|
Specializing in Forensic and Clinical Assessment
and Treatment of Sexual Offenders,Victims, and Their Families
|
|
|
|
What we do
TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR ADULT AND JUVENILE SEX
OFFENDERS
INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT
Most of our growth oriented or personal and social
understanding treatment of sexual offenders is conducted in a group
setting. When we do treat patients individually, they usually have special
needs. They may be suffering from other mental health problems in addition
to their sexual disorder, may not be ready for group or may require more
intensive treatment involvement. We conduct much of our social skills
training in individual sessions. Presently, we conduct all of our sexual
reorientation treatment in individual laboratory sessions.
GROUP TREATMENT
In general, sexual offenders communicate more freely
to other sexual offenders who have committed crimes similar to theirs.
Also, some types of sexual offenders require different techniques in group
treatment than do others. We compose our groups to reflect these realities.
Specialized groups may be limited to:
- Incest offenders
- Exhibitionistic offenders
- Offenders who have victimized male children
- Sincerely religious offenders
- Juvenile sexual offenders
- Extrafamial sexual offenders
- Offenders who deny wrongdoing but have been accused
or convicted of a sexual offense
- Geriatric sexual offenders
- Developmentally disabled or socially retarded sexual
offenders
- Wives or partners of sexual offenders
SEXUAL REORIENTATION TREATMENT
Despite impressive gains in personal growth or
personal and social understanding, many sexual offender patients continue
to experience sexual arousal to abnormal sexual themes or are aroused by
children. At times of stress and frustration, these abnormal arousal
patterns can lead to reoffense. Like nearly all clinics which specialize
full-time in this area, we use accepted methods to suppress abnormal
arousal and enhance normal arousal.
OTHER TREATMENT PROGRAMS INCLUDE
- Victims of sexual offense
- Wives and partners of sexual offenders
- Family therapy treatment
- Anger management and parenting skills courses
Our business history
BACKGROUND
Pacific Professional Associates was established in 1978 as a private,
non-profit corporation. Originally, the corporation concentrated on
research grants to investigate the effectiveness of various techniques to
treat and assess adult and juvenile sex offenders. At that time, various
officials in the legal system requested we open a "state of the
art" service clinic. We did that about a year later. The service
clinic has gradually expanded in the succeeding years.
Today, the research continues, now greatly assisted by computer technology.
The corporation keeps abreast of (and contributes to) advances in treating
and assessing sexual offenders and their victims. The corporation now
operates a treatment and assessment clinic in Van Nuys, California. This
clinic specializes in forensic and clinical treatment of both sexual
offenders and victims of sexual offense. The senior staff of the clinic
maintains a close and continuous communication with other similar
specialized clinics in this country and abroad.
Our work with victims has been very important to us, even though it
occupies only approximately 15% of our clinical and research energies. Our
paramount goal is to reduce the incidence of sexual offense. Thus, the
corporation is victim and community oriented, not offender oriented. The
understanding of sexual abuse and aggression is our specific research goal.
We must fully understand victim issues to reach this research goal.
About our staff
The clinic operates under the direction of Raymond E. Anderson Ph.D. (PSY
1352). Dr. Anderson began his specialized work in the assessment and
treatment of sex offender patients in 1966 when he was appointed the Chief
Psychologist of the Wisconsin Sex Crimes Facility. From 1966 to 1972, it
was his responsibility to coordinate all the inpatient treatment for
identified sex offenders in the State of Wisconsin.
At that time, he began his experience in the measurement of physiological
variables related to sexual arousal or interest. Since then, he has
directed two community treatment programs for the outpatient treatment of
these offenders and has acted as a staff psychologist in a third program
that served both violent offenders and sexual offenders. During his
continuous specialization in this field since 1966, he has conducted
several important research projects designed to advance the understanding
and improve the assessment of sex offender patients.
Treatment groups are led by JoEllen Wiggington MS, Registered Psychological
Assistant. Off-site psychological testing is administered by Heather
Wiggington and Eileen Rodriguez.
What makes us unique
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
The corporation invites the participation of other clinics, individual
practitioners and other interested parties in all research projects.
ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS
Programs are designed to assess predisposition to sexual offense, to
determine whether the offender can be treated in the community or requires
confinement for the protection of the community, and to assess the type and
extent of treatment required to correct the problems uncovered by the
assessment.
Victim assessment is conducted to clarify the details of the victimization,
the degree of psychological damage which the victim has sustained and the
extent and nature of treatment which the victim and victim's family may
require.
TEACHING
Many of our teaching programs are highly technical. Most are for others who
are currently engaged in treating sexual offenders or victims of sexual
offense. Some treatment and assessment methods especially designed for
sexual offenders are little known or understood by the public. This
includes some methods which are highly effective and some which are well
researched and validated. We conduct occasional public information
presentations to correct this lack of understanding. Other public education
programs are designed for professionals and others who are not specialists
in treating sexual offenders or victims, but do require information
regarding both these topics.
|
