RE: CPS referrals re:sexual abuse registries

["J. Randall Webber" <rwebber@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think a major issue here is what constitutes "successful" completion of treatment.  In the area of domestic violence and batterer programs, attendance at program sessions is the lowest level of evaluation.  More important is a change in attitude and (my opinion) admission of responsibility for battering, honest remorse, and declaration of how things will change.  Perhaps some of this is applicable to perpetrators of child molestation.

-Randy Webber   

J. Randall Webber, M.P.H. rwebber@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Director of Training and Publications
Chestnut Health Systems
Lighthouse Institute
720 W. Chestnut Street
Bloomington, IL  61701
(309) 829-1058 Ext 3411
<http://www.chestnut.org>

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things.
1 Cor 13:7




-----Original Message-----
From: owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@xxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@xxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
Lynscho@xxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2000 11:12 AM
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
Subject: Re: CPS referrals re:sexual abuse registries


In a message dated 2/21/00 10:02:58 AM Eastern Standard Time,
Rfreitagmw@xxxxxxx writes:

<< Rfreitagmw@xxxxxxx >>
As an Intake supervisor in one district (the largest) in the State of
Vermont, I can tell you how these referrals are handled in our office.  If we
receive information that a sexual offender that has been substantiated by a
child protection investigation and/or has been adjudicated, is living in a
home with children, we make a decision whether or not to respond based on the
following criteria:
    a) what are the facts/circumstances of the previous investigation - what
were the ages and gender of the victim(s).  Sometimes these records are old
and must be obtained from our Central Storage which necessitates waiting
until the file can be obtained for review - sometimes a week or more. 
    b) has the offender received offender treatment and if so, was it
"successfully" completed.
    c) does the offender currently have unsupervised access to the child(ren).

Once this information has been gathered (or if the information is determined
to be unavailable), the referral is accepted for investigation and responded
to immediately.
Certainly, if we have information that a child in the home has made a
disclosure about abuse, we proceed immediately in any circumstance.

We are not ignorant to the fact that offenders do not always remain "gender
specific" in their choice of victims, or that "successful" completion of
treatment is a guarantee that an offender will not relapse, but our policies
and courts have made these  particular guidelines necessary. 

Lynda Schoenbeck, MSW
State of VT. Dept. of SRS