If you have been referred to COCP, we want you to know:
There are many reasons why kids might have sexual behavior problems. It is our job to help children, youth and their families figure out why this occurred and how to keep it from happening again. Most children and youth who finish treatment do not have future illegal sexual behavior (Caldwell, 2008; Chu & Thomas, 2010; Silovsky & Chaffin, 2006). Children and youth are different from adults. When children and youth have sexual behavior problems, it’s different than when adults commit sexual offenses. Making the wrong decisions about sexual behavior does not make you a bad person. It means you made a mistake that hurt other people. The best way you can make amends is to learn about your behavior so that you can make better choices and not hurt other people. Hurting other people with your sexual behavior is serious and you might be in a lot of trouble. However, being referred to COCP means that others are trying to help you.
- Based on the 2016 evaluation of the COCP, less than 3% of youth who complete COCP treatment have a sexual offense after completion.
Whew! It’s been a busy year for our Continuum of Care Program (COCP) therapists!
Research Brief COCP pre-post TSCC
Outcomes include more than whether a treated behavior recurs. COCP takes a holistic approach so it makes sense to see if we are making a difference in other areas. Dr. Mandi Fowler, Dr. Lewis Lee and our awesome School of Social Work PhD student, Kelly Bolton, partnered up to take a look at changes in scores on the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) over the course of treatment for problematic sexual behavior. Take a look at what we learned!
YSI’s own Dr. Mandi Fowler and our faculty partner at the School of Social Work, Dr. Lewis Lee have been busy analyzing data for the Continuum of Care Program (COCP) to determine what percentage of youth engage in illegal sexual behavior after starting treatment. Take a look at what we learned!
Youth Released from DYS Custody 2014-2020
Dr. Lewis Lee and Dr. Mandi Fowler have been working closely with the Alabama Department of Youth Services (DYS) to analyze de-identified data from DYS for youth released from their custody. DYS wants to learn more about the youth they serve and outcomes after release to support evidence informed change to improve outcomes and reduce commitments. Take a look at what they have learned from five years of data for youth released from DYS custody.
Online Resources
NCSBY.org
https://learn.nationalchildrensalliance.org/psb
ATSA.com
https://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2017-PSB-Fact-Sheet-Caregivers-1.pdf
NCTSN.org