ASID 2012
 

Pre-conference Workshop

The following workshop has SOLD OUT!
A full day pre-conference workshop will be held on Tuesday 6 November, 9.30am - 4.30pm.
 
Assessment and treatment of sex offenders with developmental disabilities
Presenter: Prof. Bill Lindsay, Castlebeck, University of Abertay, Bangor Univ., UK

This workshop will introduce the topic of developmental disability and sex offending.  Bill will review the theoretical framework for treatment and present an up to date summary of research knowledge.  It will present exercises on assessment and treatment illustrating the way in which approaches have to be changed to suit clients’ limitations in understanding and literacy including exercises on disclosure, challenging cognitions, and the development of Quality of Life (Good Lives Model) in the context of reducing recidivism.  The workshop will cover assessments that can be used to highlight risk for sexual offending and the processes of offending including attitudes that support the offence cycle.

Bill will also consider the problems in working with different types of offenders including those who have and have not been charged.

The workshop is designed to be suitable for people with a good working knowledge of people with ID who have significant challenges. It is also appropriate for those working in the Criminal Justice system who wish to extend their responsibilities into offenders with lower intellectual functioning. It is not an introductory workshop.

Workshop

The following workshop has SOLD OUT!
A half-day workshop will be held on Thursday 8 November, during the conference programme.
 
Stepping Stones - A group therapy programme for the treatment of emotion regulation difficulties in people with an intellectual disability
Presenters: Paul Oxnam, Emma Gardner, Teresa Turish, Jared Watson and Sandra Malcolm

Developed by Paul Oxnam and his colleagues at Te Korowai Whariki – the Central Region Forensic Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Intellectual Disability Service, Stepping Stones is a 42-week emotion regulation, communication and social skills group therapy programme specifically designed for people with an intellectual disability.

Since its inception in 2008, Stepping Stones has evolved to meet the requirements of forensic and non-forensic clients in community and inpatient settings in New Zealand and Australia. Clients engaged in Stepping Stones complete a series of modules targeting emotion regulation, distress tolerance, relationships, problem solving and skills for living in the community. Client willingness to share and learn from negative life experiences in a safe environment has been a prominent feature of the programme. 

Clients who have completed Stepping Stones demonstrate a greater understanding of their emotional responses and an improved ability to use functional means of managing distress and solving life problems. In addition, they express pride in their achievements and enhanced confidence for pursuing a life worth living. Care staff have described feeling more confident to work with challenging clients and reportable event data indicates a reduction in both the incidence of aggression and the need for physical and chemical de-escalation. Ref: Oxnam, P. and Gardner, E. (2012). Stepping Stones – A group therapy programme for the treatment of emotion regulation difficulties in offenders with an intellectual disability. Journal of Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 2, (4), 146-151.

This highly practical four-hour workshop would suit clinicians working with groups of forensic and non-forensic clients who reside in both inpatient and community settings. Attendees will be provided with the knowledge and resources required to implement and facilitate Stepping Stones in their own services. Following the workshop, attendees will receive access to the programme manuals and remote support to negotiate the logistical challenges and therapeutic trepidations associated with setting up a group treatment programme.

 

Easy Reader Abstract

Stepping Stones - A group therapy programme for the treatment of emotion regulation difficulties in people with an intellectual disability
Paul Oxnam, Emma Gardner, Teresa Turish, Jared Watson and Sandra Malcolm

Developed by Paul Oxnam and his workmates at Te Korowai Whariki – the Central Region Forensic Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Intellectual Disability Service, Stepping Stones is a 42-week group therapy programme for people with an intellectual disability who have trouble managing feelings like anger, sadness and worry.

By coming to Stepping Stones, clients learn good ways of coping when they feel upset, what do to if they are having a hard time with their friends and family, and how to solve problems like not being able to do the things they want to do. Stepping Stones is also a safe place for people share their worries and learn from each other.

Clients who have completed Stepping Stones don’t go off as often as they used to. This means that they feel better about themselves, get on better with care staff, and get to do more fun stuff like going fishing or to the movies. Clients who have done Stepping Stones also say that they aren’t so worried about how they are going to cope with problems that might come up in the future.

This four-hour workshop is for staff who work with groups of clients who live in hospital or in the community. People who attend the workshop will learn how to set up and run Stepping Stones programmes in their own services. Attendees will get copies of the Stepping Stones manuals and support from the facilitators to work through some the hard parts of setting up a group treatment programme.
 
 

Bios

Paul Oxnam is a Clinical Psychologist from Wellington. Paul is currently Clinical Team Leader at the Queensland Forensic Disability Service in Australia and between 2006 and 2011 he worked for Te Korowai Whariki – the Central Region Forensic Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Intellectual Disability Service in Wellington. With a team of colleagues from Te Korowai Whariki, Paul developed Stepping Stones, a comprehensive group therapy programme that addresses the treatment needs of forensic clients with an intellectual disability. Paul has presented at a variety of forums in New Zealand, Australia and the U.K and, in conjunction with Emma Gardner, has recently published a paper describing the establishment and treatment outcomes of Stepping Stones.

Additional Presenters

Emma Gardner is a Senior Clinical Psychologist at Te Korowai Whariki - the Central Region Forensic Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Intellectual Disability Service in Wellington.

Teresa Turish is a Registered Nurse and Care Manager at Te Korowai Whariki - the Central Region Forensic Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Intellectual Disability Service in Wellington.

Jared Watson is a Senior Clinical Psychologist at Te Korowai Whariki - the Central Region Forensic Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Intellectual Disability Service in Wellington.

Sandra Malcolm is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Te Korowai Whariki - the Central Region Forensic Mental Health, Rehabilitation and Intellectual Disability Service in Wellington.
 
Audience

This workshop will appeal to clinicians working with groups of people with an intellectual disability who experience emotion regulation difficulties such as anger, depression and anxiety. Although Stepping Stones was initially designed for use in forensic settings, we have run programmes for non-forensic clients and the content is applicable to all people who experience emotional and behavioural difficulties. This workshop will be very practical and active.