Posting #194– My Virginia DOC S.O. Treatment Program & G.A. Bills SB528 & SB529, by Charles

By:  Charles
Date:  01/25/2010

Dear RSOL of Virginia,

Thank you for the great work you do. I enjoy reading your efforts to help revise the laws for sex offenders.

As you know I am currently a resident of the Virginia Department of Corrections. The DOC has ordered my treatment group shut down because it is not in the “direction” the department and committee want it to go to treat sex offenders.

This group has existed for almost 30 years in various forms. The Virginia DOC wants a uniform 15-week relapse-prevention program aimed at medium to high risk offenders only. Low-risk offenders would get no treatment unless they ask for it.

As a health care professional, I found this disturbing and have sent a letter to the Director of Mental Health of the DOC about this decision.

The DOC is against the group because it can open them up to lawsuits since not all would be able to attend, a weak excuse.

Charles

Date:  02/05/2010

Dear RSOL of Virginia,

I write about pending bills SB528 and SB529 allowing Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) to diagnose or direct Sex Offender programs in the DOC and to evaluate or test for civil commitment. You are correct to oppose these bills.

The current DOC Sex Offender Steering Committee has NO PhD’s on it, but yet they direct our treatment.

The SORT Program (like a therapeutic community) is also NOT run by a PhD and recently the DOC appointed a LCSW as the Director of Sex Offender Treatment for all of the Virginia DOC. I think this is what is driving these bills.

The only way a LCSW or a LPC should direct ANY treatment program is under the guidance or leadership from a PhD of PsyD.

Please continue to oppose these bills!

Thank you.

Charles