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Assessment / Education Process

Purpose of Assessment

The purpose of assessment is to obtain information about the adolescent client to determine the seriousness of the client’s harmful sexual behaviour, the client’s level of risk, motivation and suitability for treatment in a community setting, to make recommendations for the preferred course of intervention including placement recommendations and to establish treatment goals.

Process of the Assessment/Education

Once a referral has been accepted, an appointment for an intake meeting is made where the primary clinician and family therapist will meet initially with the parent(s) and/or caregiver/(s), and the adolescent.

The intake meeting will be followed by separate interviews (between 5 and 10 sessions) between the adolescent client and the primary clinician.  Concurrently, the family therapist will meet with the parents and/or caregivers to gain information about the adolescent’s developmental history and family background information.

Psychometric tests and self report questionnaires are administered to both the adolescent client and parents/and or caregivers.

Parents/caregivers and the adolescent will concurrently attend an 8-week Education Group designed to provide participants with a basic understanding of key issues in understanding harmful sexual behaviour and to assist engagement of the client and parents and/or caregivers into the assessment and treatment process.

The topics covered include:

  • What is sexually harmful behaviour?
  • Myths and realities of sexually abusive behaviour
  • Safety issues
  • Thinking Errors
  • Victim impact and victim empathy
  • Experiences of graduates of the programme
  • Parenting issues and experience of parents of graduates
  • Sexuality, values and beliefs
  • Chain of sexually harmful behaviour

A comprehensive assessment report is compiled over the assessment period including recommendations for:

  • Sexually harmful specific treatment
  • Mental health treatment
  • Intensity of treatment
  • Level of supervision and placement needs
  • The Assessment Report will be read to the adolescent client and parents outlining the findings of the assessment and recommendations. A copy will then be forwarded to the referral agent.

If treatment is recommended, the young person and their parents/caregivers enter into an agreement to participate in the programme which sets out the expectations for both  Stop and for clients.