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Utah Department of Corrections
DFO/DIO Sex Offender Task Force
Sex Offender Outpatient Treatment Provider Parameters

The Utah Department of Corrections, pursuant to Legislative statute, has a list of Approved Sex Offender Treatment Providers.

The following parameters are used to determine eligibility of sex offender treatment providers and their programs.

Professional Qualifications:
  1. Current Utah licensure in a mental health profession (i.e. psychiatry, psychology, licensed professional counselor, social work or marriage and family therapy);

  2. A master's or doctoral degree in social work, psychology, marriage and family therapy, counseling or educational psychology from a fully accredited college or university, or a medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathy degree if the individual is a board certified/eligible psychiatrist;

  3. Within the three year period immediately preceding application or re-application for approval as a provider, the individual must have at least 1,500 hours of direct clinical experience in sex offender treatment (direct clinical experience means face-to-face contact with patients/clients, direct supervision, training, case coordination and research). However, of the 1,500 hours, there must be at least 375 hours of sex offender evaluation experience.

  4. Within the three years immediately preceding application, the individual must have received at least 40 hours of formal training through documented conferences, symposia, seminars or course work directly related to the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders. Said training may include behavioral/cognitive therapy methods, reconditioning and relapse prevention, use of plethysmograph examinations, use of polygraph examinations, group therapy, sexual dysfunction, victimology, couples and family therapy, risk assessment, sexual addiction, sexual deviancy and ethics and professional standards; 30 of these 40 hours must be sex offender treatment specific;

  5. Licensed professionals and professionals in graduate training and/or post graduate residency who do not meet the experience and training requirements may apply for Affiliate Approval. Licensed professionals not meeting the training or experience requirements are required to arrange for ongoing supervision with a professional meeting the above criteria who are approved providers. Trainees may provide service if their work is part of a degree program and/or leading to licensure and their clinical work is supervised by a licensed professional meeting the above requirements (supervision means one hour of supervision to every 40 hours of direct client contact with a minimum of one hour supervision per month); to re-certify as an affiliate, the provider must comply with the 40 hour training requirement;

  6. Approved providers must have as a basic philosophy that full disclosure of the offense(s) is a basic requirement for successful completion of therapy;

  7. Providers must adhere to the reporting requirements as required by the Utah State Department of Corrections and the laws of the State of Utah; and

  8. Approved providers and affiliate providers must re-apply to the Department of Corrections, Division of Adult Probation and Parole, every three years to renew their approved status. Reapplication shall consist of documentation demonstrating ongoing professional training, current licensure with the State of Utah, hours of therapy per year provided, and any changes in the modality of treatment. Failure to reapply before their approved date expires will result in the provider/affiliate being removed from the provider list. Re application for a provider/affiliate may occur in 90 days.

  9. Approved providers may supervise a maximum of six (6) affiliate providers.

  10. Providers who change from one program to another must update their application in order to continue providing services.

  11. Criminal convictions or licensure actions must be disclosed fully and may result in denial of application approval.

  12. Failure to disclose criminal convictions or licensure actions will result in removal from approved status.
Program Parameters:
  1. Treatment for sexual offenders convicted of crimes against persons must have the following components:
    1. Intake:

      Complete psycho-sexual evaluation to include sex offender specific testing and assessment of personality and intelligence using testing instruments recognized in the sex offender treatment community as valid tools.
      Penile plethysmograph (using audio stimuli only, no visual) testing for male offenders and polygraph examination for female offenders to determine arousal patterns and establish baseline for future treatment and evaluation. Plethysmograph stimuli shall conform to state statute. Polygraph examination will be used for male offenders when deemed appropriate by the provider or Adult Probation and Parole (AP&P).
      Written report to the supervising agent of AP&P citing the following:
      1. Findings of testing which include specifics on the threat posed by the offender to the community safety;
      2. Suitability for treatment;
      3. Proposed treatment plan;
      4. Cost to offender.

    2. A standard treatment program shall be defined as:

      Sex offender group session conducted by an approved, licensed therapist or affiliate, available at least weekly.
      Individual session conducted by an approved, licensed therapist or affiliate available at least weekly.
      Polygraph during the introductory phase of therapy to ensure full disclosure has taken place, unless a non-deceptive polygraph has been completed within the last 90 days; Periodically during treatment to ensure the offender is being open and honest.
      Psycho-educational classes ( a minimum of: victim empathy, relapse, prevention, assault cycle, cognitive restructuring, parenting, relationship skills, sex education, minimum 10 hours per subject which may be over a minimum of five weeks). Offender must complete those courses deemed appropriate by assessment.
      Ongoing transition program.
      Minimum of one quarterly progress report to the supervising AP&P agent.
      Note: It is expected that the treatment program will require a standard of one year of weekly treatment, followed by a continuum of care as deemed appropriate by risk assessment. Deviations from this standard will be based on clinical assessment and/or testing and require the approval of Adult Probation and Parole.
    3. Intensive treatment program available services:

      Two weekly sex offender group sessions conducted by an approved, licensed therapist or affiliate.
      Individual session conducted by an approved, licensed therapist or affiliate, available at least weekly.
      Psycho-educational classes ( a minimum of: victim empathy, relapse prevention, assault cycle, cognitive restructuring, parenting, relationship skills, sex education, minimum 10 hours per subject which may be over a minimum of five weeks). Offender must complete those courses as deemed appropriate by assessment.
      Polygraph during the introductory phase of therapy to ensure full disclosure has taken place, unless a non-deceptive polygraph has been completed within the last 90 days; Periodically during treatment to ensure the offender is being open and honest.
      Ongoing transition program.
      Minimum of one quarterly progress report to the supervising AP&P agent.
      Note: The above components for intensive treatment will be conducted on a minimum of three different days per week. Intensive residential treatment will normally be followed by standard treatment. Offenders who have successfully completed a community correctional center sex offender treatment program have successfully completed an intensive program.
    4. Aftercare

      Aftercare shall consist of gradually decreased treatment designed to maintain behavioral gains.
      Aftercare may typically last one year or longer.
      Note: Treatment progress will be behaviorally based, but the following may be used as a guideline:
      Intensive Residential: normally will last 12 to 18 months. May be followed by non-residential intensive treatment, but normally will be followed by 6 to 12 months of standard level treatment, transitioning to aftercare.
      Non-residential Intensive: normally will last 12 to 18 months, followed by 6 to 12 months of standard treatment , followed by aftercare.
      Standard Treatment (not preceded by intensive): Eighteen to 24 months of treatment followed by aftercare.
      Deviations from this standard will be based on clinical assessment and/or testing and require the approval of Adult Probation and Parole.
    5. Termination of treatment:

      Unsuccessful termination
      1. Notification by the provider to the supervision agent prior to termination.
      2. Written report by the treatment provider to the supervision agent within seven days of termination from treatment. This report will address reasons for termination, progress to date of the offender, prognosis and risk to the community posed by the offender.

      Successful termination
      1. Notification by the treatment provider to the supervision agent of the recommendation to terminate therapy.
      2. Written report by the treatment provider to the supervision agent discussing the issues addressed, compliance of the offender, progress made, prognosis and results of a current (less than 90 days old) penile plethysmograph and termination polygraph.

  2. With reasonable notification, therapists must be able to appear in Court or Board of Pardons hearings as needed, without additional compensation.

  3. Therapists will provide reports as needed by the Court, Board of Pardons and/or the supervising AP&P agent.

  4. If an applicant does not directly provide all services, application should detail how these services will be provided (i.e. contracting by other approved provider/affiliate, referral to another agency, etc.).

  5. Providers changing from one program or agency to another must re-submit program components for approval.