Contact Information:

 

Professional Office: 

The Family Institute of Virginia

2910 Monument Ave.

Richmond, Virginia 23221

804-355-6876

FIV1@verizon.net

 

EDUCATION:

​

1997                  University of Chicago
School of Social Service Administration
Chicago, IL.
Doctor of Philosophy

Dissertation: (1997). Victim engagement Patterns Among Male Juvenile Sexual Offenders.

 

1980                  University of Washington
Graduate School of Education
Seattle, WA.
Master of Education, Counseling & Community Mental Health

 

1976                  Western Washington University
School of Education
Bellingham, WA.
Standard Teaching Certification

 

1972                  Central Washington University
School of Education

Ellensburg, WA.
Bachelor of Arts, Education

 

WORK EXPERIENCE:  

In June of 2017, I completed my 47th year of work with children and adults with personality disorders and aggressive behavior problems.  During this time I have worked as a teacher, clinician and consultant, conducted training in the community, and taught at the university level including as a visiting lecturer at Oxford University in Great Briton.  Most of these years have been spent evaluating and treating individuals with sexually aggressive disorders, conducting basic research on how sexually aggressive persons select, engage, and abuse their victims, providing clinical consultation to mental health providers serving this population, designing residential and outpatient treatment programs for sex offenders, and on developing policies and legislation relating to the management of sex offenders in the community.  The work of my clinic in Seattle was the subject of a 1985 Emmy winning, Frontline documentary, “Men who molest.”  The overall model of cognitive-behavioral and behavioral interventions we brought together, and as reported in Anna Salter’s book (1988) Treating Child Sex Offenders and Victims: A Practical Guide. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, remains a guide for the international response to sex offender treatment.

 

In June 1999, I was hired as a consultant to the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services (now the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services) to design a model for civilly committing so-called sexually violent predators (SVP).  In early 2000, I began working full time in that agency’s Division of Health and Quality Care, Office of Quality Management, developing clinical policies.  In April 2003, I began directing SVP services in this same office.  In this position, I managed the development of a system to identify, evaluate, and treat civilly committed SVP and acted as the program’s first clinical director, directed the development of a conditional release program for SVP, and acted as the Department’s expert on sexual aggression. In July 2006, the Legislature created the Office of SVP Services and I became the first director of that office. I continued in this position until my retirement in June 2017.  

 

The following is a summary of my experience in these areas.  

 

CONSULTING AND CLINICAL PRACTICE:  

Since 1971, I have worked as a therapist in school programs, in a county pre-trial diversion program, and in private practice and public mental health agencies.  In that time, I have completed over 1000 evaluations for the courts of sexually aggressive persons and provided over 25,000 hours of individual and group psychotherapy.  A sample of this clinical and consulting work is described below.

 

2006 – 2017      Director, Office of SVP Services, Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.  I continue to work with sister agencies the Department of Corrections and the Office of the Attorney General to evolve Virginia’s SVP system policies, procedures, and practices.

 

2003 – 2015 Clinical and Program Consultant to the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation.  Provided ongoing consultation and support to the VCBR for the DBHDS.  

 

1999 – 2008 Consulting Clinician on Design of a New SVP Facility.  Worked with the design team to conceptualize the SVP physical plant for VCBR.

 

2003 Clinical Director, Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation.  While serving as project manager for developing and opening a civil commitment program for SVP, between September and December 2003 I served as clinical director to that program.

 

2002 – 2003 Clinical Consultant to VA DOC.  Conducted performance audit of various DOC sex offender treatment resources and drafted report identifying strengths and weakness, and proposing multiple strategies to improve system.

 

1995 –  1999     Clinical Director & Therapist, Northwest Treatment Associates, IL.
Elgin, Illinois.  Designed the agency’s intake process, assessment protocols, evaluation and progress report outlines, treatment model, conducted psychotherapy for individuals and families and provided training and clinical supervision to staff.  

