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Show Neighbor: 7 thought it was a karate place1 Sox offenders' clinic opens quietly By MARK EDDINGTON Staff Writer FARMINGTON Amidst public furor over a K mart development de-velopment and a proposed shelter for runaway youth, a treatment clinic for sex offenders and victims has gone largely unnoticed in Farm-ington. Farm-ington. The treatment center, located at 115 S. 200 East and near Monte Vista Elementary School, did hold an open house on Feb. 28, but few people attended. Those that did seemed pleased the facility was there, said clinical director Janeen Van Roo. A survey of residents living near the Intermountain Sexual Abuse Treatment Center (ISAT), disclosed most were unaware of the facility's existence. "I thought it was a karate place,' said Ruth Sweat, who lives several houses up the street. W. Lee Glad, Monte Vista principal, prin-cipal, was also caught off guard by the center. He said he didn't know anything about it and would reserve judgment The ISAT center has a contract with the Division of Family Ser vices and Department of Corrections Correc-tions to provide counseling for clients in Davis County. The Farm-ington Farm-ington office is currently providing individual counseling for victims of sexual abuse and will start counseling counsel-ing sex offenders sometime next week. While generally supportive of treatment for victims, some residents expressed reservations about the treatment of sex offenders. "I want to be open-minded and I'm not opposed to the center, but I don't know if I want sex offenders in the neighborhood. It will make me more nervous," Sweat said. Other residents like Val and Madelene Andreason, who live across the street from the Farm-in Farm-in gton office, worry about the center's proximity to the elementary elemen-tary school, attended by one of their children. "I wonder if anyone gave any consideration to the center being in a family environment, or if it ought to be in a business environment, Val said, while hastening to add they were concerned and not necessarily opposed to ISAT. Max Forbush, city manager, said he and city planner Craig Hinckley looked into ISAT before it opened and didn't believe it was appropriate ap-propriate for the issue to come before the city council. He said the center was in compliance with city zoning ordinanc es and is primarily used to treat victims of sexual abuse. The center's location next to Monte Vista is not much of an issue Forbush said, because the Davis County Mental Health Center is also in the vicinity and treating the same kind of people. "It operates during daytime hours. It's a counseling office and so people are in and out. They won't be staying overnight," Forbush For-bush explained. Van Roo understands residents' concerns but claims the offenders will not pose much of a risk. ' People who are incestuous offenderswhich the majority of ours are tend not to be very violent. So I don't think there is much of a problem," she said. Most offenders in treatment are SEE ABUSE ON A-2 - Treatment of offenders is in the best interest of the victim, she said, to prevent any recurrence of abuse. Van Roo said the number of repeat offenders after treatment is less than five percent. If the client profile for the Farm-ington Farm-ington office follows others in the state, about 17 percent of those in treatment will be sex offenders. Forbush said it is unlikely the perpetrators will cause any trouble while in treatment. 'The sex offenders who have not been tagged yet are the dangerous ones," he said. "The purpose of the center is to prevent sex abuse. We think that is a noble cause." In addition to Van Roo, the Farm-ington Farm-ington office is staffed by primary therapist Sally Hall and counselor Bette Morin, who both work with victims. Therapist Bob Anderson will work with the sex offenders. Abuse CONTINUED FROM A-l I there as a condition of probation or parole, Van Roo explained, and are I carefully prescreened for violence I prior to treatment. Typically, each offender undergoes a psycho-sexual evaluation evalua-tion before any treatment, according I to Kent Archibald, who is a regional administrator with the Department of Corrections. "We recommend prison or incarceration in-carceration of some type for those with violent tendancies, or who pose a risk to the community," he I explained. Van Roo said ISAT focuses on I the needs of victims who survive the trauma of sexual abuse. Offenders learn "victim empathy" J in a separate treatment program, where they are encouraged to accept ac-cept full responsibility for their actions. |