Adolescents who act out sexually against others present a serious problem. Adults in their lives often feel helpless and uncertain of how best to address the problem. That’s where the Stevens Treatment Program can help. We offer a comprehensive treatment program that addresses a range of sexualized behavior problems, from trauma reactive to sexual offending.
How the Program Works
When an adolescent first enters the program he undergoes a comprehensive risk assessment, unless one has recently been completed. The assessment examines patterns of behaviors, contributing factors to the offending patterns, and indicators for risk. We use the assessment as a guide to tailor a treatment program best suited to the adolescent’s needs.
Treatment then focuses on a cognitive behavioral therapy approach, exploring patterns of behavior and their root causes. Some major components of treatment include relapse prevention, trauma history, if applicable, and development of victim empathy.
All residents receive weekly individual therapy from a clinician who has been specially trained to treat adolescents with sexual behavior problems. In individual therapy, we encourage the adolescent to examine his life honestly and to explore the origins of his sexual acting out. We ask him to complete a series of specially designed therapeutic assignments that address the underlying issues driving the behavior. By the end of treatment, the adolescent will have an arsenal of “tools” at his disposal that he can use to stop unwanted thoughts and behaviors, thus lowering risk.
Stevens Treatment Program is committed to providing state-of-the-art treatment to residents with the overall goal of lowering their risk of further sexual acting out and increasing the potential for a successful adult life. Because we are committed to community protection, community safety takes precedence over any conflicting considerations, and is ultimately in the best interests of both adolescent and society.
Parent Education Workshop
To help support the adolescent’s recovery, we provide parents and guardians with an informative, educational day-long workshop to help prepare them to effectively supervise their child when he returns to the community. The curriculum, developed by Stevens and provided in workshop format, covers guardian-specific topics such as understanding why some children act out sexually, understanding how best to support their positive change, and proper supervision. Parents complete this workshop before taking their child off-campus.
Conclusion and Integration
Toward the end of treatment, Stevens provides a risk re-assessment to evaluate the adolescent’s level of success within the program and to make future treatment recommendations.
Whether the next step is enrollment in a follow-up program, or integration back into the community, Stevens prepares the adolescent and family for successful transition.
| “The staff at Stevens are extremely patient, firm and consistent with our son. I believe that he feels safe there and trusts the adults who counsel and supervise him on a daily basis. I believe Stevens Home to be a place where our son can get in touch with his feelings, open his heart and blossom as a person.” - Parents |
Return to Top
