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Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB)

Quarterly Newsletter!

Letter from SOMB Chair Hello all and welcome to Spring! The SOMB has a lot happening as we make plans over the next couple of months. We are looking forward to seeing our stakeholders in the southern part of our state during our traveling board meeting in Pueblo in May! It’s been a few years since we’ve been able to do this since the pandemic so we are all looking forward to taking the show on the road and connecting with folks in person. And as we look to plans this summer we hope to see as many of you as possible at the annual SOMB Conference in July. There are some fantastic breakout sessions and key notes planned so get yourself registered! And hint hint it’s also one of the best places to get all those training hours in for our providers. Best bang for your buck hands down! I’ll see you all there.   Kimberly Kline, MA, LPC, ACS

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Please join us at the April SOMB meeting for presentations in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. (April SO Board Meeting Agenda).

Join the Cause: Colorado Denim Day

In 1999, a case in Italy came to worldwide attention when a young woman accused her 45-year-old driving instructor of brutally raping her during a driving lesson. He was sentenced to 34-months in prison before the case made its way to the Italian high court, where the sentence was overturned. The Chief Judge released a statement arguing that because the victim wore tight jeans, he assumed that she must have helped her perpetrator remove her jeans and, therefore, consented.

Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing jeans on the steps of the Italian Parliament building. This was the beginning of what has become a worldwide event and movement to wear jeans as a visible means of protest against misconceptions that surround sexual assault.

On April 24, join the cause to end the stigma of sexual violence, which includes rape culture and victim blaming. By donating $5 to the cause, and wearing jeans, to the office or while working remotely, you will help raise awareness and support survivors of sexual assault. Funds raised through Colorado Denim Day support the work of the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault organization and contribute to addressing and preventing sexual violence in Colorado.

There are several ways to donate:

• Venmo to @CCASA-Colorado 
• Mail a check to: CCASA, PO Box 40350, Denver, CO 80204

Online with a $10 minimum donation required (only for online donations)

Practice Corner

The Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) recognized African American History Month in February with a presentation on the “Cultural Implications of Working with African-American Individuals within Domestic Violence and Sex Offense Management.” This presentation was given by SOMB Full Operating Level Juvenile Treatment Provider and Clinical Supervisor, Ms. Sonya Hickson. Ms. Hickson is a Licensed Professional Counselor and currently works at the Division of Youth Services. This outstanding presentation is a must for any Approved Providers working with African American clients. If you missed the original presentation, all SOMB meeting recordings including this one from February 16, 2024, are available on the SOMB public document repository (you can scan through the recording to find the presentation at 9:30-10:30 AM), and can be found at https://app.awesome-table.com/-LnP9EGNWYwkNxMn8ABd/view

Policy Update

The 2024 renewal season is approaching! Beginning in May monthly reminder letters will be sent via email through August. All 2024 renewals should be received using our online application system by August 31, 2024 to allow time to process all applications by the renewal deadline of December 31, 2024. Hints: go into your PDMS account and make sure your information is correct and up to date! This includes addresses and DORA credentials, remove any old or outdated information and be sure to select “publish” for your business address or your information will not be displayed in the Approved Provider List. Add your continuing education credits in your account BEFORE you open up an application; this will pull the information into your renewal application and save you time. The PDMS works best when opened in Google Chrome and anything uploaded must be in a PDF format.

If you have questions or run into issues please reach out to Reggin Palmitesso-Martinez, it is more than likely a simple fix. As always, we appreciate the work you do!

Data Collection

There are a few data modifications: 

1)  Providers can choose more than one race for a client; 

2) Other than adding the Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) designation (added last year), we also added a question on whether the client is under lifetime supervision; 

3) We added two additional questions in the Denial section on whether the client attends a Denier/Accountability intervention (or intervention was used to decrease any minimization or partial denial) and the length of such intervention. 

If you have any specific suggestions on modifying the existing survey questions or wanting to add additional survey questions, please send them to Yuanting Zhang at yuanting.zhang@state.co.us.

Research Corner

Do you want to hang out with your SOMB researchers? Are you looking for a fun way to keep up with the literature? Dr. Zhang and I are considering setting up a journal club for SOMB/DVOMB Providers and would like to see if anyone is interested. The club would meet monthly online or in person (occasionally) and review a few research studies. We have ideas for making meetings relevant, enjoyable, and welcoming for everyone, but we would love to hear your suggestions and preferences. If you’re interested in a journal club, please let us know by filling out our very short jot form. Thank you in advance!

Dr. Rachael Collie & Dr. Yuanting Zhang

SOMB Staff Researchers/Statistical Analysts

Conference and Trainings

The Annual Domestic Violence and Sex Offender Management Conference will held July 9-12, 2024 in Breckenridge, CO!!  Registration will open April 29th!  We hope to see you all there! For conference questions, please email taylor.redding@state.co.us

CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS

The Office of Domestic Violence and Sex Offender Management is happy to offer 10 scholarships for this year's conference!!  The winners will be randomly selected.  Please read all of the information below.

• Submissions are due May 23rd, 2024
• The winners will be informed by May 24th, 2024
  
  
• Please DO NOT REGISTER for the Conference until you are informed whether you have or have not been awarded a scholarship
  
  
• If you are not awarded a scholarship, you will still have time to register for the conference with the Early Bird pricing.  Early Bird ends May 31st
  
  
• You will have 3 options for the conference: Pre-Conference, Regular Conference, and Recorded Access Only
  
  • For the Regular Conference, it will be in person from July 10-12th and you will also have access to the recordings of the sessions that take places on July 10,11, and 12th 
    
    
  • For the Recorded Access Only Conference, you will have access to all the of sessions that take place on July 10, 11, and 12th.  All of the videos will be posted AFTER the conference concludes (the conference is not Livestreamed)
    
    
  • For the Pre-Conference, it will be in person from July 9-12 (Tuesday, July 9th is the Pre-Con day), and you will also have access to the recordings of the sessions that take places on July 9, 10,11, and 12th.  You will also be given a discounted price for the Pre-con, it will be $100.
• We will not cover lodging or per diem.  There will be some meals included during the conference.

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AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

Deadline: May 10, 2024

Denise Fransua Domestic Violence Offender Management Leadership Award

This award will honor a person who exhibits the attributes of effective leadership in domestic violence offender management. This person should exhibit charisma, demonstrate exceptional compassion, dedication, be influential and driven to make a difference in either reducing the occurrence of domestic violence or making a difference in the lives of victims of domestic violence. His/her/their efforts should have resulted in positive change and significant contributions to their community or the state in domestic violence offender management. This award is appropriate for treatment providers, supervision officers, victim advocates, law enforcement, caseworkers, and other professionals responsible for domestic violence offender management.

Gary Burgin Sex Offender Management or Treatment Leadership Award 

This award will honor a person who exhibits the attributes of effective leadership in sex offender management or treatment. This person should have respect among peers, and a high level of integrity. This person should promote collaboration, and his/her/their efforts should have resulted in positive change and significant contributions to their community or the state in sex offender management or treatment. This award is appropriate for treatment providers, supervision officers, caseworkers, researchers, and other professionals responsible for sex offender management/treatment.

Senator Norma Anderson Excellence in Victim Advocacy Award 

This award will honor a person who exhibits excellence, innovation, or creativity in victim representation. This person should demonstrate exceptional compassion, dedication, and commitment to victims. This award is appropriate for victim advocates and representatives, victim therapists, law enforcement, and other professionals who work with or for victims.

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