Sexual Boundary Violations by Individuals with Intellectual Disability: A Statewide Screening Program
Presenter:
Jason Buckles, MA, LPCC
Clinical Director, New Mexico Department of Health, Developmental Disabilities Supports Division, Office of Behavioral Services
New Mexico has established a one of a kind, Medicaid funded, statewide system for screening and providing interdisciplinary teams with technical assistance regarding matters of sexual boundary violations in persons with intellectual disability. This process – known as Preliminary Risk Screening (PRS) combines actuarial and dynamic data to help explore concerns about individual safety in the community and at their residences. The tool utilized (The Assessment of Risk and Manageability of Individuals with Developmental and Intellectual Limitations who Offend – Sexually or ARMIDILO-S) was developed in New Mexico over the past 10 years. The primary aims of the PRS process are to use an educational, non-pathologizing framework to individuals and teams regarding indicators of risk and methods of managing/attenuating factors associated with sexual risk. This is an ongoing/longitudinal effort that involves repeated sessions with teams sometimes over the course of years. The types of concerns addressed through the PRS process range from discrete boundary violations that have proceeded through the criminal justice system to general concerns about an individuals who may have evidenced ‘nuisance’ level patterns such as unwanted touching or excessive self stimulation.