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Child & Adolescent Sexual Behavioral and Offender Treatment Program: Children & adolescents who have sexual behavior problems need specialized treatment to learn self-control over their offending, based on the serious emotional and legal effects that result from their behavior. Sexual abuse perpetrated upon children is a huge problem, with more than half of the child sexual abuse cases reported to the police being committed by teenagers and young adults. Even though we know that harm from sexual abuse can run deep and have long-term effects, many children and teenagers with sexual behavior problems believe that what they did caused no real harm to the person(s) that they abused. Prior to the initiation of treatment a child or adolescent and his (her) family needs to have an extensive sexual offender treatment assessment. This assessment is used to determine the risk of re-offending and whether residential or outpatient treatment is indicated. Plus, it allows an individualized and comprehensive treatment plan to be developed. This will include additional individual, family and community resources that are needed to target all aspects of the child’s, adolescent’s and/or family’s needs. The Sexual Behavior and Offender Treatment Program that is provided at Center For Effective Living and our Treatment Team uses an educational and relapse prevention approach to treatment. There are two main parts to this treatment program. The first part covers what goes on inside of them as they learn self-control, learn how to make good decisions on their own and learn how to control and express their feelings in healthy ways. The second part is an external or outside support where they learn to seek and accept help from others in their support system as they progress through treatment. The group treatment program is run through a series of 12 weekly group sessions, which blends members who are beginning treatment with those who are in various stages of completing their group involvement. Completion of the Treatment Program is based on the completion of their treatment goals and not on a set number of completed sessions. Participants often do need to attend more than one series of 12 –week sessions in order to complete their treatment goals. Follow-up treatment to continue monitoring the use of their Prevention Plan and their use of the identified support resources will be necessary for at least 6 months to 1 year after his (her) group involvement ends. Completion of the Treatment Program does not guarantee that re-offense will not occur. Sexual abuse prevention will need to be a lifelong effort. For further information regarding the process of being evaluated for treatment or to enroll a child or adolescent in our program, please contact James LaJeunesse, MS at (608)782-5775.
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