CTTC PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The population targeted for the CTTC is the offender with a serious alcohol and/or drug abuse problem.  In addition to meeting the requirements of Article 42.12, Sec. 19, Code of Criminal Procedures, to qualify for the CTTC the offender must meet one of the following criterion:

Ø      lengthy arrest history for DWI, generally with at least two felony arrests for DWI (those normally sent to prison);

Ø      offenders found to be abusing alcohol or narcotics while on community supervision;

Ø      indigent offenders in need of inpatient treatment; 

Ø      and offenders using drugs intravenously. 

An offender is referred to the CTTC admissions office by the Courts as a result of a violation of community supervision or as an initial condition of supervision.  During the pre-sentence investigation stage, or during the revocation court proceedings, an offender submits to a SASSI (Substance Abuse Socialization Severity Index) questionnaire, which indicates if there is a severe problem with alcohol or other drugs.

The intake coordinator gathers all the necessary information on the offender from the CSCD.  The intake coordinator meets with the CTTC approval committee to present this client’s case for appropriate entrance and admission.  The intake coordinator later screens the offender in jail, completing an initial interview questionnaire outlining the offender’s past treatment history, medical history, psychological history, employment history and drug/alcohol history.  If the offender is coming from out of county and is incarcerated, or is unable to do a phone interview, this paperwork is mailed to the referring supervision officer to be completed with the client prior to his entrance.  A current TB test and physical examination is required to be completed prior to the client’s entrance into the facility.

All paperwork is completed prior to the offender’s bed date at the facility. Once paperwork is complete, the referring officer is contacted and informed of the date of entrance.  Travel arrangements are then made and a time of departure is set.  This timed schedule aids family members who must travel to bring their family member’s belongings and personal items.

Intake Process and Overall Program Activity

Based on “What Works For Offenders”, Central Texas Treatment Center embraces and practices the following principles of effective treatment programs:

Intensive Behavioral Programming: Programmatic activities occupy 40 - 70% of the resident’s day.  Residents participate in approximately 35 hours of counseling, lectures, support groups, experientials, CSR, and recreational activities per week.  The length of stay is generally 3 - 9 months long.  The average length of stay in FY'05 was 204 days, down from 230 days in FY'04.

Thorough screening ensures that high risk offenders, who are much more likely to benefit from treatment, have priority over low risk offenders.  In the fall of 2000, the Central Texas Treatment Center (CTTC) began using the Level of Supervision Inventory Revised (LSIR) to assess its incoming residents. This instrument is designed to look at several aspects of an offender’s life, and helps probation officers and treatment specialists design supervision and treatment plans that will help the offender be successful while on probation or in treatment. Total scores are categorized to predict re-offending. There are five categories: 0-13; 14-23; 24-33; 34-40; and over 41. If the total score is 0-13, the offender has only a 12 percent chance of re-offending or recidivism. On the other end of the spectrum, if an offender has a score over 41, the offender has a 75 percent chance of recidivism. Table 1 (below) shows CTTC LSIR Total Score percentages in each category for the last 5 years.

Table 1 – LSIR Total Scores for 2001 – 2005

This table shows that no very low risk offenders have ever been treated at CTTC and that the number of low risk offenders (with a 21% chance of re-offending) has dropped from 31.58% to 0%. At the same time, through better screening and recruiting methods, the number of high risk offenders has increased from 15.04% to 47.19% and very high risk from 0% to 7.86%.

A thorough assessment regimen and ongoing treatment planning ensure responsivity of offenders, treatment staff, and programming. Counselors, RCSOs, the Director, and the residents work together to assess risks and needs, and develop comprehensive, individualized treatment plans.  In addition to the LSIR, the Wisconsin Risk and Needs Assessment, the PAI (Personality Assessment Instrument), Evaluation of Self at intake and during treatment, and a BioPsychoSocial Assessment Inventory are used to thoroughly assess residents’ risk and needs.  A new treatment plan was automated in fiscal year 2001, and treatment planning has been greatly enhanced as a result.