Target population     

The intervention is designed for adult individuals convicted of all types of sexual offences, including use of child sexual abuse material

Delivery organisation    

The Seif intervention is Sweden’s national sexual offender programme provided by the Prison and Probation Service. It is available in five prisons specialised in sexual offender and in a great number of probation facilities for open care of convicted individuals nationwide.

Mode and context of delivery  

The programme can be provided in open-ended groups with up to 8 participants, as well as in individual setting (or both).

Level/Nature of staff expertise required 

In prison, the programme is facilitated by psychologists or psychotherapists, assisted by behavioural scientists or social workers in group treatment. In the Probation Service behavioural scientists or social workers deliver the program. All therapists must complete sexual offender treatment training by the Service and are supervised by licensed psychologists specialised in sexual offender treatment.

Intensity/extent of engagement with target group(s)    

The extent of the program depends on the assessed risk level, ranging from 25 to 100 hours individually and 80 to 250 hours in group sessions. Also, prisoners participate in booster sessions while under probation.

Description of intervention 

The Seif intervention is developed by the Service. The programme is designed to follow the Risk-, Need-, and Responsivity Principles (RNR). The treatment dose depends on the risk level, and to some extent on responsivity factors. The program uses CBT-methods to target risk factors for sexual reoffending. Also, in order to increase responsivity and add a positive perspective, a treatment approach inspired by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is added to the CBT methods.

The initial phase of the program consists of information gathering to a forensic case formulation, which is a theoretical based clinical assessment of the client focusing on risk factors/treatment needs. The hypothesis of the case formulation results in an individualized  treatment plan with risk-reducing treatment goals for the client.

The second phase is guided by the clients treatment plan, and consists of four themes based on dynamic risk factors for sexual recidivism; Emotions, Sexuality, Attitudes and Relationships.

The ending phase aims to develop a plan for the future, focusing on relapse prevention but also to plan for a meaningful and stable life situation.

Evaluation     

The Seif intervention was approved by the scientific board of the Prison and Probation Service in 2018 after a small-scale pilot study.

References   

Lätth & Lennestål (2018). Seif. Sexualbrottsprogram med individuellt focus. Programmanual. Norrköping: Kriminalvården.

Lätth & Lennestål (2018). Seif. Sexualbrottsprogram med individuellt focus. Teorimanual. Norrköping: Kriminalvården.

Contact details 

Head Office:

Slottsgatan 78,

601 80 Norrköping

Phone: 077-228 08 00

Email: behandlingsprogram.hk@kriminalvarden.se

 

RATING: Pioneering

INFORMATION CORRECT AT MARCH 2021