CHAPTER 4: SAFE GUARD PROGRAM

As mentioned in Chapter 1, current criteria to be replied to by safe guard person and offender currently stated are:

State what you want to gain from this program. Read the performance objects and be able to honestly state that you understand the meaning of those objectives. Both the Safe guard person and offender are to write a paragraph or two reflecting their interpretation of each of the objectives listed below. Sign the agreement.

Safe guard person should identify and state the major areas of agreement with the offender; also identify and state the major areas of disagreement with the offender. Areas of agreement/disagreement should include the offense pattern, the offense behavior, degree of disclosure for the offense, and appropriate behavior while in the company of children. Other areas are to include the social, personal and financial dynamics of the safe guard and offender's relationship. Both safe guard person and offender should state how they now resolve these areas of disagreement. Safe guard person and offender should state their plan to resolve these areas of disagreement in the future. Number and attach documentation.

Safe guard person should state how you convinced yourself it was safe for _________(initials of target child(ren) to be alone with the offender. Identify and record your thinking errors. The offender should state areas of agreement and disagreement based on his/her knowledge of his/her Relapse Prevention Plan. Both safe guard person and offender should state what procedures they have gone though or will go though to disclose his/her offense prior to contact with referenced child(ren). Number and attach documentation.

Safe guard person should describe the offender's offense(s). Describe any incidents of sexual/emotional/physical abuse that have been founded by SRS (Social Rehabilitative Services). Describe the offender's sexual/physical/emotional abuse cycle. The offender should write areas of agreement and disagreement and offer clarifications regarding his offense cycle and dysfunctional behavior patterns. Number and attach documentation.

Safe guard person should identify and state the offender's major thinking errors, and identify when they are likely to occur and how you have responded in the past. The offender should list areas of agreement and disagreement also listing clarifications of his previous thinking errors and those he currently uses. Number and attach documentation.

Safe guard person should identify the offender's risk factors (thoughts, behaviors, feelings and situations). State why it is important to understand them. The offender should list at least three risk situations including seemingly unimportant events that may lead to his/her re-offense. The offender is to write at least four paragraphs that explain to the safe guard person the importance of seemingly unimportant events that lead first to lapsed behaviors and would culminate in his re-offense. Number and attach documentation.

The safe guard should state the offender's relapse prevention plan. State why it is important. The safe guard should state how they will proceed in the event that they are aware that the offender has participated in lapsed behavior. The safe guard person should state how they will proceed if they become aware that the offender has re-offended. The offender should write specific procedures the safe guard person should follow in the event of lapsed and relapsed behaviors. Number and attach documentation.

The safe guard person should state the offender's risks to each member of the family, including themselves. The safe guard person should write their plan and role to reduce these risks. The offender should write at least six paragraphs explaining how he/she uses manipulative behaviors to control those around him/her in various lapsed behavior patterns. Number and attach documentation (Handout, Rutland Department of Probation, 1999).

The guidelines as stated above are insufficient to cover adequately the many components that are included over the life span of the Sexual Offender Treatment Program. The Treatment Program enables the motivated offender to pass through three stages of behavioral/cognitive change. These stages take into consideration that at the initial stages the offender is less lightly to want to institute meaningful change to behaviors. They are generally unmotivated, uncommitted and either unwilling or unable to make those changes. With group intervention and support the offender enters stage two when they become aware that not only is there a need to change but they are in fact at risk to re-offend. As a result they become more motivated to address the need for changes to begin to occur. There is still generally resistance to commitment and change is difficult. Offenders who are most likely to be considered for a Safe Guard Program are those who enter into a stage three and who actively have made consistent action to modify their patterns of behaviors, experiences or environmental conditions which led/lead to lapses and relapses into sexually deviant behavior. It is important that the safe guard understand both the cognitive and behavioral modifications that have occurred and continue to occur as a result of sex offender treatment.

Within this chapter there is a comprehensive packet that standardizes the program in such a way as to fulfill the basic Vermont Department of Correction's Guidelines and standardizes it using the elements initially suggested in the format of weekly program assignments, exercises and aids to facilitate those ends. The following is in a format that can readily be photocopied without reformatting for page configurations.

Include 8 assignment packets along with backup documents and assignment forms.

Written Assignment:

Read the weekly assignment packets for an overview of the program. State what you want to gain from the Safe Guard Program. Honestly state that you understand the meaning of the objectives. Ask for clarification where questions arise. Form 1a

Sign the consent form. Form 1b

Identify and state the major areas of agreement with the offender.

Identify and state the major areas of disagreement with the offender.

State how you now resolve these areas of disagreement.

State your plan to resolve these areas of disagreement in the future.

Number and attach documentation.

Healthy Relationships Form Form 2a

Abuse of Children Module Form 2b

Nurturing Children Module Form 2c

Power and Control Module Form 2d

Equality Module Form 2e

Week 3. Child Safety for Interaction with Sex Offender

State how you convinced yourself it was safe for ______(initials of targeted child(ren) to be left alone with the offender.

State how you convinced yourself it was safe for ______(initials of targeted child(ren) to be left alone with the offender under your supervision.

Identify and record your thinking errors.

Number and attach documentation.

Forms:

Victim Relationship Perspective Clarification Form 3a

Age of victim form/similarities with offense Form 3b

Week 4. Understanding of Offenders offense and offense cycle.

Describe the offender's offense(s). Describe any incidents of sexual abuse that have been founded by SRS.

Describe the offender's sexual abuse cycle.

Number and attach documentation.

Forms:

Seemingly Unimportant Events (SUDS) Form 4a

Offense Cycle Form 4b

Week 5. Understanding Thinking Errors

Identify and state the offender's major thinking errors.

Identify when they are likely to occur.

Identify how you are likely to respond.

Number and attach documentation

Forms:

Anger logs Form 5a

Stress/Trigger logs Form 5b

Week 6. Risk Factors

State why it is important to understand them.

What are the major risk factors for the offender as the safe guard sees it.

As the offender sees it.

Number and attach documentation.

Forms:

Risk Factors for Sexual Abuse Form 6a

to be filled out by both offender and safe guard/compare and contrast

High Risk Chain of Events Form 6b

Week 7. Relapse Prevention

Relapse Prevention Plan of offender Form 7a

State the offender's risks to each member of the family, including yourself.

State your plan and role to reduce these risks.

State who the offender's support system is.

State who your support system is.

Forms:

Intimidation/manipulation offender statement Form 8a

Safe guard response to offender statement Form 8b