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Family & Friends Information

Family Counseling & Support

• Counseling

•  Support Meetings

•  Socials

• Treatment Program

Visiting

•  Our visiting program

•  How to apply to visit

•  The visiting schedule

•  How to arrange a visit

•  How to get here

•  On the day you visit

• Rules for visiting

•  Medical emergency visits

• Special Visits

 Mail and Packages

• General Rules

•  Mailing Addresses

•   Master Property List

Frequently Asked Questions

 Family Counseling & Support

Members of a resident’s family and friends of the resident may wish to help in the resident's progress through treatment.  Understanding the expectations and challenges the resident may face, and supporting the resident during sex offender treatment, can make a helpful difference in his/her progress at SCC.  When a resident is released to the community, coming back to an understanding family and friends is vital to the resident’s continued success.  For those reasons, when a resident and the family/significant other appear ready to benefit from counseling, it is arranged through the clinical program.  The resident must sign a consent form, allowing our staff to discuss his or her treatment issues with you.

A resident may request counseling for family from a member of the clinical team.  For more information, contact Kent Ruby at (253) 589-6215.

Family Support Meetings.  Resident family members and significant others are welcome to attend support meetings. These meetings generally are held every three months.  For more information, contact Kent Ruby at (253) 589-6215.

Formal Family Meeting with Superintendent and Key Managers.
These meetings are held 2-4 times per year. Separate meetings are conducted for families and friends of residents who are participating in treatment. Family and friends of residents not participating in treatment meet with the Superintendent semi-annually. These meetings provide an opportunity for the Superintendent and Key Managers to share information and listen to the concerns of family and friends.   

 Visiting:

Our visiting program.  Visits are intended to foster appropriate relationships between a resident and his/her family and friends.  Please read the Visitor Guide before your visit as there are specific steps and rules which must be followed. 

Here are excerpts from the Visitor Guide:

How to apply to visit.  A resident is normally limited to twenty approved personal visitors.  Prospective visitors must contact the resident who can then request a Visitor Packet be sent to the prospective visitor.  The Visitor Packet includes an application form, Policy 220, and the Visitor’s Guide.  The application form must be completed and returned to the Visiting Supervisor who will notify the requestor when the application has been approved or denied.  Requests for minor visitors must meet specific requirements.  See Policy 220 for more details.  

We generally do not allow visiting by:

·        Former Special Commitment Center staff

·        Former residents

·        Residents on Less Restrictive Alternatives (LRA)

·        Persons convicted of a felony, or

·        Persons who are not cleared through an NCIC background check. 

A person who is on the visiting list for one resident will not be allowed to visit another resident.  For additional information, see Policy 220. 

The Visiting Schedule. Regular visits are routinely scheduled.  Persons with a handicap are accommodated by a specially-equipped ADA van and transported to the island by a ferry barge, according to a different schedule than that of the regular passenger ferry.  The Visitors Guide has the current visiting schedule.

How to arrange a visit.  When you are notified that your application is approved, you may contact the resident you will be visiting to arrange a visit.  The resident is responsible to coordinate the visit.  If you have special concerns or questions, you may contact the Visiting Supervisor. 

How to get Here. The SCC is located on McNeil Island. near the town of Steilacoom, about 13 miles southwest of Tacoma, Washington.  Visitors must park at Western State Hospital (see Directions).  We provide free transportation by bus to the Steilacoom dock and by boat to McNeil Island.  You must take the bus to and from the dock.  A state-operated boat or barge is the only access to the island. 

On the Day You Visit.   Visitors must be dressed appropriately and the money and property they bring on a visit are strictly limited.  You must show picture identification.  Visitors with children must have other documents available.  Please read the Visitor Guide to learn more about these requirements. 

Rules for Visiting.   We have, for reasons of safety and good order, rules regarding dress, conduct, smoking, money, and the like.  Read the Visit Guide to see the Visiting Rules.

Medical Emergency Visits:  Prior authorization is required for visits to a resident during off-island hospitalization.  Contact the Clinical Social Worker for more information.

Special Visits.  Sometimes a visit can be arranged which is different than a regular visit.  Usually, this is because of a mobility or health problem.  Special visits are by request.  Because we must take extraordinary arrangements, no special visit will be approved unless at least 72 hours is available between the approval and the time of visit. 

Mail and Packages:

General Rules.  The Special Commitment Center exercises strict guidelines pertaining to any material sent or received by a resident.  Any received item which is not allowed under policy will be destroyed, returned to sender, or mailed at the resident’s expense to an address outside the facility.  For more information see Policy 202,  and Policy 230 Room Standards.

Allowable Property.  Allowable resident personal property is controlled to ensure accountability and to maintain a safe, sanitary, and orderly environment.  If an item does not appear on the Master Property List, Religious Property Allowances, or approved through similar policies, it is not allowed without special permission.  For more information see Policy 213, Resident Master Property. 

• For the list of allowed property, see Master Property List. 

•  For the list of Religious Property Allowance, see Religious Property List.

•  For information pertaining to computers and electronics, see Policy 212.

• We have a trial procedure in place at this time for families to send photo-media (family videos and picture CDs) to their relatives.  Review the Policy on Photo-media for more information. 

Pre-approval for packages and gifts.  Except for family photo-media, gifts and property from a resident’s family must be (1) pre-approved; (2) purchased from an authorized vendor, and (3) shipped directly from the vendor.  See Approved Vendor List. 

Addressing mail and packages to a resident at SCC and SCTF Facilities on McNeil Island. All addresses must include:

For general correspondence:

Resident legal first name (or initial) and last name

Special Commitment Center

PO Box 88600

Steilacoom, Washington  98388

For packages:

Resident legal first name (or initial) and last name

Special Commitment Center

35 Settlers Street

Steilacoom, Washington  98388 

Addressing mail and packages to a resident at Secure Community Transition Facility in King County:

Resident legal first name (or initial) and last name

King County Secure Community Transition Center

132 Spokane St.
Seattle WA, 98134-2221