 

1995                  Program Designer/Clinical Director for Alternative Behavior Treatment Centers.  Des Plaines, IL.  Designed and implemented a comprehensive residential treatment program for sexually aggressive juveniles as part of an initiative by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to return violent, sexually aggressive youth from out-of-state placements. 

 

1991 – 1995      Consultation.  New Zealand.  After presenting as Key Note speaker at the first National Child                            
                          Abuse Conference in Wellington, New Zealand in 1991, I provided clinical consultation to                                  
                          police and mental health agencies serving sexually aggressive youth and adults.  During the
                          following years, several New Zealand administrators, researchers, and clinicians visited
                          me in Chicago for consultation, training, and guidance on program development.

 

1992 – 1994      Program Developer, Clinical Director, & Therapist.  Uhlich Children’s Home,

Chicago.  Designed, implemented, supervised, and was a therapist for, a secure residential juvenile sex offender treatment program.   

 

1990 – 1999      Consultant, Sexual Abuse Child Consultancy Services (SACCS).  Shrewsbury,
                          Shropshire, UK.  Conducted sight visits three times each year, working with program directors
                          designing a system of clinical intervention with physically and sexually aggressive youth.  As  

                          part of this, I assisted them in developing data collection and tracking instruments.

 

1985 – 1999      Consultation, United Kingdom.  Between 1985 and 1999, I made an average of three
                          consultation and training trips each year to the United Kingdom.  In that time I provided
                          consultation to more than 12 agencies and conducted over 40 one and two-day
                          courses on working with sexually aggressive youth and adults.  These venues included:

• Themes Valley Police.

• Sussex County Police.

• Nottingham Police and Probation Services.

• Treatment agencies in Sussex, Reading, Nottingham, Leads, Shropshire, Oxford, Wales, Manchester, Canterbury, Glasgow, and elsewhere.

• Seminars to the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Hospital, Oxford University, United Kingdom.

 

1988 – 1994      Clinical Consultant & Therapist, Community Youth Network.  Lake Villa, 

Illinois.  Provided training and clinical consultation to staff of this outpatient treatment program in rural Illinois and supervised treatment groups for adult and juvenile sex offenders.

 

1980 – 1988      Consultant, Sexual Assault Center, University of Washington School of Social Work and
                          Department of Psychiatry, Harborview Hospital.  Seattle.  Provided general clinical case
                          consultation on working with sexually aggressive persons.

 

1980 – 1988      Consultant, Children’s Protective Services, Department of Social and Health Services, 

Washington State.  Provided general clinical case consultation on working with sexually aggressive adults.

 

1980 – 1988 Consultant, Washington State Sexual Psychopath program. Western State Hospital.

 

1976 – 1988      Co-Owner, Program Co-Director & Therapist, Northwest Treatment Associates.  Seattle.  As Co-Director of Northwest, in addition to my own clinical work, I recruited, hired, and supervised therapist evaluating and treating adult sexual offenders and directed the agency’s training program.  During my time at Northwest:

• I evaluated over 1000 adult and juvenile sex offenders.

• I provided clinical treatment and case management, from evaluation to successful completion of treatment, to more than 200 sex offenders and their families.

• I facilitated the growth of the agency from serving approximately 30 clients per week to providing individual, group, couples, family therapy and other services to over 200 clients, and their families, each week.

• The agency was featured in the WGBH Boston, “Frontline” documentary, “Men Who Molest.”  This film aired nationally in 1985 and internationally thereafter.  It won multiple national film awards, including an Emmy. 

• Under my supervision, the agency provided weeklong intensive training on working with sexually aggressive individuals to over 100 therapists and administrators from six states and three foreign countries.

• Under my supervision, the agency participated in multiple national research projects and was instrumental in the founding of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA).

• In 1988 Northwest Treatment Associates was featured in the book by Anna Salter, Treating Child Sex Offenders and Victims: A Practical Guide. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. 

 

 

1975 – 1978      Lead Counselor, Pre-trial Diversion.  Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office,
                          Everett, WA.  As a Diversion Counselor I completed social assessments of clients,
                          coordinated the completion of psychiatric, psychological, and other evaluations, developed
                          intervention plans, supervised client participation in these interventions, and provided
                          individual and group psychoeducational interventions for clients.

 

1971 – 1975      Teacher, Federal Way School District.  Federal Way, WA.  As a teacher in this alternative                               junior and high school program, I designed, implemented, and supervised educational programs
                          for youth experiencing behavioral problems in the regular classroom who had dropped out
                          of, or had been permanently expelled from, the District’s regular school programs.

 

 

POLICY DEVELOPMENT:    

Since 1980 I have participated in initiatives to develop or change public policy as it relates to delivering mental health care.  These initiatives are listed below. 

 

2006 - Present   Director, Office of SVP Services.  Transformed this office from a service provide by
                          the Office of Quality Management, to an independent office in the Division of Health and     
                          Quality Care. In this position, I am responsible for or have:

• Recruiting, brokering training for, and providing oversight of SVP evaluators.

• Directed the creation of a standardized SVP evaluation template based on input from national and regional experts.

• Partnering with the Department of Corrections to expand conditional release community resources.

• Developed a service Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Corrections for the delivery of conditional release supervision of SVP in the community.

• Directed the development, implementation, and updating of SVP case tracking software; SVPTracker.

• Maintaining partnering relationships with the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Corrections, and attorneys representing individuals in the SVP system.

• Manage completion of a yearly SVP commitment forecast, for presentation to the Virginia Legislature.

• Developed and cooperated on the development of legislation relating to SVP.

 

1999 – 2006      Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) services, Office of Quality Management, Office of the
                          Medical Director, Division of Health and Quality Care (now Office of SVP Srevices),
                          Department of Mental Health Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services.  
                          Richmond, VA.  

• 1999.  Managed the initial feasibility and concept study for implementing civil commitment of SVP (Senate Joint Resolution 334).

• 1999.  Managed the design of a clinical program model, cooperated on the design of a physical plant layout, and staffing plan for a civil commitment program for SVP.

• 2002.  Managed a study examining available state-owned properties for conversion to use for housing a civil commitment program for SVP.

• 2002 – 2006:

• Co-managed a study to site the permenant SVP facility.

• Worked on the development of inter-Departmental policies and procedures between the Department, the Department of Corrections (DOC), the Secretariat for Public Safety, the Secretariat for Health and Human Resources, The Office of the Attorney General, the Governor’s office, and the Department of Planning and Budget. 

• Managed the development of departmental policies, procedures, and the design of a facility conversion to house civilly committed SVP.

• Drafted facility policies and procedures for the SVP program.

• Participated on or directed the hiring of key clinical and administrative staff for the SVP program.

• Worked with clinical staff to implement the SVP treatment program.

• Participated with DOC on the design and implementing the Commitment Review Committee (CRC).

• Designed and implemented a system for recruiting and contracting with qualified SVP evaluators to conduct CRC evaluations of SVP.

• Act as a Department representative on the CRC.

• Worked with the DOC office of Community Corrections and the Office of the Attorney General to design and implement a system for conditionally releasing SVP.

• Participated on the Citizens SVP Advisory Committee for Petersburg and Dinwiddie County.

• Acted as Clinical Director between September and December 2003.

• Direct the Department's conditional release program.

• Worked with the Virginia Crime Commission on developing SVP policy and legislation.

 

1996 – 1998      Assistant Professor, Behavioral Health and Welfare Program, Department
                          of Psychiatry.  University of Illinois at Chicago.

• Assisted the State of Illinois with the development of a survey for identifying the characteristics and needs of youth placed out-of-state by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

• Assisted the State of Illinois with the development of policies and procedures governing treatment of youth placed out-of-state.

