CCOSO-MAY 2016.pdf