Influence of Therapeutic Staff Characteristics on Caseload Complexity in a Forensic Outpatient Program
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This poster presents findings from a retrospective cohort study conducted in the Psychotherapeutic Outpatient Clinic for Violent and Sexual Offenders in Munich. The study analyzed the influence of therapeutic staff characteristics on caseload complexity, based on aggregated staff–client data from routine practice between 2018 and 2025. A total of 54 therapists (psychological psychotherapists and social workers) were included, each responsible for clients assessed with the Violence Risk Scale: Sexual Offender version (VRS-SO). Caseload complexity was defined as having ≥ 60% of clients rated as moderate to high risk (VRS-SO categories III–IVB). Logistic regression models showed that therapist age, gender, and professional background had no significant effects on high-risk caseload assignment. However, each one-point increase in the average VRS-SO risk score of a therapist’s caseload was associated with a 50% higher likelihood of belonging to the high-complexity group. The study highlights the importance of risk-adjusted workload indicators for fair caseload allocation and staff wellbeing. It supports the development of monitoring tools for forensic outpatient services and contributes to the discussion on guideline-based staffing standards in the treatment of sexual offenders.
Authors: Dietl, Markus, Schumann, Sharon
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7083811632
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: