SOAB Member Standards
The Sexual Offenders Assessment Board (SOAB) recognizes that work in the field of sexual deviancy requires a multidisciplinary approach, as well as the development of appropriate education, knowledge, skills, and experience specifically in the evaluation and treatment of sexual deviance. Requirements cited here are not meant to be substitutes for registration, licensing or certification required by other disciplines.
The SOAB member shall:
- Have an advanced degree in psychology, sociology, social work, criminology, counseling, psychiatry, human sexuality, or criminal justice, from a fully accredited institution of higher education. Should the applicant not possess a degree in a discipline previously sited, he must demonstrate competence in the field of sexual deviancy and shall have worked under a qualified professional in the same field.
- Have relevant work experience in the field, beyond the academic degree.
- Demonstrate competence through a minimum of 2,000 hours direct service with sex offenders, sex offender/sexual deviance research, education, supervision of staff working in the field of sexual deviance, or some combination thereof.
- Demonstrate ongoing competence through the continuation of specialized training in the field of sexual deviance, including participation in SOAB sponsored training, and/or demonstration of acquisition of continuing education credits in the equivalent topics. The SOAB member shall have at minimum 15 hours credit annually in an area related to sexual deviance.
- Include among graduate courses, training and experience, knowledge in the following topics:
| Personality theory and disorders | Counseling and psychotherapy | Cognitive / behavioral theory and therapy |
| Risk assessment | Relapse prevention | Human sexuality |
| Etiology of sexual deviance | Abnormal psychology | Ethics and professional standards |
| Pharmacological therapy | Victimology | Statistics and research design |
- Engage in consultation with the staff psychologist or engage in other ongoing consultation with other mental health professionals also experienced in the evaluation and treatment of sexual deviancy.
- Use only tests and methods approved by the SOAB, having been found relevant, valid, and reliable for use under the mandate imposed by statute.
- Adhere to a standard format for the assessment, wherever possible, and conduct the assessment using the same criteria as all other SOAB members.
- Follow the Code of Conduct, as an appointee of the Governor, as it applies to officials and employees of the Commonwealth.
- Review all documents/literature provided to him, for his consideration in the course of his duties as an expert in the field of sexual deviancy.
No literature provided is to be considered a mandate for use, but as recommended for review and comment to all other Board members for its relevance, reliability, and validity to the work of the SOAB.