Recasting the Containment Approach to Enhance Team Collaboration and Responsivity On Demand Training
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Training Description
For two decades, many state-level sex offender management strategies have included the Containment Approach. Based on a review of what was working at the time, English and colleagues (1996) identified the key components to include: victim-centeredness, multi-disciplinary collaboration, sex offender specific strategies including the polygraph, informed policies, and quality control. Since that time, the Containment Approach has continued in use and been supported by a number of studies (Aytes et al., 2001; Lowden et al., 2003).
With the advent of an emphasis on the core correctional principles, such as the Risk, Need, Responsivity (RNR) model for use with correctional populations, including clients who commit sexual offenses, many policymakers and practitioners have taken a critical look at the Containment Approach. The Colorado Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) recently reviewed its Standards and Guidelines (2018) for treating, supervising, and polygraphing this population, and decided to recast the Containment Approach within the newly developed Treatment, Engagement, Assessment, Management, and Supervision (TEAMS) Model. While maintaining some of the features of the Containment Approach, this new model incorporates responsivity components more directly including a collaborative approach with the client, an emphasis on therapeutic engagement and alliance, and enhancing protective factors. Even the choice of acronym (TEAMS) was designed to change the narrative away from “containing the offender.” While still maintaining the use of the polygraph as an adjunct treatment and supervision strategy, changes have been made to its application for this population.
For anyone interested in or employing the Containment Approach, this session will highlight how one state has modified its strategy to create greater consistency with the RNR model and the current thinking related to clients who have been convicted of sexual offenses.
Trainer Biography
Christopher Lobanov-Rostovsky has worked for the Division of Criminal Justice within the Colorado Department of Public Safety as the Program Manager for the Colorado Sex Offender Management Board since 2006, where he is responsible for overseeing the development of standards for the treatment and management of sexual offenders, approving treatment providers, and providing legislative and policy input. Mr. Lobanov-Rostovsky holds a Master Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan, and has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) since 1990. Prior to his current position, Mr. Lobanov-Rostovsky worked as a clinician and evaluator of adult sex offenders and juveniles who commit sexual offenses. Mr. Lobanov-Rostovsky also works as a private consultant for a variety of federal, state, tribal, and private agencies in developing and enhancing sex offender management services, including providing training and technical assistance, program assessment, literature reviews, peer review of grant solicitations and reports, and legislative and policy development. Finally, Mr. Lobanov-Rostovsky has published a number of articles and chapters related to federal and state sex offender management public policy, and was awarded the 2015 National Adolescent Perpetration Network Advocacy Award for his work in promoting evidence-based polices and legislation.
Learning Objectives
This training is designed to help you:
- Describe the current challenges associated with the Containment Approach for sex offense specific treatment and supervision.
- Apply new approaches to the treatment and supervision of those who have been convicted of sexual offenses.
- Assess the current challenges associated with sexual offense history disclosure work in sex offense specific treatment.
- Use new approaches to the issue of sexual offense history disclosure.
- Discuss the research related to the Containment Approach, and how to modify the approach without losing the research-supported components.
