The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The Pathways Fourth Edition program has been reviewed by the CEBC in the area of: Sexual Behavior Problems in Adolescents, Treatment of, but lacks the necessary research evidence to be given a Scientific Rating.

• Type of Maltreatment: Sexual Abuse
• Target Population: Adolescent males and females with sexual behavior problems, ages 12-18.

Pathways Fourth Edition is a structured, guided workbook for use with adolescent males and females with sexual behavior problems, including but not limited to sexual offending. Pathways Fourth Edition focuses extensively on helping clients develop healthy and responsible patterns of thinking and behavior, and also provides concrete guidance about how to control sexual feelings in healthy and responsible ways, including guidelines for successful friendships and dating relationships. Relapse prevention techniques are reinforced, as is a new focus on helping clients develop healthy and responsible lifestyles by creating a Healthy Living Project to follow. Pathways Fourth Edition includes new skill and knowledge-based exercises that aim to help clients identify feelings, manage anger, and become more sensitive to others. Pathways Fourth Edition also provides concrete tools for completing the victim clarification (apology) process and the family reunification process. This workbook is a treatment tool that hopefully leads the client towards a lifestyle of honesty, responsibility, sensitivity, and integrity.

The goals of Pathways Fourth Edition are help clients achieve a(n)::

• Reduction in sexually inappropriate or illegal behavior.
• Increase in adaptive social behavior.
• Increase in overall responsibility in daily life.
• Increase in sensitivity to others.
• Increase in honesty about sexual feelings and behavior.
• Increase in self-esteem and improve social relationships.
• Decrease in aggressive behavior.

The essential components of Pathways Fourth Edition are:

• Psychoeducation about sexuality and legal and illegal sexual behavior.
• Cognitive restructuring, and awareness of thinking errors (cognitive distortions).
• Group therapy to provide peer-support and guidance.
• Support for disclosure of sexual feelings and behavior.
• Victim awareness training.
• Cognitive-behavioral training in understanding the connection between feelings, thoughts, and behavior, and understanding behavior chains.
• Specific training in arousal reconditioning methods to gain mastery over sexual feelings, including covert sensitization, thought stopping, and other arousal control methods.
• Education about responsible sexual relationships, and training in establishing healthy peer-age relationships.
• Guidance in the victim clarification (apology) process, and training in family reunification skills.
• Chapter by chapter testing to ensure acquisition of skills and knowledge.
• Provision of a culminating project consisting of development of a Healthy Living Project that incorporates relapse prevention techniques, victim awareness, as well as components of the “Good Lives” model of rehabilitation.

Pathways Fourth Edition was designed with a child component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• Sexual behavior problems, including sexual offending, pornography addiction, sexual harassment, and any sexually motivated behavior problem.

Age range: 12 – 18

Developmental Delays:

This program was not developed for children with developmental delays, and has not been tested for children with developmental delays.

Treatment Involves Family/Support Structures:

This program involves the family or other support systems in the individual's treatment: Many of the exercises in Pathways Fourth Edition require parental involvement, and a companion guide, Healthy Families, A Guide for Parents of Children and Adolescents with Sexual Behavior Problems is also available.

Pathways Fourth Edition was designed with a parent/caregiver component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• Have an adolescent who is having problems managing their anger.

Pathways Fourth Edition was designed to be conducted in a group setting; but has not been tested for use in a group setting.

Recommended group size:

8-12 adolescents

Recommended Intensity:

1.5 hour weekly sessions

Recommended Duration:

12 – 24 months, generally

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Outpatient Clinic
• Residential Care Facility

Pathways Fourth Edition includes a homework component:

Pathways Fourth Edition has regular homework assignments where clients are asked to practice key skills. A daily journaling requirement is also included.

Pathways Fourth Edition does not have materials available in a language other than English.

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

Any counseling office

Usually a Master’s degree and specialized training in working with adolescents with sexual behavior problems.

There is a manual that describes how to implement this program, and there is training available for this program.

Training Contact:

• Timothy Kahn, MSW
  timothykahn@cs.com
  phone: (425) 462-9647

Training is obtained:

Onsite at request of the agency.

Number of days/hours:

Variable, usually 1-2 days.

This program has been reviewed and it was determined that this program lacks the type of published, peer-reviewed research that meets the CEBC criteria for a scientific rating of 1 – 5. Therefore, the program has been given the classification of "NR - Not able to be Rated." It was reviewed because it was identified by the topic expert as a program being used in the field, or it is being marketed and/or used in California with children receiving services from child welfare or related systems and their parents/caregivers. Some programs that are not rated may have published, peer-reviewed research that does not meet the above stated criteria or may have eligible studies that have not yet been published in the peer-reviewed literature. For more information on the "NR - Not able to be Rated" classification, please see the Scientific Rating Scale.

Child Welfare Outcomes: Not Specified

Currently, there are no published, peer-reviewed research studies for Pathways Fourth Edition.

No reference materials are currently available for Pathways Fourth Edition.