Professional, culturally responsive evaluation, consultation, and treatment services
Dr. Mixon may be retained as a consultant in legal cases involving mental health issues. As a consultant, Dr. Mixon becomes a member of the defense or prosecution team or can provide professional service time as an independent testifying expert. Dr. Mixons’ consultation services include:
Explaining psychological test results, diagnoses, and multifaceted psychological issues
Forensic interviews to ascertain client history of mental health and role in criminality
Reviewing records to identify salient mental health issues
Psychoeducational seminars on mental health and client dynamics
Identifying the role of cultural bias in evaluation and impact on psychological opinion
Dr. Mixon’s capacity to translate psychological concepts into relatable language is beneficial to legal processes and is palatable for jurors. Her ability to simplify mental health concepts increases legal teams and courts understanding of the role of mental health in a litigation process. Her considerations of intersectionality promote a holistic understanding for the person being evaluated.
The vision of the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) is to decrease sexual victimization and increase community safety by reducing the risk for recidivism by way of Sex Offense Specific Services.
California has implemented structures and requirements to reduce the re-offense risk of individuals that have to register as a sex offenders. State law establishes that all registrants on state parole or county probation be managed within the “Containment Model” and required to enter and successfully complete Sex Offense Specific treatment program certified by CASOMB.
When charged with a sexual offense, the court may allow Pre-Trial Treatment. Pre-Trial treatment is typically for the duration of the time criminal charges are in proceedings. Pre-Trial Treatment focuses on mental health and contributory factors that resulted in criminal charges for a sexual offense. Treatment targets may include: maladaptive behaviors, self regulation, sexuality, harm reduction, attitudes, substance abuse, thought distortions and emotional stability.
California Penal Codes 1203.067 and 3008 require Sex Offense Specific Psychotherapy to be a minimum of one year, or up to the entire period of probation or parole, as determined by the certified CASOMB provider in consultation with the referring agency and as approved by the court.
Treatment begins with an intake, which includes an evaluation of risk. Treatment intensity and frequency will be determined by the level of risk. Treatment requirements are completion of structured treatment modules aimed at the individual acquiring skills and lifestyle changes necessary to adequately manage his or her risk factors. Completion of treatment requirements foster resiliencies and additional protective factors that lower the risk of recidivism.
These principles are the best practice in the general corrections field, as well in the specialized field of Sex Offense Specific Services.
The Risk Principle: Matches the intensity of treatment to the individual risk to reoffend. Thereby, higher risk to re-offend individuals receive more intensive interventions than individuals with a lower risk to reoffend.
The Needs Principle: Addresses treatment targets. Treatment is encouraged to focus on social and psychological factors that are evidence-based and linked to offending. These factors are known as criminogenic needs.
The Responsivity Principle: Identifies how treatment is approached and delivered. Treatment is encouraged to focus on maximizing an individual's response to treatment by tailoring service delivery to culture, motivation, personality, learning style, and skills of the individual.
A collaborative approach to management of individuals that commit sexual offense is known as the Containment Model.
The Containment Model components are: supervising (e.g., probation or parole) officer; Sex Offense Specific Service provider; and polygraph examiner, using a victim-centered approach. These three people are the core of the Containment Team, although other team members should participate at times (e.g., the registering law enforcement agency, victim advocate).
The Containment Model recognizes the multiple entities that play important roles in the community management of individuals that commit sexual offenses and emphasizes collaboration.
Comprehensive assessment will be completed as either Psychosexual or Sexual Violence Risk, depending on the reason for referral. Assessments can be completed in 90 and no more than 120 days, and will incorporate some or all of the following:
