Sex offender treatment providers

licensed sex offender treatment provider (LSOTP) is a mental health professional who provides services for the treatment of sex offenders. A sex offender is a person who has been convicted or adjudicated of a sex crime or a sexually motivated offense, or has received deferred adjudication for a sex crime or a sexually motivated offense. Sex offender treatment occurs through offense specific sex offender treatment, which is a long-term comprehensive set of planned treatment experiences and interventions that modify sexually deviant thoughts, fantasies, and behaviors and that utilize specific strategies to promote change and to reduce the chance of re-offending. The primary method of treatment is behavioral group treatment. An LSOTP must hold a mental health license as a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, or advanced nurse practitioner recognized as a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. In addition to fulfilling education and training requirements for the primary license, an LSOTP must also complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of clinical experience and 40 hours of continuing education in sex offender assessment and treatment.

For more information about sex offender treatment providers, visit the website of the Council on Sex Offender Treatment at www.dshs.state.tx.us/csot or call (512) 834-4530.