• Cooperated with the State of Illinois on developing a Departmental “Gate Keeping” model for monitoring agencies providing services to juvenile wards of the Department.

 

1994 Director, Office of Sexually Aggressive Children and Youth.  Working for the Director of
                          the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, organized and opened the pilot office
                          for gate-keeping the care of sexualized and sexually aggressive youth.

 

1992 – 1994      Consultant, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.  Drafted Best Practice
                          treatment standards for screening, investigating, evaluating, and treating juvenile sex offenders.
                          Compiled a set of screening instruments for this purpose.

 

1986 – 1988      Consultant, Washington State Determinate Sentencing Commission.  

• Provided input on the characteristics, needs, and risks of sexual offenders and feedback on the sentencing grid as it developed.

• Provided guidance on the minimum qualifications for licensing sex offender treatment providers in the State of Washington.

 

1982 – 1988      Consultant, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington State Public Schools. 
                          Provided consultation and training on policies and procedures for responding to teachers 

                          accused of sexual aggression.

 

 

POST-SECONDARY TEACHING:    

Since 1982 I have taught as a lecturer, adjunct, visiting, or assistant professor for multiple universities.  Course content includes clinical skills for social workers, clinical practice with sex offenders, and basic counseling skills and social work courses.  These are listed below.

 

2001 - 2010 Lecturer.  Institute for Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy, University of Virginia.

 

1999                  Adjunct Professor.  School of Social Work.  Loyola University, Chicago.

​

1996 – 1998     Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago.

​

1990 – 1995      Lecturer.  School of Social Service Administration.  University of Chicago.

​

1987 – 1988      Adjunct Professor.  Graduate Schools of Education and Psychology.  Central 

Washington University.

 

1984 – 1988      Lecturer.  Psychology Didactic.  Graduate School of Psychology.  University 

of Washington.

 

1982 – 1986      Visiting Professor. Child Sexual Abuse Treatment and Training Institute.  Schools of
                          Social Work and Medicine.  University of Washington.  Seattle.

 

 

INVITED PRESENTATIONS AND CONFERENCES:    

Between 1980 and the present I have participated in over 200 regional, national, and international conferences on sexual aggression held in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and New Zealand.  A sample of conferences to which I presented is listed below.

 

2015 National Foster Parent Association 45tg Annual Convention.  Norfolk Virginia.  

 

2006 – Present Annual VSOTA conference.  Moderator or presentor.  Annual Virginia Sex Offender
                          Treatment Association conference supported by the Office of SVP Services, DBHDS.

 

2004             Virginia Department of Corrections, Multi-State Conference on Intensive
                          Supervision of Sex Offenders.

 

2003 – 2004     The Performance Institute, Arlington, Virginia and San Diego, California.

 

1992 – 1997     National Adolescent Perpetrators Network Conferences, yearly.

 

1995                 American Psychological Association, national conference.  Chicago.

 

1992                 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Phoenix.

 

1991                 1st National Conference on Child Sexual Abuse, New Zealand.

 

1988                 Psychiatric Practice Seminars.  Medical College, Oxford University, UK.

 

1988                 National Conference for the Association for Infant and Pre-Natal Psychology, UK.

 

1985 – 1989     National Conferences on Child Sexual Abuse, UK, yearly.

 

1987                 3rd National Conference, Family Violence.  University of New Hampshire.

 

1986                 4th National Conference on Child Abuse.  Children’s Hospital, Wash. DC.

 

1984                 3rd International Conference on Victimology.  Portugal.

 

 

RESEARCH AND PRACTICE GRANTS:

 

1996 – 1997     Principle.  Training Grant.  The Community Trust Grant to the 

Citizen’s Committee for the Juvenile Court of Cook County, Illinois. Training Juvenile Court Probation Officers on evaluating and supervising sexually aggressive youth.

