Child Sexual Behavior Therapist and Certified Juvenile Sexual Offender Therapist

DEFINITIONS, CERTIFICATION AND LAWS

Florida Law: Certified Juvenile Sexual Offender Therapist

491.0144 The practice of juvenile sexual offender therapy.-- Only a person licensed by this chapter who meets the qualifications set by the board may hold himself or herself out as a juvenile sexual offender therapist, except as provided in s. 490.0145. These qualifications shall be determined by the board. The board shall require training and coursework in the specific areas of juvenile sexual offender behaviors, treatments, and related issues. In establishing these qualifications, the board may refer to the sexual disorder and dysfunction sections of the most current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers Practitioner's Handbook, or other relevant publications.

64B4-7.007Requirement to Hold Oneself Out as Qualified to Practice Juvenile Sex Offender Therapy.

Effective October 1, 2000, in order for a licensed clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist or mental health counselor to hold oneself out as one qualified to practice juvenile sex offender therapy the licensee must have:

(1) Completed education and training through course work which meets the standards for approval as set forth in Rule 64B4-6.002, F.A.C., in the following subject areas:

(a) Theories of child and adolescent development and psychopathology;

(b) Developmental sexuality, including sexual and reproductive anatomy and physiology, gender and sexual identity, and sexual diversity;

(c) Interaction between sexuality and the dynamics of interpersonal and family relationships;

(d) Sexual arousal patterns, including both typical and deviant fantasy patterns;

(e) Sexual dysfunctions, disorders, and deviancy, including sexual abuse patterns and the thinking errors that support the cycle of abuse;

(f) Victim empathy and victimology;

(g) Use and misuse of defense mechanisms;

(h) Dynamics of power and control;

(i) Compulsivity management, arousal control, anger regulation, and relapse prevention;

(j) Social resilience, competence and interpersonal effectiveness of juveniles;

(k) Group therapy and biomedical approaches in treating sexual dysfunctions, disorders and deviancy;

(l) Legal, ethical, and forensic issues in treating juvenile sex offenders.

(2) Complete 20 hours of continuing education credits each license renewal biennium in any of the above subject areas or subject areas stated in paragraph 64B4-7.004(2)(a), F.A.C.

Specific Authority 491.004(5), 491.0144 FS. Law Implemented 491.0144 FS. History–New 2-9-99, Amended 4-24-00, 8-24-00, 3-27-05, 9-13-07.

64B19-18.0025 Qualifications to Practice Juvenile Sexual Offender Therapy – For Psychologists

Effective December 31, 2005, a psychologist, prior to practicing juvenile sexual offender therapy, must be a Florida licensed psychologist, except as otherwise provided within Section 490.012, F.S. The psychologist shall have education, training, and experience that demonstrates competency and interest in this area of practice. The training of a psychologist practicing juvenile sexual offender therapy must include:

(1) Coursework and/or training in child behavior and development, child psychopathology, and child assessment and treatment; and

(2) Thirty (30) hours of training in juvenile sex offender assessment and treatment.

Specific Authority 490.004(4), 490.012(8), 490.0145 FS. Law Implemented 490.012(8), 490.0145 FS. History–New 2-21-99, Amended 7-27-04.

ATSA GUIDELINES & MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) defines children with SBP as children ages 12 and younger who initiate behaviors involving sexual body parts (i.e., genitals, anus, buttocks, or breasts) that are developmentally inappropriate or potentially harmful to themselves or others. Although the term sexual is used, the intentions and motivations for these behaviors may or may not be related to sexual gratification or sexual stimulation. The behaviors may be related to curiosity, anxiety, imitation, attention seeking, self-calming, or other reasons. SBP should be distinguished from normal childhood sexual play and exploration whichis behavior that occurs spontaneously, intermittently, is mutual and non-coercive when it involves other children, and the behavior itself does not cause emotional distress. Normal childhood sexual play and exploration is not a preoccupation and usually does not involve advanced sexual behaviors such as intercourse or oral sex.
ATSA alsoprovides guidelines for whoshould be providing assessmentson children with SBP which I think we should reference in our report and is as follows:Assessor Qualifications. Clinical assessments should be conducted by degreed, mental health professionals and who are licensed appropriate to their discipline and according to local laws. The ATSA Task Force recommends that assessors have expertise in the following areas:

  1. Specific familiarity with common problems seen among children with SBP, including non-sexual disruptive behavior problems, learning disorders and developmental issues, ADHD, child maltreatment, child sexual abuse, trauma and posttraumatic stress related problems.
  2. Familiarity with conditions that may affect self-control, such as hyperactivity disorder and childhood bipolar may be important
  3. Cultural variations in norms, attitudes and beliefs about childrearing and childhood sexual behaviors.
  4. Familiarity with the current research literature on empirically supported intervention and treatment approaches for childhood behavior and mental health problems.
  5. Understanding environmental, family, parenting and social factors related to child behavior, including the factors related to the development of sexual and nonsexual behavior problems.
  6. Differential diagnosis of childhood mental health and behavioral problems.
  7. Child development, including typical sexual development and behavior.

ATSA MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

Clinical Membership Requirements
Persons with a Master’s Degree or above, in the Behavioral or Social Sciences, who have engaged in a minimum of 2000 hours providing direct clinical services (assessment, individual and/or group treatment) to individuals who have engaged in sexual offending behavior.
Research Membership Requirements
Persons with a Master’s Degree or above, in the Behavioral or Social Sciences, who have engaged in a minimum of 2000 hours of conducting research specific to investigating issues related to sexual offending behavior.
Research and Clinical Membership Requirements
Persons with a Master’s Degree or above, in the Behavioral or Social Sciences, who have engaged in a minimum of 2000 hours of conducting research specific to investigating issues related to sexual offending behavior and 2000 hours providing direct clinical services to individuals who have engaged in sexual offending behavior.
Professional Membership Requirements
Persons who have engaged in a minimum of 2000 hours of work specifically related to sexual abuse prevention or to the management of individuals who have engaged in sexual offending behavior. (No degree requirements.)
Clinical Associate Membership Requirements
1) Persons with a Master’s Degree or above, in the Behavioral or Social Sciences, who have engaged for less than 2000 hours in direct behavioral research of sexual offending behavior and/or has provided direct clinical services to individuals who have engaged in sexual offending behavior; or
2) Persons with a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent, in the Behavioral or Social Sciences, who have engaged in direct research of and/or provided direct clinical services to individuals who have engaged in sexual offending behavior; or
3) Persons who are employed on a full time basis of at least 40 hours per week in a position that provides direct clinical services to individuals who have engaged in sexual offending behavior.
Research Associate Membership Requirements
Persons who have engaged in research on sexual offending behavior, but have done so for less than 2000 hours.

Application Procedure for above categories:

  • Completed application form.
  • Non-refundable application processing fee of $35.00 (required at time of application).
  • Annual dues $180.00.
  • Copy of current license(s) or certification(s).
  • If you are not licensed or certified, send official copy of academic transcript for highest degree obtained.
  • A Letter of Reference from a supervisor or colleague who is familiar with your work is required. If you are not licensed or certified then you must submit two (2) Letters of Reference.
  • If you are licensed or certified a letter from your licensing/certification board(s) is required. If online verification from your board(s) is available, written verification is not required.

Affiliate Membership Requirements
Persons who are currently working on a full-time basis for at least 40 hours per week either in a related area (such as the treatment of sexually abused children, adult victim/survivors of sexual abuse, or non-offending spouses) or in a non-clinical capacity such as the criminal justice system. Individuals involved in clinical practice, providing assessment and treatment services, and/or those individuals involved in conducting research related to sexually offending behavior, who qualify for a higher membership category, are not eligible for membership in the affiliate category.

Application Procedure for Affiliate Membership:

  • Completed application form.
  • Non-refundable application processing fee of $35.00 (required at time of application).
  • Annual dues $35.00.
  • Copy of current license(s) or certification(s).
  • If you are not licensed or certified, send official copy of academic transcript for highest degree obtained.
  • A Letter of Reference from a supervisor or colleague who is familiar with your work is required. If you are not licensed or certified then you must submit two (2) Letters of Reference.
  • If you are licensed or certified a letter from your licensing/certification board(s) is required. If online verification from your board(s) is available, written verification is not required.