Noninstitutional treatment for sex offenders in Florida.

The authors describe the availability and characteristics of noninstitutional treatment for sex offenders found in a survey of 63 community mental health providers in Florida. The results cover offense categories, referral sources, numbers in treatment, annual case load, and program characteristics. More sex offenders were being treated in the community than in state-operated residential programs, and 21% of the patients currently receiving community treatment were self-referred. The authors recommend that researchers and policy makers direct more attention to community treatment of sex offenders, its efficacy, and training for those delivering the treatment.