 

1993 – 1994     Principle.  Training Grant.  The Community Trust Grant to the 

Citizen’s Committee for the Juvenile Court of Cook County, Illinois.  Training Juvenile Court Supervisors to investigate sexually aggressive youth.

 

1987 – 1989       Site Coordinator & Investigator.  NIMH # MH40033-01a1.  Identifying 

Characteristics of Cases involving sexual abuse of children.

 

1986 – 1987       Study Consultant.  NCCAN # 90-CA-1051-01.  Multiple Diagnoses Among 

                           Sexually Abused Children.

 

PUBLICATIONS:

Garland, Olivia & Wolf, Steven C.  (2014).  Sexually Violent Predators - The View from Central Office Administration. In, Schlank, A. (Ed.), The Sexual Predator: Legal, Administrative, Assessment, and Treatment Concerns .

Wolf, Steven C.  (2004).  Sexual Aggression: Emerging Issues In Social Work Practice.  In  Harold E. Briggs and Tina Rzepnicki 
        (Eds.).  Using Evidence in Social Work Practice: Behavioral Perspectives.  Lyceum Books, Inc.  Chicago.

 

Wolf, Steven C.  & Pinkston, Elsie M.   (1997).   Structure for victim  engagement in sexual abuse.   In Donald
        M. Baer & Elsie Pinkston  (Eds.).   Environment and Behavior.   Westview Press.

 

Connolly, Marie & Wolf, Steven C.   (1995).   Services for juvenile sex  offenders:  Issues in establishing
      programs.   Australian Social Work,  48, 3.   September.   Pp. 2-10.

 

Wolf, Steven C. &  Wolf, Therese A.    (1995).  Treating Sexually Aggressive Children and Youth: A Program Manual.

 

Wolf, Steven C.   (1995).   Draft standards:   Working with sexually aggressive children and youth.   State of
        Illinois, Department of Children and Family  Services.

 

Wolf, Steven C., Conte, Jon & Meinig, Mary   (1989).  Assessment and  treatment of sexual offenders in a
      community Setting.  In L. Walker (ED.).    A Handbook on Sexual Abuse of Children, New York:  Springer
      Publishers.

 

Conte, Jon,  Wolf, Steven C. & Smith, Tim   (1989).   What sexual offenders tell us about prevention.   Child
      Abuse and Neglect,   13, 6.

 

Wolf, Steven C.   (1989).   A model of sexual addiction.   In Dennis Dailey  (Ed.).  The Sexually Unusual.  
      University of Kansas Press.

 

Wolf, Steven C.   (1987).   Evaluation and treatment of sexual offenders.     Sexual Assault Manual.   Illinois
        Coalition Against Sexual Assault.    Springfield., IL.

 

Wolf, Steven C.   (1985).   A  multi-factor model of deviant sexuality.     Victimology:  An International Journal.  
        10, 1-4,  pp. 359-374.

 

Wolf, Steven C.  (1984).   Evaluation and treatment of the sexual offender.   In  Michelle Bell, Ph.D. and Jon
        Conte, Ph.D. (Eds.).   Sexual Assault  Manual.   Harborview Medical Center & the University of
        Washington.     Seattle.

 

 

EDITING AND REVIEWING:

1986 - 1988              Editorial Board Member, Journal of Interpersonal Violence
                                      School of Social Service Administration
                                    The University of Chicago
                                      Chicago, Illinois

                                     

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

2001 –  2017            Virginia Sex Offender Treatment Association (VSOTA).

 

1986 - current         The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.   Life charter member.

 

1978 - 1986               Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

 

1972 – Present        Licensed Secondary Teacher.  Washington State Department of Education.

 

 

MILITARY SERVICE:

1981 – 1992      Washington Army National Guard.  Medical Platoon Sergeant.

 

1965 – 1968      US Navy.  Mobile Riverine Force, Republic of Vietnam.